You can keep the good times rolling by adding one of these alternate cards to your wallet. They don’t charge foreign transaction fees and earn elevated rates on restaurant and grocery spending.
Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card
Even if it was called something different, the Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card won’t turn your nose up. It earns a healthy 3% cash back on dining, entertainment, popular streaming services and grocery stores (excluding superstores like Walmart® and Target®), 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, 8% cash back on Capital One Entertainment purchases, and 1% on all other purchases. Compared to the Altitude Go cards, you earn 1 point per dollar less on dining expenses, but with the SavorOne you gain 1 point per dollar on grocery store spending, potentially offsetting the loss. And there’s no foreign transaction fees whether you’re dining abroad or making any kind of purchase (rates & fees).
The SavorOne also doesn’t charge an annual fee, offers a modest welcome bonus and also extends a 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months; 19.99% – 29.99% variable APR after that; 3% balance transfer fee for the first 15 months, 4% at a promotional APR that Capital One may offer you. In addition, the SavorOne includes protections like fraud coverage and extended warranty protection.
Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card
With the Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card, you may earn slightly less for restaurant purchases, but its other category bonuses could quickly compensate for that.
The Autograph card earns 3 points per dollar at restaurants, travel, gas stations, transit, popular streaming services and phone plans, 1 point per dollar on other purchases. It has a 0% introductory APR on purchases for 12 months from account opening. A variable APR of 20.24%, 25.24%, or 29.99% applies for purchases after the intro period ends and for balance transfers. The card has a balance transfer fee of up to 5%, minimum $5. But notably it’s only for purchases and not balance transfers.
The Altitude Go can’t compete with the protections offered on the Autograph card. Not only do Autograph cardholders get 3 points per dollar when using the card to pay for phone plans, but they also get protection against damage or theft of their device for up to $600 (with a $25 deductible). Other protections include an auto rental collision damage waiver (secondary), travel and emergency assistance services and roadside dispatch.
Another travel-friendly feature Wells Fargo has been brewing up that the Altitude Go cards don’t have is the ability to transfer points to travel partners. Wells Fargo Autograph cards can now transfer to a small handful of airline and hotel partners. Wells Fargo says the list of partners will expand, but for now, it includes:
- Aer Lingus AerClub
- Air France-KLM Flying Blue
- Avianca Lifemiles
- British Airways Executive Club
- Choice Privileges
- Iberia Plus
Capital One Quicksilver Secured Cash Rewards Credit Card
There aren’t many secured cards without foreign transaction fees to replace the Altitude Go Secured, but the Capital One Quicksilver Secured Cash Rewards Credit Card (rates & fees), like all Capital One cards, doesn’t charge for transactions abroad.
It also earns an easy-to-digest 1.5% cash back on every purchase and 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel. Although it may not earn dining rewards as high as the Altitude Go Secured card, it could make up for that with elevated rewards booked through Capital One Travel. And you can’t dine internationally without traveling to your destination.