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Old Sep 25, 2014, 2:08 am
FlyerTalk Forums Expert How-Tos and Guides
Last edit by: eponymous_coward
American Express
Platinum ($450 Annual fee) http://www304.americanexpress.com/ge.../Platinum-Card
Plum Card (Business) ($250 Annual Fee) https://www.americanexpress.com/us/s...dit-cards/plum
Delta Reserve Card ($450 Annual Fee) https://www304.americanexpress.com/c...ta-credit-card
Delta Platinum Card ($195 Annual Fee) https://www304.americanexpress.com/credit-card/skymiles
Delta Gold Card ($95 Annual Fee) https://www304.americanexpress.com/c...delta-skymiles
Starwood Preferred Guest Card ($95 Annual Fee)https://www.americanexpress.com/us/c...referred-guest

Associated Credit Union Visa Platinum Preferred (no annual fee) http://www.acuonline.org/home/products/credit

Bank of America
Alaska Airlines Visa Signature cards, both personal and business ($75 Annual Fee) see the wikipost in this thread for signup links (which periodically change)
Amtrak Guests Rewards (two versions, one version with no annual fee) http://agr.amtrak.com/apply/
BankAmericard Travel Rewards (no annual fee; includes chip with online PIN as backup CVM) https://www.bankofamerica.com/credit...credit-card.go
Celebrity Cruises ($69 Annual Fee) https://www.bankofamerica.com/credit...credit-card.go

Barclays
Arrival Card ($0 Annual Fee) http://www.barclaycardarrival.com/ar...4&cellNumber=1
Arrival Plus Card ($89 Annual Fee) http://www.barclaycardarrival.com/
Carnival Cruises FunPoints ($0 Annual Fee) https://www.barclaycardus.com/apply/...2&cellNumber=2
Hawaiian Airlines ($89 Annual Fee) http://www.hawaiianairlinescard.com/
Lufthansa Miles & More Card ($79 Annual Fee, waived for certain miles & more members) https://www.barclaycardus.com/apply/...erid=BCSHP1214
Princess Cruises Card ($0 Annual Fee) https://www.barclaycardus.com/apply/...1&cellNumber=3
AAdvantage Aviator Red MasterCard ($89 Annual Fee; new applications not available)
Priceline Rewards ($0 Annual Fee)https://home.barclaycardus.com/cards...visa-card.html

Capital One --all cards http://www.capitalone.com/creditcard...ts/browse-all/ also see partner cards http://www.capitalone.com/creditcard...04_T_CCBRWPTNR

Chase
IHG Rewards Club Select ($49 fee, waived 1st yr, one free hotel night cert. yearly) https://creditcards.chase.com/credit...edit-card.aspx (previously known as Priority Club Select)
Hyatt ($75 annual fee, one free hotel night cert. yearly for category 1-4 hotels) https://creditcards.chase.com/credit...yatt-card.aspx
Marriott Rewards Premier ($85 annual fee, waived 1st yr, one free hotel night cert. yearly for category 1-5 hotels) https://creditcards.chase.com/credit...dit-cards.aspx
British Airways ($95 annual fee, 2-for-1 cert. after $30k annual spend) https://creditcards.chase.com/credit...edit-card.aspx
JP Morgan Select Visa (has both chip & signature and magnetic strip--$95 fee, waived 1st yr, has primary rental car coverage) https://creditcards.chase.com/credit...lect-card.aspx
Sapphire Preferred ($95 fee, waived 1st yr, 20% point discount on travel, 7% annual points bonus) https://creditcards.chase.com/credit...rred-card.aspx
United MileagePlus Club card ($395 annual fee, $100 statement credit, United Club membership, 2 free checked bags on UA, UA Premier Access) https://creditcards.chase.com/credit...edit-card.aspx
United MileagePlus Explorer card ($95 annual fee waived first year; 30K-55K sign-up bonus, depending on landing page offer [see UA forum for more info], free checked bag on UA, priority boarding on UA) https://creditcards.chase.com/credit...edit-card.aspx
Ink Bold Business ($95 annual fee, waived first year)
https://www.chase.com/online/busines...s/ink-bold.htm
Ink Plus Business ($95 annual fee, waived first year)
https://creditcards.chase.com/ink-bu.../ink-plus-card
Ritz-Carlton Rewards Credit Card (has both chip & signature and magnetic strip--$395 Annual fee. Has primary rental car coverage) https://creditcards.chase.com/credit...lton-card.aspx http://www.ritzcarltonrewardscard.com/home.php?pid=home

Citi
ThankYou Premier ($125 annual fee, waived 1st yr) https://www.citi.com/credit-cards/cr...er-credit-card
Prestige ($450 annual fee) https://www.citi.com/credit-cards/cr...-prestige-card
Executive AAdvantage ($450 annual fee) https://www.citi.com/credit-cards/cr...ite-mastercard
Expedia+ Voyager ($95 annual fee) https://www.citi.com/credit-cards/cr...a-plus-voyager
Hilton HHonors Reserve ($95 annual fee) https://www.citi.com/credit-cards/cr...s-reserve-card
AAdvantage Platinum MC ($95 annual fee, waived first year, retention offers may be possible subsequent years) -- as of 15 Nov 2015
Costco Anywhere Visa (no separate annual fee, requires a paid Costco Membership) https://www.citi.com/credit-cards/cr...sa-credit-card

Discover --all cards. no annual fee.
http://www.discovercard.com/credit-cards/

HSBC--several cards (But be careful--many of these cards have *very* low limits. The
Premier card, no annual fee, is a notable exception.) http://www.premiercardbenefits.com/1/2/3/

PenFed --all cards
examples:
Amex (no annual fee) https://www.penfed.org/productsandra...cards/amex.asp
Promise Visa (no annual fee) https://www.penfed.org/productsandra...romisecard.asp

Petal https://www.petalcard.com/ (Issued by WebBank, no AF, 1-1.5% cashback based on on timely payment, non-traditional approvals without credit scoring possible)

Navy Federal Credit Union --all cards
https://www.navyfederal.org/products...reditcards.php

Andrews FCU GlobeTrek Rewards Visa (No Annual Fee/Supports Chip & Pin) https://www.andrewsfcu.org/credit_ca...k_rewards.html

State Dept FCU Visa Platinum EMV Card (No Annual Fee/Supports Chip & Pin) https://www.sdfcu.org/emv-creditcards

San Francisco Fire Credit Union Platinum Visa (no annual fee) http://www.sffirecu.org/loans/credit-cards

Synchrony Bank/Cathay Pacific Signature Visa ($95 AF, no waiver, 1.5 Asia Miles per USD): https://us.cathaypacific.com/offers/credit-card/

Union Bank Graphite American Express ($99 annual fee, waived first year)
https://www.unionbank.com/personal-b...ards/index.jsp

**please check UA Fan's excellent list to see current bonus sign-up offers**
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/miles...er-thread.html

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USA Cards with no Foreign Transaction Fees

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Old Jun 30, 2012, 12:03 pm
  #211  
 
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: SF Bay Area
Programs: UA MileagePlus (Premier Gold); Hilton HHonors (Gold); Chase Ultimate Rewards; Amex Plat
Posts: 6,669
Originally Posted by olddallas
I have had my CapOne Venture not work even with proper travel notification. We have also had numerous false fraud alerts with Citibank cards even with travel notification. Moral: you better take more than one no foreign transaction fee card on any trip. I will carry Citibank AAdvantage Executive Mastercard, CapOne Venture, and Chase British Air to have three no fee cards and use them pretty much in that order of preference.
Why do you need THREE cards? I carry two: Chase Sapphire Preferred (no FTF) and USAA Rewards Mastercard (1% FTF + 1% cash back = 0% effective FTF), and use them in that order of preference. If the Sapphire Preferred ever stops working, I can use the USAA if I must complete the transaction immediately; otherwise, I'd simply step out of line and call Chase to have the card reactivated. Or are you saying that you cannot reactivate a card that has a fraud alert with a simple call to your bank?
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Old Jun 30, 2012, 12:19 pm
  #212  
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Originally Posted by STS-134
Or are you saying that you cannot reactivate a card that has a fraud alert with a simple call to your bank?
A "simple call" to your bank may not be at all so simple overseas, for someone who isn't otherwise already in the habit of having a locally-working cell phone wherever they are, or for someone traveling to an area with poor cell phone reception (at the place where they find the card not working apparently because of fraud alert) with whatever phone they have. Now they have find a phone to do a collect call from. Half a day later, at their next hotel, that may be easier. At the merchant where the card just got declined, not necessarily as easy.

Also, there's the question of time zones: Can it always be resolved immediately if it's 2 am on a Sunday back where the bank is?
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Old Jun 30, 2012, 12:25 pm
  #213  
mia
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A card account may become unusable for several reasons other than security holds: lost, damaged, authorization network failure, issuer system outage, merchant discretion, etc.
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Old Jun 30, 2012, 12:32 pm
  #214  
 
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: SF Bay Area
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Originally Posted by sdsearch
A "simple call" to your bank may not be at all so simple overseas, for someone who isn't otherwise already in the habit of having a locally-working cell phone wherever they are, or for someone traveling to an area with poor cell phone reception (at the place where they find the card not working apparently because of fraud alert) with whatever phone they have. Now they have find a phone to do a collect call from. Half a day later, at their next hotel, that may be easier. At the merchant where the card just got declined, not necessarily as easy.

Also, there's the question of time zones: Can it always be resolved immediately if it's 2 am on a Sunday back where the bank is?
I don't think time zones are an issue, for the Sapphire Preferred at least https://creditcards.chase.com/sapphire/customer-service Also, the only countries that my phone will not work in with an AT&T SIM card tend to be the same ones that my card won't work in anyway due to stupid political reasons/US government policy (e.g. Cuba).

But my real question is why THREE cards? If one doesn't work, you have a backup. The backup should be able to get you through until you can reactivate the first one. Paying an additional annual fee (because most cards with no forex fees tend to have those) just for triple redundancy seems like it would not be worth it for most people. If absolutely necessary, you could just carry one of your cards you'd normally use in the US only and eat the 3% transaction fee that one time. Unless you're spending > $3167 in that one transaction, it would be cheaper than paying another $95 annual fee for another Sapphire Preferred card, for example.
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Old Jul 1, 2012, 10:17 am
  #215  
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Originally Posted by STS-134
I don't think time zones are an issue, for the Sapphire Preferred at least https://creditcards.chase.com/sapphire/customer-service Also, the only countries that my phone will not work in with an AT&T SIM card tend to be the same ones that my card won't work in anyway due to stupid political reasons/US government policy (e.g. Cuba).

But my real question is why THREE cards? If one doesn't work, you have a backup. The backup should be able to get you through until you can reactivate the first one. Paying an additional annual fee (because most cards with no forex fees tend to have those) just for triple redundancy seems like it would not be worth it for most people. If absolutely necessary, you could just carry one of your cards you'd normally use in the US only and eat the 3% transaction fee that one time. Unless you're spending > $3167 in that one transaction, it would be cheaper than paying another $95 annual fee for another Sapphire Preferred card, for example.
Well, I'm glad you had the forethought to get a phone that can handle the frequencies used all over the world. Not everyone's phone is like that, though.

Second, even if their phone is compatible, some people don't bother (for any purpose) investing in a local SIM card every time they enter a different country and just go without. That means if they need to call their bank on the phone, they now need to scurry to find a local SIM card. Or else eat some huge int'l roaming fees.

But anyway, I do agree on packing THREE 0% cards just because they're 0% cards and always using them in the same order everywhere does sound like it may be a bit excessive.

In my case, I only have two 0% cards at present (both from the same issuer, btw), but one earns extra at gas and grocery, while the other earns extra at restaurants, so I already don't use them in a fixed order everywhere! Thus I'm not even carrying those two as much for backup but just due to them having different categories where each is better. But, anyway, behind them I have a chip & PIN card that's not 0% forex, which is for those situations where swipe won't work, and so it can be my backup card if for some unforeseen reason both my 0% cards are shut down. (It's also my car rental insurance card.)

But 0% forex cards need to not have "net" annual fees. Three of them from Chase has "negative" net annual fees, in that they give you a free hotel night certificate (worth at least as much as the annual fee, and usually much more) every time you pay the annual fee. In my case, two of these happen to be the only 0% forex cards I have. I'm not into paying "net" annual fees to collect even more 0% forex cards, two seems enough for now. (And I'm not getting the third 0% forex hotel card for now because I never ever stay at that hotel program.)
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Old Jul 1, 2012, 11:54 am
  #216  
 
Join Date: Mar 2011
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Originally Posted by STS-134
Why do you need THREE cards?
I carry three because I have three (for other reasons) and use them in the order of precedence for other reasons as well. It is worth nothing that I am just back for Japan where the Citi AA exec Mastercard failed (even with proper notification). It was way, way too crowded and noisy to think about phoning from where I was. I called later from the hotel and it took 20 minutes to get it straightened out. I assume that the time difference caused me to call when they were a bit thin on staff to answer the phone because most of that time was waiting for a person. So it won't always be a quick call.

Also in some countries (not Japan though) pickpockets and purse thieves prey extensively on foreigners. Actually carrying two and leaving the third in the hotel safe or with another member of the party can be helpful. However, I would not pay three annual fees for the sole reason of having three no foreign fee cards.
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Old Jul 2, 2012, 4:32 pm
  #217  
 
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: USA
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Originally Posted by STS-134
Why do you need THREE cards? I carry two: Chase Sapphire Preferred (no FTF) and USAA Rewards Mastercard (1% FTF + 1% cash back = 0% effective FTF), and use them in that order of preference. If the Sapphire Preferred ever stops working, I can use the USAA?

Why not? I usually carry about 6 cards including several with no FETF. I carry CSP, but it does not offer very high rewards compared to other cards I carry. It is risky to travel outside the country with only two cards, especially if one of the cards charges a FETF.
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Old Jul 3, 2012, 12:21 pm
  #218  
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Originally Posted by olddallas
Also in some countries (not Japan though) pickpockets and purse thieves prey extensively on foreigners. Actually carrying two and leaving the third in the hotel safe or with another member of the party can be helpful.
And/or using one of those secret waist wallets or secret neck pouches:

http://www.magellans.com/store/Shop_...__PacSafe_Bags

and keeping only one card more handy and the other card(s) in the "secret" wallet/pouch. I find the secret wallet to work wonderfully for me. It also allows me to keep most of my local cash hidden, while having some of my local cash more accessible in a pocket. Thus if someone does pickpocket me, they find something, just not a lot, but assume they've gotten everything, but while that would still be awful, I would still be walking around with at least one other card and at last some more money after that.
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Old Jul 3, 2012, 10:40 pm
  #219  
 
Join Date: Jul 2011
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Originally Posted by sdsearch
And/or using one of those secret waist wallets or secret neck pouches:

http://www.magellans.com/store/Shop_...__PacSafe_Bags

and keeping only one card more handy and the other card(s) in the "secret" wallet/pouch. I find the secret wallet to work wonderfully for me. It also allows me to keep most of my local cash hidden, while having some of my local cash more accessible in a pocket. Thus if someone does pickpocket me, they find something, just not a lot, but assume they've gotten everything, but while that would still be awful, I would still be walking around with at least one other card and at last some more money after that.
I have a pouch that goes under my shirt, and I keep my passport and international driving permit in there. All of my credit cards go in my wallet though, so I'd be really screwed if I ever lost it.
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Old Jul 8, 2012, 12:59 pm
  #220  
 
Join Date: Sep 2007
Posts: 283
Sorry for creating a new thread, wasn't sure if I could post the question here...
I am a little overwhelmed with choices. Looking for optimal card that has no foreign transaction fees.
Chase will not work as I understand it, since it was less than 30 days from the date of my last approval with them.
Amex is not a good choice for me since it's not widely accepted in the countries I will be using the card, Discover is even worse.
My question is, which Visa/MC card can I apply for today that would be the best bang for the buck? Bonus points/miles and no annual fee is a plus but not necessarily if the card is worth it.
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Old Jul 8, 2012, 1:15 pm
  #221  
mia
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Did you look at the list in post #1? If you do not want a card from American Express or Chase the field is narrowed quite a bit. Only you know what type of reward or other benefits you value. Do you need a card with an EMV chip?
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Old Jul 8, 2012, 2:56 pm
  #222  
 
Join Date: Sep 2007
Posts: 283
No need for the chip. I was basically asking if there are any deals on the cards as of today or should I just apply for anything that's not Chase/Amex/Discover?
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Old Jul 8, 2012, 3:39 pm
  #223  
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Originally Posted by trupper999
No need for the chip. I was basically asking if there are any deals on the cards as of today or should I just apply for anything that's not Chase/Amex/Discover?
Bank of America has a Visa with no Forex fee, that I believe is listed in the OP. It's a travel rewards card
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Old Jul 8, 2012, 4:33 pm
  #224  
 
Join Date: Sep 2007
Posts: 283
Thank you. I will look into it. It's not in the OP but I did find it on BofAs website.
Related question on CapitalOne... I read everywhere that it's not highly regarded. Is there a reason I should avoid it for my needs? I used to have Platinum MC from CapitalOne, don't remember if it had FTF but I almost never used it. So they have eliminated the fee on all of their cards?
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Old Jul 8, 2012, 6:55 pm
  #225  
mia
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Originally Posted by trupper999
.? any deals on the cards as of today...
Try here:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/miles...er-thread.html
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