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Do i need to notify a credit card company when traveling.

If you have planned travel coming up, alerting your credit card issuers about your vacation plans can help to ensure that your charges aren't declined when you arrive. Here's how you can prepare yourself and your credit card for your next trip.

What is a credit card travel notice?

A travel notice is an alert to your credit card issuer that you'll be going on a trip to a different location. By giving this notice in advance, you're letting your credit card company know that you may be making charges from a different state or country.

Why should you notify your credit card company of travel?

Credit card companies check cardholders' accounts for any unusual or suspicious activity when a transaction occurs. If your company sees a charge from a location away from home, your issuer may think this is suspicious activity and decline the charge. If you're visiting a country or location where fraudulent charges occur more often, the chances of your credit card getting declined are higher when you don't alert your credit card issuer about your travel.

Do you need to notify your credit card company?

You're not required to notify your credit card company when you're going away on vacation, but it is highly recommended. By letting your credit card company know where you're going and for how long, your company will know that any card transactions from that location were likely authorized by you. Check with your credit card issuer to see if they have travel notification capabilities.

Traveling outside your city

If you're traveling to an area not far from home, it's unlikely that any credit card charges will be declined, so setting a travel notification may not be a necessity.

Traveling outside your state

As you travel further from home, the chance of charges being declined is higher. If you're visiting another state, you can notify your credit card company that you're going away to avoid any hassles as you travel.

Traveling outside your country

You should definitely consider filing a travel notice for every trip outside your country. If you don't file a travel alert with your card issuer, your credit card may get declined and you might need to contact your credit card company to approve your transactions. If you're in a different country you may have trouble with making an international call, an inconvenience that can prevent you from authorizing your charge and enjoying your trip.

Which credit cards require a travel notice?

Not all credit card companies recommend that you set a travel notice before you go away, including those with EMV chips that may provide added security when you travel. If your credit card doesn't have an EMV chip, you should contact your bank before you leave to make sure your trip goes smoothly.

Multiple credit cards

If you own multiple credit cards, you should set travel notifications for each of the cards you plan to use on vacation. Even if you plan to use one of the cards only in case of emergency, set a travel alert for it just in case.

Risks of not filing a credit card travel notice

If you don't give your credit card issuer a travel notice, the company won't know that you'll be making purchases in a new location. If the company starts to see charges on your credit card from a different state or country, it may flag these transactions as fraud. The credit card issuer may then put your account on hold and prevent you from making any purchases until you can authorize the charges.

Once a credit card is declined, the cardholder has to call the issuer or provide an app verification in order to prove that the purchase made was authorized. You may have difficulties contacting your bank for various reasons, such as if your vacation spot has bad cell service or if you didn't set up international calling for your phone plan. Notifying your credit card company before you leave on vacation will help you avoid this hassle.

How to notify your credit card company of travel

You can notify your credit card issuer about your vacation over the phone, online, through a mobile app or in person. You can also contact your credit card issuer to get a better understanding of how to set a travel notice.

Setting your travel notice online or through a mobile app

Setting your travel notification online or through an app can be easier than speaking with customer service, depending on your preferences. Log into your account on your credit card company's website or app and search for “travel notice" options. If you're unable to find where to set your travel notice, get in contact with your credit card issuer.

Setting your travel notice over the phone or in-person

To set a travel alert for your credit card over the phone, call the number on the back of your card to get in touch with your bank. The customer service line will either let you speak to a representative on the phone or work with an automated system. If you have any questions or concerns about your travel notice, calling your credit card company is a good method to set the notification.

If you want to set your travel notice in person, go to your nearest branch to meet with a representative. Meeting face-to-face gives you the chance to ask any questions you might have.

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Should you send a credit card travel notice?

April 25, 2024 | 3 min read

There was a time when credit card issuers and banks requested travel notices so they’d know when you’d be using your card while you were away from home. But that’s generally a thing of the past.

However, it’s still helpful to double-check that your contact information is up to date in case you need to be reached while traveling.

Key takeaways

A travel notice can help your credit card issuer or bank know when any transactions are made while traveling.
You may not need to notify your bank or credit card issuer of your travel plans, thanks to improvements in fraud detection technology and security.
You don’t need to alert Capital One of your travel plans, and your credit card is covered for unauthorized purchases if your card is lost or stolen. 1
It’s a good idea to make sure your contact information is up to date in case your bank or credit card issuer needs to reach you during your trip. You might want to also have your credit card’s contact information saved so you can easily refer to it if you need it.

Earn 75,000 bonus miles

Redeem your miles for flights, vacation rentals and more. Terms apply.

What is a credit card travel notice?

A credit card travel notice is a way for you to alert your credit card company about your upcoming travel plans. An advance notice tells your credit card company to expect charges from another city, state or country . But it’s not as common as it used to be to set a travel alert before you use your credit card abroad or somewhere different.

Do credit card companies require a travel notice?

Many credit card companies, including Capital One, no longer request travel notices. They’re generally not necessary these days due to improvements in fraud detection technology and the added security of EMV chips and contactless cards . But if you need to contact your credit card issuer, you might want to make sure you have the contact information saved somewhere so you can easily refer to it.

How to notify a bank or issuer about your travel plans

If your bank or card issuer requires you to set a travel notice, you might do it online, over the phone or through an app. Check with your bank or card issuer to learn how it handles travel notices.

Capital One travel notices

There’s no need to tell Capital One about your travel plans—even if you’re traveling abroad. Just make sure the contact information associated with your account is up to date. That way, Capital One can contact you if there are any issues with your card.

Traveling with a Capital One credit card

If you’re a Capital One cardholder and your card is lost or stolen, you can instantly lock your credit card to prevent it from being used for purchases. 2 And if you find it, you can unlock it just as easily to use your card again. The card lock feature is simple to use and takes just a few taps on the Capital One Mobile app . 3

You’re also covered by Capital One’s $0 liability for unauthorized charges policy. If your card is lost or stolen, you won’t be responsible for charges you did not authorize. 1

Want even more peace of mind? Add your mobile phone number to your account to automatically get alerts if Capital One notices potential suspicious activity. Capital One will message you from the same number every time so you can be confident it’s Capital One texting you. 4

These are just some of Capital One’s credit card security features .

Credit card travel notices in a nutshell

Your credit card company or bank may not need to be notified before you take a trip. That’s because of improvements in fraud detection technology and security. If you choose to set a travel alert, you can usually do it over the phone, online or in your bank’s or credit card issuer’s mobile app. But it’s a good idea to check with your bank or card issuer to see if it’s necessary to set a travel notice.

Are you looking for a card with travel benefits, security features and no travel notices required? A Capital One travel credit card could be right for you. Compare Capital One’s travel rewards cards today.

What’s credit card fraud detection and why is it important?

article | June 15, 2023 | 5 min read

Capital One credit card security features

video | January 20, 2022 | 1 min video

Credit Card Travel Alerts: How to Set Them (and Why You Might Not Need To)

When you’re planning for a trip, especially an international one, you already have a huge to-do list.

You need to confirm your hotel plans, pack, check-in for your flight, and plan your activities for once you land.

The last thing that you want to happen when you arrive is to have your credit card declined.

Card issuers are constantly watching for fraud and taking steps to block scammers from using your card without your permission.

One common tactic is watching for unexpected changes in the location where you use your card. If you travel somewhere and use your credit card, your card issuer could decline it because they think s fraudster stole your card info.

Is there anything that you should do or a way to tell your card issuer when you’re traveling to make sure they don’t block your credit card?

What Are Credit Card Travel Notifications?

You can give your card issuer a credit card travel notification to help avoid having your card declined.

You’re telling your card issuer that you have travel plans, so it knows not to decline your card during your trip.

For example, if you live in Colorado and plan to fly to England, you’ll contact your card issuer and tell them when you plan to leave and when you plan to return. If the card issuer sees charges from stores in England during your travel dates, it will know they’re legitimate.

Some card issuers let you provide travel notifications through your account portal on the issuer’s website.

Usually, you’ll find the option somewhere in your account settings or personal information page.

However, things have changed:

Many card issuers don’t request, require, or even accept travel notifications anymore.

They rely on other methods to anticipate upcoming travel plans.

Why You Might Not Need to Set Them Anymore

Card issuers use multiple strategies to figure out when your traveling, even without providing a notification.

You booked travel on the card

One way that card issuers can tell if you’re planning to travel is based on your shopping habits.

If you book tickets for a flight using your credit card, your card issuer already knows that you have travel plans.

This is also true if you use your credit card rewards points to book your trip.

Since your card issuer can tell that you have travel plans based on your purchases, you don’t need to tell them about your trip.

The location of your card activity

A more subtle way for the card issuers to figure out your travel plans is based on other purchases you make.

You buy something at the airport just before you leave, your card issuer can probably guess that you’re about to get on a flight.

If your shopping habits change to include shopping at stores that people frequently use to prep for a trip that can also tip off your card issuer.

You're a frequent traveler

Card issuers also use your long-term purchase and travel history.

As a frequent flier, your card issuers probably expect you to travel on a regular basis and won’t worry about charges popping up from around the globe.

Travel Alerts for Top U.S. Card Issuers

Here are how some of the top card issuers in the US let you set travel notifications.

American Express

American Express doesn’t require travel notifications.

You don’t have to contact the company before you travel, but if you want to, you can do so by calling the number on the back of your credit card.

Bank of America

Bank of American doesn’t require travel notifications.

The bank does offer a set of advice for people travelling internationally on its website.

If you want to notify Bank of America of your travel anyway, you can do so by calling the number on the back of your card.

Capital One

Capital One says that you do not need to inform the company of travel plans because it now issues chip-based credit cards.

If you still want to let the company know, you can call the number on the back of your card.

Chase accepts travel notifications from its cardholders through its website .

You can set the notification up to a year in advance, making it easy to set the notification when you book your flights.

To set your travel notification:

Sign in to your account and open the menu on the left side of the screen.
Open your profile and settings
Select more settings, then travel
Click update
Provide information about your destination, departure date, and return date

You can also call the company to set up your travel alert.

Citi lets you set up travel notifications through your online portal .

To set the alert:

Visit the travel alert page
Click Set Up/Manage and sign in to your account
Select your card and click “add a travel notification”
Tell Citi who will be using the card, where they’re going, and the dates of travel

You can also reach out to Citi by calling the number on the back of your card.

Discover does not require travel alerts from its customers, but you can always call the number on your card to let them know anyway.

Make Sure Your Contact Info is Up to Date

While it’s always important to make sure that your card issuer has your contact information, keeping your contact info up to date is doubly important when you’re traveling.

Your credit card issuer might not contact you frequently, but one of the times that they’ll want to reach out is when they’re trying to verify whether a purchase is legitimate or not.

If you’re traveling and your card is declined, you may receive a call from your card issuer asking you whether you tried to make the purchase.

If you say yes, they can unblock your card instantly -- letting you complete the transaction.

This can save a lot of time compared to you having to call the card issuer, navigate a phone tree, wait on hold, and explain that you were the one trying to make the purchase rather than a fraudster.

Taking a few minutes to update your contact info with all your card issuers before you travel can save you some headaches down the road.

It’s also a good way to make sure that your contact info is current so your card issuers can reach you, even when you aren’t traveling.

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How to Set Up Credit Card Travel Notifications

Putting a travel notification on your credit card may prevent a major travel headache.

Set Up Credit Card Travel Notifications

Woman with credit card using contactless payment, paying attendant on passenger train

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Travel notifications prevent a credit card issuer from flagging a purchase you make out of the country as fraudulent.

You might be ready for an upcoming trip, but is your credit card? Depending on your card issuer, you might need to set up a travel notification for your account.

Adding a card travel notification is easy. For most credit cards, you'll follow these steps:

Call your credit card company, log in to its website or access its app.
Share your travel dates and locations, if applicable.
Submit and verify your travel notification.

This will help you avoid potential hassles and embarrassing situations when you're away.

What Are Travel Notifications?

A travel notification is essentially a setting you activate on your credit card account. "Basically, you're just telling the credit card issuer you're going to be using the card outside of the normal places you (use it). That way, they don't think someone stole your credit card," says Simon Zhen, research analyst at personal finance website MyBankTracker.com.

If you're on a road trip, you could make a card purchase in one town and then try to shop in another distant location but have your card rejected. Dan Hanks, senior vice president of credit card loyalty and servicing at PNC Bank, says if a transaction appears to be fraudulent, it may be declined, even if it is a legitimate purchase. Purchase location is just one factor credit card companies consider when flagging fraudulent transactions .

"If a customer suddenly starts using a card in a place they've never been, especially in another country, it doesn't mean we'll decline them, but it increases the chance we might stop the transaction if we think it's fraud," Hanks says.

Transactions may be marked as fraudulent and your card deactivated as a precaution, particularly if your issuer can't reach you to confirm them. If you only bring one credit card on your trip, you may have a major problem on your hands. Luckily, setting up a travel notification before you leave is an easy solution.

How to Set Up Travel Notifications

A travel notification usually requires you to provide your planned destinations and trip dates to your credit card issuer. With that information, the issuer has more knowledge to weed out fraudulent transactions from legitimate ones.

You usually have a few options to set up a travel notification. First, you can call the card issuer. "Look on the back of the card, and you can find the phone number to call. You just tell the customer service rep that you'll be traveling," Zhen says. If you prefer digital communication, you can typically set up a travel notification through the credit card company's website or app.

Each credit card company has its own travel notification policies. While many companies allow you to set up travel notifications, others may not need you to tell them about your travel plans. Below are the policies of major credit card issuers:

American Express does not request travel notifications, citing industry-leading fraud detection capabilities.

Bank of America allows you to create a travel notice up to 60 days before your trip, and it can last up to 90 days from the first day of your excursion. With one travel notice, you can set up multiple itineraries for various cards. You must provide Bank of America a contact number for when you're away from home. You can also supply details about where you'll be staying, any planned layovers and other information that may help the company monitor your account for fraud while you're traveling.

According to Barclays , a travel notification is not mandatory, but it could be wise to avoid declined purchases simply because you are traveling abroad or to a different part of the U.S. Contact the bank by phone, or access your account online or with the Barclays app to set up a notification. If you will be traveling for more than 365 days, connect with the bank by phone to set up a notification.

Capital One doesn't need notification of travel plans because of the added security of the bank's chip cards.

Chase lets you set up a travel notification up to a year before your trip. The notification can last up to 90 days. You can apply the notification to multiple cards simultaneously and list multiple destinations.

Citi permits you to add a travel notification up to 180 days before your journey and up to 89 days after your trip begins. You can set the notification for more than one card and report several destinations with one travel notification.

Discover advises setting up a notification before you embark on a trip abroad. Your travel start date can be up to 24 months in the future, and travel notifications can last up to 24 months.

PNC Bank suggests notifying it of the locations and dates of your planned travel to help eliminate phone calls to confirm your account activities. You can create travel notifications up to two years before you depart, and notifications can last up to 30 days. If your travel plans exceed 30 days, you can set up more than one travel alert.

USAA recommends a travel notification to reduce the chance of your card being blocked or flagged for unusual activity. You can set up a notification up to one year before your trip, and the notification will last up to one year from your departure. USAA does not request travel destinations.

U.S. Bank allows you to establish a travel notification for any trip within the next 90 days. Notifications can last up to 90 days. If your travel plans exceed 90 days, you can set up an additional notification at a later date.

Wells Fargo favors notification of when and where you plan to travel. Wells Fargo's travel notifications do not have any time-based restrictions, so you can set up your travel alert for as long as you'll be away and not have to set up subsequent ones.

Overall, setting up a travel notification doesn't have a downside for the customer, Hanks says. Making travel notifications easy to activate is in a credit card company's best interest. And notifications reduce the chance that a real transaction may be classified as fraudulent, which makes everyone happier.

Don't Forget About Debit Cards

"Some people set up a travel notification on a credit card but forget to set one up on their debit card," Zhen says.

While credit cards offer many protections that can be useful when traveling, especially abroad, some people may still plan to use their debit cards. If you do, make sure you set up a travel notification on your debit cards, too, so your purchases on those cards don't get flagged as fraudulent transactions when you're on your next trip.

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Do you need to set up travel alerts on your credit cards?

Whether you have two or 22 travel rewards credit cards in your wallet, chances are you enjoy hitting the road. Unfortunately, it can be extremely frustrating when your card gets flagged while traveling, and you're suddenly unable to use it. While it's great when an issuer correctly flags unauthorized account activity as fraudulent, the opposite is true when the issuer inadvertently prevents you from swiping a card.

Thankfully, most major issuers no longer require users to set travel alerts ahead of time.

In this guide, we'll walk through the details for different cards so you know what to expect before your trip.

What is a travel alert?

Before diving into issuer-specific guidelines, let's start with a quick overview of what a travel alert is and why this is important.

Most of today's credit cards have mechanisms to prevent fraud and abuse. When an issuer notices unusual account activity, it may flag it as potentially fraudulent. This happened to me when an unauthorized individual called Chase and inputted the full 16-digit account number of my Chase Freedom Unlimited. I immediately requested a new card, preventing the thief from actually using the compromised card number — a minor inconvenience but not a significant hassle.

However, this protection can also kick in if you try to use a card abroad or in an area of the U.S. that's far from your primary residence. Suppose you've spent months (or even years) swiping a card solely within a specific area and then you suddenly try to use it in another state or country. In that case, this activity might get flagged — and it could be a substantial roadblock to continuing your trip. If you haven't set up your cellphone to work abroad — or if you're in an area with limited service — there may be no quick way to let the issuer know that the purchase is (in fact) valid and authorized.

If you notify the issuer ahead of time, a sudden charge in another part of the country or the world (one that you specifically said you'd be visiting during the given time period) won't be flagged. This allows you to continue swiping your card and — most importantly — keep enjoying your trip.

So, how exactly do you do this? As noted above, many major credit card issuers no longer require proactive travel alerts ahead of time — but let's go through some of the largest ones.

Related: Best credit cards with no foreign transaction fees

How to set American Express travel alerts

Amex doesn't require you to set up travel alerts. In fact, if you log in to your account at AmericanExpress.com, you won't even see this as an option. Here's the rationale, per the issuer's FAQ page on the topic:

We use industry-leading fraud detection capabilities that help us recognize when our card members are traveling, so you don't need to notify us before you travel.

It does suggest that you keep updated contact information on your account and download the Amex app before your trip. However, you shouldn't have any trouble using your cards when traveling.

Applicable cards include: American Express® Gold Card , The Platinum Card® from American Express , Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card , The Business Platinum® Card from American Express .

How to set Bank of America travel alerts

Like Amex, Bank of America no longer requires travel alerts ahead of time. If you search in the Help & Support center, you'll see the following message:

You no longer need to let us know when you travel. We monitor your accounts and will send automatic alerts if we detect suspicious activity. Should you need us while traveling, call the number on the back of your card anytime.

TIP: It's important that your email address and mobile phone number are up to date on your account profile, so we can notify you quickly about unusual activity.

Note that this applies to both credit and debit cards associated with your Bank of America login, which can be nice if you're planning to withdraw money from an ATM using your debit card.

Applicable cards include : Alaska Airlines Visa Signature® credit card , Bank of America® Premium Rewards® credit card .

How to set Capital One travel alerts

Capital One uses the same approach as American Express — you don't need to set these up in advance. When you log in to your Capital One account and click on the "I Want To…" button, you'll see what appears to be an option to set a travel notification. However, when you click on it, you'll receive the following message:

With the added security of your Capital One chip card, travel notifications are no longer needed on your credit card. That's right! You don't have to tell us when and where you're traveling, inside or outside the United States. Your credit card is 100% covered for fraud while you're traveling and we will alert you if we see anything suspicious.

You're covered by $0 Fraud Liability on unauthorized charges. Remember that none of Capital One's credit cards impose foreign transaction fees for purchases made abroad.

Applicable cards: Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card (see rates and fees ), Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card (see rates and fees ), Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card (see rates and fees ), Capital One Spark Miles for Business (see rates and fees ).

For Capital One products listed on this page, some of the above benefits are provided by Visa® or Mastercard® and may vary by product. See the respective Guide to Benefits for details, as terms and exclusions apply.

How to set Chase travel alerts

Chase offers a wide variety of valuable credit cards, including many that you may want to use when traveling. Like previous issuers on the list, you no longer need to proactively set up travel notifications ahead of your trip. When you log in to your Chase account, you'll still see the "Travel notification" option under account services, but here's the message you'll find there:

We've got you covered! With our enhanced security measures:

You don't need to set up travel notifications anymore.
We'll send you fraud alerts if we see any possible identity theft.
We'll alert you if we notice any suspicious behavior on your account.

Applicable cards include: Chase Sapphire Reserve® , Chase Sapphire Preferred Card® , World of Hyatt Credit Card , United℠ Explorer Card , Aeroplan Credit Card® , Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card .

How to set Citi travel alerts

Unlike previous issuers, Citi still allows you to set up travel notifications on your credit cards. Here's how to do so:

Log in to your account at citi.com
Hover over "Services" at the top, then click on "Travel Services"
Click on "Add a Travel Notice"
Select the applicable cardholders, enter your dates, then click "Next"
Review the details, then click "Confirm"

Note that you don't even need to select the individual destination (or destinations) you're visiting. The only required pieces of information are the cardholders who'll be on the trip (including authorized users ) and the dates of the trip.

Applicable cards include: Citi Premier® Card (see rates and fees ), Citi Rewards+® Card (see rates and fees ), Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® (see rates and fees ).

What if a travel alert doesn't work?

Unfortunately, even the advanced technology credit card issuers use nowadays isn't guaranteed. There may be certain instances where a legitimate transaction is flagged as potentially fraudulent, especially when traveling. Alternatively, an issuer may require an extra verification step before approving a purchase instead of being declined immediately. This especially applies to many online transactions thanks to 3D card security measures .

This is one reason why it's critical to have updated contact information on file with your card issuers and a working mobile phone when you're outside the country. This ensures that you can complete any verification requests in a timely fashion.

It's also critical to always have at least one backup credit card in your wallet when traveling (or load alternate options into your mobile wallet ). Ideally, this card would be from a different card issuer and work with a different payment network, which minimizes the chance that neither card will work.

Related: Best travel credit cards

Bottom line

From full flights to weather delays to traffic, travel can be stressful — and that's without any financial issues. Fortunately, most major credit card issuers no longer require advance travel notices on your accounts. However, you should still carry at least one backup payment method in case your primary card is declined. It's also critical to have a working phone number to receive email or text notifications when things go wrong.

If you want to maintain your ability to swipe your favorite travel rewards credit cards on your next trip, follow these instructions before you depart.

How to Set a Travel Notice for Your Credit Cards

Susan Shain

Susan is a freelance writer who specializes in turning complex financial topics into engaging and accessible articles. She's been writing about personal finance for six years, and was previously the senior writer at The Penny Hoarder and a staff writer at Student Loan Hero. Her personal finance writing has also appeared in publications like MarketWatch and Lifehacker.

When I worked at a ski rental shop in Breckenridge, Colorado, I witnessed many international (and some out-of-state) customers’ credit cards get declined.

Not because their credit limits were too low or because they were purchasing too much — but because they failed to set up travel notifications with their card issuers.

So now, any time I travel to a foreign country, I always set up a travel notice on my credit card beforehand.

Since I travel with the Chase Sapphire Reserve® (Review), I create a Chase travel notice, but you can take this step with most major credit or debit cards. Here’s how.

What Is a Credit Card Travel Notice?

As a way to prevent fraud , your credit card issuer monitors your spending activity. If it notices a suspicious purchase — in an unusually large amount, or from a new location — it may decline the transaction. This could be more likely in countries where fraud is a bigger problem.

Which is why the answer to the question “Should I notify my credit card company when traveling?” is usually yes.

Although you can often get away with shopping in another state without triggering a red flag, international travel is another story.

By notifying your credit card of your travel plans, you’ll reduce the chances of getting your transaction declined in the checkout line — which, trust me, is never fun — and having to call your card issuer to verify your purchases. It’s still possible to have your purchases declined after setting a travel notice, but it’s much less likely.

How to Set Up Travel Notices for 8 Major Credit Card Issuers

Ready to create your first travel alert? While you could call your card issuer, it’s easier to do it online.

Here’s how to set up travel notices with eight different credit card issuers.

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Chase travel notice

Because of the company’s abundant travel perks and partnership with the Visa network — which is widely accepted worldwide — Chase cards are a favorite among globetrotters.

You can create Chase travel notifications up to a year in advance for credit cards, and up to 14 days for debit cards. Your travel dates can span an entire year — if you’re away for longer, you’ll simply have to adjust your dates once you’re on the road. Chase will have your request on file within 24 hours from the time you submit.

To set up Chase travel notifications, you’ll need to log in to your account and click on the credit card you plan to use. Under the “Things you can do” dropdown menu on the right, you’ll see the “Travel notification” option. That will take you to your “Profile & Settings” page, where you’ll be able to create a travel alert.

Insider tip

Depending on the type of Chase account you have, the process may be slightly different for you. In any case, just look for your “Profile & Settings” page, and then look for a button to set a travel notice.

Alternatively, if you’re already outside the country, you can call Chase collect at 1-302-594-8200 to alert the issuer of your travel plans.

Setting up a travel notice with the Chase bank app

After logging in to the Chase mobile app, tap the profile icon (this should appear as the outline of a person) and select “My settings.” Choose “Travel” within the settings menu and tap “Update” near any credit or debit card products you’ll be taking.

This will allow you to enter the details for your upcoming trip, which can be edited at a later time. Saving this information will successfully set up a travel notice.

Our favorite Chase travel card: While many Chase credit cards are adventure-ready, we’d recommend the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card for new travelers. Not only does it earn 2X Chase Ultimate Rewards points per dollar on travel, but you’ll also get a great introductory bonus: 60,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months. You’ll also earn 5X Ultimate Rewards points per dollar on Lyft rides and travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards. You can transfer the points you earn to a variety of airline and hotel loyalty programs. The Sapphire Preferred has a $95 annual fee.

American Express travel notice

Surprise! You actually can’t create an Amex travel notice.

On its site, the issuer says it uses “industry-leading fraud detection capabilities” that help it recognize when you’re on the road, thereby eliminating the need to create an American Express travel notification.

The issuer does recommend you update your contact information, so it can reach you in case of any complications, and download the Amex app, so you can manage your account on the go.

Note that Amex credit cards aren’t as widely accepted across the globe. If you’re a frequent international traveler, we’d recommend looking for a card with a Visa or Mastercard logo instead because they’re accepted by most merchants.

Our favorite American Express travel card: For its $695 Rates & Fees annual fee, The Platinum Card® from American Express offers a slew of travel perks. They include extensive airport lounge access; 5X Membership Rewards points per dollar on eligible flights and hotels (starting 1/1/21, on up to $500,000 spent per calendar year); and up to $200 in Uber credits per year. Its introductory bonus is Earn 100,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $6,000 on purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Apply and select your preferred metal Card design: classic Platinum Card®, Platinum x Kehinde Wiley, or Platinum x Julie Mehretu..

Capital One travel notice

As with Amex, there’s no need to set a travel notice for Capital One credit cards.

If you log in and click “Set Travel Notification,” you’ll be greeted by this window:

The issuer, long popular with international travelers for its lack of foreign transaction fees, says: “With the added security of your Capital One chip card, travel notifications are no longer needed on your credit card.”

It notes Capital One will cover you with its $0 fraud liability policy, and will also be on the lookout for any suspicious activity.

Our favorite Capital One travel card: The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card is a fantastic, easy-to-use travel rewards card, offering 2X Venture miles per dollar on everything. The introductory bonus is 60,000 bonus miles for spending $3,000 in the first 3 months. It comes with a $95 annual fee.

Bank of America travel notice

Ready to travel with your Bank of America card? Log in to your account, and in the menu at the top right, you’ll see “Help & Support.”

Hover over those words, and a drop-down menu will appear. Click on “Set Travel Notice” — and voila! You’ll be able to add your travel dates and destinations, as well as extra details about your trip, like any planned layovers.

Setting a travel notice with Bank of America.

Bank of America cards allow you to set travel notices up to 60 days in advance, and they can last for up to 90 days. If you’ll be traveling longer than that you’ll need to adjust your travel notice later on.

Our favorite Bank of America travel credit card: If you don’t want to pay an annual fee, the Bank of America® Travel Rewards Credit Card might work for you. You’ll earn 3X points per dollar at the Bank of America travel center and 1.5X points on everything else. After you make $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days, you’ll earn 25,000 points — enough for a $250 statement credit toward travel purchases.

Citi travel notice

If you have a Citi credit card, the first step is to log in to your account.

Then you should hover over the “Services” button in the menu, and then select “Travel Services.” Next you can select “Manage Travel Notices,” before selecting the card for which you want to set a notice. Unlike some other issuers, you’ll need to set a separate notice for each card you plan to travel with.

Citi advises making sure your contact information is up to date before traveling, and also to download the Citi Mobile App to more easily monitor your account.

Here’s what setting a Citi travel notice looks like:

Setting a travel notice with Citi.

Then, once you fill out your destination and dates and verify your info, you’ll be good to go!

Our favorite Citi travel credit card: The offers a generous 3X ThankYou points per dollar on air travel and at gas stations, restaurants, supermarkets, and hotels. You can earn None. There’s a None annual fee to pay for this card.

Discover travel notice

Although Discover credit cards aren’t the best for traveling internationally, as they aren’t accepted as widely as Visa or Mastercard, you should still set up a travel notice if you bring your Discover card overseas.

You can do this from your online account by selecting “Manage” at the top of your screen, then clicking “Manage Cards” and then “Register Travel.”

Setting a travel notice with Discover.

Our favorite Discover travel card: For a card with no annual fee, the Discover it® Miles isn’t a bad choice. You’ll get 1.5X miles per dollar spent on everything, with double your miles at the end of your first cardholder year.

PNC travel notice

If you have a PNC credit or debit card, the bank recommends you set up a travel notice, explaining: “You typically use your card at local merchants and online, but suddenly you’re buying tapas in Madrid or sushi in Tokyo. This unexpected activity is what triggers the alert. Although less likely, this kind of predicament also can happen when traveling domestically.”

To notify PNC, you can either call the financial institution at 1-888-PNC-BANK or set up an alert online. After logging in to your account, you’ll select: “Customer Service” –> “Account Services” –> “Debit/ATM Card Services” –> “Edit/View Preferences.”

Then, in the bottom right corner of your screen, you’ll see an option to “Notify PNC of Foreign Travel.” After filling it out with your dates, destinations, and phone number, you’ll be ready to go.

Recommended PNC travel credit card: Like the BofA card, the PNC Premier Traveler® Visa Signature® isn’t the best option out there — but it’s fine for PNC loyalists. It offers a 30,000-mile introductory bonus when you spend $3,000 in the first three billing cycles, and 2X miles per dollar spent on everything. Its $85 annual fee is waived the first year.

Wells Fargo travel notice

If you’d like to tell Wells Fargo of your travel plans, you can either call the number on the back of your card, use the bank’s mobile app, or log in to your online account.

If you choose the latter method, you’ll hover over the “Accounts” dropdown menu, then click on “Manage Cards” –> “Manage Travel Plans.” As with the other issuers, you’ll enter your dates and destinations before submitting.

Recommended Wells Fargo travel credit card: There aren’t any Wells Fargo travel cards at the moment.

If you’d prefer a Visa card from Wells Fargo for traveling, consider the Wells Fargo Active Cash℠ Card . It offers 2% cash back on everything you buy, with a solid introductory bonus, but it also has a foreign transaction fee.

4 Things to Consider When Choosing a Travel Credit Card

If you’re looking for another piece of plastic to add to your wallet, here are four things to consider when choosing the best travel rewards credit card:

Foreign transaction fees: Some credit cards charge a 3% fee for making purchases in a foreign currency. If you plan to travel abroad, make sure your chosen card has no foreign transaction fees.
Annual fees: Many of the top-tier travel rewards credit cards have hefty annual fees. But before getting scared off, see if the card offers any credits or benifits that offset it. For example, while the Chase Sapphire Reserve® has a $550 annual fee, it also offers a $300 annual travel credit that applies toward flights, car rentals, and even Lyft rides.
Rewards and perks: One of the most compelling reasons to get a travel credit card is the opportunity to earn points and miles that you can exchange for free travel. So take a look at your potential card’s introductory bonus and earning ability. You should also read the fine print to learn all about its travel perks, which might include airport lounge access or travel insurance.
Loyalty programs: The majority of hotel chains and airlines have co-branded cards that earn additional rewards when you spend money with them. So if you are loyal to a particular brand, it’s wise to consider the co-branded options. For hotel cards, examples include the IHG® Rewards Club Premier Credit Card, Marriott Bonvoy Boundless™ Credit Card, and The World of Hyatt Credit Card. For airline cards, you can choose from options like the United℠ Explorer Card or Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card.

Whichever card you choose, be sure to set a travel notice before you board your next train or cruise or flight — and then enjoy your vacation free of worries!

You don’t have to stick to “travel credit cards” just because you want to, you know, travel with your credit card. As long as you set up a travel notification when you go, you can use any card you’d like. So, in case they’re a better fit, here are links to the best cash back, balance transfer, and 0% intro APR credit cards.

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UponArriving

How to Set Up a Chase Travel Notice (And Why You Should Do It) [2021]

If you’re traveling outside of the country soon you probably want to consider putting travel notices on the Chase credit cards or debit cards that you want to use. If you don’t do that then you run the risk of your cards not working properly abroad and you’ll have to deal with that frustration, which is no fun when traveling.

So avoid the frustration and set your Chase travel notices following these easy steps broken down below.

Interested in finding out the hottest travel credit cards for this month? Click here to check them out!

Table of Contents

How to Set Up a Chase credit card travel notice

It’s very easy to set up a travel notice for your Chase credit card and bank account. You can set up a travel notice over the phone, via the Chase App, or simply do it online — whichever is more convenient. However, I would recommend doing it online because it is so easy.

Tip: Use the free app WalletFlo to help you travel the world for free by finding the best travel credit cards and promotions!

Setting up the notification by phone

If you’re looking for the Chase travel notification number, just call the number on the back of your credit card or debit card.

I’ve made calls from the plane as I’m boarding and Chase handled pretty quickly so it usually doesn’t take the agents very long to put the notification on.

If you’re ever outside of the US you can call Chase collect number at: 1-302-594-8200

Setting up the Chase travel notification online

To set up a Chase credit card or debit card travel notice, it only take a few steps.

The first thing that you need to do is log-in to your Chase account. Once you are logged in, click on “Account management” and then click “Profile and settings.” This will all be found at the top of your screen as pictured below.

Once you are in profile and settings, now you want to click on “Account settings” and then click on “Travel.” To begin the process of adding a travel notification, simply click on “Add a trip.”

At the next screen, you will need to enter some basic information regarding your travels. This information includes the destination, the departure date, and the return date.

Your departure date can be as far as one year out. But n ote that the return date must be within 90 days of your departure date. You can choose different countries or you can even choose specific states within the US for your destination.

Once you click next, you will be asked to add the travel notification to specific cards.

You can choose to add the travel notification to only one or a few cards or you can select to add the travel notification to all of your cards. You can also choose to add a travel notification to a debit card so that your bank account has the travel notification on it as well.

Something that is cool about this screen is that it will tell you whether or not your cards have foreign transaction fees.

If they don’t have foreign transaction fees, that means that you won’t be charged extra to process a transaction in a foreign country. If they do have foreign transaction fees, you will be charged 3% for the transaction. That means that if you make a purchase of $100, you will be charged an extra $3 foreign transaction fee.

If you want a solid credit card that does NOT have foreign transaction fees look into getting the Chase Sapphire Preferred, which comes with a 60,000 point bonus after meeting the minimum spend requirements of $4,000 within the first 3 months.

This is worth over over $1,000 if you use points for premium airfare redemptions! Find out more details about this card here.

Once you click to move onto the next step, you will then be able to verify your travel notification and submit it.

Setting up the Chase travel notification online (old interface)

If you are somehow still working with the old Chase interface, then the directions below will apply to you. Log in to your Chase account and click on “Customer Center.” In the Credit Card section, you’ll see “Travel Notification Form” which you’ll need to click on.

That will take you to the first step of the travel notification process.

Enter Information

You can submit your travel notifications no more than 365 days before you depart.

Your return date must be no more than 365 days after your departure date. If you plan to travel longer than 365 days, you can extend your travel notification with them by updating the form before your original date of return.

When you begin to enter your information, you should see the full roster of credit card that you have with Chase. In my case, I have six credit cards with Chase.

The travel notification will be put on all of the credit cards.

All you have to do is enter in your date of departure and date of return and enter in your destinations. Chase requests that you input cities for the destination, and I’m not sure if it will work if you enter countries.

Verify your information

Next, all you have to do is verify your credit card information and your travel dates and destinations.

Once you do that you’ll move forward and confirm the notification.

Chase bank travel notice

If you need to put a travel notification on for your bank account (debit card, ATM, etc.), you can use the method above if you have the new Chase interface and simply select your debit card. But if you are still working with the old interface, the process is a little bit different.

You’ll notice in the image below that you click on a different section of the website to initiate the travel notice for a checking or savings account.

Security Check

When you first try to put on your travel notifications you’ll likely be stopped and asked to verify your identity. This is done by sending either a text message or a phone call to one of your phone numbers on record.

The code should arrive within two minutes (mine arrived instantly) and you should be able to enter in the activation code and verify your identity quickly.

Once you’ve done that you’ll be taken to the International Travel Notifications screen where you can choose which cards you want to apply the travel notification to (debit, ATM, liquid cards, etc.)

You’ll also need to choose a destination and then also choose a departure date and a return date.

One of the big differences with the bank account notifications is that your travel must be within 14 days.

When you click on Select destination countries a small window will pop-up where you can add the countries.

Note that you can only select up to 10 countries.

To set up a travel notification for a country that’s not in the country list, call the phone number on the back of your card and inquire with Chase about that country.

Once you’ve selected your countries, you can advance to the next step where you’ll need to verify your details. You’ll see the debit card the notification is going to apply to along with the travel period and where you’re traveling to.

Tip: Use WalletFlo for all your credit card needs. It’s free and will help you optimize your rewards and savings!

Do you need travel notifications?

Some people think that travel notifications are a waste because they are able to travel without any difficulties. But don’t fall into this trap.

Just because you didn’t have any hiccups on a trip, that doesn’t mean that other trips will be like that.

I highly recommend always putting on travel notifications.

You never know what kind of inconvenient experience might await you if you don’t bother with putting on the notifications. Since it’s so easy to add them, I really see no reason why you wouldn’t do it.

One thing that’s interesting about Chase is that if you start to do a lot of international travel, they will pick up on your travel habits. It’s not clear to me exactly how many trips are necessary, but once you start taking a lot of trips, you might not even need to put on travel notifications.

After about a year of travels, I called in to put in a travel notification for Belize one time and I was told that I no longer needed to provide travel notifications because they were aware of my frequent travel patterns. This has happened to other people in the past as well .

I’m not sure if there’s a way to disable this but I found it very convenient and felt okay with it because I monitor my transactions on a regular basis.

Still, sometimes I’ll call in just to make sure everything is fine before I depart to a foreign country just to be on the safe side. (You never know when these type of policies will be updated, changed, etc.)

Do you need travel notifications for out of state travel?

Regarding domestic travel notifications Chase states:

“No. You don’t need to set up a travel notification if you’re traveling to another state, only when you plan to travel abroad.”

My card has been denied in New York (out of my state) before because of fraud prevention and I had to call in to Chase to authorize the charge. Since, it was not abroad it wasn’t a major issue to make the quick phone call but I could have probably avoided the situation just by putting in a notification.

This is generally more of an issue for larger purchases.

So if you’re planning on spending quite a bit of money in another state or city from where you live, it might be a good idea to just call ahead of time and get them to clear the transaction.

What if your travel notifications don’t work?

If you get caught somewhere and your card is not working, then there’s one simple solution.

You can call the number on the back of your card and speak to the fraud prevention department to allow them to process your transaction. You’ll usually have to re-run the transaction when this happens.

(I usually make international phone calls with Skype for these purposes.)

Certain countries excluded

Chase notes that they “exclude certain countries from our travel notification service due to either fraud protection or to align with certain federal guidelines and restrictions.”

These are often referred to as “at risk” countries.

How will you know if a country is excluded?

You’ll know immediately after you submit your notification if they’ve excluded any of your destinations from this service. If you’re traveling to an excluded country and you need help using your debit, ATM and/or Liquid Card, just call the phone number on the back of your card.

Can you cancel travel notices?

If you set up a notification and then later you change your mind, you can click “Cancel.”

If you need to delete a notification you’ve already set up, click “Delete Travel Notification” and follow the steps on the next screen.

Avoiding foreign transaction fees

Chase offers several credit cards that will allow you to avoid those pesky foreign transactions fees.

Two of my favorite options are the Chase Sapphire Reserve and the Chase Sapphire Preferred . But many of their co-branded credit cards like the World of Hyatt Card and IHG Rewards Club Premier Credit Card don’t have foreign transaction fees, either.

However, some of their no annual fee cards like the Chase Freedom cards come with foreign transaction fees of 3% .

If you’re wanting to avoid ATM fees when traveling abroad, Chase offers the Chase Private Client program.

The program offers:

No fees at non-Chase ATMs and this even includes international ATMs
Refunds for ATM fees charged by the ATM owners up to five times per statement period
No exchange rate adjustment fee for debit card purchases and ATM withdrawals in currencies other than U.S. dollars.
No Chase fee for all domestic and foreign wire transfers, incoming or outgoing, completed at any Chase branch, chase.com, via telephone or email.

There are a ton of other benefits related to wealth management that the program offers and you read more about Chase Private Client here .

Does the Chase app offer travel notifications?

The Chase app allows you the ability to set travel notifications. To do this, log-in to the app and click on “Profile & Settings” -> “My Settings” -> “Travel” and you will see the options for setting up your travel notices.

You can also still pull up the Chase website on Mobile to enable your travel notifications.

International travel tips

If you are traveling internationally, you might also want to check out my international travel checklist . This runs you through many different things you want to do before heading out on a trip in addition to just setting Chase travel notifications. It’s easy to forget about checking for things like how tipping works, what’s taboo, and other common questions so be sure to check it out.

Setting up Chase travel notices is not difficult and you can do it over the phone, via the app, or online — whichever you feel more comfortable with. You might also be set them up via a secured message but I’ve never given that a try.

One last reminder: always keep a photo copy or make a note of the phone number on the back of your debit or credit card so that you have a phone number you can call to sort out any potential issues and you shouldn’t have any issues.

Daniel Gillaspia is the Founder of UponArriving.com and the credit card app, WalletFlo . He is a former attorney turned travel expert covering destinations along with TSA, airline, and hotel policies. Since 2014, his content has been featured in publications such as National Geographic, Smithsonian Magazine, and CNBC. Read my bio .

You can do it on the Chase app under profile settings

Thanks — updated!

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Do You Need To Set Up a Travel Notice for Your Chase Credit Cards?

Katie Seemann

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Do You Need To Set Up a Travel Notice for Your Chase Credit Cards?

Why Would You Want To Notify Chase of Your Travels?

Personal chase credit cards with no foreign transaction fees, business chase credit cards with no foreign transaction fees, final thoughts.

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If you aren’t a frequent traveler, you might be wondering about everything you need to do to prepare for a trip abroad. Of course, you’re considering what to pack and whether or not you should buy travel insurance , but what about your bank?

One of the things you might want to think about is adding a travel alert notification to your credit cards. While this isn’t required, it has historically been helpful to avoid the unnecessary hassle of credit card problems while traveling.

In this post, we’ll talk about setting up a travel notification on your Chase account , whether or not it’s even necessary, and how to avoid foreign transaction fees when using your Chase credit cards abroad.

So, why would you even want to add a travel notification to your accounts in the first place?

Previously, charges from outside the U.S. could trigger a fraud alert, which would temporarily shut down your credit card even if you were traveling abroad. That’s not a great way to start a vacation.

An easy way to avoid that risk was to place a simple travel notification on your Chase account. This allowed your Chase credit cards to be used outside the U.S. without problems.

Thankfully, it’s no longer necessary to set up a travel alert notification with Chase when you’re planning to travel outside the U.S.

Previously, you’d set up a travel alert on your Chase account online or through the Chase mobile app.

You would do this by going to your account, clicking on Profile & settings , navigating to Account Settings , and then clicking Travel .

Now, when you follow those same steps, you get a message from Chase saying that it’s not necessary to set up a travel alert notification anymore .

Setting up a travel alert notification on your Chase account is no longer necessary when you’re planning to travel outside the country.

How To Avoid Foreign Transaction Fees

While you no longer need to set up a travel alert for your Chase credit cards, choosing the right credit card is important to avoid foreign transaction fees.

Certain cards carry a 3% foreign transaction fee anytime you use them outside the U.S. The good news is plenty of cards waive this fee — just be sure to know which cards have no-additional fee and try to use only those on your trip.

Multiple Chase credit cards waive the standard 3% foreign transaction fee. Be sure to carry at least 1 of these while traveling abroad.

The following Chase credit cards do not have any foreign transaction fees :

Aer Lingus Visa Signature ® Card
Aeroplan ® Credit Card
Amazon Rewards Visa Signature Card
British Airways Visa Signature ® Card
Chase Sapphire Preferred ® Card
Chase Sapphire Reserve ®
Iberia Visa Signature ® Card
IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card
Instacart Mastercard ®
Marriott Bonvoy Bold ® Credit Card
Marriott Bonvoy Boundless ® Credit Card
Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful™ Credit Card
Prime Visa card
Southwest Rapid Rewards ® Priority Credit Card
Southwest Rapid Rewards ® Premier Credit Card
The World of Hyatt Credit Card
United Club℠ Infinite Card
United℠ Explorer Card
United Gateway℠ Card
United Quest℠ Card
IHG One Rewards Premier Business Credit Card
Ink Business Preferred ® Credit Card
Ink Business Premier ® Credit Card
Southwest Rapid Rewards ® Performance Business Credit Card
United℠ Business Card
United Club℠ Business Card
World of Hyatt Business Credit Card

Adding an alert to your Chase account before you travel internationally is no longer needed. While this used to be a way to let Chase know you would be out of the country so international activity on your card wouldn’t trigger a fraud alert, today’s more sophisticated technology makes this step unnecessary.

The information regarding the Amazon Rewards Visa Signature Credit Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer. The information regarding the Marriott Bonvoy Bold ® Credit Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer. The information regarding the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless ® Credit Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer. The information regarding the Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful™ Credit Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer. The information regarding The World of Hyatt Credit Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer. The information regarding the United Club℠ Business Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do i set up a travel alert with chase.

You don’t. Setting up a travel alert with Chase is no longer necessary.

Do I have to let Chase know that I am traveling?

No, letting Chase know when you travel internationally is no longer required. It used to be common practice to set up a travel alert so international charges didn’t trigger a fraud alert on your credit cards, but today’s more sophisticated systems have made this step unnecessary.

Does Chase no longer require travel notice?

That’s correct. Chase doesn’t require a travel notice at all anymore. The ability to set up a travel notice on Chase’s website has been removed.

Do I need to notify Chase of International travel?

No, it’s no longer necessary to notify Chase of any upcoming travel, including international travel. The ability to add a travel alert notification has even been removed from Chase’s website.

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About Katie Seemann

Katie has been in the points and miles game since 2015 and started her own blog in 2016. She’s been freelance writing since then and her work has been featured in publications like Travel + Leisure, Forbes Advisor, and Fortune Recommends.

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What if I'm forced to quarantine in another country? International quarantine restrictions vary from country to country. Some require you to stay put at your hotel, cruise ship cabin, rental unit or private residence, others require you to stay at a government-mandated quarantine facility (at your own cost). That's why it's critical that you know what the rules are before you decide to go. You can find COVID-19 quarantine restrictions listed on the US embassy website for your country of choice.

As for who pays for the extended stay and any costs incurred, like food and medical costs—that varies from country to country, hotel to hotel, and ship to ship. Some will cover the costs, others may not. It's wise to check your hotel, vacation rental or cruise line policy ahead of time, as well as your health insurance policy—and to consider a travel insurance plan that covers COVID-19-related problems. In addition, the credit card you use to book travel may also offer benefits that cover COVID-19-related costs and cancellations.

What if I need to change my flight due to a positive COVID-19 test result?

Some, not all, airlines have eliminated change fees for domestic and international travel, at least for the time being. Some are offering travel insurance that will cover COVID-19 expenses. But policies vary from airline to airline. That's why it's critical to check with the airline before you book your flight. If you find yourself in the situation where you've had to cancel your flight due to a positive COVID-19 test during your travels, be sure to contact the airline as soon as possible to see what your options are—and to learn about any extra fees that you may incur. As mentioned above, the credit card you booked your flight with may offer benefits that cover some COVID-19-related costs and cancellations.

Government travel alerts and warnings

Where can I get more information on government travel alerts and warnings?

The US State Department and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) post travel alerts and travel warnings for countries where travelers' health and safety may be at risk. When planning your trip, we recommend you check the State Department site and CDC to see what precautions you should take.

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15 Best Travel Credit Cards of May 2024

ALSO CONSIDER: Best credit cards of 2024 || Best rewards credit cards || Best airline credit cards || Best hotel credit cards

The best travel credit card is one that brings your next trip a little closer every time you use it. Purchases earn points or miles you can use to pay for travel. If you're loyal to a specific airline or hotel chain, consider one of that company's branded travel credit cards. Otherwise, check out our picks for general-purpose travel cards that give you flexible travel rewards without the restrictions and blackout dates of branded cards.

250+ credit cards reviewed and rated by our team of experts

80+ years of combined experience covering credit cards and personal finance

100+ categories of best credit card selections ( See our top picks )

Objective comprehensive ratings rubrics ( Methodology )

NerdWallet's credit cards content, including ratings and recommendations, is overseen by a team of writers and editors who specialize in credit cards. Their work has appeared in The Associated Press, USA Today, The New York Times, MarketWatch, MSN, NBC's "Today," ABC's "Good Morning America" and many other national, regional and local media outlets. Each writer and editor follows NerdWallet's strict guidelines for editorial integrity .

Show summary

NerdWallet's Best Travel Credit Cards of May 2024

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card : Best for Max flexibility + big bonus

Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card : Best for Flat-rate rewards

Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card : Best for Travel portal benefits

Chase Freedom Unlimited® : Best for Cash back for travel bookings

American Express® Gold Card : Best for Big rewards on everyday spending

Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card : Best for Bonus rewards + no annual fee

The Platinum Card® from American Express : Best for Luxury travel perks

Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card : Best for Business travelers

Citi Premier® Card : Best for Triple points on multiple categories

Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card : Best for Flat-rate rewards + no annual fee

Chase Sapphire Reserve® : Best for Bonus rewards + high-end perks

World of Hyatt Credit Card : Best for Best hotel card

Bilt World Elite Mastercard® Credit Card : Best for Travel rewards for rent payments

United℠ Explorer Card : Best for Best airline card

PenFed Pathfinder® Rewards Visa Signature® Card : Best for Credit union benefits

Best Travel Credit Cards

Find the right credit card for you..

Whether you want to pay less interest or earn more rewards, the right card's out there. Just answer a few questions and we'll narrow the search for you.

Max flexibility + big bonus

Flat-rate rewards, travel portal benefits, cash back for travel bookings, big rewards on everyday spending, bonus rewards + no annual fee, luxury travel perks, business travelers, triple points on multiple categories, flat-rate rewards + no annual fee, bonus rewards + high-end perks, best hotel card, travel rewards for rent payments, best airline card, credit union benefits, full list of editorial picks: best travel credit cards.

Before applying, confirm details on the issuer’s website.

Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

Our pick for: Flat-rate rewards

The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card is probably the best-known general-purpose travel credit card, thanks to its ubiquitous advertising. You earn 5 miles per dollar on hotels and car rentals booked through Capital One Travel and 2 miles per dollar on all other purchases. Miles can be redeemed at a value of 1 cent apiece for any travel purchase, without the blackout dates and other restrictions of branded hotel and airline cards. The card offers a great sign-up bonus and other worthwhile perks ( see rates and fees ). Read our review.

Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card

Our pick for: Flat-rate rewards + no annual fee

One of the best no-annual-fee travel cards available, the Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card gives you a solid rewards rate on every purchase, with points that can be redeemed for any travel purchase, without the restrictions of branded airline and hotel cards. Bank of America® has an expansive definition of "travel," too, giving you additional flexibility in how you use your rewards. Read our review.

Chase Sapphire Reserve®

Our pick for: Bonus rewards + high-end perks

The high annual fee on the Chase Sapphire Reserve® gives many potential applicants pause, but frequent travelers should be able to wring enough value out of this card to more than make up for the cost. Cardholders get bonus rewards (up to 10X) on dining and travel, a fat bonus offer, annual travel credits, airport lounge access, and a 50% boost in point value when redeeming points for travel booked through Chase. Points can also be transferred to about a dozen airline and hotel partners. Read our review.

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

Our pick for: Max flexibility + big bonus

For a reasonable annual fee, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card earns bonus rewards (up to 5X) on travel, dining, select streaming services, and select online grocery purchases. Points are worth 25% more when you redeem them for travel booked through Chase, or you can transfer them to about a dozen airline and hotel partners. The sign-up bonus is stellar, too. Read our review.

Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card

Our pick for: Bonus rewards + no annual fee

The Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card offers so much value, it's hard to believe there's no annual fee. Start with a great bonus offer, then earn extra rewards in a host of common spending categories — restaurants, gas stations, transit, travel, streaming and more. Read our review.

Citi Premier® Card

Our pick for: Triple points in multiple categories

The Citi Premier® Card earns bonus points on airfare, hotels, supermarkets, dining and gas stations. There's a solid sign-up bonus as well. Read our review.

U.S. Bank Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® Card

Our pick for: Road trips

The U.S. Bank Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® Card is one of the most generous cards on the market if you're taking to the skies or the road, thanks to the quadruple points it earns on travel and purchases at gas stations and EV charging stations. It's also a solid card for everyday expenses like groceries, dining and streaming, and it comes with ongoing credits that can offset its annual fee: $0 intro for the first year, then $95 . Read our review .

Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card

Our pick for: Travel portal benefits

Capital One's premium travel credit card can deliver terrific benefits — provided you're willing to do your travel spending through the issuer's online booking portal. That's where you'll earn the highest rewards rates plus credits that can make back the bulk of your annual fee ( see rates and fees ). Read our review.

Chase Freedom Unlimited®

Our pick for: Cash back for travel bookings

The Chase Freedom Unlimited® was already a fine card when it offered 1.5% cash back on all purchases. Now it's even better, with bonus rewards on travel booked through Chase, as well as at restaurants and drugstores. On top of all that, new cardholders get a 0% introductory APR period and the opportunity to earn a sweet bonus. Read our review.

The Platinum Card® from American Express

Our pick for: Luxury travel perks

The Platinum Card® from American Express comes with a hefty annual fee, but travelers who like to go in style (and aren't afraid to pay for comfort) can more than get their money's worth. Enjoy extensive airport lounge access, hundreds of dollars a year in travel and shopping credits, hotel benefits and more. That's not even getting into the high rewards rate on eligible travel purchases and the rich welcome offer for new cardholders. Read our review.

American Express® Gold Card

Our pick for: Big rewards on everyday spending

The American Express® Gold Card can earn you a pile of points from everyday spending, with generous rewards at U.S. supermarkets, at restaurants and on certain flights booked through amextravel.com. Other benefits include hundreds of dollars a year in available dining and travel credits and a solid welcome offer for new cardholders. There's an annual fee, though, and a pretty substantial one, so it's not for smaller spenders. Read our review.

Bilt World Elite Mastercard® Credit Card

Our pick for: Travel rewards on rent payments

The Bilt World Elite Mastercard® Credit Card stands out by offering credit card rewards on rent payments without incurring an additional transaction fee. The ability to earn rewards on what for many people is their single biggest monthly expense makes this card worth a look for any renter. You also get bonus points on dining and travel when you make at least five transactions on the card each statement period, and redemption options include point transfers to partner hotel and loyalty programs. Read our review.

PenFed Pathfinder® Rewards Visa Signature® Card

Our pick for: Credit union rewards

With premium perks for a $95 annual fee (which can be waived in some cases), jet-setters will get a lot of value from the PenFed Pathfinder® Rewards Visa Signature® Card . It also offers a generous rewards rate on travel purchases and a decent flat rate on everything else. Plus, you’ll get travel credits and a Priority Pass membership that offers airport lounge access for $32 per visit. Read our review.

United℠ Explorer Card

Our pick for: B est airline card

The United℠ Explorer Card earns bonus rewards not only on spending with United Airlines but also at restaurants and on eligible hotel stays. And the perks are outstanding for a basic airline card — a free checked bag, priority boarding, lounge passes and more. Read our review.

» Not a United frequent flyer? See our best airline cards for other options

World of Hyatt Credit Card

Our pick for: Best hotel card

Hyatt isn't as big as its competitors, but World of Hyatt Credit Card is worth a look for anyone who spends a lot of time on the road. You can earn a lot of points even on non-Hyatt spending, and those points have a high value compared with rival programs. There's a great sign-up bonus, free nights, automatic elite status and more. Read our review.

» Not a Hyatt customer? See our best hotel cards for other options.

Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

Our pick for: Business travelers

The Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card starts you off with one of the biggest sign-up bonuses of any credit card anywhere: Earn 100,000 bonus points after you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $1,000 cash back or $1,250 toward travel when redeemed through Chase Travel℠. You also get bonus rewards on travel expenses and common business spending categories, like advertising, shipping and internet, cable and phone service. Points are worth 25% more when redeemed for travel booked through Chase, or you can transfer them to about a dozen airline and hotel partners. Learn more and apply .

Are you in Canada?

See NerdWallet's best travel cards for Canada.

OTHER RESOURCES

How travel rewards work.

Modern-day adventurers and once-a-year vacationers alike love the idea of earning rewards toward their next big trip. According to a NerdWallet study , 68% of American adults say they have a credit card that earns travel rewards.

With a travel rewards credit card, you earn points or miles every time you use the card, but you can often earn more points per dollar in select categories. Some top travel credit cards, such as the Chase Sapphire Reserve® , offer bonus points on any travel spending, while the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card grants bonus points when you use the card at Marriott hotels, grocery stores, restaurants or gas stations.

Not all points and miles earned on travel rewards credit cards are the same:

General-purpose travel credit cards — including the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card , the American Express® Gold Card and the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card — give you rewards that can be used like cash to pay for travel or that can be exchanged for points in airline or hotel loyalty programs. With their flexible rewards, general-purpose options are usually the best travel credit cards for those who don't stick to a single airline or hotel chain.

Airline- and hotel-specific cards — such as the United℠ Explorer Card and the Hilton Honors American Express Card — give points and miles that can be used only with the brand on the card. (Although it's possible in some cases to transfer hotel points to airlines, we recommend against it because you get a poor value.) These so-called co-branded cards are usually the best travel credit cards for those who always fly one particular airline or stay with one hotel group.

How do we value points and miles? With the rewards earned on general travel cards, it's simple: They have a fixed value, usually between 1 and 1.5 cents per point, and you can spend them like cash. With airline miles and hotel points, finding the true value is more difficult. How much value you get depends on how you redeem them.

To better understand what miles are worth, NerdWallet researched the cash prices and reward-redemption values for hundreds of flights. Our results:

Keep in mind that the airline values are based on main cabin economy tickets and exclude premium cabin redemptions. See our valuations page for business class valuations and details about our methodology.

Our valuations are different from many others you may find. That’s because we looked at the average value of a point based on reasonable price searches that anyone can perform, not a maximized value that only travel rewards experts can expect to reach.

You should therefore use these values as a baseline for your own redemptions. If you can redeem your points for the values listed on our valuations page, you are doing well. Of course, if you are able to get higher value out of your miles, that’s even better.

HOW TO CHOOSE A TRAVEL CREDIT CARD

There are scores of travel rewards cards to choose from. The best travel credit card for you has as much to do with you as with the card. How often you travel, how much flexibility you want, how much you value airline or hotel perks — these are all things to take into account when deciding on a travel card. Our article on how to choose a travel credit card recommends that you prioritize:

Rewards you will actually use (points and miles are only as good as your ability to redeem them for travel).

A high earning rate (how much value you get in rewards for every dollar spent on the card).

A sign-up bonus (a windfall of points for meeting a spending requirement in your first few months).

Even with these goals in mind, there are all kinds of considerations that will influence your decision on a travel rewards credit card.

Travel cards are for travelers

Travel cards vs. cash-back cards.

The very first question to ask yourself when choosing a travel credit card is: Should I get a travel card at all? Travel credit cards are best for frequent travelers, who are more likely to get enough value from rewards and perks to make up for the annual fees that the best travel credit cards charge. (Some travel cards charge no annual fee, but they tend to offer lesser rewards than full-fee cards.) A NerdWallet study found that those who travel only occasionally — say, once a year — will probably get greater overall rewards from cash-back credit cards , most of which charge no annual fee, than from a travel card.

Flexibility and perks: A trade-off

Co-branded cards vs. general travel cards.

Travel credit cards fall into two basic categories: co-branded cards and general travel cards.

Co-branded cards carry the name of an airline or hotel group, such as the United℠ Explorer Card or the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card . The rewards you earn are redeemable only with that particular brand, which can limit your flexibility, sometimes sharply. For example, if your credit card's co-branded airline partner doesn't have any award seats available on the flight you want on the day you want, you're out of luck. On the other hand, co-branded cards commonly offer airline- or hotel-specific perks that general travel cards can't match.

General travel cards aren't tied to a specific airline or hotel, so they offer much greater flexibility. Well-known general travel cards include the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card and the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card . Rewards on general travel cards come as points (sometimes called "miles" but they're really points) that you can redeem for any travel expense. You're not locked into using a single airline or hotel, but you also won't enjoy the perks of a co-branded card.

Evaluating general travel credit cards

What you get with a general travel card.

The credit cards featured at the top of this page are general travel cards. They're issued by a bank (such as Chase or Capital One), carry only that bank's name, and aren't tied to any single airline or hotel group. With these cards, you earn points on every purchase — usually 1 to 2 points per dollar spent, sometimes with additional points in certain categories.

Issuers of general travel cards typically entice new applicants with big sign-up bonuses (also known as "welcome offers") — tens of thousands of miles that you can earn by spending a certain amount of money on the card in your first few months.

» MORE: NerdWallet's best credit card sign-up offers

What do you do with those points? Depending on the card, you may have several ways to redeem them:

Booking travel. With this option, your points pay for travel booked through the issuer's website, using a utility similar to Orbitz or Expedia. For example, if points were worth 1 cent apiece when redeemed this way, you could book a $400 flight on the issuer's portal and pay for it with 40,000 points

Statement credit. This lets you essentially erase travel purchases by using your points for credit on your statement. You make travel arrangements however you want (directly with an airline or hotel, through a travel agency, etc.) and charge it to your card. Once the charge shows up on your account, you apply the necessary points and eliminate the cost.

Transferring to partners. The card issuer may allow you to transfer your points to loyalty programs for airlines or hotel chains, turning your general card into something like a co-branded card (although you don't get the perks of a co-brand).

Cash back, gift cards or merchandise. If you don't plan to travel, you can burn off your rewards with these options, although you'll often get a lower value per point.

Airline and hotel cards sharply limit your choice, but they make up for it with perks that only they can offer, like free checked bags or room upgrades. General travel cards, on the other hand, offer maximum flexibility but can't provide the same kinds of perks, because the banks that issue them don't operate the airlines or hotels. Still, there are some noteworthy perks on general travel cards, including:

Travel credit. This is automatic reimbursement for travel-related spending. Some top travel credit cards offer hundreds of dollars a year in travel credit.

Trusted traveler reimbursement. More and more travel credit cards are covering the application fee for TSA Precheck and Global Entry, programs that allow you to move through airport security and customs more quickly.

Airport lounge access. Hundreds of lounges worldwide operate separately from airlines under such networks as Priority Pass and Airspace, and several general travel cards offer access to these lounges.

Points programs

Every major card issuer has at least one travel card with a points program. American Express calls its program Membership Rewards, while Chase has Ultimate Rewards® and Citi pays in ThankYou points. Wells Fargo has Wells Fargo Rewards, and U.S. Bank has FlexPerks. Bank of America® travel cards offer points without a fancy name. Travel cards from Capital One, Barclays and Discover all call their points "miles."

These programs differ in how much their points are worth and how you can use them. Some offer the full range of redemption options, including transfers to loyalty programs. Others let you use them only to book travel or get statement credit.

» MORE: Travel loyalty program reviews

Evaluating airline credit cards

What you get with an airline credit card.

Airline credit cards earn "miles" with each purchase. You typically get 1 mile per dollar spent, with a higher rate (2 or more miles per dollar) on purchases with the airline itself. (Some airline cards have also begun offering extra miles for purchases in additional categories, such as restaurants or car rental agencies.) These miles go into the same frequent-flyer account as the ones you earn by flying the airline, and you can redeem them for free flights with the airline or its alliance partners.

Co-branded airline cards typically offer sign-up bonuses (or welcome offers). But what really sets them apart are the perks they give you. With some cards, for example, the checked-bag benefit alone can make up for the annual fee after a single roundtrip by a couple. Common perks of airline cards include:

Free checked bags. This commonly applies to the first checked bag for you and at least one companion on your reservation. Some cards extend this perk to more people, and higher-end cards (with higher annual fees) may even let you check two bags apiece for free.

Priority boarding. Holders of co-branded airline credit cards often get to board the plane early — after the airline's elite-status frequent flyers but before the general population. This gives you time to settle in and gives you a leg up on claiming that coveted overhead bin space.

In-flight discounts or freebies. You might get, say, 25% off the cost of food and beverages during the flight, or free Wi-Fi.

Airport lounge access. High-end cards often include a membership to the airline's airport lounges, where you can get away from the frenzy in the terminal and enjoy a complimentary snack. Some less-expensive airline cards give you only limited or discounted lounge access; others give you none at all.

Companion fares. This perk lets you bring someone with you for a lower cost when you buy a ticket at full price.

A boost toward elite status. Miles earned with a credit card, as opposed to those earned from actually flying on the airline, usually do not count toward earning elite status in an airline's frequent-flyer program. However, carrying an airline's high-end card might automatically qualify you for a higher tier within the program.

The biggest U.S. airlines — American, United and Delta — offer an array of credit cards. Each airline has a no-annual-fee card that earns miles on purchases but provides little in the way of perks (no free bags or priority boarding). Each has a high-end card with an annual fee in the neighborhood of $450 that offers lounge access and sumptuous perks. And each has a "middle-class" card with a fee of around $100 and solid ongoing perks. Southwest offers three credit cards with varying fees; smaller carriers may just have a single card.

» MORE: NerdWallet's best airline credit cards

Choosing an airline

Which airline card you get depends in large part on what airline you fly, and that's heavily influenced by where you live. Alaska Airlines, for example, has an outstanding credit card, but the airline's routes are concentrated primarily on the West Coast. So it's not a great option for those who live in, say, Buffalo, New York, or Montgomery, Alabama.

If your local airport is dominated by a single airline, then you're probably flying that carrier most (or all) of the time by default. Delta, for example, is the 800-pound gorilla at Minneapolis-St. Paul and Salt Lake City. United has the bulk of the traffic at Newark and Washington Dulles. American calls the shots at Charlotte and Dallas-Fort Worth. That airline's credit card may be your only realistic option. If you're in a large or midsize market with frequent service from multiple airlines, you have more choice.

» MORE: How to choose an airline credit card

Evaluating hotel credit cards

What you get with a hotel card.

Hotel credit cards earn points with each purchase. As with airline cards, you typically get more points per dollar for purchases from the co-brand partner, and some cards also give bonus points in additional categories. (Hotel cards tend to give you a greater number of points overall than airline cards, but each individual point is generally worth less than a typical airline mile.) Similar to the airline model, the points you earn with the card go into the same loyalty account as the points you earn from actually staying at a hotel. You redeem your points for free stays.

Hotel cards usually offer a sign-up bonus, but like airline cards, they really make their bones with the ongoing perks. Common perks on hotel cards include:

Free nights. Several cards offer this perk, which can make up for the card's annual fee. You may get a free night automatically every year, or you may unlock it by spending a certain amount within a year. In the latter case, it comes on top of the points you earn for your spending.

Upgrades and freebies. Cardholders may qualify for automatic room upgrades when available, or free or discounted amenities such as meals or spa packages.

Early check-in/late check-out. No one likes having to cool their heels in the hotel lobby waiting for 3 o'clock to check in. And no one likes have to vacate their room by 11 a.m. when their flight doesn't leave till evening.

Accelerated elite status. Some hotel cards automatically bump you up a level in their loyalty program just for being a cardholder.

» MORE: NerdWallet's best hotel credit cards

Choosing a hotel group

If you decide to go the hotel-card route, you'll need to decide which hotel group gets your business. Hotels aren't as market-concentrated as airlines, so if your travels take you mostly to metropolitan areas, you'll have a decent amount of choice. Keep in mind that even though there are dozens of nationally recognizable hotel brands, ranging from budget inns to luxury resorts, many of them are just units in a larger hotel company, and that company's card can unlock benefits across the group.

Marriott, for example, includes not only its namesake properties but nearly 30 other brands, including Courtyard, Fairfield, Renaissance, Residence Inn, Ritz-Carlton, Sheraton and Westin. The Hilton family includes DoubleTree, Embassy Suites, Hampton Inn and Waldorf-Astoria. InterContinental includes Holiday Inn, Candlewood, Staybridge and Crowne Plaza. Wyndham and Choice have more than 15 mid-tier and budget-oriented brands between them.

HOW TO COMPARE TRAVEL CREDIT CARDS

No travel rewards credit card is going to have everything you want. You're going to be disappointed if you expect to find a high rewards rate, a generous sign-up bonus, top-notch perks and no annual fee. Each card delivers value through a different combination of features; it's up to you to compare cards based on the following features and choose the best travel credit card for your needs and preferences.

Most of the best travel cards charge an annual fee. Fees in the range of $90 to $100 are standard for travel cards. Premium cards with extensive perks will have fees of $450 or more. Weigh the value of the rewards and perks you'll get to make sure they'll make up for the fee.

Can you find good cards without an annual fee? Absolutely! There are no-fee options on our list of the best travel credit cards, and we've rounded up more here . Just be aware that if you go with a no-fee travel card, you'll earn rewards at a lower rate, your sign-up bonus will be smaller, and you won't get as many (if any) perks.

Rewards rate

Rewards can be thought of in terms of "earn rate" and "burn rate".

The earn rate is how many points or miles you receive per dollar spent. Some general travel cards offer flat-rate rewards, meaning you get the same rate on all purchases, all the time — 2 miles per dollar, for example, or 1.5 points per dollar. Others, including most co-branded cards, offer a base rate of maybe 1 point per dollar and then pay a higher rate in certain categories, such as airline tickets, hotel stays, general travel expenses or restaurant meals.

The burn rate is the value you get for those points or miles when you redeem them. The industry average is about 1 cent per point or mile. Some cards, particularly hotel cards, have lower value per point on the "burn" side but give you more points per dollar on the earning side.

When comparing rewards rates, don't just look at the numbers. Look at the categories to which those numbers apply, and find a card that matches your spending patterns. Getting 5 points per dollar seems great — but if those 5X points come only on purchases at, say, office supply stores, and you don't spend money on office supplies, then you're getting lousy value.

Sign-up bonus

Travel cards tend to have the biggest sign-up bonuses — tens of thousands of points that you earn by hitting a certain amount of spending. But there's more to consider when comparing sign-up bonuses than just how many points or miles you earn. You must also take into account how much you have to spend to earn the bonus. While cash-back credit cards often require just $500 to $1,000 in spending over three months to unlock a bonus, travel cards commonly have thresholds of $3,000 to $5,000.

Never spend money you don't have just to earn a sign-up bonus. Carrying $3,000 in debt for a year in order to earn a $500 bonus doesn't make economic sense — the interest you'll pay could easily wipe out the value of the bonus.

Finally, keep in mind that the biggest bonuses will come on cards with annual fees.

Foreign transaction fees

A good travel card will not charge a foreign transaction fee. These fees are surcharges on purchases made outside the U.S. The industry standard is about 3%, which is enough to wipe out most if not all of the rewards you earn on a purchase. If you never leave the U.S., then this isn't much of a concern, but anyone who travels abroad should bring a no-foreign-transaction-fee card with them.

Some issuers don't charge foreign transaction fees on any of their cards. Others charge them on some cards but not all.

International acceptance

Not all travel credit cards are great companions for international travel. While Visa and Mastercard are good pretty much worldwide, you may encounter limited acceptance for American Express and, especially, Discover, depending on the destination. This doesn't mean world travelers should dismiss AmEx and Discover. Just know that if you take one of these cards with you overseas, you'd be smart to bring along a backup in case you run into acceptance problems. (Having a backup card is good advice within the U.S., too, really.)

Travel protections

Consider which travel protections — car rental insurance , trip cancellation coverage , lost baggage protection — are important to you.

"Rewards" are what you get for using a credit card — the points earned with each transaction and the bonuses you unlock with your spending. "Perks" are goodies that you get just for carrying the card. There's a very close correlation between the annual fee on a card and the perks you get for carrying it. Cards with no annual fee are all about rewards and go very light on perks. Premium cards with annual fees of $450 or more are laden with perks (although sometimes their rewards aren't too special). Midtier cards (in the $100 range) tend to have solid rewards and a handful of high-value perks.

Assuming you take advantage of them, the perks often make up for the annual fee on a card quite easily. This is especially true with co-branded cards. Free checked bags can pay for an airline card several times over, and a free night is usually worth more than the fee on a hotel card. When comparing the perks of various cards, be realistic about which ones you will and won't use. Sure, that card may entitle you to a free spa package the next time you're at a five-star hotel, but how often do you stay at five-star hotels?

SHOULD YOU GET A TRAVEL CARD? PROS AND CONS

Pros: why it's worth getting a travel card.

The sign-up bonus gives you a big head-start on travel. Bonuses on the best travel credit cards typically run $500 or more — enough for a roundtrip ticket in many instances.

Perks make travel less expensive and more relaxing. You won't have to worry about cramming a week's worth of clothes into a carry-on if your travel credit card gives you a free checked bag (or automatically reimburses you for the bag fee). Hate the crush of travelers in the terminal? Escape to the airport lounge. Renting a car? Use a travel card that provides primary rental car insurance.

Rewards get you closer to your next trip with every purchase. Spending money on the mundane activities of daily life has a silver lining when you know that every $1,000 you spend will knock $10 or $20 off the cost of that future beach vacation or trip home to see Mom and Dad.

No foreign transaction fee can mean big savings. Take just any old credit card with you on vacation outside the U.S., and $1,000 worth of purchases can cost you $30 off the top due to the foreign transaction surcharge. Good travel cards don't charge this fee.

"Double dipping" gives you more points on travel purchases. Buy a plane ticket or book a hotel room, and you'll earn loyalty points or miles regardless of how you pay. Use the right credit card, though, and you'll earn even more points and miles on top of those.

Strategic redemption can multiply your value. With cash-back credit cards, 1 cent is worth 1 cent, and that's just how it goes. The points and miles on many travel credit cards have variable value based on how you redeem them — booking travel with them vs. transferring them to a partner, booking domestic vs. international flights and economy vs. business class, staying at budget hotels vs. high-end resorts, and so on.

Cons: Why a travel card might not be for you

The best cards charge annual fees. In many cases, the value you get from a credit card more than makes up for the annual fee. But some people are dead set against paying a fee under any circumstances. If that's you, your options in travel cards will be sharply limited, and you won't get the perks that provide a big portion of the value on many cards.

Sign-up bonus spending requirements can be steep. A bonus worth $500, $600 or $700 is attractive, but only if you can afford to earn it with spending you were going to do anyway. If you have to amass thousands of dollars in debt and then pay interest on it, it's not worth it.

Travel cards aren't ideal for infrequent travelers. In the first year with a travel card, you're probably going to come out ahead: You can earn a big sign-up bonus, and several popular cards waive the first year's annual fee, too. In subsequent years, though, you'll break even on that fee only if you use the card enough to make up for it (with the rewards you earn and redeem and the perks you use). Infrequent travelers are more likely to get more total rewards from a cash-back card with no annual fee.

Cash back is simpler and more flexible. Some travel cards allow you to redeem your rewards only for travel. Others give you poor value unless you redeem for travel. Still others have complicated redemption options, making it hard to get the most out of your rewards. With cash-back credit cards, you can use your rewards on anything, you know exactly how much your rewards are worth, and redemption is usually simple.

Rewards cards tend to charge higher interest rates. If you regularly carry a balance from month to month, a travel credit card — or any rewards credit card — probably isn't your best choice. The interest you pay is eating up the value of your rewards. You're better off with a low-interest card that reduces the cost of carrying debt.

MAKING THE MOST OF YOUR TRAVEL CARD

Maximize your rewards with the following tips:

Plan your credit card application around a big purchase to earn the sign-up bonus.

Seize every opportunity to pick up the tab, especially if your travel credit card pays bonus rewards on dining; your friends can pay you back while you collect rewards.

Redeem rewards for travel instead of gift cards, merchandise or (in most cases) cash back to get the best value.

Join the loyalty program associated with a co-branded card — a frequent-flyer or frequent-guest program.

Shop for essentials in your card’s online bonus mall or through its exclusive offers, if available, to get extra rewards.

OTHER CARDS TO CONSIDER

It’s worth considering whether a travel credit card is even right for you in the first place. A NerdWallet study found that cash-back credit cards often earn more money — even for many travelers.

If you carry a balance from month to month, the higher interest rates typically charged by rewards cards can cancel out any rewards earned. If you have a good credit score, you're better off with a low-interest credit card that can save you money on interest.

A good travel credit card shouldn't charge foreign transaction fees, but there are good non-travel cards that also don't charge them. See our best cards with no foreign transaction fee .

If you value transparency and flexibility in your rewards, you can't go wrong with a cash-back card — and you can still use the rewards for travel, if you want.

Finally, if you're still not sure what's right for you, take a look at our best rewards credit cards for options beyond travel and cash back.

NerdWallet's Sam Kemmis contributed to this article.

To view rates and fees of the American Express® Gold Card , see this page . To view rates and fees of The Platinum Card® from American Express , see this page .

Last updated on May 4 , 2024

Methodology

NerdWallet's Credit Cards team selects the best travel rewards credit cards based on overall consumer value, as evidenced by star ratings, as well as their suitability for specific kinds of travelers. Factors in our evaluation include each card's annual fee, foreign transaction fees, rewards earnings rates, ease of use, redemption options, domestic and international acceptance, promotional APR period, bonus offers, and cardholder perks such as automatic statement credits and airport lounge access. Learn how NerdWallet rates credit cards.

Frequently asked questions

Travel credit cards earn points (sometimes called miles) each time you buy something. The standard earning rate is 1 to 2 points per dollar spent, and many cards give you extra points for certain purchases, particularly travel expenses. The value of a point depends on the card that earned it and how you redeem it, but a good rule of thumb is to assume each point is worth an average of about 1 cent.

Your points accumulate in a rewards account, where you can use them to pay for travel. Most cards let you book travel directly using a portal similar to those at online travel agencies or on airline and hotel websites, but instead of paying cash, you pay with your points. Depending on the card, you may also have the option of booking travel any way you want, paying for it with the card and then cashing in your points for a credit against those expenses.

Points and miles are just different names for the same thing: the currency used in a travel rewards program. Some travel credit cards call them points, some call them miles.

Airline frequent flyer programs have long used the term “miles” to refer to the rewards you earn for flying. That’s because at one time, you really did earn rewards according to how many miles you flew — the longer the flight, the more miles you earned. Nowadays, most domestic airlines give out “miles” based on how much you spend, not how far you fly, so they’re really just points. (There are a few exceptions, though, notably Alaska Airlines.)

Especially when it comes to redeeming your rewards, there’s no difference between points and miles. The number of points or miles you need is based mostly on the cost of what you’re redeeming them for. It takes more than 500 miles (value about: $5) to get a free 500-mile flight!

The value of a point or mile depends on the card you earned it with and how you redeem it. A common rule of thumb is to assume that each point or mile is worth an average of 1 cent, although you can certainly get a much higher (or lower) redemption value. See our travel loyalty roundup page for NerdWallet’s current valuations for airline miles and hotel points.

Travel credit cards fall into two main categories: co-branded and general-purpose.

• Co-branded travel cards carry the name of an airline or hotel chain. The rewards you earn on the card can typically be redeemed only with that brand (or maybe its partners). Co-branded cards limit your flexibility, but because they are issued in partnership with an airline or hotel, they can give you special perks, like free checked bags or room upgrades.

• General-purpose travel cards are issued by a credit card company and are not directly tied to any particular airline or hotel. They earn points in the issuer's own program, such as American Express Membership Rewards, Chase Ultimate Rewards® or Citi ThankYou. These points are a lot more flexible, as you can use them to pay for a range of travel expenses, including flights on any airline or stays at any hotel. However, they don’t offer the airline- or hotel-specific perks of co-branded cards.

Travel cards — like rewards cards in general — typically require good to excellent credit for approval. Good credit is generally defined as a credit score of 690 or better. However, credit scores alone do not guarantee approval. Every issuer has its own criteria for evaluating applications.

Business travel can earn credit card rewards just like leisure travel. Credit cards that earn rewards for travel purchases don't distinguish between one or the other — meaning, if a card pays 3X points on airfare, for example, it's going to pay it no matter why you're buying the ticket. There are also travel credit cards specifically designed for business operators, with benefits and perks better aligned with their needs.

Where things get complicated is when you're not arranging the travel yourself. With credit card points, the rewards go to the cardholder. So if you arrange travel through your employer and the cost goes on the "company card," then the company card gets the points. Put it on your own card and get reimbursed later, and you get the points. (And if you have a company card with your name on it? That may come down to company policy.)

When redeeming travel rewards, you want to get as much value as possible. If you can get more value by using your rewards than by using cash, then it's smart to do so. (And of course, the reverse also applies.) NerdWallet has calculated the baseline values of most major credit card points, airline miles and hotel points. When you get a value that exceeds these baselines, go ahead and use your rewards. If not, consider using cash.

For example, say you could book a trip by paying $400 cash for a ticket or by redeeming 50,000 points or miles. In that case, your points would be getting you a value of 0.8 cents apiece (50,000 x 0.8 cents = $400). If the baseline value of each point is 1 cent, then you're better off paying cash and saving the points for when you can redeem them for 1 cent or better.

That said, you don't want to be overthinking it and hoarding points indefinitely in search of the deal to end all deals. Like any other currency, travel rewards lose value over time. That flight that costs 50,000 points today might cost 55,000 next year. Do you have enough points to get you where you want to go, when you want to go, in the way you want to get there? If so, don't let fractions of a penny stop you from booking your trip. It's your money, and you get to decide how to spend it.

A number of travel credit cards come with "travel credits," which reimburse you for specific expenses. The Chase Sapphire Reserve® , for example, has a $300 annual travel credit; several cards offer credits toward things like airline fees or hotel bookings; and a bunch of cards have a credit for the application fee for TSA PreCheck or Global Entry .

The less restrictive a credit is, the easier it is to redeem. The easiest travel credit to redeem is one that:

Applies to a broad range of expenses. Some credits are very fickle. You may get $200 a year in "airline credit," but it applies only to incidental fees (not airfare) on a single airline that you have to choose ahead of time. A card may offer hundreds of dollars in credit toward travel, but you have to go through the issuer's booking portal, where rates may be more expensive and options more limited. Other credits, however, are broad and open-ended: $300 on any travel expense, $100 toward any airline booking, and so on.

Shows up automatically on your statement. Your issuer's system should be able to recognize qualifying expenses and then apply the credit to them without you having to do anything. If the only way to receive the credit is by calling a phone number or submitting receipts or other documentation, that makes it harder to redeem, which in turn makes it less likely that you'll redeem (and that may be the point).

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How to set up a travel notice on Schwab Mobile

Transcript of the video:

Upbeat music plays throughout

Video intro plays

Narrator: Looking to set up travel notices on one or more of your Schwab issued debit cards using Schwab Mobile?

Screen fades to Schwab home page

Narrator: Travel notices help inform Schwab about activity outside of your usual routine, allowing for more effective monitoring of your account. To get started, navigate to your profile, then tap Manage Cards.

My profile icon is tapped, then Manage Cards is selected

Narrator: Select Set up Travel Notices. Then tap Add Travel.

Set up Travel Notices is selected, then Add Travel is tapped

Narrator: First, select the card that you’d like to add a travel notice for.

A card is selected

Narrator: It’s important to note that if you’d like to set up a travel notice for multiple cards on your account, you’ll need to add them individually. Select Set up Travel Notices, then tap Add Travel.

Narrator: Fill out the relevant details about your travel notice on your screen, then tap Continue.

The travel notice form is filled out, then Continue is tapped

Narrator: Once you confirm that the information you’ve entered is correct, tap Submit Travel Notice and you’re done.

Submit Travel Notice is tapped

Narrator: If you’d like to submit another travel notice, tap on Create Another Notice, otherwise select Done.

Done is selected

Narrator: To delete a travel notice, swipe left on the travel notice you’d like to delete, then tap Delete.

The travel notice is deleted

Video outro plays

Have travel plans? Schwab Mobile makes it easy to set up travel notices on your Schwab issued debit card.

Download Schwab Mobile app App Store® or Google Play™

How credit cards can help you cope with travel troubles

“Revenge travel” has been a big theme the past couple of years as Americans have been raring to go here, there and everywhere after hunkering down during the COVID-19 pandemic.

As a result, the Transportation Security Administration screened a record-high 858.5 million passengers in 2023.

But it hasn’t been a smooth ride for travelers. In fact, if you flew in 2022 or 2023, there was a one-in-five chance your flight was delayed, according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics.

Cancellations were an especially big problem in 2022, when the airline industry had a tough time ramping back up after the pandemic.

That year, 2.7% of flights were scrapped entirely, often due to staffing and/or equipment shortages.

Last year, however, the cancellation rate was a mere 1.3%. Higher prices – not cancellations or delays – were travelers’ biggest concern last summer and last holiday season, according to Bankrate research.

Still, there can be hidden costs associated with delays, cancellations and other travel snafus.

For instance, my family flew from New Jersey to California last month, and both of our flights were delayed about two hours.

With two young kids in tow, our nerves were strained more than our wallets, though we still ended up spending a bit extra on food (which isn’t cheap when even a basic airport sandwich seems to cost at least $15).

I’ve had a few other travel experiences in recent years which made me wish I had paid with a credit card with strong travel insurance benefits.

These perks wouldn’t have kicked in for my two-hour delay, but they definitely could have helped me out the time my flight from Chicago to New York was diverted to Virginia in the middle of the night and the airline basically just left us there.

Or the two times in 2022 when airlines canceled our flights the night before they were scheduled to leave (seemingly due to operational issues) and couldn’t rebook us for several days – or when I came down with COVID and had to cancel a trip last fall.

Travel insurance benefits

Not all travel insurance benefits cover the same situations, but here are a few of the most common credit card travel insurance policy perks:

• Trip delay reimbursement

• Trip cancellation or interruption insurance

• Baggage delay protection

• Lost or damaged baggage protection

• Medical evaluation

• Travel accident insurance

• Auto rental collision insurance

The Chase Sapphire PreferredⓇ Card is a great example.

For a fairly modest $95 annual fee, it offers a lot of travel insurance (among other perks).

In my estimation, its trip cancellation/interruption benefit (up to $10,000 per person and $20,000 per trip) should have applied to both of my 2022 flight cancellations.

I ended up getting those refunded by the airlines and booked new flights on different carriers (since the original carriers couldn’t accommodate us until nearly a week later), but that cost extra.

If I had paid for my original airline tickets with this card, I believe that Chase would have reimbursed me for the difference between my canceled flights and my new bookings (although I would have had to request that refund through a claims administrator).

But there’s a chance my request would not have been approved, perhaps if the company argued I should have taken the airline up on its offer to fly a few days later, rather than rebooking myself more immediately at a higher cost on a different airline.

These programs aren’t always easy to navigate; a coworker needed to be very persistent and had to submit several rounds of documentation to win a reimbursement claim involving the Chase Sapphire Reserve and a trip disrupted by a hurricane.

I wish it were easier to use, but this coverage can still be very valuable.

For a heftier annual fee ($550), the Sapphire Reserve offers better trip delay insurance, triggering after six hours or an overnight delay, while the Sapphire Preferred triggers after 12 hours or an overnight delay.

Both the Sapphire Preferred and the Sapphire Reserve offer the same primary rental car insurance, trip delay insurance (up to $500 per ticket), delayed baggage insurance, emergency medical coverage and more.

Both cards would have been useful the time I got stranded in Virginia (I ended up renting a car and driving about five hours to get home; my company paid for that since it was a business trip, but if it had been a personal trip, I likely could have gotten a reimbursement from a travel card with good trip cancellation/interruption protections).

The Platinum Card from American Express and the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card also made our list of the best credit cards for travel insurance.

It’s also worth asking what the airline, hotel or rental car agency can do for you if you need to cancel.

I lost out on a prepaid rental reservation in 2020 when I was afraid to travel in the early days of the pandemic.

But in 2023, when I had COVID and needed to cancel a hotel stay, the hotel generously refunded my supposedly non-refundable reservation. Perhaps it made a difference that I was actually sick that time instead of worried about potentially getting sick, but it never hurts to ask.

The bottom line

Many airlines and hotel chains have relaxed their change and cancellation policies in recent years.

So if you do encounter an unexpected issue, it’s a good rule of thumb to start with the travel supplier, and then pull in your credit card company as a backup.

For this reason, I think it only makes sense to pay for travel insurance if you have a particularly complicated or expensive itinerary (especially an international trip).

Often, that coverage is comparable to what you may already qualify for between your credit cards and the travel suppliers’ policies.

Paying with a credit card that has strong travel insurance benefits can provide additional assistance without adding to the cost.

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Airlines must cough up cancellation cash and can no longer hide fees under new federal rule

A federal rule announced Wednesday will require airlines to quickly give cash refunds — without lengthy arguments — to passengers whose flights have been canceled or seriously delayed, the Biden administration said.

“Passengers deserve to get their money back when an airline owes them — without headaches or haggling,” Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in a statement.

The rule from the Transportation Department says passengers who decline other reimbursement like travel credits are to get cash refunds.

It applies when a flight is canceled or has a “significant change,” the administration said.A “significant change” includes when departure or arrival times are three or more hours different from the scheduled times for domestic flights or six hours for international flights, and when the airport is changed or connections are added, it said.

Passengers are also to get refunds when their baggage is 12 hours late in delivery for domestic flights.

The new rule comes after promises to hold airlines accountable after major disruptions that made travel hell for passengers, including the 2022 Southwest Airlines meltdown , which resulted in almost 17,000 significantly delayed or canceled flights and a missing baggage nightmare.

The Transportation Department said that the new rule means refunds are automatic and that "airlines must automatically issue refunds without passengers having to explicitly request them or jump through hoops."

Also announced Wednesday was a rule requiring airlines to more clearly disclose so-called junk fees upfront, such as surprise baggage or other fees, the department said.

It said that rule is expected to save fliers around $500 million a year.

The surprise fees are used so tickets look cheaper than they really are, and then fliers get the unwelcome surprise of fees on checked bags, carry-on bags or reservation changes — or even discounts that are advertised but apply to only part of the ticket price, officials said.

Airlines will also have to tell fliers clearly that their seats are guaranteed and that they don't have to pay extra to ensure they have seats for flights, according to the Transportation Department.

Airlines for America, an industry trade group, said that its member airlines “offer transparency and vast choice to consumers from first search to touchdown” and that they do offer cash refunds.

The 11 largest U.S. airlines returned $10.9 billion in cash refunds last year, an increase over $7.5 billion in 2019 but slightly down from $11.2 billion in 2022, the group said.

“U.S. airlines are providing more options and better services while ticket prices, including ancillary revenues, are at historic lows,” Airlines for America said.

Left out of the federal changes announced Wednesday are those involving "family seating fees," but the Transportation Department said in a statement that "DOT is planning to propose a separate rule that bans airlines from charging these junk fees."

Travelers have complained to the Transportation Department that children weren’t seated next to accompanying adults, including in some cases young children, department officials said last year.

Fees on bags specifically have made up an increasing amount of airline revenues, the Transportation Department said Wednesday in announcing the new rules.

A Transportation Department analysis found that airline revenue from baggage fees increased 30% from 2018 to 2022, while operating revenue — which is from the flights themselves — increased by only half that amount, the department said.

Jay Blackman is an NBC News producer covering such areas as transportation, space, medical and consumer issues.

Phil Helsel is a reporter for NBC News.

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COMMENTS

Do You Need To Put Travel Alerts On Your Credit Cards?
You only need to set one alert per bank, so if you have two cards with American Express, for instance, you only need to set one alert. For banks that have a secure message function, login and ...
How to Set a Credit Card Travel Notification
Chase. To set a Chase travel notification, start by logging into your online account: Click on the icon with three horizontal bars at the top left of your screen. Click on "Profile & Settings.". Scroll down to the bottom under "More Settings" and click on "Travel.". Click on "Update" at the far-right side of the credit card section.
Do I need to notify a credit card company when traveling?
Risks of not filing a credit card travel notice. If you don't give your credit card issuer a travel notice, the company won't know that you'll be making purchases in a new location. If the company starts to see charges on your credit card from a different state or country, it may flag these transactions as fraud. ...
Do you need to set up travel alerts on your credit cards?
Ideally, this card would be from a different card issuer and work with a different payment network, which minimizes the chance that neither card will work. Related: Best travel credit cards. Bottom line. From full flights to weather delays to traffic, travel can be stressful — and that's without any financial issues.
Setting a Credit Card Travel Notice
A travel notice can help your credit card issuer or bank know when any transactions are made while traveling. You may not need to notify your bank or credit card issuer of your travel plans, thanks to improvements in fraud detection technology and security. You don't need to alert Capital One of your travel plans, and your credit card is ...
Credit Card Travel Alerts: How to Set Them (and Why You ...
Citi lets you set up travel notifications through your online portal . To set the alert: Visit the travel alert page. Click Set Up/Manage and sign in to your account. Select your card and click ...
How to Set Up Credit Card Travel Notifications
Credit card issuers have made adding travel alerts easy and advise creating them, especially for trips abroad, to ensure seamless card usage. Putting a travel notification on your credit card may ...
Should You Notify Credit Card Company Of Travel Plans?
Capital One doesn't recommend travel notifications. Capital One also states that you don't have to report any upcoming travel plans: You do not need to notify us of your travel, we've already got your credit card covered. With the added security of your Capital One chip card, travel notifications are not needed. That's right!
Do you need to set up travel alerts on your credit cards?
Travel advisories; Travel tips; Tools. TPG app. Improve earnings, maximize rewards and track progress toward dream trips. Plus, your own feed of TPG content. TPG points valuation. ... Find the right card for you. We'll run a soft credit check to find special offers, but it won't affect your credit score. ...
Should I Alert Chase if I Plan to Travel With My Credit Card?
You can receive fraud alerts by phone, email, or both, depending on your account settings. ... If you go outside the country and spend $1,000, a travel credit card would save you $30 in ...
How to Set a Travel Notice for Your Credit Cards
Our favorite Bank of America travel credit card: If you don't want to pay an annual fee, the Bank of America® Travel Rewards Credit Card might work for you. You'll earn 3X points per dollar at the Bank of America travel center and 1.5X points on everything else. After you make $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days, you'll earn 25,000 ...
How to Set Up a Chase Travel Notice (And Why You Should Do It) [2021]
To set up a Chase credit card or debit card travel notice, it only take a few steps. The first thing that you need to do is log-in to your Chase account. Once you are logged in, click on "Account management" and then click "Profile and settings.". This will all be found at the top of your screen as pictured below.
Do I Need To Set Up a Travel Notice for Chase Credit Cards?
This allowed your Chase credit cards to be used outside the U.S. without problems. Thankfully, it's no longer necessary to set up a travel alert notification with Chase when you're planning to travel outside the U.S. Putting a travel alert on your Chase account before traveling abroad is now unnecessary. Photo Credit: Shutterstock.com.
Travel Alerts FAQ
In addition, the credit card you use to book travel may also offer benefits that cover COVID-19-related costs and cancellations. What if I need to change my flight due to a positive COVID-19 test result? ... Where can I get more information on government travel alerts and warnings?
Travel Notifications
Placing a travel notification. You can place a travel notification in three different ways: Select the Add travel notification button at the top of this page and follow the instructions. Use the Fidelity mobile app to add a travel notification. Call the Cardmember Service number on the back of your card.
Citi® Card Benefits
Resources. ®. 1-800-347-4934. Outside of the United States, Call Citi collect at: 605-335-2222. (TTY: We accept 711 or other Relay Service) 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. We also recommend you download the Citi Mobile ® App to monitor your transactions on the go. To download the Citi Mobile app, text "APP35" to MYCITI (692484).
Best Travel Credit Cards of May 2024
NerdWallet's . Best Travel Credit Cards of May 2024. Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card: Best for Max flexibility + big bonus. Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card: Best for Flat-rate rewards ...
Credit Card Travel Portals: A Quick Guide
Bottom Line. Credit card travel portals fill an important need for reward travelers: You can often book flights or hotels that would be unavailable through branded loyalty programs. Cardholders ...
How to set up a travel notice on Schwab Mobile
Set up Travel Notices is selected, then Add Travel is tapped. Narrator: First, select the card that you'd like to add a travel notice for. A card is selected. Narrator: It's important to note that if you'd like to set up a travel notice for multiple cards on your account, you'll need to add them individually.
How credit cards can help you cope with travel troubles
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What is a credit card travel notice?

Why should you notify your credit card company of travel?

Do you need to notify your credit card company?

Traveling outside your city

Traveling outside your state

Traveling outside your country

Which credit cards require a travel notice?

Multiple credit cards

Risks of not filing a credit card travel notice

How to notify your credit card company of travel

Setting your travel notice online or through a mobile app

Setting your travel notice over the phone or in-person

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Capital One Main Navigation

Should you send a credit card travel notice?

Earn 75,000 bonus miles

What is a credit card travel notice?

Do credit card companies require a travel notice?

How to notify a bank or issuer about your travel plans

Capital One travel notices

Traveling with a Capital One credit card

Credit card travel notices in a nutshell

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You booked travel on the card

The location of your card activity

You're a frequent traveler

Travel Alerts for Top U.S. Card Issuers

American Express

Bank of America

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Make Sure Your Contact Info is Up to Date

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How to Set Up Credit Card Travel Notifications

What Are Travel Notifications?

How to Set Up Travel Notifications

Don't Forget About Debit Cards

Do you need to set up travel alerts on your credit cards?

What is a travel alert?

How to set American Express travel alerts

How to set Bank of America travel alerts

How to set Capital One travel alerts

How to set Chase travel alerts

How to set Citi travel alerts

What if a travel alert doesn't work?

Bottom line

How to Set a Travel Notice for Your Credit Cards

What Is a Credit Card Travel Notice?

How to Set Up Travel Notices for 8 Major Credit Card Issuers

Chase travel notice

Insider tip

Setting up a travel notice with the Chase bank app

American Express travel notice

Capital One travel notice

Bank of America travel notice

Citi travel notice

Discover travel notice

PNC travel notice

Wells Fargo travel notice

4 Things to Consider When Choosing a Travel Credit Card

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How to Set Up a Chase Travel Notice (And Why You Should Do It) [2021]

How to Set Up a Chase credit card travel notice

Setting up the notification by phone

Setting up the Chase travel notification online

Setting up the Chase travel notification online (old interface)

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Chase bank travel notice

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