IDFC Bank credit cards

An IDFC FIRST credit card is one of the few Indian cards a person with no credit history can get, because two of the five tracked here are issued against a fixed deposit. Fees run from Rs. 499 to Rs. 4,999, and the WOW! Black card charges no forex markup at all.

The range covers bill payments and cashback at the entry end, and IndiGo co-brands at the top.

WOW! Black is the standout on cost: Rs. 750 a year, 0% forex and a lounge visit a quarter, issued against a fixed deposit rather than a salary.

On the IndiGo cards, judge the fee against the flight vouchers and IndiGo benefits, since spending will not remove it.

IDFC FIRST points do not expire on most of its cards, which is rarer than it sounds — on SBI and HDFC Bank cards, points lapse after about 24 months.

Only WOW! Black carries complimentary domestic lounge access — one visit a quarter, unusual on a Rs. 750 card secured by a fixed deposit.

The IndiGo Dual cards trade lounge visits for airline benefits instead: flight vouchers, priority services and accelerated earning on IndiGo bookings.

IDFC FIRST publishes no fixed salary requirement on these cards. Two are issued against a fixed deposit — WOW! Black and the FD-backed IndiGo Dual — which means no income proof and no credit history is needed; the deposit is the security.

For the unsecured cards, IDFC FIRST looks at your credit profile rather than a stated salary. Check what you qualify for with the eligibility checker.

What every IDFC FIRST Bank card tracked here costs, earns and includes, cheapest first.

Rs. 499 a year, waived once annual spending reaches Rs. 1,00,000 (about Rs. 8,300 a month). Earns 1% on bill payments. No complimentary lounge visits are recorded. Earns nothing on fuel transactions, rent payments, wallet loads and EMI transactions. Full IDFC FIRST EA₹N review

Rs. 750 a year, waived once annual spending reaches Rs. 1,50,000 (about Rs. 12,500 a month). Earns 50 points per Rs. 150 on hotels; 30 points per Rs. 150 on flights; 1 point per Rs. 200 on bill payments. 1 complimentary domestic lounge visit a quarter. Earns nothing on fuel transactions, rent payments, wallet loads and EMI transactions. Full IDFC FIRST WOW! Black review

Rs. 1,000 a year, waived once annual spending reaches Rs. 2,00,000 (about Rs. 16,700 a month). Earns 3% on online shopping, capped at Rs. 1,000 a statement cycle; 1% on other spends, capped at Rs. 1,500 a statement cycle. No complimentary lounge visits are recorded. Worth knowing: UPI cashback is earned only through the IDFC FIRST Bank app — not through Google Pay, PhonePe or Paytm. Full IDFC FIRST Hello Cashback review

Rs. 4,999 a year, with no joining fee, with no spend-based waiver. Earns 1.49 points per Rs. 100 on travel. No complimentary lounge visits are recorded. Earns nothing on fuel transactions, rent payments, wallet loads and EMI transactions. Full IndiGo IDFC FIRST Dual (FD-Backed) review

Rs. 4,999 a year, with no spend-based waiver. Earns 6 points per Rs. 100 on travel; 3 points per Rs. 100 on dining; 3 points per Rs. 100 on entertainment. No complimentary lounge visits are recorded. Earns nothing on fuel transactions, rent payments, wallet loads and EMI transactions. Full IndiGo IDFC FIRST Dual review

The annual fee is the charge people compare, and rarely the one that costs most. Pay less than the full statement balance and interest applies from the transaction date, and the interest-free period stops applying to new purchases until the balance is cleared.

Paid in full every month, a IDFC FIRST Bank card costs only its annual fee. Revolved, the interest outruns any reward rate on the card several times over.

The eligibility checker scores your profile against each card's published criteria without a credit bureau enquiry.