Effective immediately, Chase no longer adds foreign currency transaction fees to charges made on the Marriott Rewards Premier card ($65 annual fee waived the first year; annual free night certificate (up to category 4 on account approval, up to category 5 each year); 15 nights towards elite status and another status night for every $3000 in spend; 30,000 bonus points with first purchase).
This card adds to the stable of no foreign currency transaction fee offerings from Chase:
- Chase Sapphire Preferred ($95 fee waived the first year, points transferable to several programs)
- Continental Airlines Presidential Plus Card (the expensive one that comes with lounge access)
- British Airways Visa Signature Card (1.25 BA miles per dollar and a free companion award ticket after $30k spend)
- Chase Priority Club Select Visa Card (good signup bonuses, not great for spend)
- Hyatt Gold Passport Card (2 free nights at any Hyatt and Platinum status with signup)
- United Mileage Plus® Club Visa® Card (the expensive one that comes with lounge access)
Used to be that you needed to get a Capital One card, or a non-rewards card, in order to avoid paying usually 3% in foreign currency transaction fees. And for regular international travelers it certainly made sense to do so. The rewards from most cards weren’t worth the transaction fee.
American Express Platinum and Centurion also waive foreign currency fees now as well. But in general Chase has the best and most rewarding cards for international spend. It’s not a feature on any of their free cards, but savings for regular international travelers will more than cover the fees.
I just love your great credit card comparisons and info! Thanks!
Cough Amex cough, how about getting rid of fees on Gold card and the SPG card. Good for chase on doing something that is customer friendly. I will continue to use my BA visa on all foreign trips.
So out of these which card is the most friendly one? The CO and UA cards’ fees seem prohibitively high.
@Alex- I personally think the Chase Sapphire Preferred is a good deal. No fee for the first year, 25,000 points that can go 1:1 into Hyatt, British Airways, Continental, Marriott, Priority Club and you get a 7% bonus on all miles earned in a year.
The Marriott card is great if you spend a lot on Marriott and can take advantage of the 5x Marriott spend, but otherwise I’d rather have a card that gives flexibility in redemption options.
@Alex you need to look at the overall set of benefits for each card and see how they meet your needs. It obviously makes no sense to spend a ton of money on a UA or CO card that gives you lounge access in addition to the forex free waiver if you never fly those airlines. Similarly with Marriott — I never stay with them and have no status, so that card makes less sense for me than the Hyatt or Priority Club cards.
@Boston Flyer: I agree with your comments!!
We just got back from Milan & left the Gold Rewards/SPG AMEX’s at home due to their FOREX fees. We instead brought along my wife’s new Cap One 2% Venture card w/no FOREX fees to charge in Italy.
We also have Priority Club Visa & Hyatt Visa but we needed to get 1K spend for the 100K signup bonuses so we brought the Cap One card.
Has Chase reduced the exchange rates when its eliminated the foreign transaction fee?
Can someone confirm that Chase Sapphire Preferred doesn’t charge foreign transaction fee? I got the card last Nov. and didn’t find this mentioned in the benefit summary. I used the card in Spain last Dec. for purchases on train ticket, restaurant and hotel, they all were charged with 3% foreign transaction fee.
Just an update, received email from Chase today that the foreign transaction fee will be waived from now on.