Best ATM or Credit Card For Foreign Travel?
Just because you’re overseas on vacation, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t still pay attention to fees. Visa and Mastercard charge a standard 1% “conversion” fee on all foreign transactions (even if they are in US dollars!.) Many major credit card issuers charge you up to another 3% on top of that. Why? Because they can.
But by selected the best credit card in your arsenal, you can minimize the damage. Flyertalk has a great resource listing all the card issuers and the rates they charge. Don’t forget to also take into account the cashback program of your specific card, as you’ll still earn it on foreign purchases.
Credit Cards
Citibank charges the 1% Visa/MC fee and 2% extra from themselves. Overall basic surcharge: 3%. Same for Chase and Bank of America. If you get 1% cashback, that’s still a 2% overall surcharge.
The best card (neglecting cashback) may actually surprise you. It’s Capital One! Although they are known as a subprime lender, they generously waive the 1% Visa/MC fee and they don’t charge their own fee. Overall basic surcharge: 0%.
The best thing is that I have an old Capital One card with a grandfathered-in rewards program that gives me flat 1% cash back (only credited annually, though). I don’t use it regularly because I can always do much better with 2-5% back.
But on trips? 1% overall cashback with Capital One is the best deal I’ve got.
ATM Cards
Just like here, you have to worry about ATM fees both at the ATM you actually use and the ATM card issuer. According to the FlyerTalk table, for me the best bet is probably my HSBC ATM card. If I find an HSBC ATM, I would only pay the 1% conversion fee. If I don’t, I just get charged an extra $1.
Bank of America is horrible as it charges you $5 a pop, but if you can find one their affiliated foreign banks you get off with no fees. As usual, if you use a bank that does ATM rebates here is where you’ll be glad you did.
The Plan
In general, I’m going to try to pay for everything with credit cards first (just like at home!) for security and the 1% cash back. After that, I’ll also carry a decent amount of cash with me, and then use an ATM if I need to reload.
I rarely usually use traveler’s checks anymore. It’s easier to find an ATM these days than a place that takes traveller’s checks. I’ll have backup cards hidden in different places in case something gets lost or stolen.
Find more in Credit Cards | 6/2/06, 12:59am | Trackback
June 2nd, 2006 at 1:35 am
I’m not so sure about Capital One waiving the 1% visa/mastercard fee. Did you call and ask, or are you basing it on FlyerTalk?
I called them to ask about 6 months ago, and they told me it was 1%. I have the No Hassle Rewards (1% cashback) card, so I don’t know if that’s different.
June 2nd, 2006 at 1:41 am
Hmm… I know it was true sometime in 2005 when I went to Canada, but I haven’t called since. Dangit, another thing to add to my ToDo list!
June 2nd, 2006 at 1:53 am
I just called them. The guy said “we do not charge any fees for foreign transactions.” I asked him about the Visa/MC fee, and he said I’d have to ask them about that, and that all he knows is that CapOne does not charge any fees. Hmm… Still, 0% overall isn’t bad.
Good thing is that I also asked him to put a notice that I’ll be travelling overseas so they don’t put a fraud hold on my card while I’m over there.
June 2nd, 2006 at 5:20 am
If you are customer of Bank of America you should check out their partner banks (no fees and the standard exchange rate). In my opionion the very best way to go - I use it for regular money transfer - as long as you have access to one of the following banks:
from http://bankofamerica.via.infon.....atmbranch/
Use your ATM card or Check Card within our Global ATM Alliance in the countries shown with no fees.
Barclays (United Kingdom)
BNP Paribas (France)
China Construction Bank (China)
Deutsche Bank (Germany)
Santander Serfin (Mexico)
Scotiabank (Canada)
Westpac (Australia and New Zealand)
June 2nd, 2006 at 5:48 am
You forgot to mention that MBNA cards are only 1% over as well..
June 2nd, 2006 at 6:01 am
Good luck on the trip. In my travels in China/Japan I relied heavy on HSBC ATMs.
Here are some other money tips:
-Carry a lot more cash than your use to. I never carry any cash in the US (use my credit cards 99% of the time); but espically in China very few places take credit cards. I hear more places are taking them now due to the Olympics.
-ATMs in China (that could connect to big US/international banks) were always hard to find for me. Don’t expect them everywhere.
-Worse case keep in mind hotels usually have a service to pull money from your tab for a 5-8% fee. They will just add it to you bill and will get billed to your credit card when you checked out.
June 2nd, 2006 at 6:14 am
hmm you know in the other post you mentioned bringing cash to exchange at the bank, I really dont know about how favorable those exchange rate may be, or rather the ridiculous fee for non-members. Hotel I think is another big rip, with totally unfavorable exchange rate.
Here’s another idea that you probably have done already, but just in case…
When I was in Paris on vacation, after getting tired of being ripped off by the exchange rate, I saw a peking duck store. So I asked the lady if she can exchange some USD for some Euro for me. The rate she quoted me was far better than any other rates I have accessible to me, so I promptly exchanged the majority of my money with her.
I’m sure you can also find some local business that have no trouble exchanging your US dollars at more favorable exchange rate, if it comes down to it.
Ah, if I only knew about ATM cards then. I would have gladly ate the fees for the better exchange rates.
June 2nd, 2006 at 6:31 am
cash is the king in asia. exchange rates for credit cards suck big time… u may wanna convert cash in the local banks there instead…
June 2nd, 2006 at 6:38 am
I have a Bank of America checking account and travel to Europe once or twice a year (I am a native German). I picked Bank of America specifically because of their no-fee ATM affiliate network, and their great online banking.
June 2nd, 2006 at 7:46 am
Jonathan,
I am about to go away for a year and Capital One is the way to go. I use CitiCards normally but when I am overseas, it’s all CapitalOne.
Responding to your post a bit ago about Bridgeway. They offer steller funds. too bad 90% of them are closed because they are some of the best in the business. I own BRSIX and while I bought it recently before the market downturn so I’m not doing so well, I was happy to find a bridgeway fund I can get into before they close it! I highly recomment this fund. great returns, good small cap pick, and low expense ratio.
Enjoy China!
June 2nd, 2006 at 3:03 pm
I have an account with Compass Bank, and their advertising pitch is that any ATM, anywhere on the planet, is free. They don’t charge you, and if you keep your receipts and send them in, they’ll refund the fees that other banks charge you. Their website is http://www.compassweb.com
Just a thought.
June 2nd, 2006 at 4:51 pm
Thanks for all the tips! Too late to sign up for new banks now =) Gotta go with what I got. China Construction Bank for BofA, got it. Wrote it down on my ATM card.
June 2nd, 2006 at 5:14 pm
Thanks for the tips, Jonathan! We live overseas several months out of the year and just by doing the math, I have always thought that our Capital One GoCash Card was the best one for overseas purchases, but it is nice to have confirmation. Just like Matt stated above, we usually use Citicards for everything in the USA, but switch to Capital One when we are out of the country.
June 3rd, 2006 at 12:23 pm
Capital One offers 1.25% cash back now after registering with its No Hassle Cash program. The web page to sign up is running, but it still has some problems. I tried to sign up today and it complained about my birth date (hope it doesn’t think I am too old :)). In addition, there is a $5 bonus signup.
As far as foreign travel, Capital One appears to be the best choice considering that there is no foreign transaction fee. Another card that doesn’t have fees on transactions abroad is Discover, however not too many places accept it.
June 6th, 2006 at 8:03 am
I go to Canada often enough that I just carry cards from Canadian banks, denominated in Canadian currency. It’s handy, and I do my conversion once, at the end of the trip, to cover everything. I keep some Canadian money in ING Direct and TD Canada Trust.
If you do go to Canada often, the rumour mill has it that TD BankNorth will be offering accounts with free wiring between TD Canada Trust accounts in Canada, and TD BankNorth accounts in the USA.
June 19th, 2006 at 2:41 am
My Charles Schwab Visa (MBNA) hasn’t charged me a currency fee here in Australia. It’s also a flat 1% back card.
My HSBC ATM card is tied to my HSBC Direct account, and I’m getting free ATM withdrawals at every ATM and my exchange rate is the best I’ve seen.
June 26th, 2006 at 11:12 pm
I used Capital One Visa for a six month trip in Latin America and never got charged any surcharge. As far as waiving the 1% fee that Visa charges… Visa tacks this on before the charges are reported to Capital One, so I don’t know why people have said that those charges could be waived. Also, check out E-Trade Bank, as they charge no fees for ATM withdrawals, and also refund ATM fees charged by other banks. You just e-mail them if the fee isn’t refunded automatically.
June 29th, 2006 at 5:30 pm
I just got my Capital One statement from a foreign trip. You were right, no foreign fees whatsoever. They even ate the 1% Visa/MC fee!
July 29th, 2006 at 2:25 pm
As far as I’m aware the penfed credit card is better than any I’ve seen mentioned. It doesn’t charge you a fee and even though it doesn’t waive the 1%, it gives you 1.25% back, so you’re left with making .25%. Not a huge difference, but still a better deal
August 10th, 2006 at 6:02 am
Has anyone here used the HSBC ATM card, that comes with their Online Saving plan?
How much in total will I be charged if I am using a non-HSBC ATM machine? Including charges from HSBC and surcharges from the machine owner.
I’ve heard its $0.50 if I don’t request for a mini-statement. But not sure if there are surcharges from the machine owner?
Thanks!
August 20th, 2006 at 9:43 am
My uncle, who lives near the border, uses his e-trade ATM card in Canada. As mentioned, it refunds ATM fees. But an additional plus is that the exchange rate they give you is spot-on with the published rates for that day&time…
December 15th, 2006 at 8:48 am
Prior to going to Europe for 9 weeks this summer(2006)I called Capital I to alert them that I would be using their card extensively. I gave them my itinerary and dates. I had used them in the past without a problem. This time it was a real disappointment! I received an e-mail from their fraud department to contact them and called from Europe and was on hold with no one picking up. I e-mailed them back, gave them phone numbers in Europe where they could reach me, and had my adult son call to explain. I even paid my bills immediately via my bank account to assuage their fears. All to no avail! They stopped honoring my card.
February 7th, 2007 at 12:45 pm
Just a follow-up, I did not get charged the 1% fee while in Europe when using my Capital One card.
February 15th, 2007 at 7:43 pm
I bought a capital one card as a result of this page (and a few others) for traveling in South America. It worked wonders in Argentina — no extra fees at all, as described.
Here’s where it gets tricky. In Peru, Ecuador, and Bolivia, it was very difficult to find vendors that accepted credit cards with no additional fee. Some places would tack on a 7% surcharge for using credit cards!
Furthermore, Washington Mutual charged me $3 a pop for using int’l ATM’s, on top of the 1% fee. I had asked them about charges and they neglected to inform me of this before I left. Hope this info helps a future traveler.
February 17th, 2007 at 6:22 am
My experience with HSBC has been horrific. First, I fill out their online application. Then, they send the card. I activate it. I try to use it at a store. It gets declined - I’m humiliated. I call and am told it is on a “security hold” because they want me to produce several pieces of “proof” that I am who I am. The specific documents they require are impossible for me to produce, as those bills are not in my name. I can produce plenty of documentation proving who I am; however, they’ll only accept what they want. I’m all for security, but this is ridiculous. I called today to just have my account canceled. They told me I CANNOT CLOSE MY ACCOUNT UNTIL I PRODUCE THE DOCUMENTS. I informed them that they are holding my credit hostage and they just don’t care. You need to research HSBC because there are a lot of complaints you can find online about them. Do your research. I wish I had.
February 24th, 2007 at 9:03 pm
I opened in Hungary an OTP account. With this Euro denominated Credit Card account I can use my credit card within Europe (21 Countries) without paying any fees.
https://www.otpbank.hu/OTP_Portal/online/BE01020100000000.jsp
February 28th, 2007 at 11:36 am
Does anyone know of a bank with a partner agreement with Bank of Ireland?
Thanks,
Anna
March 7th, 2007 at 10:30 pm
I’m in Thailand most of the time. Credit cards and ATM are easy to use in all cities, cash needed in small towns and small shops.
My current experience:
- Capital One is 0% foreign exchange fee and give market exchange rates.
- WaMu ATM withdrawals are 1% foreign exchange fee and market exchange rates.
- Citibank ATM withdrawals are 3% foreign exchange fee.
Some merchants here will add 3% to credit card purchases for credit cards not issued by Thai banks. Many do not do this so take a pass on the ones who do.
March 13th, 2007 at 9:25 pm
I just received a new notice of fees from Washington Mutual. Their “new” fees for use of a “non WAMU” atm are $2.00 PER USE domestic and international. There still is the 1% fee charged by Mastercard.
April 3rd, 2007 at 11:59 am
Generally, I use a Credit Union Star ATM card that tends to give me better exchange rates and no fees. I also used the Fidelity Visa Card associated with my brokerage account because it had no international fees and 1.5% cash back to my brokerage account, but they just sent me a mailing that announced a 3% foreign transaction fee. I am now looking for a new card, and intend to close all my Fidelity Accounts, including the Credit Card, Brokerage, and Retirement accounts. They are going to lose thousands of dollars a year in fees as a direct result of a credit card charge that would amount to about $50 a year.
April 14th, 2007 at 11:46 am
Capital One have a limit on cash withdraw per day.
May 10th, 2007 at 3:43 pm
I just called CapitalOne Canada and they told me it’s 2.5% foreign currency conversion charge. It also says the same on their website. On this blog I assume most people are talking about American cards - it seems the Canadian cards have different charges associated with them.
August 13th, 2007 at 7:52 pm
I have an REI Visa, issued by U.S. Bank. Great rewards program if you’re a shopper at REI. Big problem, however, is they take anti fraud a bit to stringently. Like a previous poster, I informed them of my travels overseas and the dates. When the hotel tried charging a security deposit as required to hold the reservation, it was declined as a security hold. US bank never tried to even contact me. Reservation would have been lost had I not contacted asking why charge hadn’t shown up on stmt. If I didn’t have another card (Chase United Airlines), I would not have had a place to stay. US bank never even apologized but more or less told me this is how they do business. I’ll be leaving this card at home for all my international travel!
August 22nd, 2007 at 11:36 am
For two days I have been talking to customer service reps and scouring websites to find the lowest possible fees for handling money overseas. The process was so grueling that at one point I considered buying American Express traveler’s checks in order to “keep it simple.” But then I learned that in all of Kansas City, Missouri there is only one American Express office, and it’s way out in the burbs, nowhere near local tourist sites. Rome, Italy? There are three offices, and for all I know they too are in the burbs. If I was lucky enough to find a European merchant who’d take my AmEx traveler’s checks for purchases, I’d most likely have to factor in the merchant’s surcharge.
Based on my research, here’s my new three-pronged approach: Capital One Visa card when there’s no merchant surcharge, cash for everything else using a Schwab Bank ATM card, with Bank of America ATM card as backup.
1) As of today, Capital One Visa says they still have 0% foreign surcharge as long as I use the card for purchases, not cash advances.
2) Bank of America ATM card has just the 1% conversion surcharge and no transaction fees as long as I stay in their network, which is extensive.
3) Charles Schwab needs to cancel their scary paint-by-number pod-people TV ads and start a new campaign: Schwab is heir to the Traveler’s Friend throne that AmEx has totally vacated! With an Investor Checking account (no minimums, no fees, free checks and pays a generous 4.25% in interest) I can get an ATM card that has no fees whatsoever. No foreign exchange or conversion fee. All–and they mean ALL–ATM fees are refunded. I asked about any Visa/MC fees, and they said no, there are none. (I already have a Schwab checking account, but I’m going to open a second account just for travel expenses.)
Am I wrong on anything? If so, please correct me. Thank you.
September 1st, 2007 at 7:08 am
http://www.vondar.com
A real save credit did not exist until today. Complicated gadgets did not help at all. Dragon Credit Card Network offers the first safe and secure use of credit cards online and elsewhere. Contact your local bank and ask for details.
September 1st, 2007 at 5:01 pm
Schwab bank fine print says: ATM fees refunded up to first 6 transactions, up to $9, each statement period.
Capital One credit card: LOVE for travel due to no fees for credit card purchases. However, you HAVE TO CALL BEFORE you leave the country and specify where you are going and when, otherwise their fraud department will freeze the card, easily, requiring a gigantic hassle of several overseas calls to attempt to unfreeze it. I went through it.
October 30th, 2007 at 3:21 pm
Does anyone know which Capital One credit card offers 0 foreign currency surcharge? Is this effective in all cards? Thanks everyone!
December 2nd, 2007 at 7:10 pm
thought this might be relevant here.
There was lot of discussion going on SD regarding Credit Card (MC/Visa/Diners Club) Foreign Transaction Fees lawsuit
http://forums.slickdeals.net/s.....p?t=672760
or
http://www.ccfsettlement.com/
However I am still not sure if it scam or legitimate.
Any one herd of this.
December 15th, 2007 at 9:37 pm
http://www.ccfsettlement.com/
This real and have a read. I lived in Japan from 96-99 and travel overseas extensively from 99-05. I have filed and it will be significant
December 19th, 2007 at 12:02 pm
Actually credit card companies are not allowed to charge a fee for using their card overseas. I just received the paperwork to settle a claim against the credit card company that I used because of the charges from using the card in Canada. They make billions off of us every year, don’t let them take you for more money!
December 21st, 2007 at 12:50 pm
Just wanted to give some data. My wife is in London, England, and has both our Bank of America ATM/debit card (linked to a checking account), as well as a Capital One Platinum Mastercard.
I just had a chance to compare the exact exchange rates for similar purchases on the same day.
Capital One Mastercard, charged GBP 269.00 on Dec 19, 2009. Showed up as 542.39, a rate of 2.016319…
Bank of America ATM card used at a London Barlcay’s bank (in network): withdrawal of GBP 200.00 on Dec 19, 2009. Showed up as $403.26, a rate of 2.0163
This comparison only applies to purchases (not cash advances) on the CapitalOne credit card vs in-network ATM withdrawals (not purchases) on the Bank of America card. But they come out the same, which surprised me as I thought the BoA ATM would have an extra 1% currency fee in there somewhere.
February 11th, 2008 at 5:17 am
I’m hoping some one can help me figure this out. I live in Germany, but I have a U.S. bank account, and am paid in US dollars. Today I discovered that the foreign exchange rate that my bank has - HSBC - is really very different (ie very BAD) from what the established daily rate is on the stock exchange. On my bank statement, 500 euro withdraw = 764.60 USD on 1/16. But when I look at what the dollar is trading at then, 500 euro should be 739USD. So I am getting charged 24USD with this terrible exchange rate, which is actually invisible, unless you bother to check.
I called HSBC, and got three different people who gave me three different exchange rates for today’s dollar, which makes things event more confusing. Why can HSBC charge me such a bad exchange rate? I thought banks had to have the same? And does anyone know of a bank that has a better exchange rate?
March 6th, 2008 at 11:56 am
HSBC tells me that the Cirrus system used by them now charges a 3% fee. I am off to the Pentagon Federal Credit Union that absorbes the Cirrus fees.
March 6th, 2008 at 8:52 pm
Well Pentagon Federal Credit Union sounds great - if you are associated with the military in someway. I am a journalist - so do not meet any of their requirements. Anyone know a bank that does not charge these fees? It is more than a little depressing to watch my salary plummet. Eesh.
March 19th, 2008 at 7:34 am
You can join Pen Fed if you join the National Military Family Association. It’s a one-time $20 membership fee and anyone can join.
March 27th, 2008 at 6:16 am
[...] my post about the Best ATM or Credit Card For Foreign Travel?, Capital One was a promising option as it had no issuer-based foreign currency surcharges, unlike [...]
June 18th, 2008 at 5:46 am
Capital One No Hassle is 0% forex fees. I’ve been using it in Brazil for the lats year.
June 18th, 2008 at 11:22 am
Just an update about Compass Bank and ATM charges. They may have said free anywhere in the past, but now….
“When traveling outside of the US, there is an International Service Fee (ISF) that is added to the total transaction amount when posted to your account.
For signature-based Check Card transactions, cash advances and PIN-based purchases, this fee will equal 3% of the transaction amount. For PIN-based ATM transactions, this fee will equal 1% of the transaction amount.”
So looks like you are being hit with a 1% fee. And yes, that does add up. As an employee of an American company, being paid in America, and accessing my paycheck monthly by ATM….yes, 1% is a good bite.
July 17th, 2008 at 4:07 pm
TDBanknorth has the best , you can use their atm/debit card all over the WORLD for free! They rebate all those fees at the end of the month. It’s a free, no minimum balance checking acct, plus awesome online banking to boot! Visa charges the 1% conversion fee, unavoidable. Oh yeah, and they just bought Commerce Bank.
August 7th, 2008 at 12:54 pm
One alert worth noting:
I used to travel with my Citibank ATM and used the many Citi locations in Germany, Spain, Belgium, etc., but now they are charging 2% fees for everyone except “gold” customers. So, it is always good to check in and see if things have changed at your bank. Why not just charge us a flat fee for services like these!? My Cap-One Visa was still not charging conversion fees so I was happy about that.
I remember traveling in Italy in 2003 and having NO CHARGE at all when using my US ATM card.
August 23rd, 2008 at 7:22 am
Some of the info given here is really nice and I have a card from some of those spoken here. Yes, the 0 rebates and no charges are fine and we think this is ok, but most over look the banks conversion rates. ALL Banks are making a serious killing converting your money into the foreign countries currency. I’m a consultant in Europe and I been here for over 25 years while maintaining my home office Business in the US.
September 8th, 2008 at 8:44 am
Thanks for all the information, it’s really going to help me.
February 3rd, 2009 at 9:36 am
I being sent an ATM card throught your bank I will sent a fee to the following address and attention to the following person. Does he work for your bank name Ayodele Omilabu at Hsbc plaza nunhead london England,SE 15 3xl
May 28th, 2009 at 8:21 pm
CHECK YOUR FACT BEFORE YOU POST
someone above said it that Bank of America has joined a Global Alliance with foreign bank just like airlines. No foreign ATM fee and exchange in market price
feel so bad that this come quite high on a google search
May 29th, 2009 at 2:35 am
BofA is only free of ATM fees for the following banks:
* Barclays (United Kingdom)
* BNP Paribas (France)
* China Construction Bank (China)
* Deutsche Bank (Germany)
* Santander Serfin (Mexico)
* Scotiabank (Canada)
* Westpac (Australia and New Zealand)
June 12th, 2009 at 10:12 am
re: Capital One. I know it’s all over this commentary, but I was wondering if the not conversion fee also applies to Capital One DEBIT cards (i.e. if you bank with Capital One Bank, which I do). Thanks. I’m going oversees shortly and I just bough a ticket from a foreign firm and I noticed a large fee on my statement, which I really, really hope to avoid in future. Also, I’m going to Europe for ~5 weeks and I haven’t been there in a long time. To they have systems in place to accept my debit card as with my PIN number for POS purchases or do their systems not jive with American systems? Thanks again!
June 13th, 2009 at 2:37 am
Hi Jackie, you definitely can’t use U.S. debit cards (as in enter the pin at checkout) in Europe. The only debt system they have set up is based on the EC card, which you have to get through your European bank account.
The best thing is for you to just make a withdrawal at an atm with your Capital One card (which will save you on this hidden conversion rate fee that your other cards will charge) and pay in cash. Or use your card as a credit card (though many places off the tourist track don’t take them).
You should probably also call your bank and let them know you are traveling, or they’ll flag your card and get it declined.
June 14th, 2009 at 9:03 am
Jonathan, for the China Construction Bank, what PIN is needed.
I heard that their ATM requires six digits and BOA has only for here.
Thanks,
June 29th, 2009 at 8:41 pm
Thanks for this post. I’m hoping that CapitalOne still doesn’t charge.
I’m going to Italy in a month and was bummed to find out that my special “no foreign transaction fee” credit card account had been closed (I haven’t used the card in years). I was resigned to paying the 3% transaction fee on my regular card, but I have a back up CapOne card I’m going to check on. I just assumed they would gouge me too.
thanks again, steve booth
September 7th, 2009 at 9:18 am
I have been using my Capital One card in the UK… it’s been tricky to find places that accept non-chip-and-pin. So yes, no fees, but good luck using the card in most places. Also, I was just blocked from online purchasing by the SecureCode implementation and can no longer book travels online… which in the UK can mean paying more than TRIPLE the cost when paying in person at a ticket booth, and that’s not even including the credit card fee that most places charge to cover their costs with the cc companies.
There’s no way to contact the CapitalOne service people unless you enroll in their website.. which requires information that’s locked away back home in America. So basically the card is useless now.