American Express Credit Cards: Getting the Most Out of International Travel

Have you ever eaten at an expensive restaurant in aFlights & Rental Cars
foreign country and watched as the waiter sneeredBusiness travel is one of the most stressful aspects
at your Visa or MasterCard? Believe it or not, this is aof a professional's career, and if travel is a large part
common experience for international travelers,of your career, then an American Express credit card
especially those who finance the trip with theircan cut anxiety to a minimum. If you use the same
business credit card. In the United States, currency iscard for your flights and rental cars as with other
currency, but in other countries, how you pay canpurchases in foreign countries, you have much less
have a direct effect on the service you receive.paperwork to sort through when it comes time to
Founded in 1850, American Express has grown intofile expense reports. Using American Express can also
the preferred financial center overseas, and providesmake delayed and canceled flights less of a problem.
a variety of options for international travelers.When your flight is canceled, the airline can simply
Hotels, Retailers & Restaurantsrefund your money directly to the card, rather than
When traveling internationally, it is always preferableforcing you to wait weeks or even months for a
to have your American Express card handy forcheck to come in the mail.
purchases at hotels, retailers and restaurants.American Express also offers airline reward cards,
Business owners and their employees have come tosuch as the Gold Delta SkyMiles credit card.
trust the American Express name, and while someInternational travel earns the maximum number of
accept Visa, MasterCard and Discover, manybonus miles for future flights, and unlike other airline
establishments frown on the use of these creditreward cards, your SkyMiles never expire. When you
cards. Since there are thousands of financial centersbook a flight using the SkyMiles card, you never have
in nearly every country, business owners feelto worry about blackout dates, which can be a
comfortable accepting American Express, which giveswonderful bonus for frequent international travelers.
you an advantage when shopping, eating and sleepingBusiness Credit Cards
in foreign countries.American Express offers a variety of business credit
If you have a card like the Hilton HHonors Platinumcards, ranging from those fit for small businesses to
Credit Card from American Express, you can alsocards that benefit large corporations. Foreign
earn reward points for free hotel stays, free airlinecountries are just as respectful of business cards as
tickets and discounts on travel vacation packages.with personal cards, and in many cases, the benefits
The JetBlue and Blue Sky cards have similarare even better.
advantages.If your business or the company that employs you
Cashing Checksrequires consistent travel, there may be more
If you have an American Express Credit Card, yourrewards available than when each employee uses his
overseas banking will be made much easier. Mostor her own credit card. For example, the Platinum
American Express financial centers will cash personalBusiness FreedomPass Credit Card from American
checks of up to $1,000 for regular card holders, andExpress, each card earns points toward rewards,
up to $5,000 for gold card members. They can alsoincluding free travel and accommodations. So if
provide simple, fast currency exchanges and moneytwelve employees have copies of the FreedomPass
transfers.Credit Card, the business is rewarded twelve times
While it is always a good idea to have your bankover.
information with you wherever you travel, having anHaving a business credit card from American Express
American Express credit card acts like an extensioncan also make employees much more comfortable
of your personal bank. Running out of cash in awith International travel. Rather than charging
foreign country is terrifying, and something to avoidexpenses to their own account and filing an expense
wherever possible. If you have your Americanreport later, the company is billed directly, allowing
Express credit card, you can receive cash advancesemployees to feel safe.
and money transfers at financial centers.