Don’t Leave the Country Until You’ve Checked These 5 Things on Your Credit Card

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Summer 2026 travel is shaping up to be massive — and if you’re heading abroad, your credit card might already have your back more than you realize.

No foreign transaction fees, travel insurance, lounge access — some of these perks have saved me a bundle over the years. But they only work if you actually check what you have before you leave.

Here are five things worth reviewing before your next international trip.

1. Foreign transaction fees

A lot of cards still charge a sneaky 3% on every purchase made outside the U.S. On a $4,000 trip, that can add $120 to your bill.

The fix is simple: double-check your card waives foreign transaction fees. If it doesn’t, it honestly might be worth getting a new travel card to save on pesky fees — plus you could gain other travel perks in the process.

2. Trip cancellation and travel insurance

This one surprises a lot of people. A good travel credit card includes built-in coverage for trip cancellation, delayed baggage, rental car damage, and more — at no extra cost.

You typically need to pay for the trip with that card to activate the coverage. You can check your card’s benefits guide, or call customer service if you want to double-check a specific coverage type. You might not need to buy separate travel insurance at all.

See our top travel cards of 2026 and compare insurance benefits side by side.

3. Global Entry and TSA PreCheck credits

Global Entry is one of my favorite travel hacks — I’ve used it a lot on my trips back to Australia visiting family. Skipping the regular customs and passport line saves me hours, both entering a foreign country and returning to the U.S. after a long international flight.

Some travel cards reimburse the $120 Global Entry application fee automatically when you pay with that card — and membership lasts five years. Global Entry also includes TSA PreCheck, which is almost a must-have at this point for domestic travel.

4. Airport lounge access

If your card includes lounge access, international travel is when it really pays off — free food, drinks, wifi, and a quiet place to decompress during layovers.

Priority Pass is the largest lounge network and the most commonly included with lounge access credit cards. But if your itinerary puts you near a Centurion Lounge or an airline club lounge, those tend to be a step up from independent lounges.

Before you fly it’s worth mapping out which airports you’re passing through and what’s available in your terminal.

5. Set a travel notice with your card issuer

I learned this lesson the hard way years ago in Rome — my credit card declined the first time I swiped it overseas. Fortunately I had a backup, but sorting it out from abroad was a bit of a hassle.

Most issuers let you set a travel notice in their app in about two minutes. Some newer systems auto-detect international purchases, but it’s not guaranteed. Notify your issuer anyway — it’s worth the two minutes now versus a frozen card in a foreign country.

The bottom line

Ideally, you’re running through this list before you even book — not at the airport. If your current card doesn’t offer much in the way of travel perks, opening a new one before your trip can unlock a solid set of benefits from day one.

If you pay for your travel with the right card you can also trigger built-in insurance coverage, plus you could even earn a welcome offer worth $750 or more in travel — which isn’t a bad way to start a trip.

See our picks for the best credit cards for international travel in 2026.

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