The best credit cards 2025: Save on your travels!

The best credit cards 2025: Save on your travels!

Today, June 25, 2025, is marked by an extensive credit card comparison that is proving to be particularly relevant for travelers. When it comes to payments in everyday life and when traveling, credit cards are widespread and extremely practical. However, research by Moneyland reveals that the associated fees and surcharges can vary greatly and therefore have a significant impact on our travel costs.

The analysis of 131 Swiss credit cards not only shows the differences in fees, but also that individual usage behavior is crucial for the overall costs. High fees when withdrawing cash are irrelevant for users who do not make cash withdrawals. It is also important to note that expensive credit cards do not always offer the most benefits, which can lead to unnecessary costs.

Costs and use of credit cards

Moneyland took a close look at the costs and services of the credit cards for the first two years. Fixed fees, surcharges and usage behavior were taken into account. An important aspect is that foreign transaction fees may apply, but these do not apply to payments in Germany and Euro countries. In these zones, credit card payments with Visa, Mastercard and American Express are free, which is important for travelers in the Eurozone.

The cheapest credit cards for different user profiles illustrate the differences: For occasional users who spend 200 francs a month in Switzerland and 1,000 euros a year abroad, there is the Amex cashback credit card from Swisscard, whose credit exceeds the costs by 17.40 francs. For trips abroad with a profile of annual purchases of 5,000 euros and cash withdrawals of 1,000 euros, the Migros Cumulus Visa credit card with costs of 363.95 francs is the best choice.

Fees abroad

However, travelers should be aware that in non-Euro countries such as the USA or Norway, a foreign transaction fee is due, which is usually between 1.00 and 2.00% of the invoice amount. An example illustrates this: A hotel bill of $500 with a foreign transaction fee of 1.75% would incur a fee of €7.00, based on an exchange rate of €400.

In addition, credit card holders must consider the possibility that cash withdrawals in Euro zones are made without additional fees, while in other countries the foreign transaction fee may apply along with the cash fee. The card-issuing bank sets these fees, which is why comparing credit card offers is important.

For frequent users who spend 1,000 francs a month domestically and 5,000 euros a year abroad, the Cashback Card Amex from Swisscard is recommended, which costs 305.75 francs for the first two years.

Overall, a combination of a cheap credit card and a debit card from neo-banks such as Neon, Radicant or Wise is a promising solution to minimize costs and take advantage of the advantages of both types of cards.

Choosing your credit card carefully can be crucial to avoiding unforeseen expenses while traveling. A comparison of the conditions is therefore essential in order to optimally take personal needs and cost factors into account.

For more information about the best credit cards 2025 and their fees, you can view the detailed reports at Moneytoday as well as Credit Cards.net can be viewed.