What makes a credit card a good travel companion? There are many ways credit cards can improve your trip abroad, from saving a few pounds on fees to making you feel like a VIP with airport lounge access.
The best travel credit card option for you is going to depend on what you need the card to do. Let’s break it down.
To make comparing even easier we came up with the Finder Score. Costs, perks and suitability across 120+ cards are all weighted and scaled to produce a score out of 10. The higher the score the better the card – simple.
Approval for any credit card depends on your status. The representative APRs shown represent the interest rate offered to most successful applicants. Depending on your personal circumstances, the APR you're offered may be higher, or you may not be offered credit at all. Fees and rates are subject to change without notice. It's always wise to check the terms of any deal before you borrow. Most of the data in Finder's comparison tables is provided by Moneyfacts.
Priority Pass discounts
Deal
Lounge access with Priority Pass
Access 1,500+ airport lounges and premium travel experiences globally, in 600 cities across 148 countries
Even if you go on holiday only once a year, it’s a good idea to have a separate credit card for when you travel. That’s because your needs will be different when you’re on the road or enjoying the sun on a tropical beach from when the longest distance you travel is that between your house and the office. But how do you go about picking a good travel credit card?
The main decision you have to make is which features you want to prioritise. Here’s a basic list of things you may want to consider when comparing travel credit cards:
Approval for any credit card depends on your status. The representative APRs shown represent the interest rate offered to most successful applicants. Depending on your personal circumstances, the APR you're offered may be higher, or you may not be offered credit at all. Fees and rates are subject to change without notice. It's always wise to check the terms of any deal before you borrow. Most of the data in Finder's comparison tables is provided by Moneyfacts.
Avoid non-sterling transaction conversion fees
When travelling abroad, avoiding foreign exchange fees can be a tough task, but it’s not impossible. When using your credit card overseas, there are three main kinds of fees you should expect and learn how to dodge:
Foreign transaction fees charged by your credit card provider. They’re charged every time you pay in a foreign currency and can amount up to 3% of the transaction. The only way of avoiding them when paying on plastic is getting a credit card that allows fee-free spending abroad.
Fees charged by local merchants. When paying with your card, you may be offered the option of paying in pounds instead of the local currency. If you’ve taken out a credit card designed for use abroad (one that offers fee-free non-sterling transactions) you should opt to pay in the local currency, since you know that your own bank is giving you a favourable currency conversion deal. Outside the EU merchants sometimes also apply a surcharge if you want to pay by card and not in cash. If you’re concerned that this may be the case, it’s worth asking about it before picking a payment method.
Cash advance fees. Almost all credit cards charge you extra for withdrawing cash, both in the UK and abroad. Out of the country, it’s even more expensive because the cash advance fee will add up to the foreign currency transaction fee, so you should only get cash with your credit card in case of emergency.
Planning a great holiday but not sure you can afford to pay for it in one go? With a 0% purchase credit card, you’ll be able to spread the cost over a few months without having to pay any interest on it.
0% purchase credit cards can be great for breaking down the cost of a trip into more affordable instalments, but you really need to have paid the sum back by the time the introductory deal expires. Otherwise, your balance will start accruing interest at the card’s standard rate (which is usually not very competitive). It’s essential to work out a repayment plan (divide your expenditure by the number of months in the 0% deal to work out what you should repay each month) and stick to it to make sure you pay the whole sum back on time.
Representative example: When you spend £1,200 at a purchase rate of 23.9% (variable) p.a. with a fee of £3 per month, your representative rate is 29.8% APR (variable).
The Santander All in One is our pick for 0% purchases travel card. True to its name, the Santander All in One Credit Card has almost everything you need in an everyday credit card. From its extended 0% interest periods on purchases and balance transfers to its lack of foreign usage fees, this card will help you fill multiple needs both at home and on holiday. With all these perks there has to be a catch, right? This card does come with a monthly fee of £3 per month, which can be seen as a small price for all these benefits. However, if you don't think you're going to benefit from all these features, there are cards that offer similar benefits for less.
Pros
No foreign transaction fees
Over a year to spread the cost of purchases
Earn 0.5% cashback
No balance transfer fee
{{ RATES_AND_FEES.BALANCE_TRANSFERS_ZERO_PERIOD }} months of no interest on balance transfers
Cons
Account fee of {{ RATES_AND_FEES.ACCOUNT_FEES }}
Minimum annual income requirement of least £{{ ELIGIBILITY.MINIMUM_INCOME|replace({'0500': '0,500'}) }}
Applicants with low credit scores are unlikely to be eligible
Issuer
Santander
Network
Mastercard
Annual/monthly fees
£3 per month
Purchases
0% for 15 months reverting to 23.9%
Purchases interest-free period
Up to 56 days
Representative example: When you spend £1,200 at a purchase rate of 23.9% (variable) p.a. with a fee of £3 per month, your representative rate is 29.8% APR (variable).
A small number of credit cards offer special hotel benefits like room upgrades, priority check-in, later check-out times or the opportunity to earn points that can be redeemed for free stays.
These cards are often offered by the hotel companies themselves and are more suitable to people that travel quite often and stay at the same kind of hotel. If that sounds like you, you’ll be able to make the most of the perks while also earning points quite quickly.
Representative example: When you spend £1,200 at a purchase rate of 30% (variable) p.a. with a fee of £95 per annum, your representative rate is 53.7% APR (variable).
The Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card is our pick for hotel perks. Marriott Bonvoy is the loyalty programme for Marriott International's extensive portfolio of over 30 hotel brands, including Marriott, Sheraton, Westin, Delta, and W hotels. You earn points for each stay, which can be redeemed for a wide range of benefits. Frequent users can achieve silver and gold tiers, just like in air miles programmes. However, with a £95 annual fee, it's best to try and work out whether the annual fee would be worth shouldering by looking at how much you'd realistically spend on the card and what that would translate to in rewards.
Pros
Earn points on purchases
Earn 20,000 Marriott Bonvoy® points
Free Travel Inconvenience Insurance
Cons
£95 annual account fee
A relatively high interest rate on purchases
Applicants with low credit scores are unlikely to be eligible
Issuer
American Express
Network
Amex
Annual/monthly fees
£95 per annum
Purchases
30%
Introductory Rewards
Earn 20,000 bonus Marriott Bonvoy ® points when you spend £3,000 in the first 3 months of Cardmembership. 18+, subject to status. Terms apply.
Purchases interest-free period
Up to 56 days
Representative example: When you spend £1,200 at a purchase rate of 30% (variable) p.a. with a fee of £95 per annum, your representative rate is 53.7% APR (variable).
Airports – not much fun are they? But if you can relax in an airport lounge, you’ll cut out much of the stress and feel pretty smug at the same time. You’ll need to be comfortable with the idea of paying an annual or monthly account fee in return for complimentary lounge access (if that’s a deal-breaker, consider a one-off membership to a scheme like Priority Pass). But on the plus side, lounge access won’t be the only benefit these cards offer.
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).
The Santander World Elite Mastercard is our pick for airport lounge access. Cardholders can travel in style with free LoungeKey membership, granting unlimited access to airport lounges in over 120 countries. Plus, there are no non-sterling transaction fees when using the card overseas. Other perks include ongoing cashback, 24/7 Mastercard Concierge, and World Elite Privileges discounts and offers. While there is a hefty monthly account fee, taking advantage of the three additional cards available can help maximise rewards and benefits, potentially making the fee worthwhile.
Pros
No foreign transaction fees
Earn cashback on purchases
0% interest on purchases and balance transfers
No balance transfer fee within introductory period
Mastercard Concierge.
Free LoungeKey airport lounge membership, with complimentary access for additional cardholders.
No extra fees for up to three additional cardholders.
Cons
£15 monthly account fee
Must be a Santander Select or Private banking customer.
High annual income requirement to open Select or Private bank accounts.
Issuer
Santander
Network
Mastercard
Annual/monthly fees
£15 per month
Purchases
0% for 18 months reverting to 18.9%
Purchases interest-free period
Up to 56 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).
Just like credit cards that offer hotel perks, frequent flyer credit cards are meant for people who fly, well, frequently. If you get on a plane once a year, you won’t be able to make the most of them; if it’s more like once a month, they can really be worth it.
They work just like rewards credit cards, but let you earn air miles on all your spending instead of points or cashback. Usually, you’ll earn even more miles when you use the card to purchase tickets with the card’s partner airlines. You can get both basic options without annual fees and premium options that do charge an annual fee in return for a higher earn rate.
Enjoy peace of mind with complimentary travel insurance
There are a few premium cards out there that come with travel insurance included and save you the hassle of having to purchase it separately. Expect fairly pricey annual fees in return for a whole lot of benefits, such as airport lounge access.
It’s not easy to calculate when it’s better to get a card that offers it and when it’s more convenient to purchase it separately, but as we said, the travel insurance will usually be combined with other perks, so it’s a good idea to check whether those are appealing to you or not.
Representative example: When you spend £1,200 at a purchase rate of 29.64% (variable) p.a. with a fee of £15 per month, your representative rate is 66.3% APR (variable).
Pros
Use your points towards any flights
Worldwide travel insurance cover
Earn rewards points on your everyday spending
Stylish design and made out of metal
Access to Mastercard World Elite benefits
No spending fees abroad
Smart fraud protection with the Yonder app (available on iOS and Android)
Uses open banking rather than traditional credit checks to see if you're eligible for the card
Cons
Account fee of {{ RATES_AND_FEES.ACCOUNT_FEES }} (which is fairly high)
Fairly high annual purchase rate compared to other cards
Not all banks have integrated with Yapily, the open banking provider Yonder uses, this might draw out your application process
Currently, rewards can only be redeemed in London (but it plans to expand and select retailers offer online experiences which can be redeemed anywhere).
Issuer
Transact Payments
Network
Mastercard
Annual/monthly fees
1 month for £0, £15 per month thereafter
Purchases
29.64%
Introductory Rewards
First month free for new members, £15 p/m thereafter. Plus, 10,000 bonus points.
Representative example: When you spend £1,200 at a purchase rate of 29.64% (variable) p.a. with a fee of £15 per month, your representative rate is 66.3% APR (variable).
There are a few cards out there that offer both no FX and rewards, saving you the hassle of dealing with extra charges while earning points on your purchases. Expect fairly pricey annual fees in return for a whole lot of benefits, such as cashback, travel rewards and exclusive discounts.
Representative example: When you spend £1,200 at a purchase rate of 29.64% (variable) p.a. with a fee of £15 per month, your representative rate is 66.3% APR (variable).
The Yonder credit card is our pick for travel rewards. The Yonder credit card stands out with its lack of foreign transaction fees, making it an ideal choice for frequent travelers. It offers a robust rewards system on purchases, allowing cardholders to earn points that can be redeemed on any flight, providing great flexibility. However, this card comes with a monthly fee of £15, which may be justified by the valuable benefits and rewards it offers.
Pros
Use your points towards any flights
Worldwide travel insurance cover
Earn rewards points on your everyday spending
Stylish design and made out of metal
Access to Mastercard World Elite benefits
No spending fees abroad
Smart fraud protection with the Yonder app (available on iOS and Android)
Uses open banking rather than traditional credit checks to see if you're eligible for the card
Cons
Account fee of {{ RATES_AND_FEES.ACCOUNT_FEES }} (which is fairly high)
Fairly high annual purchase rate compared to other cards
Not all banks have integrated with Yapily, the open banking provider Yonder uses, this might draw out your application process
Currently, rewards can only be redeemed in London (but it plans to expand and select retailers offer online experiences which can be redeemed anywhere).
Issuer
Transact Payments
Network
Mastercard
Annual/monthly fees
1 month for £0, £15 per month thereafter
Purchases
29.64%
Introductory Rewards
First month free for new members, £15 p/m thereafter. Plus, 10,000 bonus points.
Representative example: When you spend £1,200 at a purchase rate of 29.64% (variable) p.a. with a fee of £15 per month, your representative rate is 66.3% APR (variable).
We show offers we can track - that's not every product on the market...yet. Unless we've said otherwise, products are in no particular order. The terms "best", "top", "cheap" (and variations of these) aren't ratings, though we always explain what's great about a product when we highlight it. This is subject to our terms of use. When you make major financial decisions, consider getting independent financial advice. Always consider your own circumstances when you compare products so you get what's right for you. Most of the data in Finder's comparison tables has the source: Moneyfacts Group PLC. In other cases, Finder has sourced data directly from providers.
Chris Lilly is Head of publishing at finder.com. He's a specialist in personal finance, from day-to-day banking to investing to borrowing, and is passionate about helping UK consumers make informed decisions about their money. In his spare time Chris likes forcing his kids to exercise more. See full bio
Chris's expertise
Chris has written 566 Finder guides across topics including:
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Finder.com is an independent comparison platform and information service that aims to provide you with the tools you need to make better decisions. While we are independent, the offers that appear on this site are from companies from which Finder receives compensation. We may receive compensation from our partners for placement of their products or services. We may also receive compensation if you click on certain links posted on our site. While compensation arrangements may affect the order, position or placement of product information, it doesn't influence our assessment of those products. Please don't interpret the order in which products appear on our Site as any endorsement or recommendation from us. Finder compares a wide range of products, providers and services but we don't provide information on all available products, providers or services. Please appreciate that there may be other options available to you than the products, providers or services covered by our service.
We update our data regularly, but information can change between updates. Confirm details with the provider you're interested in before making a decision.
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