BOBCARD Eterna Review 2026: Bank of Baroda's Best Card, Tested

The Bank of Baroda Eterna is a premium card that punches above its price: a free first year, then ₹2,499 a year (waived at ₹2.5 lakh of spend), with 3.75% back on travel, dining, online and international spends, unlimited domestic lounge access and a 2% forex markup. It's a strong choice for someone who spends ₹30,000 to ₹50,000 a month mostly online and on eating out. The two limits to know: the accelerated rate is capped at 5,000 points per cycle, and there's no international lounge access.

Who this card is for

Eterna fits you if:

• Most of your spending is online, on dining or on travel
• You fly domestically and want lounge access without quarterly spend targets
• You spend at least ₹2.5 lakh a year, so the renewal fee is waived
• You earn ₹1 lakh a month or more (BestCard's listed minimum)

It's less suited to people who mostly spend offline at grocery stores and fuel pumps, or who want international lounge visits.

Fees and waiver

Item	BOBCARD Eterna
Joining fee	Nil (first year free from 1 September 2026)
Annual fee	₹2,499 + GST from year two
Fee waiver	₹2.5 lakh spend in the previous card year
Forex markup	2%
Point value	₹0.25 per point, as cashback
Minimum monthly income	₹1,00,000
Network	Visa

The ₹2.5 lakh waiver works out to about ₹20,800 a month, which most people with this income level will clear easily.

Reward structure

Per BestCard's data:

• 15 points per ₹100 (3.75%) on travel, dining, online and international spends
• 3 points per ₹100 (0.75%) on everything else
• Accelerated points capped at 5,000 per statement cycle, which is ₹1,250 in value
• No points on fuel
• 1 point = ₹0.25, redeemable as cashback

The cap means the 3.75% rate applies to roughly the first ₹33,333 of accelerated spend each cycle.

Milestone and welcome bonuses add to this:

• 10,000 bonus points (₹2,500) on ₹50,000 spend in the first 60 days
• 20,000 bonus points (₹5,000) on ₹5 lakh spend in a year
• 12-month FITPASS PRO membership (valued at ₹48,000) on ₹10,000 spend within 30 days, for cards issued on or after 1 August 2026

Worked example at ₹40,000 a month

• ₹25,000 on online shopping, dining and travel: 25,000 ÷ 100 × 15 = 3,750 points = ₹937.50
• ₹15,000 on other spends: 15,000 ÷ 100 × 3 = 450 points = ₹112.50

That's 4,200 points, or ₹1,050 a month and ₹12,600 a year. Annual spend of ₹4.8 lakh clears the fee waiver but falls just short of the ₹5 lakh milestone.

Worked example at ₹50,000 a month

• ₹30,000 accelerated: 4,500 points = ₹1,125 (under the 5,000-point cap)
• ₹20,000 other: 600 points = ₹150

That's ₹1,275 a month, or ₹15,300 a year. Your ₹6 lakh annual spend crosses the ₹5 lakh milestone, adding ₹5,000. Total: about ₹20,300 a year, plus the first-year welcome bonuses.

If more than ₹33,333 of your monthly spend is in accelerated categories, the extra stops earning at 3.75%. At that point, a second card for overflow online spend makes sense.

Lounge, travel and other benefits

• Domestic lounges: unlimited complimentary access. No quarterly spend gate, which is increasingly rare at this fee. See how that compares in our list of the best cards for domestic lounge access.
• International lounges: none.
• Forex: 2% markup, and international spends earn the 3.75% rate (within the cap). On ₹50,000 spent abroad, you'd pay ₹1,000 markup plus ₹180 GST and earn ₹1,250 back if the cap allows, roughly breaking even.
• Movies: buy-one-get-one tickets on District, up to ₹250 a month.
• Fuel: 1% surcharge waiver on ₹400 to ₹5,000 transactions, capped at ₹250 per statement cycle.

Pros and cons

Pros

• Free first year, then an easy-to-waive ₹2,499 fee
• 3.75% on travel, dining, online and international spends
• Unlimited domestic lounge access with no spend condition
• 2% forex markup, with international spends earning the top rate
• Generous welcome and milestone bonuses, including FITPASS PRO

Cons

• Accelerated rewards capped at 5,000 points (₹1,250) per cycle
• No international lounge access
• No rewards on fuel and only 0.75% on offline everyday spends
• ₹1 lakh monthly income requirement is high for a card at this fee

Eligibility

BestCard's data lists a minimum monthly income of ₹1 lakh. Bank of Baroda customers with salary accounts may find approval easier. Like any card, approval depends on your CIBIL score and existing obligations.

How it compares

• HDFC Regalia Gold: ₹2,500 fee waived at ₹4 lakh, 1.25% base and 2.5% on travel, 2% forex, 3 domestic lounge visits a quarter (gated behind ₹60,000 quarterly spend) and 6 international visits a year. Better if you need international lounges; Eterna earns more on online and dining.
• Axis Bank Select: ₹3,000 fee waived at ₹8 lakh, 2 EDGE points per ₹100 on the first ₹20,000 a month, up to 12 international lounge visits a year, but a 3.5% forex markup. Better for international lounges and golf; you can apply for Axis Select here if that suits you.
• IDFC FIRST Select: lifetime free, 0% forex markup, 4% on travel and dining per our data, but domestic lounge access is limited to one visit a quarter on spend conditions. Better if you want zero fee and zero forex.

All figures come from BestCard's latest card data. Bank of Baroda revised the Eterna's fee structure in September 2026, and terms can change again, so verify on BOBCARD's site before applying.

Verdict

The BOB Eterna is one of the best-value premium cards for online and dining spenders in the ₹30,000 to ₹50,000 monthly range. It earns ₹12,000 to ₹20,000 a year at those levels, costs nothing in year one and is easy to keep free after that. The 5,000-point cap and lack of international lounges keep it from being a complete travel card, but as a primary card for domestic life it's hard to fault.

For Bank of Baroda's full range, see our Bank of Baroda credit cards guide or the BOB Premier review. Not sure it beats your current card? Try the BestCard matcher.