Starter credit cards for booking flights and travel abroad (no foreign transaction fee)
If you book flights home or pay foreign websites, pick a card with no foreign transaction fee. The starter cards we list that do charge one add 2.7% to 3% to each of those purchases. Several starter cards newcomers can get charge nothing; the table lists them.
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Starter cards with no foreign transaction fee
| Card | Type | Annual fee | Foreign transaction fee | Minimum deposit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Capital One Platinum SecuredCapital One | Secured | $0 | None | $49 |
| Capital One Quicksilver SecuredCapital One | Secured | $0 | None | $200 |
| Capital One Quicksilver StudentCapital One | Student | $0 | None | No deposit |
| Discover it SecuredDiscover | Secured | $0 | None | $49 |
| Discover it Student Cash BackDiscover | Student | $0 | None | No deposit |
| Bank of America Travel Rewards SecuredBank of America | Secured | $0 | None | $200 |
| Bank of America Travel Rewards for StudentsBank of America | Student | $0 | None | No deposit |
We don't list signup bonuses, interest rates or credit limits: they change often and depend on you. Open the issuer's page for today's offer.
What a foreign transaction fee is
It is a fee the card issuer adds when you buy something in a foreign currency, outside the United States, or from a merchant based abroad, which can include airline and hotel websites. It is usually a percentage of the purchase, for example 3% of each transaction in US dollars. The card's rate and fee table must say whether it charges one.
Before a big booking
A new secured card's limit is usually the deposit you put down, so a long-haul ticket can use most of it. Check the fee table on the issuer's page before you apply: the foreign transaction fee is listed there, and we link to it for every card.
Guides
Sources
- CFPB: Regulation Z official interpretation, 1026.60
- CFPB: Regulation Z official interpretation, 1026.4 (finance charges)
- Chase Freedom Rise pricing & terms
- Blue Cash Everyday terms
- CFPB: What are some ways to start or rebuild a good credit history?
Last checked: . General information from the issuers' and agencies' own pages, not financial advice. We are not a bank and don't get paid by any issuer for these pages. We never ask for your SSN, ITIN, passport or card number.