Best Travel Credit Cards in the Philippines - A guide on reward points, travel perks, fees, and more

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If you’re a frequent traveler, it makes sense to make sure you have the best travel credit card in the Philippines. The right travel card could help you earn rewards as you travel, and access luxury perks like lounge access and a concierge service.

This guide looks at some top picks for the best credit card for international travel from the Philippines so you can decide which suits you best. We’ll also share more about the Wise card, a smart way to save while spending abroad in over 150+ countries.

What to look out for in a travel credit card?

A travel credit card typically provides additional rewards for foreign currency spending, or offers travel-related incentives like travel insurance and lounge access. Many banks in the Philippines offer travel optimised credit cards - which means you’ll have to compare a few to pick the right one for your own needs. Here are a few things to look out for.

Exchange rates

It’s likely that the best credit card for foreign transactions in the Philippines will also be the one with the best exchange rates and the lowest available foreign transaction fees. This can help keep down costs as you spend overseas.

Usually cards will convert your overseas spending to PHP using the network rate, which may include fees. That can mean that the rate of conversion will differ from what you’ve seen on Google. You might also find there’s a foreign transaction fee - and extra percentage change added to every foreign currency purchase. This could be up to 3.5%, which makes overseas spending more expensive than you might expect.

Charges and fees

Annual fees are a very important consideration when you choose a travel credit card, as you’ll need to pay this charge regardless of how often you use your card for purchases. Some cards waive the annual fee for a year or so which can be beneficial if you’re not sure which one is right for you.

You’ll also need to watch out for unexpected fees when you use your card, such as cash advance fees when you use an ATM, interest and late payment penalties.

Additional benefits and rewards

Travel credit cards usually have travel based rewards such as lounge access, travel insurance, and reward points which you can use to redeem as air miles. This can be a big benefit - but only if you pick a card with rewards you'll actually enjoy using. Compare a few options to get the right one for you - we’ve got some great ideas coming right up.

Best travel credit card for Filipinos

Let's look in more detail at our picks for the best credit card for foreign transactions in the Philippines. We’ve selected these cards based on their fees, reward rates and the benefits you can get when you travel. Let’s get stuck in.

Do note that the fees, rewards rates and benefits are accurate at the time of writing. Kindly refer to the bank’s website for the most updated information.

RCBC Visa Platinum¹

The RCBC Visa Platinum is described as the ultimate VIP Travelers Card, offering a great selection of travel benefits such as non-expiring preferred air miles you earn as you spend. This might make it the best credit card in the Philippines for travel for you if accumulating and using miles is your focus.

You’ll get more miles for spending overseas compared to at home, and you can then redeem your miles for benefits from any of the Asia Miles, Mabuhay Miles or Airasia Rewards programs. Aside from air miles you can use to get credit against your next flight you could also get lounge access with Priority Pass membership and access to the PAGSS Lounge in Terminals 1 or 3. Extra perks include the Visa concierge service and some travel insurance when you next go away.

Metrobank Travel Platinum Card³

The Metrobank Travel Platinum Card has no fee for the first year, which can be appealing as it’ll give you a chance to try it out and decide if it’s the right one for you - without a financial commitment.

This card allows you to earn rewards at a higher rate when you arrange your travel and when you’re actually spending in a foreign currency, making it a hot pick for frequent travelers. However, the fact that there’s a foreign transaction fee may be a drawback if you intend to rely on this card when you’re spending in foreign currencies. The additional costs of 2.5% push up the overall amount added to your PHP bill every time.

BDO American Express Explorer Credit Card⁵

The BDO American Express Explorer Credit Card offers annual fee waivers if you spend 450,000 PHP or more in a year. This may be the best credit card for travel if you spend frequently, plus this waiver is applied automatically if you hit the spending minimum which means there’s no admin on your part to get the discount.

You can also choose to get an installment plan to pay back your bills, and access exclusive deals on travel and hotels through BDO partner organisations. The card’s annual fee - if you end up needing to pay it - is 4,000 PHP, and there’s also a foreign transaction fee which is worth thinking about if you’re using this card for travel, which is 2.5%.

Chinabank Destinations World Mastercard⁷

The Chinabank Destinations World Mastercard has been designed with frequent travellers in mind. You can redeem reward points against a range of premium airlines which allows you to buy flights or upgrade. Plus you’ll get lounge access and discounts on airport food and beverage providers, and travel insurance as part of your annual fee.

The foreign transaction fee is low, at 1.7% of your overseas spending, but the annual fee of 6,000 PHP is relatively high. You’ll need to balance off whether or not you’ll get enough benefit from the perks which come with this card to decide if it’s the one for you.

EastWest Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer World Mastercard⁹

The EastWest Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer World Mastercard could be a natural selection as the best credit card for travel from the Philippines if you often use Singapore Airlines.

You can earn Krisflyer rewards at a faster rate on travel and overseas spending, and continue to get more air miles even when spending at home. In addition to this, you’ll also be able to get access to airport lounges and exclusive benefits from the card network. The EastWest Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer World Mastercard fees include a low foreign transaction charge, but you’ll also need to consider the 5,000 PHP annual fee when deciding if this is the right one for you.

BOC World Mastercard¹⁰

The BOC World Mastercard doesn’t offer reward earning opportunities but instead gives card users access to some great perks and benefits. You could upgrade your hotel room or get free breakfast while you travel for example, or access airport lounges all over the world. Some travel insurance is also included in this card’s annual fee which is 6,000 PHP.

Save when making card payments abroad with the Wise card

The Wise card lets you spend in 40+ currencies at the mid-market rate including USD, SGD, GBP, and JPY so you know you'll be getting a great deal in over 150+ countries. Simply create a free Wise account, order a card and top-up PHP to get started.

A physical Wise card can be ordered for a low fee of 369.60 PHP. Having a physical Wise card allows you to make chip and pin payments, as well as 2 free ATM withdrawals to the value of 12,000 PHP each month, before low fees start.

While abroad, you can choose to spend directly in PHP and let auto-conversion do the trick, or convert to your desired currency with your Wise account. Either way, you’ll get the exchange rate you see on Google, with low, transparent fees from 0.57%.

Save while you spend, and make overseas spending seamless with a Wise card.

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Wise Pilipinas is regulated by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas. For any questions or concerns, check out our Help Centre, or log into your account to talk to us by phone, email or chat.

Sources:

1. RCBC Visa Platinum
2. RCBC Visa Platinum fees
3. Metrobank Travel Platinum Card
4. Metrobank Travel Platinum Card fees
5. BDO American Express Explorer Credit Card
6. BDO American Express Explorer Credit Card fees
7. Chinabank Destinations World Mastercard
8. Chinabank Destinations World Mastercard fees
9. EastWest Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer World Mastercard
10. BOC World Mastercard
11. BOC World Mastercard fees