IDFC FIRST Bank
IDFC FIRST Select Credit Card
Dining, travel and birthday spends earn 1.25% back in reward points, other spends 0.375%, utilities, insurance, railways and FASTag 0.125%; no points on international spends from 26 October 2026. Zero forex markup, plus a domestic airport lounge visit each quarter.
- Lifetime free
Pros and cons
Good
- Lifetime free: no joining or annual fee
- No forex markup
- Open to self-employed applicants
Watch out for
- Low base rate: 0.38% on everyday spends
- Lounge visits need about ₹20,000 of spend a month
- Can't be used on UPI (not a RuPay card)
- High income bar: ₹1,00,000 a month
- Who it's for
- Anyone who wants a no-fee card for travel.
- Skip it if
- You mainly pay by UPI.
Worked out from the bank's published terms with the same rules for every card, never from what we earn. How we judge cards.
Rewards (value back as % of spend)
- Everyday spends
- 0.38% (base rate)
- Online shopping
- 0.38%
- Fuel
- 0%
- Groceries
- 0.38%
- Travel
- 1.25%
- Bills and utilities
- 0.13%
- Dining and food delivery
- 1.25%
Fees and charges
- Joining fee
- Free
- Annual fee
- Free
- Fee waiver
- Lifetime free: no joining or annual fee
- Forex markup
- 0%
- Fuel surcharge waiver
- 1% on fuel transactions of ₹200–₹5,000, up to ₹300 per statement cycle
Benefits and eligibility
- Airport lounge
- 4 domestic airport visits a year (1 a quarter) and 4 railway lounge visits a quarter; each needs ₹20,000 spend in a calendar month to unlock the next month.
- Card network
- Not published by the bank
- UPI payments
- No
- Minimum income (salaried)
- ₹1,00,000 a month
- Eligibility
- Annual income ₹12 lakh or more (about ₹1,00,000/month). Income proof required (unsecured card); self-employed applicants can apply with ITR. Issuance at the bank's discretion.
Fees exclude GST. Reward rates are the value back you get at the bank's published redemption value; where a bank doesn't publish what a point is worth, we leave the rate blank rather than guess. See how we compare cards.
Compare it with other cards
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What changed recently
- UpcomingRewardsWorse for you
International spends will no longer earn reward points.
Before: 10X points (1.25% back) on international spends · After: No points on international spends
Announced change, takes effect after the log date. Comes with the zero forex markup from 9 September 2026.
Bank's notice or terms - FeesBetter for you
No forex markup on international transactions.
After: 0% forex markup
The notice covers all IDFC FIRST cards ('savings of up to 3.5%') and doesn't state this card's earlier markup.
Bank's notice or terms - RewardsBetter for you
10X points on dining, travel and international spends now apply from the first transaction instead of only after ₹20,000 spend in a billing cycle.
Before: 10X unlocked after ₹20,000 spend in a cycle · After: 10X on dining, travel and international from the first transaction
Bank's notice or terms - RewardsWorse for you
Reward points now expire 24 months after they are credited; the existing balance stays valid until July 2028.
After: Points valid 24 months
The notice does not state the earlier validity.
Bank's notice or terms - Reward capsWorse for you
Points are earned only on spends up to the credit limit in each billing cycle.
After: Points capped at spends up to the credit limit per cycle
Bank's notice or terms
Questions people ask
Is the IDFC FIRST Select Credit Card worth it in 2026?
Yes, as a no-fee card for travel: it costs nothing to keep. The catch: low base rate: 0.38% on everyday spends.
Is the IDFC FIRST Select Credit Card lifetime free?
Yes. The bank's fee schedule shows no joining fee and no annual fee.
Does the IDFC FIRST Select Credit Card work on UPI?
No. Only RuPay credit cards can be linked to UPI, and this isn't one.
Does the IDFC FIRST Select Credit Card give airport lounge access?
4 domestic airport visits a year (1 a quarter) and 4 railway lounge visits a quarter; each needs ₹20,000 spend in a calendar month to unlock the next month.
What earns no rewards on the IDFC FIRST Select Credit Card?
No points on fuel, EMI transactions or cash withdrawals, and none on international spends from 26 October 2026. Travel spends keep the 1.25% rate unless they're international transactions. Points are earned only on spends up to the credit limit in each billing cycle. Utilities, insurance, railway and FASTag earn the low 1X rate; rent, government, education and wallet loads miss the 10X rate but still earn 3X. No cap on points earned is published.
Who can get the IDFC FIRST Select Credit Card?
The bank publishes a minimum income of ₹1,00,000 a month for salaried applicants. Self-employed people can apply: ITR accepted as income proof; ₹12 lakh a year. Annual income ₹12 lakh or more (about ₹1,00,000/month). Income proof required (unsecured card); self-employed applicants can apply with ITR. Issuance at the bank's discretion. Approval is at the bank's discretion.
How we checked this card: the CreditParakh team read IDFC FIRST Bank's own terms and product page on 18 Oct 2026. Every fee, rate and rule above comes from those pages; where they disagree, we say so. We re-check every card monthly and log changes on card changes. See our editorial standards.
Last verified 18 Oct 2026 on IDFC FIRST Bank's official page. Fees and rewards change; check the issuer's terms before you apply.