Originally Posted by hernande
The real question is now much do you charge in a foreign currency when you are out of the USA. 1-3 thousand dollars may add only an extra 10-30 dollars out of your pocket. Is the concern really worth it?
The problem is that 3% is almost invariably greater than the value of the points, miles, cashback, or other quasi-currency one is getting, so it negates the benefits of using one's card. (This is because the interchange fees charged to merchants are rarely in excess of 3%, so the value of whatever the issuer gives you to keep you as a customer is naturally going to be at least slightly less than that, so they can turn a profit.)