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Best Credit cards for International Transactions and Travel - Guide

Fini7777 · 2025-03-24T10:30:03+00:00

Planning an international trip or making foreign currency transactions online? Choosing the right credit card can save you huge forex fees and even give you net positive returns on your spends! In this thread, I’ll cover the best credit cards for international usage, ranging from entry-level to ultra-premium and even private banking cards. How This Guide Is Structured: ✅ Divided into Two Categories: 🔹 Online International Transactions (for foreign currency payments) 🔹 Offline International Transactions (for PoS & ATM withdrawals abroad) ✅ International Lounge Access Covered What’s Included? ✔️ Net Positive Return Cards – Only cards that offer more value than the forex markup fees ✔️ Forex Markup Fee – Charges applied on foreign transactions ✔️ Reward Rate on International Spends – How much you earn back ✔️ Fees & charges – Cost of holding the card ✔️ Complimentary International Lounge Access – Airport perks for global travelers What’s NOT Covered? ❌ Other card features (domestic benefits, etc.) ❌ Eligibility criteria & income requirements ❌ Reward redemption details Important Notes: ⚠️ All data is based on official bank sources and is subject to change. ⚠️ This guide does NOT focus solely on 0% forex markup cards but rather on cards that provide net positive returns despite forex fees. ⚠️ The list includes ALL tiers of cards, from entry-level to ultra-premium, ensuring there’s something for every traveler. Card NameAnnual Fee (Rs.)Forex markup fee(%)Net Return (Online Txns)Net Return (Offline Txns)Complimentary International Lounge access per yearGuest visits per yearInterest on Cash advance (abroad)Cash advance fee BOB Eterna29502.361.391.39003.492.5% or Rs. 500, whichever is higher BOB Tiara29502.361.391.39003.492.5% or Rs. 500, whichever is higher SBI Cashback11804.130.87-3.13003.52.5% or Rs. 500, whichever is higher SC Ultimate59002.360.940.9416 (min spends required: 20k)13.53% or Rs. 300, whichever is higher YES Marquee59001.183.321.07Unlimited 8 (shared with domestic lounge access)2.992.5% or Rs. 500, whichever is higher AU Zenith +59001.170.830.831601.992.5% or Rs. 500, whichever is higher HDFC DCB118002.360.97 +1(GVP)0.97 + 1(GVP)Unlimited01.992.5% or Rs. 500, whichever is higher HDFC INFINIA147502.360.97 +1(GVP)0.97 +1(GVP)Unlimited01.990 ICICI Emeralde private147502.360.640.64Unlimited01.990 ICICI Times Black236001.760.740.74Unlimited02.52.5% or Rs. 500, whichever is higher IDFC Mayura707900.830.8316 (min spends required: 20k)00Rs.199+GST per txn IDFC WOW000.670.67000Rs.199+GST per txn AMEX Platinum Travel59004.135.57*5.57*003.53.5% or Rs. 250, whichever is higher RBL Insignia8260 / 01.770.730.73603.992.5% or Rs. 500, whichever is higher DBS vantagevaries0 - Singapore 2.07 - others5.935.93Unlimited03.52.5% or Rs. 500, whichever is higher IndusInd Pioneer Heritage Metal29500 / 002.52.5Unlimited02.990 HSBC Premier23600 / 01.171.831.83Unlimited82 to 52.5% or Rs. 300, whichever is higher Axis Olympus236002.125.85.8Unlimited101.82% or Rs. 300, whichever is higher Axis Magnus for Burgundy354002.362.442.44Unlimited420 Axis Reserve590001.774.234.23Unlimited121.50 Axis primus212400055Unlimited1200 Axis Burgundy Private59000 / 0066Unlimited1200 YES private11800 / 00.594.414.41Unlimited122.992.5% or Rs. 300, whichever is higher IDFC Private5900002.52.5Unlimited000 IndusInd Pioneer Private29500033Unlimited1220 Cash Withdrawal Charges at International ATMs - Only for those who don't know 1️⃣ Cash Advance Fee credit cards charge a high fee for cash withdrawals at ATMs abroad. The fee is usually 2.5% to 3.5% of the amount withdrawn (subject to a minimum charge). 2️⃣ Interest on Cash Withdrawals Unlike purchases, cash withdrawals attract interest from Day 1—there’s no interest-free period. Interest rates are typically 36%–48% annually (3%–4% per month), making it very costly. 3️⃣ Forex Markup on Cash Withdrawals : In addition to the cash advance fee, banks apply a forex markup fee 4️⃣ ATM Operator Fee Some foreign banks charge extra ATM withdrawal fees (over which your bank has no control). This can range from $2 to $10 per transaction, depending on the country and ATM network. Pro Tips to Avoid High Charges ✅ Avoid Using Credit Cards for Cash Withdrawals – Use a debit card or prepaid forex card instead. ✅ If You Must Withdraw Cash, Repay Immediately – To reduce interest charges. Special mentions: For those who don't need any returns/Lounge access but want a 0% forex markup card, I have listed them Below 1. AU Ixigo 2. IDFC WOW 3. RBL World Safari 4. RBL Insignia 5. FEDERAL Scapia I've covered most of the useful cards here. There are very few cards that might offer a net positive return on international transactions, but they are not worth the fee and lounge access they offer, so I've excluded them. If I missed any card in this list, do let me know. Some cards, like AMEX cards, do not provide net positive returns directly; you need to reach certain milestones to get the mentioned reward rate. Some cards do not work reliably outside India and may cause issues. For example, the RBL World Safari card has been reported to create transaction troubles abroad. Please read the experiences of our TF users regarding specific cards to avoid unnecessary issues later. Want to know the best card in each segment The Ultimate Credit Card Guide – One-Stop Solution for All Your Queries with RR Analysis! Confused on How & where to redeem your Reward points Complete Credit Card Reward Redemption Guide

Thread starter Fini7777
Start date Mar 24, 2025
Replies 27
Views 809
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Fini7777

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Today at 2:06 PM

Update:
AMEX Gold Charge and AMEX MRCC have been removed from the above list as they are only worthwhile during the first year. In the first year, they typically offer a return of around 5.2%; however, from the second year onward, these cards are not beneficial for international transactions due to their very low ROI after paying the annual fee.

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The net return on the AMEX Platinum Travel Card has been updated to 5.57%, considering the ₹4 lakh milestone and valuing 1 MR point at ₹0.60.