🥇 Best for this trip
SBI Card ELITE
Forex markup
1.99%
Forex cost
₹3,582
Reward earned
₹900
Cash advance penalty: ₹1,198 (skip the ATM if you can)
₹3,880
Net trip cost
Best card for this trip.
Forex markup × spend is the biggest knob — but cash withdrawal fees and DCC (dynamic currency conversion) traps swing the answer. Enter your trip and we'll rank cards by net cost, not headline rate.
Destination
Days abroad
Total spend (₹)
Cash withdrawals (₹)
Pick this card for 🇺🇸 United States
SBI Card ELITE
Net trip cost ₹3,880. Saves ₹2,718 vs the worst-fee card in your wallet.
🇺🇸 United States — quirks to know
- →Tipping (~18%) often added in restaurant total — earn forex on the tip too.
- →Diners Club acceptance below 30%; carry a Visa/Mastercard backup.
#2
YES Bank ZAGG Credit Card
Forex markup
1.99%
Forex cost
₹3,582
Reward earned
₹360
Cash advance penalty: ₹1,198 (skip the ATM if you can)
₹4,420
Net trip cost
#3
ICICI Bank Coral Credit Card
Forex markup
3.5%
Forex cost
₹6,300
Reward earned
₹900
Cash advance penalty: ₹1,198 (skip the ATM if you can)
₹6,598
Net trip cost
Always pay in local currency
Terminals abroad will offer to charge in INR (DCC). Decline. The shop's exchange rate is 4–8% worse than your bank's, on top of your card's forex markup.
Don't use the ATM unless desperate
Cash advance triggers a 2.5% fee + finance charges from day one. A ₹20K cash withdrawal costs ~₹1,200 in penalties — more than the entire trip's forex markup on a 1% card.
Apply 30 days before travel
Issuers take 7–14 days to dispatch a forex-friendly card. Apply early so you have it for your departure, not your return.