You might be a frequent international traveler or someone fond of shopping from international websites; in either of these scenarios, transactions in foreign currency have to be done, and as you know, almost all credit cards charge a markup fee on foreign currency transactions. The general market standard for markup fee is 3.5% of the transaction amount.
However, some credit cards offer a lower foreign currency markup fee so that users are able to transact in a foreign currency without worrying much about any overhead charges. Usually, these cards are either travel credit cards or top-end premium cards. For example, the forex mark-up fee applicable for HDFC Infinia Credit Card is just 2% of the transaction amount (instead of the usual 3.5%). Then there are other credit cards that, although they charge the same markup fee on foreign currency transactions, compensate for the same by offering a higher reward rate on transactions made in foreign currencies.
In this article, we have hand-picked significant credit cards in the Indian Credit Card market, which can be used to make transactions in a foreign currency when you are traveling abroad. These cards offer either a considerably lower foreign currency markup fee or a better reward rate on foreign currency transactions. Most of these credit cards are either super-premium credit cards or premium travel credit cards.
If you have ever read your credit card’s most important terms and conditions, you might be aware of the fact that these cards have high fees & charges on international transactions, including forex markup fees, currency conversion charges, etc. All these charges make international transactions very expensive. Still, some major card issuers also offer credit cards with low forex markup fees or higher reward rates on international purchases, and these cards are considered the most suitable ones for transactions in other currencies when you visit foreign countries.
Continue reading for the complete list of the best credit cards for international travel and their detailed features:
5 EDGE Miles on Axis Travel Edge and Airline Spends. 2 EDGE Reward Points on all Other Eligible Spends
5000 EDGE Miles on Spends of ₹1,000 Within the First 30 Days of Card Issuance
10X Reward Points/₹150 on Incremental Spends Above ₹20,000 Per Statement Cycle. 5X Reward Points/₹150 on Spends Upto ₹20,000. 3X RPs Are Also Awarded for Rent, Wallet Load, Education, and Government Transactions
Up to 12,000 Reward Points
20% Scapia Coins on Travel Bookings (~4%) & 10% Scapia Coins on All Other Transactions (~2%)
N/A
6X Avios/₹200 at Preferred Destinations (POS Only), 5X Avios/₹200 for Spends on Qatar/British Airways Website, 3X Avios/₹200 for Online Spends at Preferred Destinations and 1X Avios/₹200 for Spends on Utilities, Insurance and Government Services
20,000 Bonus Avios
10X Reward Points/₹150 on Incremental Spends Above ₹20,000 Per Statement Cycle. 5X Reward Points/₹150 on Spends Upto ₹20,000. 3X RPs Are Also Awarded for Rent, Wallet Load, Education, and Government Transactions
Up to 7,500 Reward Points
5 Reward Points/₹200 on All Eligible Retail Spends, Including Utilities, Insurance, and Education. 25 Reward Points/₹200 for Myntra, Marks and Spencer, Nykaa, and Reliance Digital Spends
Voucher Worth ₹2,500
3 Reward Points for ₹100 Spent; 3X Reward Points for International POS and Online Purchases
Complimentary Club Marriott and EazyDiner Memberships
5 Reward Points Per ₹200 On Online, Offline & UPI Transactions (Reward Rate – 1.25%)
1,000 RPs and ₹1,000 ixigo Money Voucher on First Transaction Within 30 Days of Card Issuance
1 Reward Point/₹100 for Spends on Weekdays (~0.50%) and 2 Reward Points/₹100 for Spends on Weekends (~1%)
N/A
10 Reward Points/₹100 Spent on Dining, Grocery, and Departmental Stores (~2.5%). 2 Reward Points/₹100 on All Other Spends (~0.5%)
Vouchers Worth ₹5,000 from Yatra, Aditya Birla Fashion, Hush Puppies/Bata, Pantaloons, or Shoppers Stop
15 Reward Points/₹100 on Online, Travel, Movie, and Dining Spends (~3.75%). 3 Reward Points/₹100 on Other Eligible Spends (~0.75%)
10,000 Bonus Reward Points
5 Reward Points/₹150 on Regular Spends (3.33%) | Up To 10x Reward Points On SmartBuy (Up To 33.33%) | 2x Reward Points (10/₹150) On Weekend Dining (6.67%)
Complimentary Membership of Club Marriott, Swiggy One and Amazon Prime (On Spends of Rs. 1.5 Lakh Within 90 Days of Card Issuance)
1 EDGE Mile/₹100 on Domestic and 2 EDGE Mile/₹100 on International Spends
2,500 EDGE Miles and Taj/ITC Hotel Vouchers Worth ₹10,000
6 Reward Points/₹200 Spent (Reward Rate of 3%)
Complimentary Taj Epicure and EazyDiner Membership and 12,500 Bonus Reward Points
Getting an international credit card is a must while traveling abroad. Almost all the credit cards available in the Indian market allow international transactions. However, there are some fees & charges associated with them. These cards make your travel much more hassle-free and convenient as follows:
As mentioned at the beginning of the article, credit cards are best suited for foreign currency transactions that either have a lower mark-up fee for transactions made in a foreign currency or earn Reward Points/cashback at an accelerated rate on international transactions. While these credit cards do offer the advantage of a better reward rate on foreign currency transactions, they also have certain downsides. We shall now discuss the pros and cons of these foreign currency transactions credit cards (not to be confused with prepaid forex cards).
While these credit cards with lower forex mark-up fees or higher reward rates on international transactions allow you to make transactions in foreign currency with relatively lower overhead charges, certain steps are advisable to be taken to make sure that you make the most of your credit card on foreign trips or while making transactions in a foreign currency in general.
If you’re someone who frequently travels abroad or you love shopping from foreign websites and enjoy foreign subscription services that charge you in foreign currency, these credit cards can save you a lot of money. The regular mark-up fee of 3.5% might seem less at first, but on large transactions, this 3.5% might mean a whole lot, and if you’re not able to pay your bills on time, the mark-up fee also incurs the same compounding interest as applicable to the actual spends made on the card.
Therefore, while applying for a new credit card, do consider the proportion of total spends on your credit card accounts for foreign currency transactions. If it is a substantial amount, it’s a good idea to consider one of these credit cards with a lower foreign-currency markup fee.
Card issuers charge a markup fee on transactions made in foreign currency to process the transaction via a foreign payment gateway and to alleviate varying foreign currency exchange rates (sometimes due to market fluctuations, you may be charged at a different forex rate than the one applicable to your card issuer).
There are several credit cards that offer zero forex markup on international transactions, such as the IDFC Mayura, Scapia Federal, and the IDFC Diamond Reserve Credit Card. However, it is important to note that not all zero forex cards offer rewards on international spends. Some cards do, while others don’t, so travellers should choose a card based on their spending pattern and reward preferences.
You are charged a mark-up fee of 3.5% (plus GST) on most credit cards when making transactions in a foreign currency.
Credit Cards do not have a credit limit specific to foreign currency transactions. There is a general credit limit, and both domestic and foreign currency transactions count towards it.
Though credit cards charge a high forex markup fee on international transactions, you can still prefer some of them if you make international transactions very often. Credit cards with low forex markup fees and with high reward rates on international purchases should be used for foreign transactions.
Almost every credit card charges a foreign exchange markup fee on international transactions, so no credit card can be considered free for international transactions. However, there are some credit cards that come with lower forex markup fees, such as HDFC Infinia, HDFC Regalia, IndusInd Celesta, and many more.
8 comments
MJ
The reward rate of 2.5% tagged to IDFC Select is wrong.
1. Reward rate is only 0.5% till 20k spend in a month
2. After 20k spend also, it won’t be 2.5%. It could have been 2.5% if the base reward rate is 1RP for every Rs100. However, it is 1RP for every Rs150. Which will result in reward of ~1.7% only.
3. If anyone is doing math, don’t forget to add the reward redemption fee of 99+GST in it.
Aniket Bhagat
Very surprised to see that the AU Zenith+ card is not on this list. With an effective reward rate of 0.83% after the 2% returns minus 1.17% forex charges, this metal card with 16 international lounge access, Airport meet and greet, effectively free (yes 900 GST after getting back the 5000 rupees as points which are 1:1 for vouchers and flight booking), 16 BookMyshow B1G1 upto 500, extra 1.33% rewards by monthly milestone of 1000 points on 75k spends and a Taj Epicure membership on spending 12L a year, it should be at the top of this list.
Dear Rajat, please take note and see this comment once.
Nikhil
As per my experience while traveling abroad Axis Bank Magnus Credit Card is one of the best credit cards for International Travel.
Annual Fee: Rs. 12,500 + GST
Min Salary: Rs. 1-1.5 Lakh/month
Unlimited Lounge Access, 8 Airport Concierge Services
Hotel Discounts & Vouchers
BookMyShow: Buy 1 Get 1
EazyDiner: Up to 40% off
Anvi
For international travel both HDFC Bank INFINIA Metal Credit Card & Axis Bank Magnus Credit Card provide amazing offers and benefits but personally I would like to go with HDFC Bank INFINIA Metal Credit Card as it provides Complimentary Club Marriott membership for a year and 20% discount on dining and stay in the Asia-Pacific region. Also, Insurance coverage worth Rs. 3 crore against accidental air death, Rs. 50 lakh for medical emergencies during international air travel, and credit shield cover upto Rs. 9 lakh.
kartik
Hey Ankur, how about axis bank reserve credit card, 1.5% markup and 12% reward. Net reward ~10%
Ankur Mittal
Yes, agreed would get it added in the list
Nishant
Hey Ankur how about IdFc first wow, it has zero forex markup
Rajat
Need to open FD with IDFC to be eligible for IDFC WOW Credit Card