Best credit cards to use abroad for 2023

Santander All in One Credit Card

• Balance transfers 0% for 15 months
• Purchases 0% for 15 months
• 0.5% cashback on your purchases
• No fees on currency conversion

Representative example: When you spend £1,200 at a purchase rate of 21.9% (variable) p.a. with a fee of £3 per month, your representative rate is 27.7% APR (variable).

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If you travel often or buy items from overseas businesses, then you’ll want to avoid costly foreign transaction fees. Credit cards can offer a range of benefits for those heading overseas, but the credit cards we’ve compared are specifically designed to help you avoid currency conversion fees.

Cards that don’t charge for overseas transactions

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Name	Product	Purchases rate	Foreign transaction fee	Foreign cash transaction fee	Interest-free days on foreign transactions	Interest-free days on foreign cash transactions	Representative example	Link
Santander All in One Credit Card		0% for 15 months reverting to 21.9%	0%	3% (min. £3)	Up to 56 days	0 days	Representative example: When you spend £1,200 at a purchase rate of 21.9% (variable) p.a. with a fee of £3 per month, your representative rate is 27.7% APR (variable).	Check eligibility View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
The Royal Bank Credit Card (existing customers only)		12.9%	0%	3% (min. £3)	Up to 56 days	0 days	Representative example: When you spend £1,200 at a purchase rate of 12.9% (variable) p.a., your representative rate is 12.9% APR (variable).	Check eligibility View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
NatWest Credit Card		12.9%	0%	3% (min. £3)	Up to 56 days	0 days	Representative example: When you spend £1,200 at a purchase rate of 12.9% (variable) p.a., your representative rate is 12.9% APR (variable).	Go to site View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Royal Bank of Scotland Reward Black Credit Card (existing customers only)		21.9%	0%	3% (min. £3)	Up to 56 days	0 days	Representative example: When you spend £1,200 at a purchase rate of 21.9% (variable) p.a. with a fee of £84 per annum. Reward Black Current Account holders: £0 per annum, your representative rate is 40.7% APR (variable).	Check eligibility View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
NatWest Reward Black Credit Card		21.9%	0%	3% (min. £3)	Up to 56 days	0 days	Representative example: When you spend £1,200 at a purchase rate of 21.9% (variable) p.a. with a fee of £84 per annum. Reward Black Current Account holders: £0 per annum, your representative rate is 40.7% APR (variable).	Go to site View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
The Ulster Bank Credit Card Mastercard		12.9%	0%	3% (min. £3)	Up to 56 days	0 days	Representative example: When you spend £1,200 at a purchase rate of 12.9% (variable) p.a., your representative rate is 12.9% APR (variable).	View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Metro Bank Personal Credit Card Mastercard		14.9%	0% within the EU and 2.99% in other countries	0%	Up to 56 days	0 days	Representative example: When you spend £1,200 at a purchase rate of 14.9% (variable) p.a., your representative rate is 14.9% APR (variable).	View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Nationwide Member Credit Card Balance Transfer Offer		0% for 3 months reverting to 19.9%	0%	2.5% (min. £3)	Up to 56 days	0 days	Representative example: When you spend £1,200 at a purchase rate of 19.9% (variable) p.a., your representative rate is 19.9% APR (variable).	View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Nationwide Member Credit Card All Rounder Offer		0% for 15 months reverting to 19.9%	0%	2.5% (min. £3)	Up to 56 days	0 days	Representative example: When you spend £1,200 at a purchase rate of 19.9% (variable) p.a., your representative rate is 19.9% APR (variable).	View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Halifax Clarity Credit Card Mastercard		19.94%	0%	0%	Up to 56 days	0 days	Representative example: When you spend £1,200 at a purchase rate of 19.94% (variable) p.a., your representative rate is 19.9% APR (variable).	View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Virgin Money Travel Credit Card		0% for 9 months reverting to 22.9%	0%	3%	Up to 50 days	0 days	Representative example: When you spend £1,200 at a purchase rate of 22.9% (variable) p.a., your representative rate is 22.9% APR (variable).	View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Barclaycard Rewards Visa		25.9%	0%	0%	Up to 56 days	Up to 56 days	Representative example: When you spend £1,200 at a purchase rate of 25.9% (variable) p.a., your representative rate is 25.9% APR (variable).	View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Bip Credit		29.95%	0%	0%	Up to 48 days	0 days	Representative example: When you spend £1,200 at a purchase rate of 29.95% (variable) p.a., your representative rate is 29.9% APR (variable).	View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
118 118 Money Guaranteed Rate Card		34%	0%	0%	Up to 51 days	Up to 51 days	Representative example: When you spend £1,200 at a purchase rate of 34% (variable) p.a., your representative rate is 34% APR (variable).	View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Zopa Credit Card Visa		34.9%	0%	0%	Up to 56 days	0 days	Representative example: When you spend £1,200 at a purchase rate of 34.9% (variable) p.a., your representative rate is 34.9% APR (variable).	View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Aqua Advance credit card		34.95%	0%	5% (min. £4)	Up to 48 days	0 days	Representative example: When you spend £1,200 at a purchase rate of 34.95% (variable) p.a., your representative rate is 34.9% APR (variable).	View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Tesco Bank Clubcard Plus Credit Card Mastercard		0% for 24 months reverting to 19.944%	0%	3.99% (min. £3)	Up to 56 days	0 days	Representative example: When you spend £1,200 at a purchase rate of 19.944% (variable) p.a. with a fee of £7.99 per month, your representative rate is 37.7% APR (variable).	View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Santander World Elite Mastercard		0% for 18 months reverting to 18.9%	0%	3% (min. £3)	Up to 56 days	0 days	Representative example: When you spend £1,200 at a purchase rate of 18.9% (variable) p.a. with a fee of £15 per month, your representative rate is 49.8% APR (variable).	View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Yonder Credit Card (only for London residents)		27.71%	0%		0 days	0 days	Representative example: When you spend £1,200 at a purchase rate of 27.71% (variable) p.a. with a fee of £15 per month, your representative rate is 64% APR (variable).	Go to site View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Tymit Credit Card		22.9%	0%	Free up to £200 per month	0 days	0 days	Representative Example: 22.9% (variable) based on a borrowing of £1200 over 12 months with no annual fee.	View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...

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The fees you could incur when travelling

So what exactly are the fees that you’ll want to avoid? Unfortunately there’s more than one. To avoid getting stung, here are the potential charges you want to know about:

• Foreign transaction fee

  (charged by your card issuer)

  This is the big one. The vast majority of credit cards in the UK market charge you a fee for every non-sterling transaction. When you make an international purchase using your card, your British pounds are converted to the local currency. At this point, you’re usually hit with a fee between 2% and 3% of the value of the transaction. Card issuers often charge, say, “3% (minimum £3)” – so if a transaction equates to £50, it’ll incur a fee of £3, and if a transaction equates to £150, it’ll incur a fee of £4.50.

  Best way to avoid this fee: Opt for a credit card that doesn’t charge foreign currency conversion fees.

• Foreign cash advance fee

  (charged by your card issuer)

  Withdrawing cash on a credit card at home or abroad is usually a bad idea because it tends to involve a one-off, percentage-based fee of around 3%. Even cards that bill themselves as specifically designed for travel may still charge this. What your card issuer means by “cash advance” will by outlined in the T&Cs, but crucially, it almost always means “any cash-like transactions” – so that will likely include buying currency, spending money in a casino (note that gambling with a credit card was banned as of April 2020), getting cashback or withdrawing money from an ATM.

  Best way to avoid this fee: Opt for a credit card that doesn’t cash fees overseas or simply don’t use a credit card to withdraw cash or buy currency.

• Cash machine fee

  (charged by the cash machine provider)

  We’ve all been stung by a cash machine that adds on a £3 fee at the last minute. Thankfully these are getting rarer in the UK (outside of bars and convenience stores), but they’re worth watching out for when you’re abroad.

  Best way to avoid this fee: Either don’t use a credit card to withdraw cash or look for machines attached to banks. If the ATM flags that it’s going to charge you a fee, consider looking for another.

• Credit card surcharge

  (charged by the merchant)

  This is when a merchant adds a fee onto the transaction in order to cover some of the costs they incur from the card network. Cheeky, right? In fact, if you’re using a personal (not business) Visa or Mastercard from an EU bank, within the EU, then you won’t need to worry about card payment surcharges since they’ve been banned. Outside of this, it’s worth asking the merchant when you pay.

  Best way to avoid this fee: Ask the merchant beforehand.

• Dynamic currency conversion fee

  (charged by the merchant’s bank)

  Ever been asked by a merchant if you’d like them to charge your account in Sterling? What this means is that they’ll do the currency conversion for you. The trouble is that this means it’ll be their fee structure that’ll apply – and who knows what that is?!

  Best way to avoid this fee: Opt for a credit card that doesn’t charge foreign currency conversion fees, then decline the merchant’s offer to convert the currency for you.

It’s also worth noting that non-sterling transactions and cash advances are often exempt from your card’s interest-free days, and may be charged interest at a different (higher) rate.

Here’s a section from a popular credit card’s summary box which serves as an example of how much extra you could pay to use your credit card abroad.

Fee-free exchange rates

Underlying each credit card’s exchange rate is the network’s exchange rate. When you use a Visa card to pay for something in a different currency, Visa’s exchange rate is used. When you use a Mastercard, it’s Mastercard’s exchange rate that applies. Card issuers then normally add their own charge on top of this, but if you’re using a card designed for taking abroad which doesn’t charge non-sterling transaction fees (like those listed on this page), then you’ll enjoy the network’s exchange rates with nothing added on top.

Or alternatively if you’re on Team Amex, here’s our guide to using your American Express card abroad.

How to compare credit cards for overseas travel

With certain credit cards on the market specifically designed for overseas use, there are some important features you should compare to find the right one for you.

• Foreign transaction fee. The cards we’ve listed in the table above all waive the foreign transaction fee.
• Foreign cash transaction fee. Most cards that waive the fee for overseas transactions will still charge you for withdrawing money at a cash machine overseas or buying foreign currency. You can use the table above to see the foreign cash transaction fees of the listed cards.
• Interest-free days on foreign transactions. Almost all cards on the UK market offer up to 55 or 56 days where you won’t pay interest on your purchases. But to enjoy this benefit you must have cleared your balance in full in the previous billing cycle and you must clear your balance in full when you receive the bill for your current billing cycle. And crucially, while almost all cards offer this benefit, not all extend it to cover non-sterling transactions. You can find this information in a card’s “summary box” – that’s a standardised document that all card issuers must provide – or refer to our table above.
• Interest-free days on foreign cash transactions. In the case of almost all UK credit cards, any interest-free days will not apply to non-sterling cash transactions.
• Standard purchases interest rate. Crucially, it’s important to bear in mind that most credit cards on the market tailor rates to the individual. If you have bad credit, you may be offered a higher rate (or your application may be declined).
• Annual fee. A minority of UK credit cards charge an annual or monthly fee. Weighing the cost of any account fees against the potential savings you could get from paying 0% foreign transaction fees will help you find a card that’s affordable for you.
• International acceptance. In your hunt for a credit card to use overseas, one of the first features to consider is international acceptance. As you might expect, credit cards on the Visa or Mastercard networks find acceptance in almost all countries around the world – at cash machines, contactless and chip and PIN payment terminals alike. Acceptance of American Express cards (or even the lesser known Diners Club and Discovery networks) is not quite as widespread, and their use could attract higher fees.
• Extras. If your credit card can help you dodge the foreign transaction fees and offer you some perks along the way, that’s fantastic. But it’s important not to be blind-sided by the perks. Plenty of cards incentivise non-sterling spending by offering enhanced reward point earn rates, but what you earn in rewards is usually outweighed by the extra fees or interest you incur. Similarly, a frequent flyer credit card is an easy way to pick up points or miles as you spend overseas, but it’s crucial to weigh up the costs against the benefit.

  A few cards on the UK market come with some form of travel insurance added on, but you’re unlikely to find one which offers this as well as fee-free spending abroad. Plus, free insurance tends to come on more premium options (platinum or black cards) where it’s offset by an annual account fee.

  If you’re travelling overseas, it’s certainly a smart idea to organise international travel insurance, and a card that offers complimentary insurance can help you save the time and money you’d otherwise spend on standalone cover. Depending on the card, international travel insurance usually includes overseas medical insurance, transit accident insurance and travel delay insurance to name a few. The cover might also extend to your spouse or any dependent children travelling with you. As well as travel insurance, some credit cards offer purchase security insurance and extended warranty so you can shop with peace of mind.

What to be aware of when using a credit card overseas

• Adding funds to your credit card. There are certain people who add funds to their credit card accounts before they leave for overseas, and they then make use of these funds through their card in the form of a debit card. By doing this, you can avoid paying interest. What you should know is that card providers don’t take any responsibility for funds you add to your credit card account. So, if your card is lost or stolen and used for unauthorised transactions, you might lose out on valuable funds.
• Consider other options. Using your credit card is not the only way you can spend money overseas. You can turn to traveller’s cheques and travel money cards, and you can even consider using a Mastercard or Visa debit card. In fact, it’s wise to organise more than one travel money option before travelling to ensure you’re not stranded without cash in case your card is lost or stolen.
• Excessive debt. A credit card may tempt you to overspend while on holiday. It’s important to remember that you have to repay everything you charge (plus interest in most cases), so make sure that you’re spending with a budget in mind so that your balance doesn’t get out of control.

Pros and cons of using a credit card overseas

There are many ways to take money with you on holiday, including credit cards. It’s generally a smart idea to have at least a couple of different payment options to hand when you’re abroad – perhaps a mixture of cash and one or two payment cards. To help you decide how much you want to lean on a credit card, here are some of the key pros and cons.

Compare more travel money options

The bottom line

If you’re a frequent traveller or regularly shop online with international retailers, a credit card that has 0% foreign transaction fees could help you keep your costs to a minimum. As you’ve probably gathered by now, the ideal credit card to use overseas is one that best suits your unique requirements. Given the range on offer, it’s worth taking some time to get your head around the potential fees and then to compare the cards available.

It’s also worth noting that many people opt for two credit cards, one to use at home and the other for trips abroad. For some, all that extra credit lying around could be a bad idea, but if you have the self-discipline, this can be a smart option.

Once you’ve done your homework, the next step is to use an eligibility checker to find out which cards you’ll get approved for. If you haven’t done so already, you may also wish to check out your credit score and report for an insight into how the card issuers evaluate your application.

Using a credit card in specific countries