Choosing the right credit card for international travel

April 30, 2026|6 min read

When you’re traveling internationally, a credit card can be a convenient and straightforward way to pay. A card might also let you earn rewards for your purchases and offer security features that are useful when traveling.

But how do you choose the right credit card for international travel? Here are a few things you might look for.

What you’ll learn:

Some features that make a credit card good for international travel include flexible rewards, travel-related benefits and fraud protection.
Finding a card that helps you avoid foreign transaction fees can help save you money.
It can help to familiarize yourself with your card’s benefits before you set off on your trip.
Capital One offers a range of travel credit cards that can help make travel more rewarding.

Which type of card is best for foreign travel?

Credit cards are widely accepted around the world. Although you can bring any type of credit card on an international trip, they’re not all tailored to the job. Some charge fees for foreign transactions. Others may not offer the kinds of account monitoring and security that can be useful when you’re far from home.

Travel rewards credit cards come with benefits, tools and rewards tailored toward traveling.

Credit cards good for international travel: Key features to look for

Here are some potential features to consider in a travel rewards credit card.

1. Rewards that work for you

Travel credit cards can help turn everyday purchases into travel rewards that you can use on airfare, hotel stays and more.

The rewards may come in the form of miles or points. But there’s no single answer to how miles work. Ways to earn or redeem rewards vary by issuer and the type of travel card.

2. Bonus offers

New travel cardholders can sometimes earn a bonus by spending a certain amount within an initial time frame. Cards that offer this might have an annual fee. To see whether the offer is worth the fee, you might want to do a quick calculation of what you expect to spend in the first several months of having a travel credit card.

3. Travel benefits

Some travel cards come with enhanced benefits like priority boarding, access to airport lounges and reimbursement for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®. And some card issuers have their own travel sites, where cardholders can book trips and earn elevated rewards for doing so.

4. No foreign transaction fees

A foreign transaction fee is a charge that some credit card issuers add to transactions made outside the U.S. Foreign transaction fees can vary, but they’re typically about 1%-3% of every purchase. A travel-ready card with no foreign transaction fees can help you avoid extra costs.

5. Travel insurance

Some credit cards offer travel insurance when you use the card to book and pay for your trip. This could cover you for things like flight delays and cancellations, accidents, medical emergencies, lost luggage and more.

6. Account management and security features

Credit cards generally offer more protection from fraud liability than other payment methods. Tools like a mobile app and account alerts can help cardholders monitor their accounts and stay on top of their spending at home or abroad.

Capital One travel credit cards

Capital One travel credit cards have exclusive benefits and elevated rewards. Finding out more about each could help you decide which Capital One travel card is right for you. Here’s what you can expect from each of them:

Unlimited rewards on every purchase

With a Capital One travel rewards credit card, you can earn unlimited rewards with every purchase, whether it’s travel related or not. Rewards don’t expire as long as your account is open and in good standing. And there are a variety of ways to use the miles you earn, including:

Redeeming miles for travel purchases, cash or gift cards
Checking out at Amazon.com or through PayPal
Transferring rewards miles to the loyalty program of a Capital One travel partner

Elevated rewards through Capital One Travel

Capital One travel rewards cardholders can earn elevated rewards through Capital One Travel:

Venture X cardholders earn unlimited 10X miles on hotels and rental cars and 5X miles on flights, vacation rentals and activities.
Venture, VentureOne and VentureOne for Good Credit cardholders earn unlimited 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals, rental cars and activities.

As a cardholder, you can pay for your trip with your rewards, your card or both. Plus, you can book with confidence thanks to price predictions, alerts and protections.

No foreign transaction fees

Capital One doesn’t charge foreign transaction fees, no matter where or when you travel. View important rates and disclosures.

Security and protection

Capital One can help you keep your account safe, wherever you are, with tools and features like fraud alerts, card lock, instant purchase notifications, $0 fraud liability for unauthorized charges, Capital One Mobile app access and virtual card numbers.

Bonuses

Venture X and Venture cardholders can earn 75,000 bonus miles by spending $4,000 within the first three months of opening an account. VentureOne cardholders can earn 20,000 bonus miles when they spend $500.

Travel credits

Venture X cardholders receive a $300 annual travel credit for booking through Capital One Travel and 10,000 bonus miles every year, starting on their first anniversary. Plus, Venture X and Venture cardholders can get a statement credit toward the application fee for TSA PreCheck or Global Entry.

Lounge access

Venture X primary cardholders can enjoy complimentary access to 1,300+ lounges worldwide, including Capital One Lounge and Landing locations and participating Priority PassTM lounges, after enrollment.

Complimentary Hertz® Gold+TM membership upgrade

Venture X, Venture and VentureOne cardholders qualify for a complimentary Hertz status upgrade that gives them expanded rental options, car upgrades and more.

Extraordinary stays

Venture X cardholders have access to the exceptional hotels and vacation rentals of the Premier Collection and Lifestyle Collection. Venture cardholders have access to the Lifestyle Collection. Each stay comes with a suite of premium benefits, including an experience credit to use during the trip.

Travel protections

Eligible cardholders have travel insurance through their credit card, including trip cancellation insurance and lost luggage insurance. You can review your guide to benefits for more information.

Key takeaways: Choosing a credit card for international travel

The right credit card can make traveling abroad more convenient and rewarding. You can look for a card with strong security features, no foreign transaction fees and the ability to earn rewards on every purchase. When your card’s working for you, it’s easier to stay focused on the adventure, not the expenses.

Capital One offers travel rewards credit cards with exclusive benefits and elevated rewards that can help make your travel experience more enjoyable.

Elevate your next adventure with the Venture X card, which offers premium travel benefits and more.
Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day, and earn a one-time 75,000-mile bonus with the Venture card.
Earn unlimited 1.25X miles on every purchase, every day, with no annual fee with the VentureOne card. View important rates and disclosures.

Footnotes

Learn more about FDIC insurance coverage.

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Premier Collection
Hotels: Premier Collection hotel experience credit will be applied at checkout by hotel to qualifying charges up to $100 USD or the local currency equivalent. Qualifying charges vary by location, are subject to availability, and must be charged to your room during your eligible stay. Contact hotel directly to confirm qualifying experiences - advance reservations recommended for certain experiences.

In addition to the $100 experience credit, other benefits available to eligible cardholders for Premier Collection hotel bookings include: daily breakfast for two, complimentary Wi-Fi, and (when available) room upgrades, early check-in and late checkout. Benefits applied per room, per stay. Hotel terms and conditions apply; a minimum number of nights may be required by the hotel for booking.

Vacation rentals: Premier Collection vacation rental experience credit will be applied at time of booking the experience by the host provider to qualifying experience charges up to $100 USD or the local currency equivalent. Experiences must be booked with a Capital One credit card. Qualifying experience credit options vary by location and are subject to availability. Contact the host provider directly to confirm qualifying experiences - advance reservations recommended for certain experiences. For certain properties, the experience credit will be provided in the form of a gift card.

In addition to the $100 experience credit, other benefits available to eligible cardholders for Premier Collection vacation rental bookings include: complimentary Wi-Fi, and (when available) early check-in and late checkout. Benefits applied per stay. Back-to-back bookings of the same property within a 24-hour period will be considered one reservation and are not eligible for double benefits. Host provider terms and conditions apply; a minimum number of nights may be required by the host for booking.

Both Hotels and vacation rentals: Premier Collection booking must be made through Capital One Travel in the eligible cardholder’s name, with the cardholder as a member of party traveling, to qualify for benefits. Benefits cannot be redeemed for cash or combined with other offers unless specified. Participating properties and benefits are subject to change. Offer not intended for commercial use unless otherwise permitted. We may disqualify any cardholder from participation and benefits at our sole discretion. Additional terms apply; see travel.capitalone.com/terms-of-service for details.

Lifestyle Collection
Hotels: Lifestyle Collection hotel experience credit will be applied at checkout by hotel to qualifying charges up to $50 USD or the local currency equivalent. Qualifying charges vary by location, are subject to availability, and must be charged to your room during your eligible stay. Contact the hotel directly to confirm qualifying experiences - Advance reservations recommended for certain experiences.

In addition to the $50 experience credit, other benefits available to eligible cardholders for Lifestyle Collection hotel bookings include complimentary Wi-Fi, and (when available) room upgrades, early check-in and late checkout. Benefits applied per room, per stay. Hotel terms and conditions apply; a minimum number of nights may be required by the hotel for booking.

Vacation rentals: Lifestyle Collection vacation rental experience credit will be applied at time of booking the experience by the host provider to qualifying experience charges up to $50 USD or the local currency equivalent. Experiences must be booked with a Capital One credit card. Qualifying experience credit options vary by location and are subject to availability. Contact the host provider directly to confirm qualifying experiences - advance reservations recommended for certain experiences. For certain properties, the experience credit will be provided in the form of a gift card.

In addition to the $50 experience credit, other benefits available to eligible cardholders for Lifestyle Collection vacation rental bookings include: complimentary Wi-Fi, and (when available) early check-in and late checkout. Benefits applied per stay. Back-to-back bookings of the same property within a 24-hour period will be considered one reservation and are not eligible for double benefits. Host provider terms and conditions apply; a minimum number of nights may be required by the host for booking.

Both hotels and vacation rentals: Lifestyle Collection booking must be made through Capital One Travel in the eligible cardholder’s name, with the cardholder as a member of party traveling, to qualify for benefits. Benefits cannot be redeemed for cash or combined with other offers unless specified. Participating properties and benefits are subject to change. Offer not intended for commercial use unless otherwise permitted. We may disqualify any cardholder from participation and benefits at our sole discretion. Additional terms apply; see travel.capitalone.com/terms-of-service for details.

Annually, eligible Venture X primary account holders will receive a $300 Capital One Travel credit (“Credit”) to use toward purchases made through Capital One Travel. Each annual Credit will expire on the next account open date anniversary. The Credit will be available within Capital One Travel and can be applied to purchases at checkout. The Credit may be used in whole for a single purchase or in part over multiple purchases. Rewards will not be earned on the Credit. If the purchase using the Credit is canceled, the Credit will be restored if it is not expired. An expired Credit will not be restored upon cancellation. A Venture X card account must be open and in good standing to receive or use the Credit.

Eligible cardholders must enroll in the Hertz® Gold+™ status upgrade through the unique Benefits Tab link found within the Capital One website or mobile app after logging in. Cardholders can find the link to enroll by visiting their eligible card’s Rewards tab or Capital One Travel Benefits tab and by clicking on the Hertz benefit tile. Upon doing so, a new webpage will open; there, Venture X and Venture X Business cardholders will be able to enroll directly in or request an upgrade to Hertz President’s Circle® status and Venture, VentureOne, Savor, Savor Student, Quicksilver, Quicksilver Student, Spark Miles,Spark Miles Select, Venture Business and VentureOne Business cardholders will be able to enroll directly in or request an upgrade to Hertz Five Star® status. Age restrictions apply. After successful registration, Hertz will process the request and status will be effective 24-72 hours after registration. Please note, enrolling through the normal Hertz Gold+ enrollment process (e.g. enrolling directly at Hertz.com) will not automatically detect a cardholder as being eligible for the program and cardholders will not be automatically upgraded to the applicable status tier. Cardholders must go through the above process to be successfully enrolled. Upon enrollment, eligible cardholders will remain at that status level through the duration of the offer, at which point they will be reverted to the level commensurate with Hertz standard usage policies. This offer is subject to change. Hertz Gold Terms and Rental Qualifications and Requirements apply.

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