Use the right credit cards to pay smart for your next vacation

By Justin Boyle

There's almost nothing better to do with leisure time than travel. The world is huge, and global trends in media and commerce are making it more accessible than ever to regular working people like you and me.

The warm season is a popular time to get away from home for a while, whether it's to the balmy summer beaches of the Mediterranean or the autumns and winters of Argentina, Australia and other destinations in the southern hemisphere. The right credit cards can help you pay smart for your travels abroad, earning you miles, points and other rewards while helping you avoid surcharges and fees that might surprise less savvy travelers.

There are two types of travel plastic to keep at hand: credit cards with miles promotions and credit cards with no foreign transaction fee.

Credit cards with miles promotions

The first step in any vacation to foreign soil is getting there, and using a card with no foreign transaction fee airline credit card or a bank-sponsored card that offers a strong airline benefits package can make that first step a breeze. Some cards offer double and triple points for flights booked through certain carriers, and more cards than ever are allowing points redemption for international travel.

Credit cards with no foreign transaction fee

Foreign transaction fees snuck up and surprised quite a few friends of mine who studied abroad in college. When a charge has to switch currencies -- from dollar to euro, Read the full article »

By Doresa Banning

Editor's Note: Thank you for your interest, this offer expired and is no longer available.

If you're a frequent Costco shopper, consider the TrueEarnings® Card from Costco and American Express, which can earn you cash back rewards on your purchases and doubles as a Costco membership.

Offers a 0 percent introductory APR on purchases for 6 months after that your APR will be a variable rate currently 15.24%.

As with all credit and charge card offers be sure to read all the disclosures on the issuers online card application page before you apply. Because rates and offers from advertisers shown on this website change frequently, please visit referenced sites for current information. For more information or to fill out an application, visit the application page TrueEarnings® Card from Costco and American Express.

By Doresa Banning

The United MileagePlus Explorer Card from Chase is ideal if you fly often on United Airlines and want to earn travel rewards from your credit card and other travel benefits.

Features:

• Start with 30,000 bonus miles after your spend $1,000 in the first 3 month
• Check your first bag for free - save up to $100 per roundtrip
• Earn double miles on United ticket purchases, and 1 mile per $1 on all other purchases
• Enjoy priority boarding privileges
• Visit the United Club with two one-time-use passes every year
• Use your miles for any seat, any time, on any United flight
• Your miles don't expire as long as you're a cardmember, with no limit to the number of miles you can earn

Fees:

• $0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95
• Balance transfer fee: Either $5 or 3 percent of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater.
• See card offer for full terms and conditions

United MileagePlus Explorer Card from Chase

By Megg Mueller

Did you know JPMorgan Chase offers a credit card made out of gold and palladium? No? Not surprising, as the Palladium Card is only offered by invitation to a select few. Reading about it in a recent Bloomberg story, I found myself wondering, "Who does Chase think it is, American Express?" Well apparently, AmEx is thinking the same thing.

The Street reports American Express vice chairman Ed Gilligan told a group of investors recently that "...Chase in particular certainly has been executing well their strategy, but their strategy seems to be to follow American Express's strategy from a couple of years ago."

AmEx has long had the reputation of being the card of the rich and famous, but Chase now appears to be chasing that same affluent customer. While the Chase Palladium comes with many perks (deals on private jet service, anyone?) it also has a steep annual fee of $595. But that still doesn't even come close to the American Express Black Card which has not only a $5,000 initiation fee, but an annual fee of $2,500.

But for those of us not quite so highbrow, how do the two companies' ordinary flagship rewards credit cards stack up? For those with a healthy budget, a look at the JPMorgan Select Visa and the American Express Gold Card reveals a couple of similarities: travel insurance offers, and no blackout dates for travel booked with rewards points. But that's where the comparable features end:

JPMorgan Select Visa

Editor's Note: Thank you Read the full article »