Chase Ink foreign transaction fee: What you should know

If your business makes eligible purchases outside the U.S. or even uses international platforms, you could be paying a 3% fee every time. That’s the foreign transaction fee most credit cards charge on international payments, which adds up quickly.

Chase Ink is a line of business credit cards from Chase designed to help small and growing companies manage expenses and boost your rewards. Each card has its own set of benefits, fees, and limitations, including how it handles international purchases.

Do Chase Ink business cards charge foreign transaction fees?

Some Chase Ink business cards charge foreign transaction fees, while others do not. The fee, when applied, is typically 3% of the total transaction amount after it's converted to U.S. dollars.

This fee applies any time you make a purchase in a foreign currency or when the payment is processed outside the U.S. It does not matter whether you are traveling abroad or simply paying for a service that operates internationally. Even software tools, online subscriptions, or advertising platforms can trigger this fee if the company’s billing system is based overseas.

These charges are automatic. You will not see a warning before the fee is applied. Instead, it gets added to your statement along with the purchase. If you work with international vendors, book global travel, or use tools priced in other currencies, these fees can show up more often than expected.

When foreign transaction fees quietly hurt your business

Foreign transaction fees often go unnoticed in expense reports, making it harder to track true business spending. If your team works across departments or locations, those extra charges can slip past your monthly close and skew your numbers. You might think you stayed on budget, but the actual cost sits 2% to 3% higher.

They also complicate forecasting. Your projections lose accuracy if you plan based on clean figures but your cards apply foreign transaction fees inconsistently. Over a year, this gap can distort margins, especially for teams with high international spending.

U.S. businesses spend over $419 billion each month on imported services, much of it billed in foreign currencies. At that scale, even a small percentage-based fees percentage-based fees

Finance teams often rely on automation to flag outliers. However, most tools don’t isolate foreign transaction fees. These charges are lumped in with vendor costs, making it harder to see where waste is occurring.

Even small business purchases, like software renewals or contractor invoices, become inflated. And if your team scales quickly, so do the hidden fees. You are losing money and clarity here.

Chase Ink business cards and their foreign transaction fees

Chase built the Ink card lineup to support different small business needs. Some focus on travel and office operations, while others prioritize cash flow and travel rewards. That’s why the Ink portfolio includes multiple cards, each with its own reward structure, fee model, and expense focus.

One key difference between these Chase credit cards is how they treat foreign transactions. That fee structure matters if your business pays international vendors, travels abroad, or uses tools priced in foreign currencies. Some cards charge a fee on every international purchase. But, others do not.

Tips to avoid foreign transaction fees with your Chase Ink card

Choosing the right Chase Ink card often starts with the business owner or finance lead. However, avoiding foreign transaction fees requires coordination across your team. If you use a company card, you must understand how charges are handled and when fees apply.

These tips are for teams that already use Chase Ink and want to reduce unnecessary costs. If you’re managing global expenses, setting clear rules for card use can help you avoid fees that add no value to your business.

1. Know which card you are using. Start by confirming whether your Chase Ink card charges a foreign transaction fee. Not all of them do. If you are unsure, check your card’s terms or call Chase. This step matters because switching to a no-fee Ink card could eliminate unnecessary charges entirely.
2. Understand what counts as a “foreign” transaction. Foreign fees are not just applied when you travel. They are charged any time a non-U.S. bank processes your payment. That includes online tools, ad platforms, or services based overseas, even if they bill you in U.S. dollars. Review vendor locations or ask directly to find out how payments are processed.
3. Use the right card for international purchases. If you manage multiple Chase Ink cards, use the one without foreign transaction fees for all cross-border expenses. Assign it to your travel team, link it to global SaaS tools, or use it for paying remote contractors.
4. Ask vendors to bill in U.S. dollars. Some international vendors allow you to choose your billing currency. If U.S. dollar billing is available, request it. While this does not guarantee fee avoidance, it reduces the chance your bank will treat the charge as foreign.
5. Review your statements regularly. Foreign fees are often small and easy to miss. Look through your monthly statement to spot fees tied to unexpected vendors. Identify the source and switch those payments to a no-fee card if you see recurring foreign charges.
6. Separate your domestic and international spending. Create a clear separation between domestic and global payments. This could mean assigning one card to U.S.-based business expenses and another to foreign charges. Doing this makes it easier to track spending, reduce errors, and eliminate surprise fees.

Why growing businesses choose Ramp

As businesses scale, so does the need to get more value from every dollar spent. Unlike most Chase Ink cards, which offer category-specific points or cashback rewards, Ramp gives growing businesses a simpler, more consistent way to maximize savings across all expenses.

Ramp’s corporate card offers a flat cash back on every purchase, with no category restrictions, no points to track, and no complex reward redemption rules. That means whether you're spending on software, advertising, travel, or office supplies, you're always getting maximum value.

With no foreign transaction fees, no annual fees, and unlimited employee cards with customizable limits, Ramp also eliminates hidden costs that eat into your margins. You get both a corporate card and a full spend management platform, built to control budgets before spend happens.

Ramp connects directly with accounting tools like QuickBooks, Xero, and NetSuite, helping your team close the books faster and with fewer errors. Roof Squad used Ramp to eliminate late vendor payments, automate their bill pay process, and save 50 hours per week. They’ve also retained thousands of dollars in operating cash profits every month, giving them more flexibility to reinvest in the business.

Impact of foreign fees on how your team uses Chase Ink

Foreign transaction fees can feel small, but their impact grows fast, especially when your team makes frequent international purchases. A 3% fee on recurring expenses like software, ad platforms, or vendor payments can quietly drain thousands from your budget each year.

With Chase Ink, the difference between cards that charge foreign fees and those that don’t is a spending decision. If your team has travel partners, works with international vendors, or pays for global services, using the wrong card leads to higher costs without a better rewards pro.

Some businesses choose a corporate card like Ramp, which charges no foreign transaction fees. This setup gives teams a predictable way to manage international expenses without adding complexity to the accounting process.