I just got an email about my corporate card. The increase is effective April 10 for us.

When using ATM to withdraw cash overseas, the Debit card from Charles Schwab used to charge US$1 per transaction. This fee was eliminated some months ago. Now it charges no fee and no other bank (host bank overseas) charges. My own experience was limited to major banks in western Europe only.

As for credit card, I know CapitalOne has a card that charges no foreign currency exchange surcharge.

We have a Schwab ATM which I will try it on next outing.

As for this month's travels to Australia, the Starwood Amex won with 2%. Visa hit us for 3% and ATM charge from our bank was $5 per transaction.

Cap1 has no Forex Fees but they also have No Customer Service, and I cant stand The For Sure Hassles card anyway. The problem is I just might have no choice but to go back to them:mad:

Amex might be 2% and MC/VISA 3% but still MC/VISA might be cheaper. They dont use the same Base Rate, I found at times the I would have been better off with the 3% fee in the end but not by much.

also Amex isnt as widely accepted as MC/VISA

Any Downside to the Capital One Card?
 

With the pending conversion of the B of A AAA card to a 3% total fee, it seems like only Capital One and credit union cards offer a break. My credit union is very small, and I'm a little wary there. Any problems with Capital One, e.g customer service, contesting bad charges, etc.? Any real benefits (not that any are needed when saving 3%)?

I actually went nuts the other night and did all the calculations from my online transactions, which showed the rate and the fees. That's why I say that Amex won, not simply the 2%. Admittedly, they were all within a few cents of one another (probably not an accident), per $100 of transactions.

To repeat the info in numerous posts about in this very long thread, other options are Nordstroms Bank Visa and USAA Bank (you can get most of the cards without have been in the armed services). ^

Cap One is reputed to have some of the worst service on earth. :td:

Washington Mutual ATM cards charge only 1% to use network ATMs overseas. It's a very fair deal.

It seems Cap1 has a monopoly on no-charge foreign transactions. One of the downsides to owning a Cap1 card is your credit limit is not reported to the bureaus. Therefore, your highest monthly bill is likely your reported limit. This increases your credit line utilization and lowers your credit score a bit.

Man this thread keeps going round and round and round in circles. People, I know the thread is long, but you can at least read the associated wiki page which contains most of the important stuff in this thread.

If your info is already on the wiki, please don't repost it here yet again.

But dont you have to be related to someone who has been member of armed forces, national guard, that type of thing, to be eligible to join USAA?

True, but this problem is easily remedied at no cost. Simply max out your card (using the 0% balance transfer offer) and then pay it off before any interest accumulates. Your score will take a hit when the balance/limit is reported, but will recover when you pay it off.

In 8 years I have never had any problem disputing merchant charges and even more important I NEVER reach a CSR in India, even on weekends. ^ to CapOne.

True. USAA is great for insurance, banking etc but you have to be a veteran or related to one (:td: - not to the troops, but to USAA for its policy)

You absolutely do not have to be armed forces related to get a USAA credit card. Auto insurance is a different story.

Anyone is eligible for a USAA credit card.

Come on folks. This question has already been answered above. Don't post info which is incorrect and which could be easily checked by a call to USAA or just looking at the thread.

The thread is 74 pages / 1108 posts long. It's virtually unreadable.