What makes a card good for travel?

Low or no foreign transaction fees, travel rewards or airline points, and perks like complimentary insurance or lounge access. For many travellers, waiving the foreign fee matters most.

What is a foreign transaction fee?

A fee of around 3%, charged on purchases made overseas or in a foreign currency. A travel card that waives it can save a lot on a trip.

Is the complimentary travel insurance any good?

It can be valuable, but cover, limits and eligibility vary, and you often must activate it (for example, by paying for travel on the card). The policy terms set out the detail.

Can I withdraw cash overseas with a travel card?

You can, but overseas ATM withdrawals are usually treated as cash advances, attracting interest immediately and sometimes extra fees. The cost starts on the day of the withdrawal.

Do travel cards have annual fees?

Many do, funding the perks and rewards. For frequent travellers the savings and benefits can outweigh the fee; for occasional trips, a low or no-fee option may cost less.

Compare Travel Credit Cards

The cost that decides a travel card is the foreign transaction fee, charged on purchases in a foreign currency and on some Australian-dollar purchases processed overseas. Complimentary travel insurance, where a card offers it, usually requires you to pay a minimum amount of prepaid travel costs (often $500) with the card before you leave, and some cards require the full return fare. Purchase rates here start at 13.49% p.a. with Coles Credit Cards's Coles Low Rate Mastercard.

Rates checked against every provider’s own published data on 19 Oct 2026

	Actions
Bankwest	Purchase rate14.99%	Compare Bankwest Bankwest More World Mastercard	Intro 0% for 6 months on balance transfersFeatures: Rewards	A credit card for earning points to redeem for digital vouchers or cashback.
ING	Purchase rate16.99%	Compare ING Orange One Rewards Platinum	Features: Rewards	The credit card that comes with up to $30 a month cashback on your spend, and no ING international transaction fees when you shop overseas or online.
Coles Credit Cards	Purchase rate13.49%	Compare Coles Credit Cards Coles Low Rate Mastercard	Features: Rewards	The Product is rewards credit card that provides individuals with a line of credit facility abd the ability to earn Fluybuys Points on their shop purchases at Coles Supermarket.
BankVic	Purchase rate18.95%	Compare BankVic Qantas Credit Card	Intro 9.96% for 6 monthsFeatures: Rewards	For Police Association of Victoria, Australian Federal Police Association, Northern Territory Police Association, Victorian Ambulance Union and United Firefighters Union members
Bank of Melbourne	Purchase rate19.49%	Compare Bank of Melbourne Amplify Business	Business onlyFeatures: Rewards	Amplify Business is a personal liability business credit card that rewards you for your business expenses. Earn something more rewarding with uncapped points on eligible business purchases.
BankSA	Purchase rate19.49%	Compare BankSA Amplify Business	Business onlyFeatures: Rewards	Amplify Business is a personal liability business credit card that rewards you for your business expenses. Earn something more rewarding with uncapped points on eligible business purchases.
St.George Bank	Purchase rate19.49%	Compare St.George Bank Amplify Business	Business onlyFeatures: Rewards	Amplify Business is a personal liability business credit card that rewards you for your business expenses. Earn something more rewarding with uncapped points on eligible business purchases.
NAB	Purchase rate19.50%	Compare NAB NAB Qantas Business Signature Card	Business onlyFeatures: Rewards	Get more from your business credit card purchases. Maximise your Qantas Points.
Bankwest	Purchase rate19.99%	Compare Bankwest Bankwest Qantas Platinum Mastercard	Intro 2.99% for 9 months on balance transfersFeatures: Rewards	A credit card for earning unlimited Qantas Points.
Bendigo Bank	Purchase rate19.99%	Compare Bendigo Bank Qantas Business Credit Card	Business onlyFeatures: Rewards	With one of the lowest annual fees in the market, and a range of insurances, the Qantas Business Credit Card will help your points soar. You will also receive up to 55 days interest free on purchases.
Bendigo Bank	Purchase rate19.99%	Compare Bendigo Bank Qantas Platinum Credit Card	Features: Rewards	With one of the lowest annual fees in the market, and a competitive interest rate, make every day purchases using your Qantas Platinum Credit Card and watch your points soar. Plus, you will also…
Commonwealth Bank	Purchase rate19.99%	Compare Commonwealth Bank CommBank Qantas Business Rewards Credit Card	Business onlyFeatures: Rewards	Be rewarded for essential business spend and save on business travel. Take advantage of offers and partner discounts whilst purchasing with confidence and convenience knowing you are backed by two of…
Great Southern Bank	Purchase rate19.99%	Compare Great Southern Bank Platinum Credit Card	Features: Rewards	A Platinum VISA credit card with a monthly fee.

What is a travel credit card?

A travel credit card is built for spending overseas and earning rewards toward travel. The standout features are usually low or no foreign transaction fees, travel rewards or airline points, and perks such as complimentary insurance or airport lounge access.

Foreign transaction fees and overseas use

Standard cards often charge around 3% on overseas or foreign-currency purchases, which adds up fast on a trip. A travel card that waives this fee can save more than any rewards it earns. Overseas ATM withdrawals are usually cash advances, which attract interest immediately.

Travel perks: insurance and lounge access

Some travel cards bundle complimentary international travel insurance (subject to conditions and activation) and some include lounge passes or airline benefits. These perks can be worth more than the annual fee for frequent travellers, and the insurance terms set out cover and eligibility, which vary.

How travel credit cards compare

The foreign transaction fee, rewards and points, complimentary insurance, lounge access and the annual fee are the figures that separate them. Cards can be compared side by side, alongside frequent flyer cards and the credit cards hub.

Glossary

The key terms you’ll meet when comparing these products, reading product disclosures or talking to a provider.

Term	What it means
Annual fee	The yearly fee for holding the card, sometimes waived in the first year or reduced for higher spend.
Balance transfer	Moving debt from one card to another, often at a low or 0% introductory rate for a set period.
Complimentary travel insurance	Insurance bundled with some cards, typically subject to conditions and activation such as paying for travel on the card.
Earn rate	How many reward points you earn per dollar spent, which can vary by spend category.
Foreign transaction fee	A fee, often around 3%, on purchases made overseas or in a foreign currency.
Interest-free days	A period (often up to 44 or 55 days) where purchases attract no interest, provided you pay the closing balance in full.
Lounge access	Airport lounge entry included with some travel cards, often via a set number of passes or a membership.
Minimum repayment	The smallest amount you must pay each statement period to keep the account in order; paying only this means interest accrues.
Purchase rate	The interest rate charged on purchases that aren’t paid off by the due date.
Rewards points	Points earned on spending that can be redeemed for flights, gift cards, cashback or merchandise.

Term

What it means

Annual fee

The yearly fee for holding the card, sometimes waived in the first year or reduced for higher spend.

Balance transfer

Moving debt from one card to another, often at a low or 0% introductory rate for a set period.

Complimentary travel insurance

Insurance bundled with some cards, typically subject to conditions and activation such as paying for travel on the card.

Earn rate

How many reward points you earn per dollar spent, which can vary by spend category.

Foreign transaction fee

A fee, often around 3%, on purchases made overseas or in a foreign currency.

Interest-free days

A period (often up to 44 or 55 days) where purchases attract no interest, provided you pay the closing balance in full.

Lounge access

Airport lounge entry included with some travel cards, often via a set number of passes or a membership.

Minimum repayment

The smallest amount you must pay each statement period to keep the account in order; paying only this means interest accrues.

Purchase rate

The interest rate charged on purchases that aren’t paid off by the due date.

Rewards points

Points earned on spending that can be redeemed for flights, gift cards, cashback or merchandise.

Common questions

Rates and fees are sourced from each provider’s CDR Product Reference Data as of the date shown. They are general information only. Not credit advice. CompareThat is not a credit provider. Payment can change where a product appears, never which products we show.