This article gives a detailed review of the 7 Best Credit Cards for Digital Nomads.
If you are already the owner of a traditional credit card, then you know that it has its perks in making our lives easier.
However, most credit cards are issued by traditional banks that work in a specific region and territory, beyond which they do not provide any financial services.
The matter comes down to the currency in which the credit card works. However, being a digital nomad and working across countries, you need a credit card that functions across territories and supports a plethora of currencies.
List of the 7 Best Credit Cards for Digital Nomads
To do so, here is a list of 7 credit card companies that provide the best credit card for digital nomads. These companies are:
- Venture Card by Capital One
- Preferred Card by Chase Ink Business
- Green Card by American Express
- Reserve Credit Card by Chase Sapphire
- Credit Card by Citi Premier
- World Elite Card by Barclay’s Miles & More Offer
- Quicksilver Credit Card by Capital One
Best Credit Card for Digital Nomads
1. Venture Card by Capital One
The Venture Card is the top 3 best credit cards for digital nomads. This is due to the fact that Capital One provides credit card services without any maintenance fees, foreign transaction fees, or hidden expenses.
Ideally, this makes the credit card a flat-rate and free-from-hassle card for digital nomads
Main Pros
- Spending over 4000 USD in the first 90 days gives 75,000 bonus points
- 100 USD in travel credits
- An annual fee of 95 USD
- Discounts on hotels, restaurants, and shops across the globe
Main Cons
- Steep spending requirements for bonuses
- Major perks are through high bonus travel miles, but if you do not have major airtime then Venture Card offers no major advantage that other cards don’t.
2. Preferred Card by Chase Ink Business
This credit card is being developed with the aim of supporting businesses. It offers the additional services of managing travel expenses. In addition, it has a plethora of discounts and offers for small business owners
Main Pros
- Points as high as 3X for foreign transport, Wi-Fi, phone, hotel, and social media marketing services
- Covers travel insurance in the form of lost or damaged luggage
- Spending 15,000 USD in 3 months gives 100,000 bonus points to new customers
- An annual fee of 95 USD
Main Cons
- A required spending limit is attached to the credit card at 15,000 USD for the first 3 months as a customer
- Balance transfer fees can be as high as 5%, while late payment fees can amount to 40 USD. Comparatively, these are very high figures to be charged by a credit card
3. Green Card by American Express
Although, this option is on the pricier side. But being expensive means that the services offered are also much improved than other options in this list.
American Express is an established and known brand for American consumers. While the green card offers rewards, bonuses, offers, and much more to its customers
Main Pros
- Importantly, the rewards are present on anything and everything. From travel and transportation to hotels, restaurants, clothing retailers, cruise ships, and much more
- Bonus points are 3 times the rate of dollar spent by the customer, making spending so much more lucrative
- If a customer spends 2000 USD in 6 months, then 45,000 bonus points are offered
Main Cons
- An annual fee of 150 USD
- At such a high fee, American Express has other credit card options for traditional users at 1.5 points per dollar spent. Digital nomads using the green card get 1 point for 1 dollar spent.
- This high annual fee is a major turning point for most users
4. Reserve Credit Card by Chase Sapphire
If you thought 150 USD was a high annual fee, the most premium offer is done by the Chase Sapphire Bank for their Reserve Card at 550 USD as an annual fee.
However, don’t give up on this option already because, at such a price point, you get the luxurious experience of owning a credit card that you will not get at any other place.
For a digital nomad, it offers more than 3 times the bonus points on dollars spent. Ideally, this covers insurance, medical aid, dental coverage, baggage insurance, and hotel/airline travel points can be linked to credit points as well
Main Pros
- 300 USD are given to new customers as annual travel credit without any requirements of spending
- There are 11 airline companies and 3 hotel companies that provide redeemable options to the points earned in the Reserve Card
- Bonus and offers for luxury hotels and resorts across the globe
- 10 points on spending 1 dollar, as opposed to 1 to 1.5 points that other credit cards offer in this list.
Main Cons
- An annual fee of 550 USD
- Instead of a fixed annual rate, Reserve Card costs a variable annual rate on its credit card. This can range from 22.9% to as high as 29.5%.
- Charges are therefore very high and unless you are looking for luxury resorts as a digital nomad, the Reserve Card is not for you
5. Credit Card by Citi Premier
Coming back to the generic annual fees within 100 dollars. The next best option in credit cards for digital nomads is the one offered by Citi Bank.
This credit card gives a 24-month warranty extension to new users for travel expenses that have a new business and earnings can take some time in leading to profits.
The earning rate for points is also very high, at 3 bonus points for every dollar spent
Main Pros
- A standard annual fee of 95 USD
- Insurance against any theft or damage with an extended warranty payable for up to 24 months
- An authorized user can also be added to the account without any additional charges. For digital nomads with a travel partner, this works in favor of them
- International transaction in foreign countries and currencies does not have any additional or hidden fees
Main Cons
- Thank You points are an offer by Citi Bank, which allows you to avail of points after a high spending spree. However, this is a con because it is related to your spending on the credit card.
- There are no available bonuses or offers without any basic spending done. In other options on this list, we have seen discounts be given even without any spending, which is not offered by Citi Bank credit card
6. World Elite Card by Barclay’s Miles & More Offer
Master Card offered by Barclay’s, has been created with the ultimate image of a digital nomad of tourists in mind.
It awards up to 100,000 in travel miles for free, but after spending a certain limit in the first 6 months. The World Elite Card also offers bonuses on ticket purchases and air miles, with a 24/7 customer service program that supports customers in any corner of the world
Main Pros
- An annual fee of 89 USD
- An available offer of a signup bonus, which allows you to get 80,000 bonus points after spending 3000 USD in 3 months
- There are certain airline partners with the World Elite Bank that offer bonus points at 2 times the rate for every dollar spent
Main Cons
- Compared to others, the earning rate for bonus points is highly minimal.
- The annual fees are relatively low, but the services are also not as many as others are offering on this list
7. Quicksilver Credit Card by Capital One
Capital One has a wide range of options for digital nomads, which is why we have included them twice in this list.
The Quicksilver credit card by Capital One is much different from the Venture Card but offers its own services and bonuses to customers.
The most alluring of them is the 5% cash-back policy on each purchase. The spending limit is also only 500 USD to make yourself compatible for earning bonus points, but digital nomads may find it hard to use it as it does not offer a lot of bonuses on air miles or hotel spending
Main Pros
- An annual fee of 39 USD. Possible the lowest annual fee on this list
- 5% cashback for every purchase is an offer not many can decline
- No additional charges on financial transactions
Main Cons
- No bonuses or points for travelers and digital nomads
Wrapping It Up
Finally, after a quick read through this list, we hope you have a better idea of how to choose which credit card company to choose from when making this important decision.
As a digital nomad, the points to consider are international transaction fees, annual payments, payment requirements for bonus points, and offers given on hotels, transport, air miles, etc.
If these things match with a credit card on the list, then it is time to take the next step!
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