Why we recommend it: While the United States still uses magnetic strip credit cards, the standard in European and Asian countries nowadays is EMV microchip technology embedded in the card. As a result, your current credit or debit card may be declined by some merchants abroad. To make sure you never risk that issue, U.S. Bank’s FlexPerks Travel Rewards Visa is one of the few US credit cards that features both EMV chip technology and the magnetic strip. For those who often travel internationally, having a credit card that will be accepted anywhere is a necessity. FlexPerks Travel Rewards Visa has a solid rewards program as well, with bonus offers and an earning base of 1 FlexPoint for every dollar spent to be redeemed for airline miles and various travel rewards.
Drawbacks: This card charges a 2 percent foreign transaction fee for every purchase and also requires a $49 annual fee after the first 12 months.
