0% purchasesUp to 15 months interest free
Compare travel credit cards for 2024
The right travel credit card can give your trip an extra lift. Choose from cards with no foreign transaction fees, or perks like lounge access.
What makes a credit card a good travel companion? There are many ways credit cards can improve your trip abroad, from saving a few pounds on fees to making you feel like a VIP with airport lounge access.
The best travel credit card option for you is going to depend on what you need the card to do. Let’s break it down.
Compare travel credit cards
Table: sorted by representative APR, promoted deals first
1 - 5 of 23
Approval for any credit card depends on your status. The representative APRs shown represent the interest rate offered to most successful applicants. Depending on your personal circumstances, the APR you're offered may be higher, or you may not be offered credit at all. Fees and rates are subject to change without notice. It's always wise to check the terms of any deal before you borrow. Most of the data in Finder's comparison tables is provided by Moneyfacts.
Priority Pass discounts
Deal
Lounge access with Priority Pass
Access 1,500+ airport lounges and premium travel experiences globally, in 600 cities across 148 countries
How to choose your travel credit card
Even if you go on holiday only once a year, it’s a good idea to have a separate credit card for when you travel. That’s because your needs will be different when you’re on the road or enjoying the sun on a tropical beach from when the longest distance you travel is that between your house and the office. But how do you go about picking a good travel credit card?
The main decision you have to make is which features you want to prioritise. Here’s a basic list of things you may want to consider when comparing travel credit cards:
Approval for any credit card depends on your status. The representative APRs shown represent the interest rate offered to most successful applicants. Depending on your personal circumstances, the APR you're offered may be higher, or you may not be offered credit at all. Fees and rates are subject to change without notice. It's always wise to check the terms of any deal before you borrow. Most of the data in Finder's comparison tables is provided by Moneyfacts.
Avoid non-sterling transaction conversion fees
When travelling abroad, avoiding foreign exchange fees can be a tough task, but it’s not impossible. When using your credit card overseas, there are three main kinds of fees you should expect and learn how to dodge:
- Foreign transaction fees charged by your credit card provider. They’re charged every time you pay in a foreign currency and can amount up to 3% of the transaction. The only way of avoiding them when paying on plastic is getting a credit card that allows fee-free spending abroad.
- Fees charged by local merchants. When paying with your card, you may be offered the option of paying in pounds instead of the local currency. If you’ve taken out a credit card designed for use abroad (one that offers fee-free non-sterling transactions) you should opt to pay in the local currency, since you know that your own bank is giving you a favourable currency conversion deal. Outside the EU merchants sometimes also apply a surcharge if you want to pay by card and not in cash. If you’re concerned that this may be the case, it’s worth asking about it before picking a payment method.
- Cash advance fees. Almost all credit cards charge you extra for withdrawing cash, both in the UK and abroad. Out of the country, it’s even more expensive because the cash advance fee will add up to the foreign currency transaction fee, so you should only get cash with your credit card in case of emergency.
Compare 0% foreign fees credit cards
Spread the cost of your getaway
Planning a great holiday but not sure you can afford to pay for it in one go? With a 0% purchase credit card, you’ll be able to spread the cost over a few months without having to pay any interest on it.
0% purchase credit cards can be great for breaking down the cost of a trip into more affordable instalments, but you really need to have paid the sum back by the time the introductory deal expires. Otherwise, your balance will start accruing interest at the card’s standard rate (which is usually not very competitive). It’s essential to work out a repayment plan (divide your expenditure by the number of months in the 0% deal to work out what you should repay each month) and stick to it to make sure you pay the whole sum back on time.
Compare 0% purchase credit cards
The Santander All in One is our pick for 0% purchases travel card. True to its name, the Santander All in One Credit Card has almost everything you need in an everyday credit card. From its extended 0% interest periods on purchases and balance transfers to its lack of foreign usage fees, this card will help you fill multiple needs both at home and on holiday. With all these perks there has to be a catch, right? This card does come with a monthly fee of £3 per month, which can be seen as a small price for all these benefits. However, if you don't think you're going to benefit from all these features, there are cards that offer similar benefits for less.
Representative example: When you spend £1,200 at a purchase rate of 23.9% (variable) p.a. with a fee of £3 per month, your representative rate is 29.8% APR (variable).
| Annual/monthly fees | £3 per month |
|---|---|
| Purchases | 0% for 15 months reverting to 23.9% |
| Rewards earn rate | 0.5% cashback |
Get yourself some hotel perks
A small number of credit cards offer special hotel benefits like room upgrades, priority check-in, later check-out times or the opportunity to earn points that can be redeemed for free stays.
These cards are often offered by the hotel companies themselves and are more suitable to people that travel quite often and stay at the same kind of hotel. If that sounds like you, you’ll be able to make the most of the perks while also earning points quite quickly.
The Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card is our pick for hotel perks. Marriott Bonvoy is the loyalty programme for Marriott International's extensive portfolio of over 30 hotel brands, including Marriott, Sheraton, Westin, Delta, and W hotels. You earn points for each stay, which can be redeemed for a wide range of benefits. Frequent users can achieve silver and gold tiers, just like in air miles programmes. However, with a £95 annual fee, it's best to try and work out whether the annual fee would be worth shouldering by looking at how much you'd realistically spend on the card and what that would translate to in rewards.
Representative example: When you spend £1,200 at a purchase rate of 30.7% (variable) p.a. with a fee of £95 per annum, your representative rate is 54.5% APR (variable).
| Annual/monthly fees | £95 per annum |
|---|---|
| Purchases | 30.7% |
| Rewards earn rate | 2 points per £1 spent elsewhere |
Travel in comfort with airport lounge access
Airports – not much fun are they? But if you can relax in an airport lounge, you’ll cut out much of the stress and feel pretty smug at the same time. You’ll need to be comfortable with the idea of paying an annual or monthly account fee in return for complimentary lounge access (if that’s a deal-breaker, consider a one-off membership to a scheme like Priority Pass). But on the plus side, lounge access won’t be the only benefit these cards offer.
Compare cards with airport lounge access
The Santander World Elite Mastercard is our pick for airport lounge access. Cardholders can travel in style with free LoungeKey membership, granting unlimited access to airport lounges in over 120 countries. Plus, there are no non-sterling transaction fees when using the card overseas. Other perks include ongoing cashback, 24/7 Mastercard Concierge, and World Elite Privileges discounts and offers. While there is a hefty monthly account fee, taking advantage of the three additional cards available can help maximise rewards and benefits, potentially making the fee worthwhile.
Representative example: When you spend £1,200 at a purchase rate of 18.9% (variable) p.a. with a fee of £15 per month, your representative rate is 49.8% APR (variable).
| Annual/monthly fees | £15 per month |
|---|---|
| Purchases | 0% for 18 months reverting to 18.9% |
| Rewards earn rate | 0.5% cashback |
Collect air miles with a frequent flyer card
Just like credit cards that offer hotel perks, frequent flyer credit cards are meant for people who fly, well, frequently. If you get on a plane once a year, you won’t be able to make the most of them; if it’s more like once a month, they can really be worth it.
They work just like rewards credit cards, but let you earn air miles on all your spending instead of points or cashback. Usually, you’ll earn even more miles when you use the card to purchase tickets with the card’s partner airlines. You can get both basic options without annual fees and premium options that do charge an annual fee in return for a higher earn rate.
Compare frequent flyer credit cards
The British Airways American Express credit card is our pick for airport lounge access. If you’re a frequent flyer, air miles programmes like Avios are a great way to make day-to-day spending go a little further (literally). This card is a good everyday option for those who like to travel, with no annual fees and the chance to earn 1 Avios for virtually every £1 spent, this could be the card for you.
Representative example: When you spend £1,200 at a purchase rate of 30.7% (variable) p.a., your representative rate is 30.7% APR (variable).
| Annual/monthly fees | £0 |
|---|---|
| Purchases | 30.7% |
| Rewards earn rate | 1 point per £1 spent |
Enjoy peace of mind with complimentary travel insurance
There are a few premium cards out there that come with travel insurance included and save you the hassle of having to purchase it separately. Expect fairly pricey annual fees in return for a whole lot of benefits, such as airport lounge access.
It’s not easy to calculate when it’s better to get a card that offers it and when it’s more convenient to purchase it separately, but as we said, the travel insurance will usually be combined with other perks, so it’s a good idea to check whether those are appealing to you or not.
The Yonder credit card is our pick for travel insurance. Yonder offers an rewards benefit of worldwide travel insurance, which is valued at £175. The insurance covers, you, your partner and chidren under the age of 25. Depending on the terms and conditions, you could also be insured for lost or delayed luggage, flight Delay or cancellation, personal liability and medical expenses. As a Mastercard credit card, it also provides access to the exclusive Mastercard World Elite benefits. Additionally, you can earn valuable rewards with each use. However, this card comes with a high monthly fee of £15, which may be worthwhile for those who take full advantage of its extensive benefits and rewards.
Representative example: When you spend £1,200 at a purchase rate of 29.94% (variable) p.a. with a fee of £15 per month, your representative rate is 66.7% APR (variable).
| Annual/monthly fees | 1 month for £0, £15 per month thereafter |
|---|---|
| Purchases | 29.94% |
| Rewards earn rate | 5 points per £1 spent elsewhere |
Earn rewards and no FX fees
There are a few cards out there that offer both no FX and rewards, saving you the hassle of dealing with extra charges while earning points on your purchases. Expect fairly pricey annual fees in return for a whole lot of benefits, such as cashback, travel rewards and exclusive discounts.
The Yonder credit card is our pick for travel rewards. The Yonder credit card stands out with its lack of foreign transaction fees, making it an ideal choice for frequent travelers. It offers a robust rewards system on purchases, allowing cardholders to earn points that can be redeemed on any flight, providing great flexibility. However, this card comes with a monthly fee of £15, which may be justified by the valuable benefits and rewards it offers.
Representative example: When you spend £1,200 at a purchase rate of 29.94% (variable) p.a. with a fee of £15 per month, your representative rate is 66.7% APR (variable).
| Annual/monthly fees | 1 month for £0, £15 per month thereafter |
|---|---|
| Purchases | 29.94% |
| Rewards earn rate | 5 points per £1 spent elsewhere |
How to use a credit card in…
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We show offers we can track - that's not every product on the market...yet. Unless we've said otherwise, products are in no particular order. The terms "best", "top", "cheap" (and variations of these) aren't ratings, though we always explain what's great about a product when we highlight it. This is subject to our terms of use. When you make major financial decisions, consider getting independent financial advice. Always consider your own circumstances when you compare products so you get what's right for you. Most of the data in Finder's comparison tables has the source: Moneyfacts Group PLC. In other cases, Finder has sourced data directly from providers.
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