Scapia vs Niyo Global (2026): Best Zero-Forex Card for Travel?

Scapia and Niyo Global are both lifetime-free cards with 0% forex markup, which is the main reason anyone carries either. On rewards and lounges, Scapia is clearly the better card: about 2% back on everyday spends against Niyo's 0.5%, plus domestic lounge access. Niyo Global is worth a look mainly if you value its markup-free ATM withdrawals abroad through the linked Niyo account, or you want a card you won't feel tempted to spend on at home.

Side-by-side comparison

Feature	Federal Bank Scapia	Niyo Global (SBM Bank)
Joining fee	₹0	₹0
Annual fee	₹0	₹0
Fee waiver spend	Not needed	Not needed
Base reward rate	2% (10% in Scapia Coins)	0.5% cashback
Travel rate	4% on Scapia-app flights and hotels	1%
Reward type / value	Scapia Coins, 5 Coins = ₹1, usable in the Scapia app	Cashback
Forex markup	0%	0%
Domestic lounge	Unlimited on ₹5,000+ monthly spend	None
International lounge	None	None
Min. monthly income	₹25,000	Not published
Network	Visa	Visa

Rewards: how much do you actually earn?

Scapia

Federal Bank Scapia shows its rewards as big Coin percentages: 10% on eligible spends and 20% on flights and hotels booked in the Scapia app. Because 5 Coins = ₹1, that's really 2% and 4%. The other catch is that Coins can only be spent inside the Scapia app, on flights and hotels. If you'll never book through Scapia, the Coins aren't worth much to you.

Niyo Global

Niyo Global pays a modest 0.5% cashback, rising to 1% on travel. It's simple and you don't need to use any particular app, but there isn't much of it. The card is really about the zero markup.

The maths: two scenarios

Scenario 1: ₹30,000 a month at home, plus a ₹1 lakh trip abroad once a year

Scapia

• Domestic: ₹30,000 × 2% = ₹600 a month, or ₹7,200 a year
• Trip: ₹1,00,000 × 2% = ₹2,000 in Coins (assuming the spends are eligible)
• Total: about ₹9,200 a year in Coins, plus lounge access every month you spend ₹5,000 or more

Niyo Global

• Domestic: ₹30,000 × 0.5% = ₹150 a month, or ₹1,800 a year
• Trip: ₹1,00,000 × 1% = ₹1,000 at best (if coded as travel), otherwise ₹500
• Total: about ₹2,300–2,800 a year

What the zero markup saves on that trip. On a card with a typical 3.5% markup, ₹1 lakh abroad costs ₹3,500 in markup plus 18% GST on it (₹630), so ₹4,130. Both cards save you all of it. On forex, the two are level.

Scenario 2: you use the card only abroad, ₹2 lakh a year

• Scapia: ₹2,00,000 × 2% = ₹4,000 in Coins. No lounge access in months you don't spend.
• Niyo Global: ₹1,000–2,000 cashback.
• Forex saving against a 3.5% card: ₹7,000 + ₹1,260 GST = ₹8,260 on either card.

Even used purely as a travel card, Scapia comes out ahead on rewards. The only question is whether you'll redeem Coins inside the Scapia app.

Lounge access and travel benefits

Scapia gives unlimited domestic airport lounge access in any month you spend ₹5,000 or more. That's a low bar and makes it one of the best free cards for domestic flyers. There's no international lounge.

Niyo Global has no lounge access at all. What it offers instead is markup-free ATM withdrawals abroad on the linked Niyo Global account. That's not a credit card cash advance (which would carry fees and interest from day one). It's a separate debit-style account. For students and long-stay travellers who need local cash, it's genuinely useful.

Scapia also offers no-cost EMI on travel spends, which can help spread out a large holiday booking.

Fees and fine print

Neither card charges a joining or annual fee, and neither needs a spend target to stay free. A few things to keep in mind:

• Dynamic currency conversion. Zero markup only helps if you pay in the local currency. If a merchant offers to charge you in rupees, say no. The merchant's conversion rate is almost always worse than the network's.
• Interest still applies. Pay in full. Zero forex doesn't mean zero cost if you carry a balance.
• Card acceptance. Both are Visa, so acceptance abroad is broad. Niyo's own listing notes that its support set-up trails larger bank-issued cards.

The Scapia successor card

Scapia has launched a new card on Axis Bank rails, the Scapia Axis Bank card. It's also lifetime free with 0% forex, offers up to 20% in Coins on Scapia-app travel bookings, and unlocks domestic lounges at ₹20,000 monthly spend. Existing Federal Bank cards keep running. If you're applying today, check which version Scapia is issuing and read our Axis Scapia review. You can apply for Axis Bank cards here.

Who should pick which

Pick Scapia if:

• You want one free card for both everyday spends and foreign trips.
• You fly domestically and want lounge access for a ₹5,000 monthly spend.
• You'll book at least some flights or hotels through the Scapia app to use your Coins.

Pick Niyo Global if:

• You're a student or long-stay traveller who needs markup-free cash abroad through the Niyo account.
• You don't want rewards tied to one app and are fine with modest cashback.
• You want a dedicated travel-only card to keep foreign spends separate.

Many frequent travellers carry both. Use Scapia for most card payments and Niyo for local cash.

Verdict

Scapia wins for most people. It earns about four times the rewards at the base rate, adds domestic lounge access, and matches Niyo on the zero markup. Niyo Global is worth having alongside it only if markup-free ATM cash abroad matters to you. For more options, see our best zero forex markup cards, the Federal Bank Scapia review and the Niyo Global review.

Figures here come from BestCard's latest card data. Issuers change rewards and terms, so check the Scapia and Niyo websites before applying. Want a card picked for your own spending? Try the BestCard matcher.