Best Travel Credit Cards Australia 2026: Fees Compared

Quick answer: The best travel credit card is one with a 0% foreign transaction fee — that alone saves $240–$280 on an $8,000 overseas trip compared with a typical points card. For a free card, choose Bendigo Ready (it adds travel insurance) or Bankwest Zero. If you travel more than once a year and want lounge passes and points, the Bankwest More World Mastercard offers 10 lounge passes a year for a $270 fee.

Every figure below comes from the card issuer's own website, checked on 5 October 2026. Card terms are moving quickly this year: the Reserve Bank cut the interchange fee on consumer credit cards from 0.8% to 0.3% on 1 October 2026 (RBA conclusions paper), and several issuers responded by cutting points and raising fees.

What an overseas trip costs on different cards

Most of the cost of using the wrong card overseas is the foreign transaction fee: a percentage added to every purchase in a foreign currency. On an $8,000 trip (flights booked in Australia, then $8,000 spent on hotels, food and transport overseas), that fee adds up:

Card	Overseas fee	Fee on $8,000 of overseas spending
Qantas Amex Ultimate	3.5% (Amex fees)	$280
Kogan Money	3.4% (Kogan Money)	$272
Virgin Australia Velocity Flyer	3.30% (Virgin Money)	$264
Qantas Money Platinum	3% (Qantas Money)	$240
Any card in the next section	0%	$0

Points don't make up for it. The Qantas Money Platinum earns 1.5 Qantas Points per $1 on international spending — 12,000 points on that $8,000 — but valued at 1–1.5 cents per point (our assumption for economy flight redemptions, not a Qantas figure), those points are worth $120–$180 — less than the $240 fee.

Travel credit cards with 0% foreign transaction fees

All eight cards below charge no foreign transaction fee, according to each issuer's product page. They differ on annual fee, insurance, lounge access and points.

Card	Annual fee	Purchase rate	Travel insurance	Lounge passes	Points
Bankwest Zero	$0	18.99%	No	No	No
Bendigo Ready	$0	19.99%	Yes, up to 3 months (under 81s)	No	No
Latitude 28° Global	$0 first year, then $96 (waived on $12,000+ spend)	Not shown on product page	Not stated on product page	No	No
Bankwest Breeze Platinum	$59	12.99%	Yes	No	No
Bankwest More World	$270	14.99%	Yes	10 a year	2.5 pts/$1 on first $2,000 a month, then 0.5
Bankwest Qantas World	$320	19.99%	Yes	No	1 Qantas Point/$1 on first $3,000 a month, then 0.2
NAB Rewards Travel	$395	22.49%	Yes, international and domestic	2 a year	1.5 pts/$1 on first $10,000 a month, then 0.5, plus 1 bonus pt/$1 on travel
CommBank Ultimate Awards	$35 a month ($420 a year)	20.99%	Yes, when you spend $500+ in one transaction on prepaid travel	2 a year	Varies by spend type

Which one fits how you travel

• One trip a year, pay in full: Bankwest Zero or Bendigo Ready. Both cost $0 a year. Bendigo's insurance is the tie-breaker if you don't already have a travel policy.
• You might carry a balance after the trip: Bankwest Breeze Platinum at 12.99% p.a. for $59 a year. On a $5,000 balance, 12.99% instead of 19.99% saves about $350 a year in interest.
• Two or more trips a year, value lounges: Bankwest More World. Ten lounge passes is far more than the 2 on NAB's and CommBank's premium cards, and the 14.99% purchase rate is the lowest of any points card here.
• Qantas Points while overseas: Bankwest Qantas World — but the earn rate drops to 0.2 points per $1 after the first $3,000 each month, so a big trip month earns less than you might expect.
• Chasing a large sign-up bonus: NAB Rewards Travel offers up to 180,000 NAB Rewards Points (120,000 for spending $5,000 in 90 days, plus 60,000 after 12 months).

CommBank Ultimate Awards change: CommBank currently waives the $35 monthly fee in months you spend $4,000 or more, but it is removing that waiver from 1 January 2027. From then it costs $420 a year regardless of spend — the most expensive card in this table.

Three fees a 0% card won't save you from

A 0% foreign transaction fee covers the bank's charge. These costs can still apply:

1. Dynamic currency conversion. Overseas card terminals and ATMs often offer to charge you in Australian dollars. Say no and pay in the local currency. When you accept AUD, the merchant's provider sets the exchange rate, usually at a worse rate than Mastercard's or Visa's — and your 0% card can't stop that.
2. Cash advances. Withdrawing cash on a credit card is a cash advance: it generally has no interest-free period and attracts a cash advance fee. Bankwest, for example, charges the greater of 3% or $4 per cash advance (Bankwest credit cards). Use a debit or travel card for cash.
3. Merchant surcharges. Some overseas merchants add their own credit card surcharge. That's set by the merchant, not your bank.

The foreign transaction fee doesn't only apply overseas. CommBank's definition, for example, also covers purchases made in Australia — including online — where the merchant or the payment processor is located overseas, and most CommBank cards charge 3.50% on them (CommBank fees and charges). A 0% card saves you money on overseas websites year-round, not just on holiday.

How "complimentary" travel insurance actually works

Card travel insurance is real cover, but it comes with conditions that a standalone policy may not have:

• Activation rules. CommBank's Ultimate Awards cover requires you to spend at least $500 in a single transaction on prepaid travel with the card. Amex's Qantas Ultimate cover requires you to pay for your return trip on the card (Amex). Book with the card, not with points alone or a different card, unless the policy says otherwise.
• Trip length and age limits. Bendigo Ready covers trips of up to 3 consecutive months for people under 81 (Bendigo Bank). The ANZ Platinum's cover is shrinking from 3 months to 1 month per trip from 9 December 2026 (ANZ card changes).
• Pre-existing medical conditions and adventure activities are commonly excluded or limited. Read the policy wording before you rely on it.

If the card's insurance would decide whether you get the card, download its policy document from the issuer's site and check the conditions for your trip before applying.

Paying for the trip itself

A travel card helps on the trip, but the cheapest trip is one you've already saved for. Paying for flights on a 19.99%–22.49% card and clearing the balance over six months costs hundreds of dollars in interest. If your trip is six months or more away, the Term Deposit Calculator shows how much interest your savings can earn first.

FAQ

Related guides and calculators

• No Annual Fee Credit Cards Australia 2026
• Best Rewards Credit Cards Australia 2026
• Term Deposit Calculator

This article is for general information only and does not constitute financial, tax or legal advice. Individual circumstances vary. Credit products involve risk — read the Product Disclosure Statement before applying. Consult a registered tax agent or licensed financial adviser before making decisions based on this information.