using credit card overseas?

[anonymous4a]

Hi, silly question but if I use my US credit card overseas on an ONLINE US store to buy something, will I be charged a foreign transaction fee ? 

[titanofold]

If they don't have to mess with currency exchange, there shouldn't be a foreign transaction fee.

[JasonKR]

Of course not!

but be aware sometimes website automatically converts currency to the country that you are using internet in.

for example, PacSun converts price automatically to local currency. but you can easily switch to US dollar.

[lg8302ch]

No as long as the online merchant processes the payments in the US. Merchants that have payment processors outside the US will impose FTF if the credit card you are using has FTF....my nightmare is www.aa.com..it is a real gamble as many times the payments get processed outside the US with no prior warning and Citi is nicely collecting FTF fees on their AAdvantage card...It is each time a gamble so I have stopped using their card...need a no FTF card as it adds up quickly on my monthly transatlantic flights

[anonymous4a]

Pretty much I want to purchase stuff online on US amazon website with my US credit card when I'm in Asia . 

[FinStar]

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@lg8302ch wrote:
No as long as the online merchant processes the payments in the US. Merchants that have payment processors outside the US will impose FTF if the credit card you are using has FTF....my nightmare is www.aa.com..it is a real gamble as many times the payments get processed outside the US with no prior warning and Citi is nicely collecting FTF fees on their AAdvantage card...It is each time a gamble so I have stopped using their card...need a no FTF card as it adds up quickly on my monthly transatlantic flights

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Not sure how often you use AA as your primary carrier or any of the OneWorld Alliance partners, but have you considered or thought about the Citi Executive/AAdvantage WEMC?  That one has no FTFs.  Granted, it has a hefty AF, just not sure if how much travel on AA you do or the type of spend to offset that AF.

[enharu]

Like others have said, it will depend on the location where the payment is processed.

For example, purchases made on topshop online are usually processed in the UK, even though the currency used may be USD. In those scenarios you will be charged a FTF fee if I am not wrong.

[lg8302ch]

@FinStar
Unfortunately not enough to offset the AF. Lounge, free bag, etc I get from FFP and Oneworld is my secondary...StarAlliance is primary. I will start testing buying off Expedia as it looks it gets the airfare charged as AA and only the small service fee as Expedia. Used the Arrival to test so not sure where that got processed as no FTF on this card. But for sure worth a try..would sure love to get double points

[TiggerDat]

Capital One and Discover are great cards to use in Asia.  On the US websites you shouldn't get charged a FTF, since it is US currency for a US website.  Capital One has no FTF and Discover is useful in all of China!  You might run into some issues using it in China since many people don't know you can use it.  They don't know that Discover has and agreement with Union Pay.  Union Pay is the largest Asia processing agent.  I have been told by clerks at stores and restaurants that they don't take the card.  They are used to MC and Visa, but since they don't see the Discover Card often, they don't know it can be used.  I simply tell them to try anyway and it works, as long as Discover knows you are overseas!  You might run into a few places where it might not work, but as of yet I haven't and I live in China!  (I admit I don't use it often, partially because I don't want Discover to know I don't actually live in the US and partially because I live here and sending money home to pay a credit card is a bit silly.)

[anonymous4a]

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@bernhardtra wrote:

Capital One and Discover are great cards to use in Asia.  On the US websites you shouldn't get charged a FTF, since it is US currency for a US website.  Capital One has no FTF and Discover is useful in all of China!  You might run into some issues using it in China since many people don't know you can use it.  They don't know that Discover has and agreement with Union Pay.  Union Pay is the largest Asia processing agent.  I have been told by clerks at stores and restaurants that they don't take the card.  They are used to MC and Visa, but since they don't see the Discover Card often, they don't know it can be used.  I simply tell them to try anyway and it works, as long as Discover knows you are overseas!  You might run into a few places where it might not work, but as of yet I haven't and I live in China!  (I admit I don't use it often, partially because I don't want Discover to know I don't actually live in the US and partially because I live here and sending money home to pay a credit card is a bit silly.)

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Yeah, I have no FTF  credit cards that I use in Asia but I wanted to use Chase Freedom for the 5 % cash back on amazon purchases online . So I shouldn't get a FTF from the US amazon website .