Chase Credit Cards Get This Wrong

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First, I must say, I absolutely love my Chase credit cards.  Because of Chase Ultimate Rewards points, I’ve had amazing travel experiences using miles instead of money.  So I don’t want to sound like I’m not super grateful.  I am.

But I’d use certain Chase credit cards a lot more if they dropped this outdated policy.  And I’m not talking about the Chase 5-24 rule either.

Here are the 6 awesome Chase credit cards I have.  I’ll tell you which get this policy wrong and which get it right.  See if you can figure it out before I reveal the answer. 🙂

• Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card — The most important credit card I have.  Period.  Gets it right.
• Ink Business Cash℠ Credit Card – top-notch 5X categories.  But has the policy I don’t like.
• Ink Business Unlimited℠ Credit Card – good general-use card but has the policy I don’t like.
• The World Of Hyatt Credit Card – gets it right
• IHG® Rewards Club Premier Credit Card — gets it right
• Chase Freedom – Unfortunately it has the policy that I want changed.

The Chase credit card I most covet is the Ink Business Preferred℠ Credit Card.  Thankfully, it gets it completely right.

When All Chase Credit Cards Follow This, I’ll Use Them All While Traveling

The answer is… foreign transaction fees!  I despise this nonsense charge.  When I’m outside the US I’m constantly using and earning points on my

• Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card – for 2X on travel and dining
• The World Of Hyatt Credit Card – when I have a paid Hyatt stay
• IHG® Rewards Club Premier Credit Card — when I have a paid IHG stay

But…

I’d be using my Freedom, Ink Cash, and Ink Unlimited credit cards while in Europe, the Caribbean, and everywhere else too, if only they finally ditch the international fee.  These are 3 cards I use all the time while in the US.  But oh well, I switch that spending to competitor credit cards that don’t tack on the ridiculous fee.

You might counter, well, Freedom, Ink Cash, and Ink Unlimited are no annual fee credit cards.

And?!

Capital One and Discover don’t add foreign transaction fees to their no annual fee credit cards.  I mean, I end up switching some of my international spending to my Capital One® Quicksilver® Cash Rewards Credit Card.  

Goodness, even the no annual fee Wells Fargo Propel American Express® card doesn’t charge a foreign transaction fee.  That card is a little bit overlooked in the travel credit card community.  Quick run-down:

And you earn 3X points for eating out and ordering in, which is super useful when you’re visiting another country.  The 3X at gas stations, rideshares, and transit also comes into play while exploring a new place outside the US.

Chase credit cards are my favorite because I find them to be the most valuable and easy to use to get incredible travel experiences.  So I’d like them to match the competition and remove the foreign transaction fees.

Bottom Line

If Chase stopped it with the foreign transaction fees, I’d be using all 6 of my Chase credit cards on just about every trip outside the country.  Here are the 3 I’ll be using on my upcoming winter trip to the warm, sunny beaches of the Dominican Republic:

• Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card — #1 for folks new to using travel miles instead money.  This card is key.
• IHG® Rewards Club Premier Credit Card — I’ll use it if I book an IHG stay; not sure yet.
• The World Of Hyatt Credit Card – I’m staying at an Airbnb but I might (should!) go to a local fitness club.  The Hyatt card gives you a nice little bonus on that.

The next Chase credit card I want is the Ink Business Preferred℠ Credit Card. 

I look forward to using it everywhere (not just in America) because it has no foreign transaction fee.  The sign-up bonus of 80,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points (after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening) is just too good to pass up.

And I’ll be rocking the 3X Chase Ultimate Rewards points for every $1 spent on travel.

Fine print:  You earn triple Chase points for every $1 you spend on travel, shipping purchases, internet, cable and phone services, advertising purchases made with social media sites, and search engines up to a maximum of $150,000 in combined purchases per account anniversary year.

Again, I’m very grateful for the experiences I’ve had thanks to Chase credit cards and points like Business Class flights to Europe, free luxury resorts on the beach, award stays at fancy hotels in fun cities, and more.  So maybe it’s a small gripe in the grand view of things.  But I’d use my Chase credit cards even more if they’d make this policy update!