Which Chase Sapphire Has No Foreign Transaction Fee?

Chase Sapphire Preferred® and Chase Sapphire Reserve® are great for travel as they both have no foreign transaction fees. But there are some differences you need to know. Read on before you take off.

Chase offers 2 cards in their Sapphire family: Preferred and Reserve. Neither card has a foreign transaction fee. They offer good rewards, great redemption value, and useful travel benefits.

If you travel at least once a year, you should apply for the Preferred card. If you travel several times a year, you must take advantage of the sign-up bonus and $300 annual travel credit with Reserve.

In this article, we'll explain which Chase Sapphire is better for you.

What Is a Foreign Transaction Fee?

Many banks charge a foreign transaction fee (FTF) for purchases made abroad - usually 3% of your purchase. Anytime you use your card abroad, you'll be paying an additional 3%.

This can add up to a lot. If you charge $1,000 on food, shopping, and activities on your trip, that's an extra $30 in fees.

A credit card with no FTF will save you from these unnecessary fees. This is the best option for making purchases abroad.

In comparison, foreign ATMs will incur high ATM fees, while currency exchanges usually have terrible exchange rates.

No Foreign Transaction Fee

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Sapphire Cards with No Foreign Transaction Fee

Luckily, the Chase Sapphire Preferred and Reserve do not have a FTF. Here are overviews of the Preferred and Reserve cards:

	Apply Now	Apply Now
	Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card	Chase Sapphire Reserve®
	Interest Rates and Fees
Purchase APR	20.99% to 27.99% Variable based on your creditworthiness and other factors	21.99% to 28.99% Variable based on your creditworthiness and other factors
Balance Transfers APR	20.99% to 27.99% Variable based on your creditworthiness and other factors	21.99% to 28.99% Variable based on your creditworthiness and other factors
Annual Fee	$95 annual fee	$550 annual fee
	Benefits and Features
Introductory Bonus Offer	Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.	Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
Travel Rewards	Enjoy benefits such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases, $50 Annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit, plus more.	Earn 5x total points on flights and 10x total points on hotels and car rentals when you purchase travel through Chase Travel℠ immediately after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually. Earn 3x points on other travel and dining & 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases. 1:1 point transfer to leading airline and hotel loyalty programs
Airline Rewards	1:1 point transfer to leading airline and hotel loyalty programs	1:1 point transfer to leading airline and hotel loyalty programs
Bonus Hotel Rewards	$50 Annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit
Hotel Rewards	1:1 point transfer to leading airline and hotel loyalty programs	1:1 point transfer to leading airline and hotel loyalty programs
Point Rewards	Enjoy benefits such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases, $50 Annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit, plus more.	Earn 5x total points on flights and 10x total points on hotels and car rentals when you purchase travel through Chase Travel℠ immediately after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually. Earn 3x points on other travel and dining & 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases
Airline Status		$300 Annual Travel Credit as reimbursement for travel purchases charged to your card each account anniversary year. Complimentary Priority Pass™ Select membership for access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide. One-time enrollment required for Priority Pass Select
Dining Rewards	3X points on dining	3x points on dining at restaurants
Airline Transfer Partners	Chase airline transfer partners include United Airlines, Southwest Airlines, JetBlue, British Airways, Air Canada, Air France, Singapore Airlines, Virgin Atlantic, Iberia, Emirates, and Aer Lingus.	Chase airline transfer partners include United Airlines, Southwest Airlines, JetBlue, British Airways, Air Canada, Air France, Singapore Airlines, Virgin Atlantic, Iberia, Emirates, and Aer Lingus.
	Apply Now	Apply Now

Which One Is Better for You?

If you're more of a casual traveler, start with the Sapphire Preferred. The much smaller annual fee is easier to swallow. The sign-up bonus is very generous for the annual fee.

If you travel often, the Sapphire Reserve will usually come out ahead for you. The 3x points on travel immediately after earning your $300 travel credit and 3x points on dining will allow you to rack up points faster. And the better value on the Ultimate Rewards travel portal means bigger savings. Frequent travelers will also love the luxury perks, like lounge access through Priority Pass Select.

Chase Sapphire Reserve

Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

Click Here to See Terms

See our detailed comparison and analysis of the two cards.

Bottom Line

Either Chase Sapphire Preferred and Reserve card will make an ideal companion for trips abroad. Neither card has that dreaded foreign transaction fee. So you can feel free to pay for hotels, dine, shop, and go on fun tours… all without worrying about extra foreign transaction fees.

If you're more of a casual traveler, start with the Sapphire Preferred. You get:

• Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
• Enjoy benefits such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases, $50 Annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit, plus more.
• Get 25% more value when you redeem for airfare, hotels, car rentals and cruises through Chase Travel℠. For example, 60,000 points are worth $750 toward travel.
• Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more.
• Get complimentary access to DashPass which unlocks $0 delivery fees and lower service fees for a minimum of one year when you activate by December 31, 2027.
• Member FDIC

If you travel often, the Sapphire Reserve will usually come out ahead. You get:

• Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
• $300 Annual Travel Credit as reimbursement for travel purchases charged to your card each account anniversary year.
• Earn 5x total points on flights and 10x total points on hotels and car rentals when you purchase travel through Chase Travel℠ immediately after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually. Earn 3x points on other travel and dining & 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases
• Get 50% more value when you redeem your points for travel through Chase Travel℠. For example, 60,000 points are worth $900 toward travel.
• Get complimentary access to DashPass which unlocks $0 delivery fees and lower service fees for a minimum of one year when you activate by December 31, 2027.
• 1:1 point transfer to leading airline and hotel loyalty programs
• Access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide after an easy, one-time enrollment in Priority Pass™ Select and up to $100 application fee credit every four years for Global Entry, NEXUS, or TSA PreCheck®
• Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more.
• Member FDIC

Chase Sapphire Reserve

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