I remember that there was an old thread last fall (around October 2011 - I can't find it now) stating that some Discover Card users now have no foreign currency transaction fees on their account. However, you had to receive a notice at the bottom of your statement, so that may have been targed:
Discover.com said: Information For You We are pleased to inform you that, effective 11/06/11 we will no longer charge a Foreign Currency Fee on any international purchases made with your Discover(R) Card.Well, I never received such a notice, but today, when I went to this url, I saw the big banner rotate to one particular graphic: "No foreign Currency Fees when you travel with Discover." So I assume that my account (Discover More) now has this perk as well.
It looks like you can access this URL without authenticating. That leads me to believe that every Discover Card holder now has this perk.
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sayhey
Senior Member - 1K
posted: Apr. 28, 2012 @ 8:20a
Discover is NOT widely accepted overseas. If you plan to travel extensively, get a VISA/MC which waives FCTF.
Good Luck,
verygreen
Greedy Member
posted: Apr. 28, 2012 @ 9:08a
On the other hand in Asia (at least China and Japan) Discover is very widely accepted due to their partnership with JCB. The trick is to be able to somehow convey to the sales clerk that the card is JCB and not visa/mastercard.
ymarker
Happy Member
posted: Apr. 28, 2012 @ 12:34p
Most of the merchants had not heard of the card. So I stopped telling them and just let them swipe it. Oddly enough it worked at even places that did not have the logo. But there were several places that it did not work. This was @ iceland.
kjgco
Senior Member - 1K
posted: Apr. 28, 2012 @ 1:01p
Here is a list of countries where Discover is accepted, along with their partners.
RushnRockt
Senior Member - 3K
posted: Apr. 28, 2012 @ 2:52p
kjgco said: Here is a list of countries where Discover is accepted, along with their partners.
Now which one of those countries will have CashBack categories properly figured out?
DeFiantROA
Senior Member
posted: Apr. 28, 2012 @ 6:58p
No takes Discovercard in China; that is why I never worried losing the card overseas.
yoyo2
Senior Member
posted: Apr. 28, 2012 @ 7:24p
sayhey said: Discover is NOT widely accepted overseas. If you plan to travel extensively, get a VISA/MC which waives FCTF.
Good Luck,
What you said might be true but a month ago when I was traveling in China none of my other cc worked (Citi visa/master, chase visa cards, all 10 of them, I even tried AMEX card with 3% fee) in one of the small shopping centers outside Shanghai except for Discover card. A lot of those places only take Chinese debit cards and Visa/Master didn't work but somehow discover did.
pwgtang
New Member
posted: Apr. 28, 2012 @ 9:50p
yoyo2 said: sayhey said: Discover is NOT widely accepted overseas. If you plan to travel extensively, get a VISA/MC which waives FCTF.
Good Luck,
What you said might be true but a month ago when I was traveling in China none of my other cc worked (Citi visa/master, chase visa cards, all 10 of them, I even tried AMEX card with 3% fee) in one of the small shopping centers outside Shanghai except for Discover card. A lot of those places only take Chinese debit cards and Visa/Master didn't work but somehow discover did.
China Unionpay is like the visa network here in the US, in terms of availability. If you go to a random shop that takes credit cards, it is likely that they will take China Unionpay and not foreign credit cards. As seen in the previous link, Discover and China Unionpay are teamed up such that you can use your card on their network. Unionpay card holders can also use their card on the Discover network in the US. I just got back from a trip.
dawhim
Broke Member
posted: Apr. 28, 2012 @ 10:01p
unionpay is a huge network. discover card will be very useful in china, or asia.
NEDeals
Serene Member
posted: Apr. 28, 2012 @ 10:38p
DeFiantROA said: No takes Discovercard in China; that is why I never worried losing the card overseas.
Why do you say that? I've used Discover all over China. Discover is also taken wherever Diners Club is accepted outside of the USA. Your information may be years out of date.
Is there any compiled list of cards which does not charge foreign transaction fees?
looking4deal
Senior Member
posted: Apr. 29, 2012 @ 11:10a
See Discover's Travel FAQ. It seems this applies to all Discover cards.
holv
Broke Member
posted: Apr. 29, 2012 @ 8:53p
I used my discover in China, Japan and in South Korea (particularly in Korea since the government mandates credit card acceptance regardless of amount), and I was surprised that I was getting my 5% restaurant Cash Back!
In China, it ran flawlessly through Union Pay network, in Japan, it ran through JCB network and in Korea it ran through Hyundai network.
centrifuge41
Senior Member - 1K
posted: Apr. 29, 2012 @ 10:28p
mak101 said: Is there any compiled list of cards which does not charge foreign transaction fees?You asked, I delivered.
larryc
Senior Member
posted: May. 1, 2012 @ 8:53p
Nice, I never realized that Discover is accepted as part of the Diners Club network!
NEDeals
Serene Member
posted: May. 1, 2012 @ 10:13p
larryc said: Nice, I never realized that Discover is accepted as part of the Diners Club network!
Discover actually owns Diners Club International. The US/Canadian franchise is now owned by Bank of Montreal (which issues Diners Club cards on the Mastercard network, but Discover owns the international Diners Club network.
UncaMikey
Happy Member
posted: Jun. 16, 2012 @ 6:55a
As I mentioned in the thread listing cards with no forex fees, I was able to use Discover in Barbados. Not only was there no fee, Discover gave a better exchange rate than other credit cards.
Barbados dollar is pegged 2:1 to US dollar. Most credit/debit card transactions give a real exchange rate of about 1.995 or so per US dollar, but Discover did a straight 2:1.
So, if the transaction is in one of Discover's bonus ca$h back categories (e.g., restaurants this quarter) and the business takes Discover, use it.
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