6 Tips for Charging Your Travels from Fodors

1. Shop around

Credit cards are not all the same—you’ll need to do a little research to find the best card for you. Read the fine print to save yourself from bloated surcharges. Most major credit card companies charge a foreign transaction fee of 2-5% on any charge made internationally. Call your credit card company before you go away—fees change often and you don’t want to be stuck charging the majority of your trip on a card with hefty fees. Capital One does not currently charge additional fees for international transactions. As well, you might find smaller banks and local credit unions charge lower rates. After checking these rates, check the exchange rates are consistent with your other cards. Interested in how conversion rates affect the end price of something you buy abroad? Visa’s currency converter might be helpful.

2. Notify your credit card company before you travel

Otherwise, your credit card company might put a hold on your card due to “unusual” activity—like a charge for a restaurant in Krakow. By calling ahead, the company may append a memo to your account. Hopefully your call will prevent a needless interruption of your shopping spree along Paris’s Avenue Montaigne.

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