Low-fee credit cards
There are better credit cards for travel out—there some you can even design yourself (I just thought this one was funny)
Where to get a low-fee credit card for traveling
Your best bet for a friendly, low-fee credit card is a credit union, a small local bank, an online bank, or one of the rare large banks that do not overcharge.
Since having an account with one of these financial institutions helps with other aspects of travel finances (such as low to no ATM fees)—not to mention offering better banking services at home to boot—I have created a separate page just on shopping for a better bank. » more
Credit cards (no foreign fees) links
- Findabetterbank.com - Site to find credit unions and other local banks. These often have low or no foreign transaction fees on their credit cards and ATM fee–refund policies.
- Capitalone.com - Offers cards with no foreign transaction fee, and chip-and-signature enabled (making it easier to use in Europe).
- Bankofamerica.com - Offers cards with no foreign transaction fee, and chip-and-signature enabled (making it easier to use in Europe).
- Madfientist.cardratings.com - Good simple search engine to find travel-worthy cards, from no foreign fees to the ones with the best points.
Banks with low fees links
- Ally.com - Online-only bank (and the one I use), with ATM feee refunds and no foreign transaction fees. Sadly, no credit cards (yet)—though you can use your MasterCard-branded bank card as a debit card.
- Usaa.com - Online-only bank open to current and former U.S. military personnel and their families; ATM fee refunds, and credit cards with only 1% foreign transaction fees.
- Schwab.com - This famous brokerage firm also offers online-only checking and savings accounts with ATM fee refunds.
- Asmarterchoice.org - Credit union–finding site. Credit unions often have low or no foreign trasnaction fees on their credit cards, ATM fee–refund policies, very few fees, and interest-bearing checking accounts. In other words: What a bank should be.
- Findabetterbank.com - Site to find credit unions and other local banks. These often have low or no foreign transaction fees on their credit cards and ATM fee–refund policies.
- Ncua.gov - All about credit unions.
- Credituniondb.com - Bare-bones credit union-finding database.
