The best free travel credit card: My top 3

Free credit card for your trips

On my travels, it's always important to me to be able to withdraw cash independently, conveniently, and above all, free of charge , or to pay directly in shops without any fees. Credit cards are a tried and tested payment method for this. However, with my previous bank, payments in foreign currencies unfortunately sometimes incurred very high foreign transaction fees. Therefore, important criteria for me when choosing my credit card(s) were that I could withdraw cash free of charge , make payments worldwide free of charge , and pay no annual fee .

The best free credit cards in 2025

Some credit cards also offer additional benefits, such as travel insurance or certain discounts . However, this wasn't a deciding factor for me.

What is the best free credit card for your travels?

Navigating the jungle of credit card providers can be challenging. Therefore, I've compiled my personal recommendations for the best credit cards. I've been using all three myself for a long time and can confidently recommend my top three for 2025.

credit card providers	Santander 1 Plus Visa Card	DKB VISA Card	Barclay Card Visa
card system	visa	visa	visa
card type	Revolving card: The monthly card transaction can also be repaid in installments (interest will accrue if it is postponed).	Charge card: Your monthly turnover will be deducted from the reference account on a fixed date.	Revolving card: The monthly card transaction can also be repaid in installments (interest will accrue if it is postponed).
annual fee	0, - €	0, - €	0, - €
withdraw money	Worldwide free of charge (4x per month)	Domestic and Eurozone free of charge. Foreign currency worldwide free of charge when using DKB Cash as a salary account.	Worldwide free of charge
Pay	Domestic and Eurozone free of charge. In foreign currency worldwide 1,50%.	Domestic and Eurozone free of charge. Foreign currency worldwide free of charge when using the DKB current account as a salary account.	Worldwide free of charge
Debit interest (Dispo)	13,98 %	6,74 %	18,38 %
Credit Interest	0,00 %	0,01 %	0,00 %
Additional Services	Worldwide 1% tank discount, also reimburses third-party fees, 5% discount on travel bookings through cooperation partners	Pay with the DKB VISA Card with Apple Pay and Google Pay. Cashback with many online shops directly to your DKB current account account (up to 15%).	Optionally up to three partner cards free of charge. Now with €50 starting credit!
Provider Website	Santander 1 Plus credit card	DKB Visa Card	Barclay Card Visa

Santander 1 Plus Visa Card

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Benefits

• No annual fee
• Withdraw cash free of charge at over 2 million ATMs worldwide
• Pay conveniently and free of charge worldwide
• 1% tank discount worldwide (up to max. €400 petrol station turnover per month)
• 5% discount on travel bookings with cooperation partners
• Any fees incurred by the machine operators will be reimbursed upon request by Santander
• Free additional card for family (1 Plus Visa partner card)

Disadvantages

• You can withdraw max. €300 per day (and max. 10 transactions per day)
• Debit interest is 13,98% per year

Good to know

• The repayment is set by default to 5% of the total amount to be repaid monthly. Flexible repayment in partial installments or in total can be conveniently made by bank transfer

DKB Visa Card

Benefits

• No annual fee
• Withdraw cash free of charge worldwide
• Pay worldwide for free and contactless
• 0,01% pa credit interest up to 100.000 euros on the DKB VISA card
• Free checking account including a checking card
• Pay with Apple Pay and Google Pay

Disadvantages

• The credit card is only available in connection with the free checking account
• As a passive customer you pay (from the 2nd year) 1,75% on money withdrawals outside of Europe

Good to know

• After 1 year, the conditions mentioned only apply to active customers. If you want to withdraw cash worldwide free of charge or pay for free from the second year, you must have a monthly cash receipt of at least €700. However, this does not necessarily have to be your salary!

Barclay Card Visa

Benefits

• No annual fee
• Withdraw cash free of charge worldwide
• Pay worldwide for free
• 5% travel refund when using the service of the travel agency partner
• 24-hour emergency hotline, up to €500 emergency cash
• 0 € liability for card misuse through no fault of your own
• Apply for up to three partner cards free of charge
• You will only be billed after 30 days. This increases the payment target to up to 60 days (partial payment function possible by bank transfer or free direct debit)

Disadvantages

• No reimbursement of any applicable machine fees
• A complete debit of the credit card statement by direct debit is not possible. So you have to become active yourself and balance your balance by bank transfer or direct debit

The combination of free worldwide cash withdrawals and payments with a free credit card and great discounts makes the Santander 1 Plus credit card my personal favorite among travel credit cards. In my new China travel guide , I also share my experiences with paying in China – so be sure to check it out. I hope my overview has helped you choose a suitable credit card.

Feel free to leave a comment which credit card you like to use for your trips or what were particularly important criteria for you when choosing the ideal credit card.

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