Travel Debit and Credit Cards We Use
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In a nutshell, here is our Travel Debit and Credit Card Strategy:
- Booking flights directly with airlines: Amex Platinum Credit Card
- All Other Travel (including rideshare): Chase Sapphire Reserve
- Restaurants: American Express Gold Card (CSR when AMEX cannot be used)
- Getting Cash: Charles Schwab Debit Card
We have more cards listed below that cover our full set but, that covers the main set. As a couple and some of these cards may not be necessary as there could be overlap with a couple of items. I will do my best to point out where this may occur below. In addition, we travel full time so our strategy accounts for the various place we travel to and some of the limitations and restrictions the area may have. Now let’s get to it!
Debit Card Strategy
Our main purpose for our debit cards is to get cash when we need it. Although many credit cards have no foreign transaction fees, this does not account for any ATM fees or the cash advance fees associated with getting cash using a credit card. This is where the debit cards have a huge advantage, especially if you have a card that reimburses those ATM fees.
Charles Schwab Debit Card
The Charles Schwab Debit Card is a standard issue among frequent travelers. This is our primary choice when we need to get cash at an ATM. Check it out here.
Why this is a part of our Debit Card Strategy:
- Can be used for debit card transactions if necessary
- There are no foreign transaction fees
- ATM withdrawal fees are refunded at the end of every account statement cycle (We have had ATM fees as high as $10USD – Thanks Argentina!)
- No monthly fees
Things We Don’t Like:
- Transfers from your main bank account can take several days. This is not necessarily out of the ordinary but, it can be a nuisance if you want to avoid using your back up debit card that may not have the same benefits. More on that in our Money Strategy article.
Debit Card from a Major Bank
Most people already have one of these cards. This serves as a secondary debit card if we have an issue with the Schwab card. This is one of those duplications that may not be necessary, however, we do like to have back-ups. Even for us we typically keep this at our hotel or money belt since this does not have the benefit of no foreign transaction fees or ATM fee reimbursement.
Why this is a part of our Debit Card Strategy:
- Back up to Schwab Card
- Typically has more funds available than Schwab Card more on this in our Money Strategy Article
- Already had it in our wallets
- No monthly fees
Things We Don’t Like:
- Nothing in particular (Big bank politics aside).
Credit Card Strategy
Credit cards typically have two primary types of rewards. Cashback and points. For our debit and credit card strategy, we lean towards points vs. cashback, especially since most of the cards that have the best travel benefits typically have a points type reward.
Other benefits also include things like lounge access, insurance, TSA pre-check, etc. There is a long list of products on offer, so make sure you do your research on all of the different cards available to see what best fits your needs. We will also list some other resources below.
There are 4 major credit card networks available to consumers in the US. VISA, MasterCard, American Express and Discover. If that sentence confuses you or you are not familiar with the term, check out this article from Credit Karma that does a great job of explaining this. Our strategy incorporates various networks so that we have multiple options available to us at any time.
Keep in mind that we are only addressing the benefits and purpose that lead to our decision for acquiring these cards. We will provide links to review all of the current offers and the full benefits of each product.
Chase Sapphire Reserve
The Chase Sapphire Reserve is the main card that I use and as such is the card that the majority of spending happens on (we don’t pay separately for things we do together). You can view the benefits here. We also have other CHASE cards that we do not typically use while traveling outside of the US but if you are stateside most of the time check them out here.
Why this is a part of our Credit Card Strategy:
- $300 Annual Travel Credit
- 3X Points on Travel Worldwide, immediately after earning your $300 annual travel credit.
- 3X Points on Dining at Restaurants Worldwide. (if we can’t use our Amex Gold Card)
- TSA Pre-check and Global Entry
- Priority Pass Lounge Membership
- No Foreign Transaction Fees
- VISA Network
Things we don’t like:
- $450 annual fee
American Express Platinum Card
The American Express Platinum Card is AMEX’s top of the line card just short of the invite-only Black Card. Melanie got this card for some of the similar benefits to my Chase Sapphire Reserve. It is most often used these days for its reward benefit on airfare. Check out all of the benefits here.
Why this is a part of our Credit Card Strategy:
- 5x on airfare (booked directly with the airline) and hotels (booked through amextravel.com)
- $200 airline fee credit
- $200 in Uber credits (US only)
- Centurion Lounge access and more (including Priority Pass)
- Elite status with Hilton and Marriott
- Global Entry & TSA Pre-Check fee credit
- No Foreign Transaction Fees
- American Express Network
Things We Don’t Like:
- $550 Annual Fee
- AMEX not as widely accepted globally
American Express Gold (Rose) Card
I picked up the Rose Gold Amex Card during a promotion for additional rewards points when signing up. We currently use this card as the go-to for restaurants (we eat out way too much) when AMEX is excepted. There is also an airline credit fee we like to take advantage of. We have not decided yet if we will keep this forever but, it is staying for now. Check out all of the benefits here.
Why this is a part of our Credit Card Strategy:
- 4X points restaurants
- 4X points at US supermarkets ($25,000 per year limit)
- $120 Dining Credit ($10 per month at select restaurants)
- $100 Airline Fee Credit (ex. Baggage fees)
- No Foreign Transactions Fees
Things We Don’t’ Like:
- $95 Annual Fee (The first year – $250 after)
- AMEX not as widely accepted globally
HSBC Platinum Rewards Credit Card
I have the HSBC Platinum Rewards Credit Card as a backup in case we lose another card or if MasterCard is the only payment network available (rare that VISA isn’t excepted but, we like to keep the bases covered).
Why this is a part of our Credit Card Strategy:
- Backup for Kyle to use
- No Annual Fee
- No Foreign Transaction Fees
- PIN and contactless pay (before CHASE Sapphire cards were updated)
- MasterCard Network
Things We Don’t Like:
- Mobile App is not the best
Bank of America Travel Rewards Credit Card
Melanie got the Bank of America Travel Rewards Credit Card as a backup in case we lose another card or if American Express is not accepted (all too common that AMEX is not taken). Again, this card does not have a very high limit.
Why this is a part of our Credit Card Strategy:
- Backup card for Melanie to use
- No Annual Fee
- No Foreign Transaction Fees
- PIN and contactless pay
- VISA Network
Things We Don’t Like:
- Nothing in particular. It serves its purpose.
Apple Credit Card
Melanie also has the Apple Credit Card (issued via Goldman Sachs). This completes the trifecta of the three major networks since the Apple Card is a part of the MasterCard payment network. The big draw for this card: No fees. Check it out here.
Why this is a part of our Credit Card Strategy:
- Additional card for Melanie to use
- No Foreign Transaction Fees – No other fees at all actually
- No Annual Fee
- PIN and contactless pay
- 3% cash back on Apple Purchases (convenient since we have a lot of Apple products)
- Apple integration is convenient
- MasterCard Network
Things We Don’t Like:
- Nothing in particular. It serves its purpose.