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What You Need to Know About Citi Double Cash's Foreign Transaction Fee

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Lyle Daly
Author: Lyle Daly
Lyle Daly
Lyle Daly
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Lyle Daly is a personal finance writer who specializes in credit cards, travel rewards programs, and banking. His work with Motley Fool Money and The Motley Fool has appeared syndicated in USA Today and Yahoo! Finance. He was born in California but currently lives as a digital nomad with a home base in Colombia.

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Eric McWhinnie
Fact Checked: Eric McWhinnie
Eric McWhinnie
Eric McWhinnie

Eric McWhinnie has been writing and editing digital content since 2010. He specializes in personal finance and investing. He also holds a bachelor’s degree in Finance.

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Many or all of the products here are from our partners that compensate us. It’s how we make money. But our editorial integrity ensures that our product ratings are not influenced by compensation. Terms may apply to offers listed on this page.  Citi is an advertising partner of Motley Fool Money.

The Citi Double Cash® Card foreign transaction fee is 3% of the transaction amount in U.S. dollars. Among credit cards that charge foreign transaction fees, 3% is the most common amount.

A 3% fee may not amount to much on a single purchase, but it can add up over the course of a vacation. If you spend $3,000 with the Citi Double Cash® Card while outside the United States, that's $90 in foreign transaction fees.

In this guide, you'll learn when this card charges foreign transaction fees and how to avoid them.

How the Citi Double Cash foreign transaction fee works

Foreign transaction fees on the Citi Double Cash® Card apply to purchases made outside the United States. You can also incur foreign transaction fees for online purchases with international merchants, even if the purchase itself is being delivered to a U.S. address. The rule is that if a foreign bank is involved in the transaction, there will be a foreign transaction fee.

Ratings Methodology

Citi Double Cash® Card

Apply Now for Citi Double Cash® Card

On Citi's Secure Website.

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Citi Double Cash® Card
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Recommended Credit Score required for this offer is: Fair to Excellent (580-850)
Apply Now for Citi Double Cash® Card

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Fair to Excellent (580-850)

Intro APR

Purchases: N/A

Balance Transfers: 0%, 18 months on Balance Transfers

Regular APR

18.24% - 28.24% (Variable)

Rewards Circle with letter I in it. Earn 2% on every purchase with unlimited 1% cash back when you buy, plus an additional 1% as you pay for those purchases. To earn cash back, pay at least the minimum due on time. Plus, a special travel offer, earn 5% total cash back on hotel, car rentals and attractions booked on the Citi Travel℠ portal through 12/31/25.

2% cash back

Annual Fee Circle with letter I in it. N/A

$0

Welcome Offer Circle with letter I in it. Earn $200 cash back after you spend $1,500 on purchases in the first 6 months of account opening. This bonus offer will be fulfilled as 20,000 ThankYou® Points, which can be redeemed for $200 cash back.

$200

  • This card combines a top-notch balance transfer offer with best-in-class unlimited 2% cash back on purchases. There's no introductory APR for purchases, so you'll need to pay those off in full every month if you want to avoid interest charges.

    • High cash back
    • 0% intro APR balance transfer offer
    • No annual fee
    • Free credit score monitoring
    • Foreign transaction fee
    • No 0% intro APR on purchases
    • Earn $200 cash back after you spend $1,500 on purchases in the first 6 months of account opening. This bonus offer will be fulfilled as 20,000 ThankYou® Points, which can be redeemed for $200 cash back.
    • Earn 2% on every purchase with unlimited 1% cash back when you buy, plus an additional 1% as you pay for those purchases. To earn cash back, pay at least the minimum due on time. Plus, a special travel offer, earn 5% total cash back on hotel, car rentals and attractions booked on the Citi Travel℠ portal through 12/31/25.
    • Balance Transfer Only Offer: 0% intro APR on Balance Transfers for 18 months. After that, the variable APR will be 18.24% - 28.24%, based on your creditworthiness.
    • Balance Transfers do not earn cash back. Intro APR does not apply to purchases.
    • If you transfer a balance, interest will be charged on your purchases unless you pay your entire balance (including balance transfers) by the due date each month.
    • There is an intro balance transfer fee of 3% of each transfer (minimum $5) completed within the first 4 months of account opening. After that, your fee will be 5% of each transfer (minimum $5).

Transactions in other currencies will first be converted to U.S. dollars

After that, Citi adds the 3% foreign transaction fee. For example, if you buy a souvenir for 10 euros, Mastercard would convert it to U.S. dollars, and then Citi would charge an additional 3% of that amount.

Many international merchants offer a payment option called Dynamic Currency Conversion (DCC). This allows you to pay for the purchase in U.S. dollars instead of the local currency. It's better to decline this option.

Even if you accept DCC and pay in U.S. dollars, you'll still incur a foreign transaction fee. DCC doesn't help you avoid that surcharge, and it typically offers poor exchange rates for consumers. You'll likely get a much better rate and pay less overall if you let the payment networks for your credit cards handle the currency conversion.

How to avoid foreign transaction fees

In the United States, the Citi Double Cash® Card offers excellent value. With its cash back rate, it's one of the best rewards cards for everyday use. Earn 2% on every purchase with unlimited 1% cash back when you buy, plus an additional 1% as you pay for those purchases. To earn cash back, pay at least the minimum due on time. Plus, a special travel offer, earn 5% total cash back on hotel, car rentals and attractions booked on the Citi Travel℠ portal through 12/31/25.

Since one of this card's biggest benefits is cash back, there's little reason to use it abroad, unless it's an emergency. To avoid unnecessary fees, bring a credit card with no foreign transaction fees when traveling internationally. If you need help finding one, check out our guide to the best no foreign transaction fee credit cards.

If you're a frequent traveler, you may want to consider travel credit cards. Most of them don't have a foreign transaction fee, and they can help you save on your travel expenses. But if you want to stick to cash rewards, there are also some cash back cards with no foreign transaction fees.

Should you apply for the Citi Double Cash?

The Citi Double Cash® Card is a good pick if you want a straightforward cash back card, and you don't travel outside the United States much. With its cash back rate, this Citi card is ideal if you want to keep your finances simple by earning a reasonable amount on any type of purchase. It also has an excellent welcome offer and no annual fee.

If you want a card to use abroad, you're better off looking elsewhere. You could pay with the Citi Double Cash® Card. It's a Mastercard, and along with Visa, that's the most widely accepted payment network. But that's not the best financial decision because of the extra costs involved.

Still have questions?

Here are some other questions we've answered:

Credit card comparison

We recommend comparing options to ensure the card you're selecting is the best fit for you. To make your search easier, here's a short list of standout credit cards.

Offer Our Rating Welcome Offer Rewards Program APR Learn More
Rating image, 5.00 out of 5 stars.
5.00/5 Circle with letter I in it. Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
 = Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor
Best for cash back on rotating categories 		Discover will match all the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year. 1% - 5% Cashback Circle with letter I in it. Earn 5% cash back on everyday purchases at different places you shop each quarter like grocery stores, restaurants, gas stations, and more, up to the quarterly maximum when you activate. Plus, earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases.

Intro:

Purchases: 0%, 15 months

Balance Transfers: 0%, 15 months

Regular: 18.49% - 27.49% Variable APR *Rates as of December 12, 2024.

Apply Now for Discover it® Cash Back

On Discover's Secure Website.

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Rating image, 5.00 out of 5 stars.
5.00/5 Circle with letter I in it. Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
 = Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor
Best for cash rewards on everyday spending 		$200 cash rewards Circle with letter I in it. Earn a $200 cash rewards bonus after spending $500 in purchases in the first 3 months. 2% cash rewards Circle with letter I in it. Earn unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases.

Intro: Circle with letter I in it. 0% intro APR for 12 months from account opening on purchases and qualifying balance transfers

Purchases: 0% intro APR, 12 months from account opening

Balance Transfers: 0% intro APR, 12 months from account opening on qualifying balance transfers

Regular: 19.24%, 24.24%, or 29.24% Variable APR

Apply Now for Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card

On Wells Fargo's Secure Website.

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Rating image, 4.00 out of 5 stars.
4.00/5 Circle with letter I in it. Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
 = Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor
Best for unlimited rewards on purchases 		25,000 points Circle with letter I in it. 25,000 online bonus points after you make at least $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of account opening - that can be a $250 statement credit toward travel purchases 1.5 points per dollar Circle with letter I in it. Earn unlimited 1.5 points per $1 spent on all purchases, with no annual fee and no foreign transaction fees, and your points don't expire as long as your account remains open.

Intro: Circle with letter I in it. 0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for purchases. 0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for any balance transfers made in the first 60 days. After the intro APR offer ends, 18.49% - 28.49% Variable APR on purchases and balance transfers will apply. A 3% fee for 60 days from account opening, then 4% fee applies to all balance transfers.

Purchases: 0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for purchases

Balance Transfers: 0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for any balance transfers made in the first 60 days

Regular: 18.49% - 28.49% (Variable)

Apply Now for Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card

On Bank of America's Secure Website.

FAQs

  • Yes, you can use your Citi Double Cash® Card internationally, but it charges a 3% foreign transaction fee.

  • The Citi Double Cash® Card is worth it if you want to earn a high cash back rate on purchases or refinance debt. It has a competitive cash back rate (Earn 2% on every purchase with unlimited 1% cash back when you buy, plus an additional 1% as you pay for those purchases. To earn cash back, pay at least the minimum due on time. Plus, a special travel offer, earn 5% total cash back on hotel, car rentals and attractions booked on the Citi Travel℠ portal through 12/31/25.) and a long balance transfer offer.

  • You don't need to notify Citi when you travel, but it's a good idea to avoid potentially having transactions flagged as fraud. Here's how to set up a travel notice with your Citi card:

    1. Log in to your online Citi account.
    2. Select "Travel Services" under the "Services" menu.
    3. Select "Add a Travel Notice."
    4. Enter your travel dates.
    5. Submit the travel notice.

    You can also set up a travel notice over the phone by calling the number on the back of your Citi credit card.