UnknownCharges

Banking Fee & Account Adjustment

What does FOREIGN TRANSACTION FEE mean on a bank statement?

FOREIGN TRANSACTION FEE

· Evidence review pending · Content revised

08/05 FOREIGN TRANSACTION FEE $2.84 $45.20

Illustrative entry. The example date and amount do not establish your bank’s format or a real transaction.

Plain-English Definition

Registry label for FOREIGN TRANSACTION FEE: Foreign Transaction Assessment / International Service Fee. Unreviewed registry note: A 1% to 3% fee assessed by card issuers on purchases routed through foreign banks or processed in non-U.S. dollar currencies.

Important: What this code is NOT

Unreviewed registry note: A foreign transaction fee is not charged by the store where you bought goods. It is a surcharge levied directly by your credit card issuer or debit card bank for cross-border currency conversion and network routing.

Understanding FOREIGN TRANSACTION FEE (Foreign Transaction Assessment / International Service Fee)

Unreviewed registry note: A foreign transaction fee (often labeled INTL TXN FEE, FOREIGN TRANS FEE, or CROSS BORDER ASSESSMENT) is charged when you use your debit or credit card to make a purchase that passes through a foreign bank, even if the transaction was made online from your home in the U.S.

Unreviewed registry note: The fee typically consists of two parts: a 1% cross-border assessment charged by the card network (Visa or Mastercard) and an additional 1%–2% administrative fee added by your specific card-issuing bank.

Unreviewed registry note: It applies both when traveling abroad and when buying online from international merchants whose merchant processing banks are located overseas (e.g., European airlines, overseas retailers, or international software services).

Find the transaction details

Read the complete entry and its direction before looking for a company. A code may describe a deposit, payment type or status; it does not necessarily identify a purchase:

  1. Step 1 Unreviewed registry note: Look at the foreign merchant charge listed immediately adjacent to or on the same date as the fee on your statement.
  2. Step 2 Unreviewed registry note: Verify whether you recently purchased goods from an international retailer, booked foreign travel, or renewed an overseas software subscription.
  3. Step 3 Unreviewed registry note: To avoid future fees, consider using a credit or debit card that explicitly waives foreign transaction fees.

Example statement lines

These are lookup illustrations. Bank layouts vary, and an example does not establish a particular originator or authorization:

  • FOREIGN TRANSACTION FEE $2.84
  • INTL TXN ASSESSMENT VISA 1%
  • CROSS BORDER TRANSACTION FEE
  • FX CURRENCY CONVERSION FEE

Questions about FOREIGN TRANSACTION FEE

What does FOREIGN TRANSACTION FEE stand for on a bank statement?

Registry label for FOREIGN TRANSACTION FEE: Foreign Transaction Assessment / International Service Fee. Unreviewed registry note: A 1% to 3% fee assessed by card issuers on purchases routed through foreign banks or processed in non-U.S. dollar currencies.

Is FOREIGN TRANSACTION FEE the name of a company?

Unreviewed registry note: A foreign transaction fee is not charged by the store where you bought goods. It is a surcharge levied directly by your credit card issuer or debit card bank for cross-border currency conversion and network routing.

How can I find the originator or merchant for a FOREIGN TRANSACTION FEE entry?

Unreviewed registry note: Look at the foreign merchant charge listed immediately adjacent to or on the same date as the fee on your statement. Unreviewed registry note: Verify whether you recently purchased goods from an international retailer, booked foreign travel, or renewed an overseas software subscription. Unreviewed registry note: To avoid future fees, consider using a credit or debit card that explicitly waives foreign transaction fees.

Source references

These references accompany this entry. A claim-level evidence review is pending; a citation alone does not verify every statement.