Check the fine print of your credit card agreements. Many cards have a hidden fee for foreign currency transactions, implemented by tacking on a few percent to the exchange rate. Maybe your new card is just being more honest about it?
double-post; sorry!
I have a prepaid Visa through Wired Plastic and love it. I’ve had it for several years and have never had any problems. To me it’s worth $3.95 a month for the convenience of having a regular credit card that’s accepted just about everywheren, and for the protection of never ever going into credit card debt.
It doesn’t give frequent flyer miles or anything fancy like that, but I’d been accumulating points for cell phone cards all along. I didn’t have a cell phone though so I never paid attention to that part of it. Recently I got a Tracfone and I happily discovered, after buying the phone, that the points I’d been accumulating via Wired Plastic could be used for Tracfone minutes (other phone plans are offered too). I use my cell phone so little that it’s possible I never have to buy minutes again.