How Do You Avoid Paying International Credit Card Transaction Fees?
• If you can, try to use your debit card as much as possible. Banks usually charge only a few dollars (if any at all) for ATM withdrawals, plus the foreign currency rate you’ll get from your bank is often significantly better than what you would get at a foreign currency exchange booth. • Use your debit card where ever possible, but make sure that the vendor runs it as a debit card and not as a credit card or you’ll get charged the fee. • Visit your local bank and inquire about applying for an international credit card that won’t charge you for international transactions. (Look into Discover and Capital One) Convert your money into the foreign currency prior to leaving the country. Most likely you’ll get a better exchange rate than you would if you went to a foreign currency exchange booth.
