Since moving to the UK, I’ve had to rejig my wallet a little bit because the best credit cards to use for different purchases in the US aren’t necessarily the best ones to use while overseas.
We have a good number of Frequent Miler readers who are either expats or who travel frequently overseas, so in this post we wanted to highlight the best US credit cards for expats and other overseas travelers, as well as the cards you might want to avoid.
Best single US credit card for international purchases
If you’d like simplicity for all of your international spending, the best credit card for many people will be the Atmos™ Rewards Summit Visa Infinite® Card. Launched in 2025, it offers 3x on Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines purchases, 3x on dining, 1x on other purchases, but – most importantly for this topic – 3x on foreign transactions.
| Card Offer and Details |
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 ⓘ $1047 1st Yr Value Estimate25K Global Companion Fare valued at $250 Click to learn about first year value estimates 100K points + 25K Companion Award Non-AffiliateThis is NOT an affiliate offer. We always present the best offer even when it means less revenue for Frequent Miler 100k points + 25K global companion award after $6K spend in the first 90 days $395 Annual Fee Information about this card has been collected independently by Frequent Miler. The issuer did not provide the details, nor is it responsible for their accuracy. FM Mini Review: Atmos points are quite valuable, and this could be a great option for Alaska / Hawaiian customers and those interested in elite status. Click here for our complete card review Earning rate: 3X Alaska Airlines ✦ 3x dining ✦ 3x foreign transactions ✦ 1X elsewhere Card Info: Visa Infinite issued by BOA. This card has no foreign currency conversion fees. Big spend bonus: 100K global companion award fare after $60K in cardmember year Noteworthy perks: Annual global 25K companion fare (cardmember year) ✦ 10K status points each cardmember anniversary ✦ free same day changes ✦ 2 full-day lounge passes each calendar quarter (includes up to two children) ✦ 2 wifi passes each calendar quarter ✦ Waived partner booking fees ✦ $50 credit for delays or cancellations of over 2 hrs ✦ Free first checked bag on both Hawaiian and Alaska flights (+ up to six companions) ✦ Priority Boarding (up to six companions) ✦ 10% bonus on earned miles with eligible BOA account ✦ Earn 1 status point/$2 spent ✦ $120 TSA PreCheck/Global Entry credit ✦ 2 free signature cocktails/lounge visit |
That’s an excellent return considering this card doesn’t charge a foreign transaction fee on those purchases. It’s a Visa card which means you shouldn’t have any issue using it internationally anywhere that accepts credit cards.
In addition to the standard Atmos Rewards points the card earns, you earn 1 Atmos Rewards status point for every $2 you spend on the card. That means you’d need to spend the following on the card in order to earn status exclusively through spend:
- Silver – $40K spend
- Gold – $80K spend
- Platinum – $160K spend
- Titanium – $270K spend
Atmos Rewards status will also get you Oneworld status which could come in handy for your overseas travels on airlines like British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Japan Airlines, Iberia, Qantas, Qatar Airways, and more. Atmos Silver gets you Oneworld Ruby, Atmos Gold gets you Oneworld Sapphire, while Atmos Platinum and Titanium get you Oneworld Emerald.
If you have high spending overseas and can make use of the card’s other perks, the Atmos Summit card can be a compelling option if you want a catch-all card for all of your spending.
Honorable mention for a single US credit card for international purchases
Seeing as the Alaska Atmos Summit card earns 3x on all foreign transactions, that’s the best catch-all card if you don’t mind the annual fee and can get good value from the Atmos Rewards points.
Outside of other everyday spending cards (like 2x everywhere), the next best one-size-fits-all option for many people will be the Citi Strata Premier℠ Card. That earns:
- 10x on hotels, car rentals, and attractions booked through Citi Travel℠
- 3x on groceries, dining, gas stations and EV charging, and on flights, hotels, travel agencies
- 1x everywhere else
For expats, groceries, dining, and gas will likely make up a good chunk of your spending, plus you’ll be able to earn 3x or 10x on your paid travel depending on how it’s booked. The Strata Premier card also has a much lower annual fee than the Atmos Summit card which might appeal to people looking for a one card solution.
Best US credit cards for groceries worldwide
Many of the best credit cards for grocery store purchases in the US aren’t the best for grocery store purchases worldwide, usually for one of two key reasons: foreign transaction fees or due to the bonus category being limited to U.S. supermarkets.
That doesn’t mean you have no good options though. Here are the most rewarding cards for overseas grocery transactions; the exact value will depend on how you value the points/miles when it’s not cashback rewards.
- Bilt Obsidian Card – The Bilt Obsidian card has a 3x Bilt Points earning category. It defaults to dining, but you can select groceries as your 3x earning preference instead which is valid on up to $25,000 spend per year (3x on dining is uncapped).
- Citi Strata Premier℠ Card – You’ll see this card appear in a few different categories. It appears in this one as you’ll earn 3x ThankYou points on groceries worldwide.
- Atmos™ Rewards Summit Visa Infinite® Card – As mentioned earlier, this earns 3x Atmos Rewards on all international transactions.
- The Aeroplan® Card – This card earns 3x Aeroplan points on grocery spend both in the US and internationally. In addition to that, you earn 500 bonus points for every $2,000 spent in a calendar month in any category, capped at 1,500 additional points earned in this way per calendar month.
Another card that might work once it’s launched is the SoFi Smart Card. That’ll have a $10 per month fee, but it’s due to offer uncapped 5% earnings on grocery purchases. I’ve checked the card’s terms and conditions and it’s unclear whether the 5% cashback will be earned on grocery purchases worldwide or only in the US.
Best US credit cards for restaurants/dining worldwide
Eating out while overseas can be one of the most pleasurable parts of traveling or living internationally. Here are the most rewarding cards for restaurant purchases worldwide.
- Citi Prestige Card – It’s no longer available for new applicants nor for product changes, but if you still have a Citi Prestige card you’ll earn 5x ThankYou points for dining.
- American Express® Gold Card – American Express can be a bit of a quirky card issuer for international purchases. The Amex Gold card didn’t appear in the grocery list above as it only awards 4x on up to $25K spend at supermarkets in the US. For the 4x Membership Rewards on dining though, it’s valid worldwide on up to $50K purchases per year.
- Amtrak Guest Rewards® Preferred Mastercard® – This card only earns 2x Amtrak Guest Rewards points on dining, but Amtrak points are much more valuable than most other points/miles, so that can provide good value if you’ll ever travel on Amtrak while back in the US.
- American Express® Green Card – This card awards 3x Membership Rewards points for dining worldwide. Unlike the Amex Gold card, there’s no $50K cap on earnings for restaurant purchases.
- Bilt Obsidian Card – The Bilt Obsidian card lets you choose your 3x earning category – dining or groceries. Groceries has a $25K spending cap per year, but dining offers uncapped 3x Bilt points.
- Chase Sapphire Reserve® Card – This card offers 3x Ultimate Rewards points on dining purchases worldwide.
- Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card – Similar to the Sapphire Reserve card, the Sapphire Preferred also awards 3x Ultimate Rewards points when eating out around the world.
- Citi Strata Elite℠ Card – This is an unusual card because it has two different earning rates for dining spend. You’ll earn 6x ThankYou points on dining spend between 6pm and 6am EST Fridays and Saturdays, while earning 3x ThankYou points on dining at all other times. Bear in mind that the timing for 6x points is based on the time in the US, so when traveling internationally you’ll need to account for time zone changes.
- Citi Strata Premier℠ Card – This awards 3x ThankYou points on worldwide dining.
- Atmos™ Rewards Summit Visa Infinite® Card – As mentioned earlier, this earns 3x Atmos Rewards on all international transactions.
- The Aeroplan® Card – You’ll earn 3x Aeroplan points for restaurant spend, as well as 500 bonus points for every $2,000 spent in a calendar month in any category, capped at 1,500 points earned in this way per calendar month.
- Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card – This card earns 3x points on dining purchases that can be transferred to partners or cashed out as 3% cashback.
- Wells Fargo Autograph Journey℠ Card – This card also earns 3x points on dining purchases that can be transferred to partners or cashed out as 3% cashback.
Best US credit cards for gas purchases worldwide
There aren’t many US credit cards that are particularly rewarding when filling your vehicle with gas overseas, either because bonus points are only awarded for gas purchases in the US or because the cards charge a foreign transaction fee.
There are some exceptions though that can still offer decent returns on your gas expenditure:
- Wyndham Rewards Earner Business Card – This card earns 8x Wyndham Rewards points worldwide.
- Costco Anywhere Visa – This earns 4% cash back on gas and EV charging worldwide on up to $7,000 spend per year (this cap includes 5% back on Costco gas purchases too). Note that the 4% cash back requires a Costco membership and the cash back can only be redeemed Costco stores in the US and Puerto Rico.
- Costco Anywhere Business Visa – This also earns 4% cash back on gas and EV charging worldwide on up to $7,000 spend per year (this cap includes 5% back on Costco gas purchases too). Note that the 4% cash back requires a Costco membership and the cash back can only be redeemed Costco stores in the US and Puerto Rico.
- USAA Cashback Rewards Plus American Express® Credit Card – This card earns 5% cash back on your first $3,000 in gas station purchases each year.
- Atmos™ Rewards Summit Visa Infinite® Card – As mentioned earlier, this earns 3x Atmos Rewards on all international transactions.
- Citi Strata Premier℠ Card – The Strata Premier card earns 3x ThankYou points on gas purchases worldwide.
- AT&T Points Plus Card – This card also earns 3x Citi ThankYou points for gas expenditure both domestically and internationally.
- Wyndham Rewards Earner Plus Card – Although its earning rate isn’t as high as the Wyndham Rewards Earner Business card, it does still earn a respectable 6x Wyndham Rewards points on gas.
- Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card – You’ll earn 3x points at gas stations around the world with this card.
- U.S. Bank Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® Card – This card awards 4x points (effectively 4% cashback) when filling your tank.
- U.S. Bank Business Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® Card – This card also awards 4x points (effectively 4% cashback) when filling your tank.
Best US credit cards for everyday purchases worldwide
Groceries, dining, and gas make up much of people’s common spending that occurs in spending categories that frequently get bonused. For other everyday spend, there are all kinds of cards that can be rewarding options.
- Atmos™ Rewards Summit Visa Infinite® Card – This card earns 3x Atmos Rewards on all international transactions.
- U.S. Bank Smartly™ Visa Signature® Card – You can earn up to 4% cashback with this card, but only on your first $10,000 each billing cycle and you need to have $100,000+ deposited in a qualifying account (earning a low rate of interest) to be eligible for that highest credit card earning rate.
- Bilt Palladium Card – This card awards 2x Bilt Points on all everyday spend. Spending enough on the card can enable the ability to also earn points on housing spend with the Housing-Only Rewards earning option, or you can choose to earn 4% Bilt Cash in addition to the 2x points.
- Robinhood Gold Card – This card has no annual fee, no foreign transaction fees, and awards 3% cashback on all spend. However, at the time of publishing this post it’s only available after joining their waitlist.
- Discover It Miles (first year only) – The Miles version of the Discover It card awards 1.5 “miles” (effectively 1.5% cashback) on all spend which is doubled in the first year. That means in the first year all your spend on the card earns 3% cashback. A big catch with this card is that Discover is accepted at even fewer retailers worldwide than Amex is.
- Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card – This is one of several cards that earns 2x Capital One miles on all everyday spend.
- Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card – This is another card earning 2x Capital One miles on all everyday spend.
- Capital One Venture X Business Card – The Venture X Business card earns 2x Capital One miles on everyday spend as well.
- Capital One Spark Miles for Business – This card also earns 2x Capital One miles on everyday spend.
- Citi Strata Elite℠ Card – You’ll earn 1.5x ThankYou points for everyday spend on this card.
In addition to all of those cards, the following Bank of America cards have no foreign transaction fees and earn 2.625% cashback if you have Platinum Honors in Preferred Rewards or Preferred Rewards for Business. That’s made up of a 1.5% cashback base earning rate boosted by 75% via Platinum Honors.
- Bank of America Travel Rewards
- Bank of America Premium Rewards
- Bank of America Premium Rewards Elite
- Bank of America Business Advantage Travel Rewards World Mastercard
US credit cards to be wary of/avoid for international purchases
There are quite a lot of credit cards that can be very rewarding for spend in the US, but which shouldn’t be used for purchases worldwide for one reason or another.
Foreign transaction fees
One of the main reasons to avoid certain credit cards is that they charge foreign transaction fees. The fees can vary from card to card, but you’re often looking at 3% fees which would wipe out much or all of the value from the rewards you’d earn.
Notable cards that have foreign transaction fees include:
- Chase Freedom Flex® – This card earns 3x on dining, 3x at drugstores, and 5x in rotating categories each quarter. Those Ultimate Rewards points can be transferred to travel partners with a premium Ultimate Rewards-earning credit card, but the foreign transaction fee makes this a much less worthwhile option.
- Citi Custom Cash® Card – You can earn 5x ThankYou points on up to $500 spend that occurs in your top-spending category each billing cycle on this card. Again, the foreign transaction fees make that less rewarding overall.
- The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express – This is a popular card for everyday spend in the US due to it having no annual fee and it awarding 2x Membership Rewards points on up to $50K spend per year. It does charge foreign transaction fees though.
- Citi Double Cash® Card – This is another popular card for its 2x earnings on everyday spend, but purchases outside of the US are subject to foreign transaction fees.
- Chase Freedom Unlimited® – This no annual fee card offers 3x Ultimate Rewards on dining, 3x at drugstores and 1.5x on everyday spend. That makes it a good option for people wanting to rack up Ultimate Rewards points, but only for purchases in the US.
- Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card – Similar to the Freedom Unlimited card, the Ink Business Unlimited is a no annual fee card that earns 1.5x Ultimate Rewards on everyday spend. Also similar to the Freedom Unlimited, it charges foreign transaction fees.
Category bonus quirks
Although foreign transaction fees are the primary reason not to use certain credit cards for overseas purchases, there are some other cards that aren’t good for one or more bonus categories internationally. Examples include:
- American Express® Gold Card – This card earns 4x Membership Rewards points on up to $25K of supermarket purchases each year and up to $50K of restaurant spending. The thing is, 4x at supermarkets is only valid at U.S. supermarkets, so using this card for overseas groceries will only earn you 1 point per dollar. As mentioned earlier in this post though, it is a good card for dining expenditure as 4x is earned at restaurants worldwide.
- Discover it® – The Discover It card has rotating 5% spending categories every quarter and it doesn’t charge foreign transaction fees. However, the 5% spending categories are only valid for purchases in the US, so all spend overseas will only ever earn 1% cashback (which is doubled in your first year of card membership).
- American Express® Business Gold Card – This card offers 4x Membership Rewards points on your top two spending categories every billing cycle from a selection of different categories. That includes restaurants, gas, electronics stores, and more. The problem is that only the “Transit purchases including trains, taxicabs, rideshare services, ferries, tolls, parking, buses, and subways” category is valid for purchases worldwide; the other categories are only valid for purchases in the US.
Why travel bonus categories aren’t listed
US expats and those who travel a lot internationally often spend a lot on flights and/or hotels. I was considering adding sections to highlight the best cards in those categories, but the best card can vary a lot, even for just one specific flight.
For example, let’s say you want to book a flight with United. Some might want to book directly and pay with an American Express Platinum Card® to earn 5x Membership Rewards. Others might prefer the earnings from and better travel protections offered by booking directly with a Chase Sapphire Reserve® Card. Others might prefer to book through a bank’s travel portal for 8x, 10x, or 12x earnings despite that potentially causing headaches in the event of irregular operations. Others might want to pay with a premium United credit card in order to get a free checked bag – a card benefit that’s not received if you don’t pay for your flight with your United card. Amex Business Platinum cardholders who have United selected for their airline fee credits can get a 35% rebate by paying for their flight with Membership Rewards points. There are at least a dozen different cards that could arguably be the best option for United flights, not to mention other options for Delta, American Airlines, Alaska Airlines, etc.
Similarly for hotel stays, the best card could be one that offers high bonus points for direct hotel bookings. A hotel’s credit card will be a preferable option for some, while some might prefer to book through a transferable points currency’s travel portal for high earnings. Others might forgo bonused spend opportunities in favor of card-linked offers like Amex Offers, Chase Offers, etc.
There are therefore so many permutations for flights and hotels that it would be too lengthy to get into here.
Your suggestions
Are there any other cards that I’ve missed here that you think should be added to one or more of the lists above? Are you an expat or frequent overseas traveler who has a different kind of card setup? Let us know in the comments below.
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Penfed Pathfinder visa gives 4x (3.4%) on Travel, 3x (2.55%) on Dining, 1.5x (1.28%) everywhere else – points are worth around 0.85cpp when redeeming for Visa GC etc. It’s a good “backup” to have, with waived $95 annual fee and $100 airline reimbursement annually when you also have a checking account.
***4x on travel when you are a Penfed Honors Advantage member, which I get by having a checking account with $500 parked to waive the $95 AF
Thank you so much for this article, Stephen. My points loving colleagues and I living in Poland feel seen.
I use my C1 Savor at supermarkets overseas for 3x. I then transfer the points to the VX to use for travel.
Amex cards deserves a note about acceptance issues. I’m sure it varies by country, but in general in Europe, I found Amex acceptance in small restaurants to be so awful I stopped bothering to ask. On top of that, with the Gold, you can’t use the monthly credits outside the US.
Plus, being an expat is irrelevant in choosing the best travel card, it’s the same either way, so a travel section makes little sense.
Of course it’s still best to be working towards a SUB. It can be challenging as an expat, but assuming you still have a US address and someone can still access your mail, you can still get good use of the card without having the physical card. Just add the card to GPay or Apple pay for in person use, and use online or in apps like rideshare and food delivery. Tap to pay is ubiquitous almost everywhere I travel to.
Also, the 6 month MSR period for most Amex cards available now helps to smooth out a lot of the spend uncertainty when abroad, especially where Amex acceptance is limited, so might be especially beneficial to expats.
I have yet to pull the trigger on the Alaska Summit, as an extra 1x over VX isn’t that appealing compared with just hitting a new SUB.
Being an expat is irrelevant to the discussion? You realize that expats would have a lot of expenses out of the traditional travel categories?
You realize the category spend discussion was about travel expenses specifically? There are very few, if any, cases of a hotel, airline or general travel card not crediting outside the US. So yes, irrelevant.
How much were you paid for this puffery? AMEX will never be in any list of international card use because nobody accepts it! This is Pepper spray!
Here is the article you meant to write: What forms of crypto have the most international liquidity.
At least in Aug. 2024, my Citi Strata Premier was not getting 3x on small grocery stores (Lawsons, 7-Eleven, etc.) anywhere in Japan, which is typically where you’re going to buy groceries there. I’d bet that small grocery stores in many/most countries don’t give 3x on the Citi Strata Premier.
However, in Aug. 2025 my Aeroplan card consistently got 3x on small grocery shops in Istanbul, Tanzania, Abu Dhabi, and Dublin. I’d bet that holds true in many other countries. As an added bonus, it also gets 3x at Target.
The Citi Strata Premier explicitly states “Supermarkets”. It’s only thanks to every points and miles blogger and Redditor under the sun skipping over the distinction between “Supermarkets” and “Groceries” that this confusion has arisen.
> Supermarkets: Excludes purchases made at general merchandise/discount superstores; freezer/meat locker provisioners; dairy product stores; miscellaneous food/convenience stores; drugstores; warehouse/wholesale clubs; specialty food markets; bakeries; candy, nut, and confectionery stores; and meal kit delivery services.
Correct. And in many countries, “supermarkets” are few and far between, which is why I’d use the Aeroplan card or the Atmos Summit for groceries (which are typically hole in the wall places).
Anyway, I’m in Argentina right now, so I’ll test my Citi Premier at the Carrefour down the street tomorrow.
I live in Japan (30+ years). No resident is going shopping at convenience stores instead of supermarkets for their daily groceries.
It’s like US residents shopping at 7-11 instead of Safeway
Love this post, thx Stephen!
Two things to point out:
1) The Atoms Summit card also has the 10% bonus for an eligible Bank of America or Merril account. Effectively making it a 3.3x card.
2) you listed the USBank Smartly as a card for general overseas spend, but the card does impose foreign transaction fees. Basically making it a 2% card
Also would be useful to list banks that would ship the card abroad.
Great point about the nuances of travel spend.
I’d include the AmEx Green in the conversation for that category, but in the context of transit–buses, trains, ferries, rideshare apps, etc.–given that the card’s 3x MR earnings are a welcome benefit in the wake of Sapphire Reserve’s recent narrowing of what types of travel earn more than 1x.
Of course, there are alternative cards that can fill that gap. But if one is in the first year of climbing the AmEx signup bonus ladder and thus has the card open to avoid a claw back, it’s a respectable option.
Smartly has FTF.
I feel like Fidelity Rewards and Savor ought to make the list as simple options.
USBAR