topic Re: Best No Foreign Transaction Fee Card? in Credit Cards

Best No Foreign Transaction Fee Card?

BulldogX — Tue, 19 Mar 2024 15:57:39 GMT

Greetings! I don't really need another card, but I'm currently in the high 800's with everyone, and I figure I might as well take advantage of an opportunity to lower my UR.

I travel occasionally to Canada to visit my family, so no foreign transaction fee is my #1 priority for a new card. (I am originally from Canada, and still have my old Canadian credit card from years ago, but Canadian banks only grant CLIs and new cards to those with a legal, permanent address in that country.)

I am not interested in points or rewards, not playing that game (but it's okay if you do) so cash back is my #2 priority, and I'm not into the categories game either.

I pay the full card balance each month, but having the opportunity to stretch major purchases over an extended period - say a year - is good, so opportunities to extend repayment is my #3 priority.

I see lots of cards that begin with C, and Amex, but I'm open to other ideas. What would you suggest for me?

Currently I have:

CapitalOne Quicksilver MC 13,000
Citi DoubleCash MC 11,000
Bank of A Preferred Visa 12,000
Regions Bank Visa 5,000

Thanks for your advice.

Re: Best No Foreign Transaction Fee Card?

CYBERSAM — Tue, 19 Mar 2024 16:44:34 GMT

Last time I traveled overseas(couple of years) my go to card became Cap1 Venture. All the transactions went through with no problem and no email or text verification needed! This was very helpful as I did not have access to WiFi most of the trip.

Cap1/Venture is also very good on fraud protection, no question asked when you report a fraudulent charge if it hits your account without them detecting it first!

Venture has AF, but to me it’s worth the convenient to use in another country and not worrying about charge not going through. This is one of main reasons for keeping this card even though I have better reward cards.

Re: Best No Foreign Transaction Fee Card?

CorpCrMgr1 — Tue, 19 Mar 2024 17:06:29 GMT

Chase, AmEx, BoA, Cap1 work for me. Living close to the border, I go to Canada often. I've still have found some establishments will put a surcharge on CC transactions.

Re: Best No Foreign Transaction Fee Card?

Kforce — Tue, 19 Mar 2024 17:17:51 GMT

Looks like you have a couple cards with no FTF at this time.

With 800 scores I would not get any more card's just

for credit line padding .

The rare time one needs to take a new loan,

it is easier to control what reports for two months than manage

cards every month for years for padding.

The most recommended card for padding is probably

AMEX and NAVY, if you go that direction

If wanting to maybe upgrade your card set with

a little better rewards. The Cap1 could be replaced with

a good 2%, No FTF, Visa from PNC, Fidelity, or State Dept FCU.

You would then have a Visa & MC with no FTF and also

a Visa & MC with 2% no category spend

A very nice simple card set

I would stay where you are or move slowly for improved rewards

and not be concerned with cards for padding.

Just my 2c

Re: Best No Foreign Transaction Fee Card?

Horseshoez — Tue, 19 Mar 2024 17:24:31 GMT

@BulldogX, in your shoes I'd probably opt for either a Chase Freedom Unlimited or a CapOne SavorOne.

Re: Best No Foreign Transaction Fee Card?

cws-21 — Tue, 19 Mar 2024 17:35:47 GMT

@BulldogX, I would want to have a no FTF Visa (e.g., Wells Fargo Autograph) and a no FTF Mastercard (e.g., Capital One SavorOne). You may or may not be able to product change your Quicksilver to the SavorOne.

Re: Best No Foreign Transaction Fee Card?

BulldogX — Tue, 19 Mar 2024 17:35:50 GMT

Thanks to everyone for your thoughts thus far.

I would suggest to anyone in this community who is not a seasoned regular to have the Common Abbreviations post open in a separate tab.

Would Capital One even consider me for a second C1 card? Or would they say "Why not just ask for a CLI on your existing card?"

Re: Best No Foreign Transaction Fee Card?

CYBERSAM — Tue, 19 Mar 2024 18:26:58 GMT

@BulldogX wrote:
Thanks to everyone for your thoughts thus far.

I would suggest to anyone in this community who is not a seasoned regular to have the Common Abbreviations post open in a separate tab.

Would Capital One even consider me for a second C1 card? Or would they say "Why not just ask for a CLI on your existing card?"

For most of their customer, Cap1 allows you to upgrade QuickSilver to Venture.

If you need CLI and you have not asked for one in past 6 months AND you are putting decent usage on that, +5K CLI should be easy to get.

Re: Best No Foreign Transaction Fee Card?

Anonymous — Tue, 19 Mar 2024 19:24:34 GMT

@Horseshoez wrote:
@BulldogX, in your shoes I'd probably opt for either a Chase Freedom Unlimited or a CapOne SavorOne.

Chase Freedom Unlimited has a 3% FTF (violating req 1) and has the same cashback as Quicksilver [ETA: except for the 3% categories]

Re: Best No Foreign Transaction Fee Card?

Slabenstein — Tue, 19 Mar 2024 19:11:42 GMT

Your QS already fits 1 & 2. For 3, I'm not sure what you mean, other than that you want it to be a revolver and not an Amex charge card. At least as far as 1 & 2 are concerned, the only way you're going to do better than what you already have for a no-FTF non-category cashback card is one that's 2% or higher. I believe the PenFed PCR is no-FTF, if you fit the requirements to get 2%. AOD is closed to new apps and I think Paypal now charges FTF, so I'm not sure what other options in that direction there are now.

Re: Best No Foreign Transaction Fee Card?

Slabenstein — Tue, 19 Mar 2024 19:14:09 GMT

@BulldogX wrote:

Would Capital One even consider me for a second C1 card? Or would they say "Why not just ask for a CLI on your existing card?"

You can have more than one card with Capital One. Iirc, their limit is something like 5 of their regular cards or 2 of the starter cards.

Re: Best No Foreign Transaction Fee Card?

Anonymous — Tue, 19 Mar 2024 19:14:10 GMT

@Slabenstein wrote:
Your QS already fits 1 & 2. For 3, I'm not sure what you mean, other than that you want it to be a revolver and not an Amex charge card. At least as far as 1 & 2 are concerned, the only way you're going to do better than what you already have for a no-FTF non-category cashback card is one that's 2% or higher. I believe the PenFed PCR is no-FTF, if you fit the requirements to get 2%. AOD is closed to new apps and I think Paypal now charges FTF, so I'm not sure what other options in that direction there are now.

@Kforce post above lists some of the 2% no- FTF, including the Fidelity card which recently removed its FTF. Another (which I don't recommend but that might just be me) is SoFi.

Re: Best No Foreign Transaction Fee Card?

Horseshoez — Tue, 19 Mar 2024 20:18:11 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
@Horseshoez wrote:
@BulldogX, in your shoes I'd probably opt for either a Chase Freedom Unlimited or a CapOne SavorOne.
Chase Freedom Unlimited has a 3% FTF (violating req 1) and has the same cashback as Quicksilver [ETA: except for the 3% categories]

Good call, last year when I got my CFU I just assumed it had no FTF like my CSP; all the more reason for me to keep my Quicksilver around and leave the CFU home when I go abroad.

Re: Best No Foreign Transaction Fee Card?

swankytiger — Tue, 19 Mar 2024 20:23:47 GMT

If you fly to canada to visit that usually means United or Air Canada. Chase has the United Gateway which is a 0 AF/FTF card and has ok earnings, they also have the other 3 united cards at varying AF's and they also have the Aeroplan card.

The gateway also unlocks bonus award inventory on United as well, so it is a decent no AF/FTF card to have. It is what I use as my non Amex card in my daily wallet.

Re: Best No Foreign Transaction Fee Card?

BulldogX — Tue, 19 Mar 2024 21:10:55 GMT

What makes me reluctant to ask for a second CapOne card is that if I should get into a ... let's call it a disagreement with the company, I sock-drawer two cards instead of just one.

I had a look at Chase. A better name would be Chase Away.

Who knew that picking a credit card would be so much trouble. But I'm still looking.

Re: Best No Foreign Transaction Fee Card?

Horseshoez — Tue, 19 Mar 2024 21:26:04 GMT

@BulldogX wrote:
What makes me reluctant to ask for a second CapOne card is that if I should get into a ... let's call it a disagreement with the company, I sock-drawer two cards instead of just one.

I had a look at Chase. A better name would be Chase Away.

Who knew that picking a credit card would be so much trouble. But I'm still looking.

While I'm only a luke warm fan of CapOne, I do value their 360 Savings account and SavorOne card quite highly; my Quicksilver has basically taken a back seat to my CFU, which has a limit more than $20,000 higher, however, I see value to keeping both cards alive. As for getting into a disagreement with CapOne, I've found them pretty easy to work with except for trying to get a good CLI since my credit scores started hanging out either side of 800.

Re: Best No Foreign Transaction Fee Card?

FicoMike0 — Wed, 20 Mar 2024 02:34:38 GMT

In pretty sure quicksilver has no Foreign transsubstanciation fees.

Re: Best No Foreign Transaction Fee Card?

Horseshoez — Wed, 20 Mar 2024 03:01:38 GMT

@FicoMike0 wrote:
In pretty sure quicksilver has no Foreign transsubstanciation fees.

Correct, ummm, sort of.

Re: Best No Foreign Transaction Fee Card?

Anonymous — Wed, 20 Mar 2024 03:03:52 GMT

@Horseshoez wrote:
@FicoMike0 wrote:
In pretty sure quicksilver has no Foreign transsubstanciation fees.
Correct, ummm, sort of.

AND no domestic ones either!

Re: Best No Foreign Transaction Fee Card?

xenon3030 — Wed, 20 Mar 2024 04:10:49 GMT

For no FTF purposes, I have US Bank Altitude Reserve (3x on digital wallet) and CSP.

I previously was using BOA PR to avoid FTF and it was working flawlessly in Europe (online and in store). I PCed it to UCR sometime ago.