The single biggest reason to get a travel card before this trip: most standard credit cards charge a 1–3% foreign transaction fee on every purchase you make in Mexico. That adds up fast over a week. Both cards below charge zero foreign transaction fees, on top of real travel perks.
The easiest entry point into travel rewards, a big welcome bonus and flat-rate miles without a spreadsheet to manage.
The highest tier of travel perks, if you'll actually use the credits, they can outweigh the fee by a wide margin.
Fees, bonuses, and benefits are set by each card issuer and change periodically, confirm current terms before applying.
If you want travel rewards without an annual fee that stings, or this is your first travel card, Venture is the easy choice, $95 a year, a big welcome bonus, and a flat 2X miles on everything with no categories to track.
If you already travel often, eat out regularly, and will actually use benefits like the hotel credits, Uber Cash, and premium lounge network, Amex Platinum can deliver more value, but only if you use enough of the credits to justify the higher $895 fee. Skip a few credits and the math flips against you fast.
Have more questions? We keep every Cancun question, answered, in one place.
Visit the Full FAQ →