The Chase Sapphire Card for International Payments

Here’s what you should know about the Chase Sapphire credit cards and their handling of international payments:

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Foreign Transaction Fees — None at All​

• Both Chase Sapphire Preferred® and Chase Sapphire Reserve® cards charge no foreign transaction fees. That means when you make a purchase abroad or with a foreign merchant, you avoid that typical 1–3% surcharge. Kiplinger+13Chase Credit Cards+13Chase Credit Cards+13
• For example, spending $5,000 internationally would save you approximately $150. Chase Credit Cards+1

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How Foreign Currency Conversions Work​

• Purchases made in currencies other than USD are converted to dollars by the Visa network (since Sapphire cards are Visa) using their current exchange rate at processing time. This rate may differ from the rate in effect when you made the purchase. Chase Credit Cards+4Wise+4Reddit+4
• While there’s no separate foreign transaction fee, the applied exchange rate could include some hidden markup. Wise

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Travel Protections & Perks When Using Internationally​

Both Sapphire cards offer robust travel benefits—all the more valuable when you're abroad:

• Trip Delay Reimbursement (e.g., up to $500 per traveler if delayed 12+ hours)
• Trip Cancellation or Interruption Insurance (up to $10,000 per traveler, $20,000 per trip)
• Baggage Delay/Lost Luggage Coverage (e.g., $100/day for 5 days; lost luggage up to $3,000 per person)
• Primary Auto Rental Insurance, Travel Accident Insurance, and more businessinsider.com+15Chase+15FinanceBuzz+15FinanceBuzzKiplinger

The Kiplinger guide also notes that these cards provide up to $500 per passenger/per night trip delay coverage—even for flights booked with points. Kiplinger

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Practical Travel Tips for Using the Card Abroad​

• Always pay in local currency, not USD, to avoid dynamic currency conversion (DCC), which usually applies a poor exchange rate and extra fees. Chase+2businessinsider.com+2
• No need to set travel notifications—the Sapphire cards are smart enough not to block legitimate overseas purchases. FinanceBuzz
• Consider carrying at least one backup card or some cash. Some merchants—especially in places like Japan or local shops—may not accept credit cards. RedditChase

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Summary Table​

Feature	Chase Sapphire Preferred® / Reserve®
Foreign Transaction Fee	$0
Currency Conversion	At Visa rate; no additional markup disclosed
Travel Provisions	Extensive (delay, baggage, rental, interruption)
Travel Notification Required	No
DCC Best Practice	Always choose local currency
Backup Options Recommended	Yes—cash or another card

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Final Thoughts​

If you plan to travel internationally or shop with foreign merchants, both the Sapphire Preferred and Sapphire Reserve cards are excellent choices. They offer fee-free international purchases, strong travel protection, and good global acceptance. Simply ensure you pay in the local currency and carry a backup just in case.

Let me know if you’d like a comparison of the two cards, or help calculating whether their annual fees are worth it for your travel habits!

Tip from Brother Flynn...
The Chase Sapphire card is very hight in APR. So when I buy something, I send a bank transaction at it on the spot to keep the money paying off the card to avoid interest charges. With this card you can fly the globe. I'm just a customer. But it feels good to have that in your wallet. There are many benefits. Mine costs me an annual $95 fee. But worth it. I just had to pay for a car to pick me up at the Bangkok airport to take me to my hotel. $1200 Thai BHT, under $50.
"Good boys to to heaven and Bad boys go to Bangkok!"

Bangkok Fun click me

 

[Moses]

That is a sweet deal, that is amazing! What it offers.