What it is
A foreign transaction fee is a percentage added to purchases made abroad or in a foreign currency. It is often described as about 3% in total, commonly a network charge of about 1% plus an issuer charge of about 2%, but the exact amount depends on the card.
Many cards charge it and some cards don't. Look for “foreign transaction fee” in the card's terms.
Which purchases it applies to
Shops and restaurants in another country are the obvious case. Online orders from a merchant based abroad, or charged in another currency, can also trigger it even when you are at home.
If a terminal or website offers to charge you in US dollars instead of the local currency, that is called dynamic currency conversion. It can cost more and does not necessarily avoid the fee, so choosing the local currency is usually the safer choice.
How to tell if your card charges it
Look in the card's terms, in the table of rates and fees. Your statement usually shows the fee as its own line.
Cards that don't charge it usually say so as a feature. It is a property of the card, not a setting you can turn off.
Compare cards when you travel
Subtract the fee from the rewards. A card that earns 3% abroad but charges a 3% fee nets about 0%. A card that earns 1.5% with no fee nets 1.5%.
That is why a card with lower rewards and no fee can beat one with higher rewards and a fee when you are abroad.
Check it in Rune
Choose your spending location in Rune. When it is not the card's home country, Rune counts the card's foreign-spending bonus, subtracts the foreign transaction fee and compares your cards. A card whose fee has not been verified is not charged one.
Fees come from public sources and can change, so confirm with your issuer before you travel.
Compare your cards abroad in Rune
Based on public sources as of 2026-11. Fees differ by card and can change; check your card's terms.