Foreign transaction fees on credit card for onboard charges?

[oskidunker]

Does an onboard charge generate a foreign transaction fee? If so, I will use a non fee card. My cash back cards all have a foreign transaction fee.

[Camden lady]

31 minutes ago, oskidunker said:

Does an onboard charge generate a foreign transaction fee? If so, I will use a non fee card. My cash back cards all have a foreign transaction fee.

I have been on 4 Viking cruises and have never had a foreign transaction fee for any thing purchased onboard.  Viking prices all in US dollars.  I have used Visa and American Express with no fees at all. Has anyone else had any transaction fees onboard?   I have had transaction fees on shore in different places (that's why I use my AmEx card...no foreign transaction fees and I get points).   

 

[Moonlion]

No foreign transactions fees for us either using Visa card for onboard purchases. 

[TayanaLorna]

Never charged mine either.  Maybe Canadian, British etc credit cards would charge a foreign transaction fee but apparently not US cards.

[Squawkman]

18 hours ago, Camden lady said:

 (that's why I use my AmEx card...no foreign transaction fees and I get points).   

 

My Amex card (Hilton Honors) does not give the extra points for dining overseas. My Chase Sapphire does give extr points for revel and dining overseas in addition to no transaction fees.

[CannotSwim]

I once saw a foreign transaction fee for a charge from the boat. When I talked to a Viking agent a few months later and mentioned the fee I was told that Viking would refund it (but I didn't do that as the amount wasn't large and wasn't worth digging through my records to get the information to report it).

 

Since then I've used a non foreign transaction fee card.

[Haqdeluxe]

1 hour ago, CannotSwim said:

I once saw a foreign transaction fee for a charge from the boat. When I talked to a Viking agent a few months later and mentioned the fee I was told that Viking would refund it (but I didn't do that as the amount wasn't large and wasn't worth digging through my records to get the information to report it).

 

Since then I've used a non foreign transaction fee card.

Is the US dollar you and your bank's native currency? 

[hbtraveler]

Irregardless of what Viking does for onboard charges, I'd think you'd want to use the no foreign transaction fee card for any on-shore charges, since those would all have the fee otherwise.

[deec]

This is for Oceans...as I remember the River Ships charge in Euros thus a foreign transaction fee will be charged.

[Moonlion]

2 minutes ago, deec said:

This is for Oceans...as I remember the River Ships charge in Euros thus a foreign transaction fee will be charged.

That's true, we were charged in euros for our river cruises but US $ for ocean.

[Squawkman]

2 hours ago, deec said:

This is for Oceans...as I remember the River Ships charge in Euros thus a foreign transaction fee will be charged.

But not if you have a “No foreign exchange fee” credit card. 

[Mrs Miggins]

For those of us in the UK there is a choice on how Viking charge our lodged credit or debit card with U S dollars.  Either the charge is made in dollars and my UK bank then charges me in pounds at their prevailing rate or Viking use their published rate of exchange and debit my card in UK pounds.  The former is always better..

[Selion]

For most (if not all) US cards the foreign transaction fee is triggered by where the transaction is processed, not by which currency the transaction is processed in.

 

Case in point: MSC used to process onboard charges in USD for Caribbean cruises, but the  actual transactions were processed through MSC's HQ office in Switzerland.  If you used a card that doesn't waive foreign transaction fees, that onboard charge would result in foreign transaction fees being assessed.