Best Credit Cards for Senior Travelers: Top Picks for Hassle-Free International Trips

Best Credit Card for International Travel for Seniors - Upgrade Your Travel Plans Now

Key Takeaways:

• The right international credit card enhances travel with easy fund access, rewards, lounge access, booking upgrades, and discounts.
• Top travel credit cards for seniors include SBI Elite, IDFC First Wealth, HDFC Diners Club Privilege, RBL World Safari, AU Bank Zenith+, InterMiles HDFC Bank Signature, Standard Chartered EaseMyTrip, Scapia Federal Bank, Yatra SBI, and Air India SBI Platinum.
• Key features to look for: low or zero forex markup fees, high rewards on international transactions, and additional travel perks like lounge access and VIP services.
• Selecting the right card depends on acceptance at various outlets, low forex fees, travel benefits, and premium lounge access.

Hey there, travel enthusiasts! Ready to take your golden years to the next level with some international jet-setting? Whether you're planning to explore Paris, sip coffee in Rome, or take a leisurely stroll in Tokyo, having the right credit card can make all the difference. Having the right international credit card doesn't only give you easy access to your funds, but it also gives complimentary rewards on various travel and hotel bookings, exclusive lounge access at various airports, or even helps you get booking upgrades and discounts! But with so many options available in the market, each with its perks, how can we find the best credit card for international travel?

The best credit card will come with many travel reward schemes, along with programs that will help you save on foreign tax and markup fees. In this article, we have made your search for the perfect senior travel card simpler, as we have narrowed down the search for you and listed below the 10 best credit cards for seniors who wish to travel internationally. Furthermore, we shall also list out how you should decide which card will be best for your needs, along with the benefits of investing in an international credit card. So, let's dive deep into this list and find which credit card can become your new travel buddy..

10 Best International Travel Credit Cards for Seniors

• SBI Elite Credit Card: The best credit card for international travel in India, this card offers you a subscription at the low cost of just ₹4,999, which can also be reversed if you spend a minimum of ₹10 lakhs a year. Additionally, this card has a very low forex markup fee of just 1.99%, along with welcome benefit e-vouchers from related brands, worth ₹5000. Furthermore, it allows you complimentary lounge access at domestic and international airports (2 per quarter and 6 per year respectively), and you even earn 5x reward points on using that card for grocery shopping, dining, shopping, movie tickets, etc. To top it all off, you get a complimentary Trident Privilege Red Tier Membership and Club Vistara membership, which you can use with upgrade vouchers.

• IDFC First Wealth Credit Card: Another excellent option is the IDFC First Wealth card. Not only does this credit card have no sign-up fee, but it also has a very low forex markup fee of just 1.5%. You get complimentary international and domestic airport lounge access, discounts on fast-track immigration and airport limousine services, a comprehensive air accident and travel insurance, which is an attractive perk for any traveller. Furthermore, you get interest-free cash withdrawals from any corner of the globe, access to over 900 luxury and premium hotels around the world, and 20% and 15% discounts at 1500+ restaurants and health & wellness centres respectively. 

• HDFC Diners Club Privilege Credit Card: In a list of some of the best credit cards for international travel, the HDFC Diners Club Privilege card also deserves to be mentioned. With a sign-up fee of ₹2,500, and a forex markup fee of just 2%, this card gives you several premium and advantageous benefits. Not only do you get 12 complimentary lounge access at over 1000 airport lounges around the world, but you also get considerable rewards from 2x to 10x if you make bookings, dine out or spend on tickets via SmartBuy. Furthermore, you also have complimentary memberships for MMT Black, Amazon Prime, Times Prime, Dineout Passport, and complimentary vouchers from Ola Cabs, cult.fit Live, BookMyShow and TataCliq by spending over ₹40,000 a month. On top of all this, you can even book domestic as well as international hotels and flights across 150+ airlines and your choice of stay via SmartBuy!

• RBL World Safari Credit Card: This unique card is a worthy contender in this list, as apart from the subscription fee of ₹3000 plus GST, it offers 0% forex markup fees on international transactions! You also receive a MakeMyTrip welcome voucher for ₹3000. Furthermore, you get 5 travel points for every ₹100 you spend on travel, 2 travel points for every ₹100 spent on other things, a Priority pass membership so that you can access international airport lounges, 2 complimentary domestic lounge visits in large domestic airports, and 10,000 travel points for spending ₹2.5 lakhs a year, and additional 15,000 points on spending ₹5 lakhs. Furthermore, you even get a gift card of ₹10,000 if you spend up to ₹7.5 lakhs on brands like Amazon, Taj Experiences, Croma, Myntra, and MakeMyTrip. 

• AU Bank Zenith+ Credit Card: AU Small Finance Bank offers this credit card for frequent fliers, and it is known for its incredibly low forex markup fees of just 0.99%! You get 16 complimentary international and domestic airport lounge access passes per year with a Priority Pass, as well as an exclusive and fully complimentary Taj Epicure membership worth ₹25,000 on spending ₹12 lakh per year. You also can avail of 4 VIP check-in and airport services, Luxury brand vouchers on activating your card, as well as a waiver for your annual subscription fee if you spend 8 lakh per year on this card.

• InterMiles HDFC Bank Signature Credit Card: This card is also very apt for seniors who are looking to travel frequently. The unique aspect of this card is the number of rewards you earn in Intermiles, which can be redeemed for your future travel and hotel bookings. Additionally, the subscription fee for this card is just ₹2500, and in that amount, you get ₹750 and ₹2000 hotel as well as flight discount vouchers, an Intermiles Silver Membership and 8000 bonus Intermiles points just for joining! You then can avail 3000 extra Intermiles by simply spending ₹6000 during the first 30 days, after which you earn 6 Intermiles on every ₹150 spent on retail, and 12 Intermiles on flight/hotel booking on the Intermiles website for the same amount. These points help you save money in the long run as they can be used to get upgrades and more exclusive offers. Furthermore, you even get international airport lounge access due to a complimentary Priority Pass membership. 

• Standard Chartered EaseMyTrip Credit Card: If you have an account with Standard Chartered, and frequently use EaseMyTrip as a platform for your online bookings, then this is the right card for you. This co-branded card has a subscription fee of just ₹350, and it offers several perks in the form of reward points, discounts, and cashback. You get a 20% instant discount on all flight bookings, and a 10% discount on all hotel bookings, via the EaseMyTrip platform. Additionally, you get 1 complimentary domestic lounge access every quarter and 2 international lounge visits every year on your Priority Pass.

• Scapia Federal Bank Credit Card: This is a great card to subscribe to if you wish to earn extra rewards and get your spending to earn your money back! For online as well as offline transactions, customers earn 10% of their spending amount back. Whenever you are making bookings through the Scapia app, you can earn up to 20% of the spent amount in Scapia coins, which are instantly redeemable on the app and can be used for other bookings, much like redeemable points. Furthermore, no international transaction makeup fee and no subscription fee as well! And for any doubts, there is also a 24/7 customer care hotline.

• Yatra SBI Credit Card: If you want benefits while travelling as well as shopping and making additional purchases, this is the card for you. With a subscription fee of just ₹499, you get access to ₹8250 worth of Yatra.com vouchers, 1% fuel surcharge waiver on transactions between ₹500-₹3000 monthly, 2 ₹500 and 2 ₹1000 vouchers, ₹750 voucher on hotel bookings, discounts of up to ₹1000 and ₹4000 for domestic and international flight bookings respectively, and up to ₹50 lakhs air accident cover which can be availed on Yatra.com! Additionally, every time you use your card for retail or shopping, you earn reward points on Yatra.com. And to top it off, you get access to MasterCard airport lounges throughout India. 

• Air India SBI Platinum Card: This is truly one of the best credit cards for international travel in India as it has actual travel benefits! Every card has reward points for expenditure, but this card converts your points into Air India Air Miles! Every time you use the card for even a minimum expenditure of ₹100, you earn reward points. You even get 5000 complimentary reward points when you start using the card. Additionally, you are offered free membership in the Air India Frequent Flier Program, and whenever you spend ₹100 on Air India tickets, you earn 15 reward points. Furthermore, you are even liable to be the receiver of up to ₹1 lakh as a lost card liability coverage amount, as well as being eligible to get 5000 and 15000 points if you spend ₹ 2 lakh and ₹3 lakh yearly, within 15 days of paying your subscription or renewal fee. And to top it all off, you get 8 complimentary visits to visa lounges domestically, and access to international lounges under the Priority Pass program.

How to Select the Right International Travel Credit Card?

Almost all credit cards will allow you to make purchases and financial transactions internationally. But on top of that, certain cards offer extra benefits to essentially sweeten the deal. Whether these benefits are cashback, reward points, discounts, exclusive offers or vouchers, choosing the correct card is a crucial process as the card should be suited to your needs and you should be actively utilising the benefits offered. Some factors to keep in mind are listed below:

• The credit card should be accepted at various national and international outlets, both offline and online.
• Ideally, you should opt for a card that has zero or extremely minimal forex markup fees.
• For all the frequent fliers, you should opt for a seniors’ travel card which offers you benefits, discounts and exclusive offers on hotel and airline bookings.
• Additionally, you should also opt for a credit card that gives you premium lounge access to domestic and international airports.

Benefits of International Travel Credit Cards

There are several benefits you can avail if you opt for an international travel credit card, some of which are listed below:

1. Low Forex Markup Fee: Good quality international credit cards offer very low forex markup fee rates, between 0-2%, in comparison to the usual rate of 3.5%, which helps you to increase your savings.
2. Higher Rewards on International Transactions: Some cards will also offer higher rewards for international bookings and transactions, which sets them apart from regular domestic credit cards.
3. Additional Travel Perks: Apart from discounts, a premium international credit card will also provide you with several additional perks and benefits, like exclusive offers, premium lounge access passes, VIP airport services, pickup services, free memberships, etc.   

So, there you have it – a round-up of the best credit cards for international travel for seniors. Each of these cards brings something unique to the table, whether it's low forex fees, luxurious travel perks, or substantial reward points. The key is to find one that aligns perfectly with your travel needs and spending habits.