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IDFC FIRST Zero-Forex Diamond Reserve Credit Card
IDFC FIRST's newest premium travel card (launched January 2026), aimed at cost-conscious affluent travellers — zero forex markup at a comparatively low ₹3,000 fee, but the standout reward rates apply only to in-app hotel and flight bookings; general spend earns a modest 1.66%.
Annual fee
₹3,000
Joining fee
₹3,000
Reward type
points
Base reward rate
1.66%
Card network
Visa
Card tier
Super-premium
Who this card fits
Best suited to applicants with a credit score of roughly 750+ whose spend is concentrated in travel. Its annual fee waives if you can comfortably clear the spend threshold.
Rewards & benefits
- Rewards rate: 1.66% base rate
- Travel: Zero forex markup on all international spends; up to 10% effective value-back on hotel bookings and 6.6% on flights via the IDFC FIRST app
- Domestic lounge access: 2 complimentary domestic airport lounge visits per quarter
- International lounge access: 2 complimentary international airport lounge visits per quarter
Benefits by category
- ✈️ Travel
6.67% reward rate · 2 domestic + 2 international lounge visits per quarter
- 🏨 Hotel
Up to 10% effective value-back on hotel bookings and 6.6% on flight bookings made via the IDFC FIRST app
- 🌍 Forex / international spend
Zero forex markup on all international spends · 0% forex markup on international transactions
Eligibility
- Minimum credit score: 750
- Minimum monthly income: ₹1,00,000
- Employment: salaried, self-employed
- Age: 21–65
Fees & charges
- Spend-based waiver: Waived on annual spend of ₹6,00,000
- Foreign currency markup: 0%
- Interest rate: 9%–42% p.a.
Benefits
- Zero forex markup on all international spends
- 2 domestic + 2 international lounge visits per quarter
- Up to 10% effective value-back on hotel bookings and 6.6% on flight bookings made via the IDFC FIRST app
Pros
- + Zero forex markup at a relatively low ₹3,000 fee
- + Strong in-app travel booking rewards (up to 10% on hotels)
- + Quarterly domestic + international lounge access
Cons
- − Best rewards require booking travel through the IDFC FIRST app
- − Fee waiver needs ₹6L in annual spend
- − General spend reward rate is unremarkable
- − Despite the zero-forex branding, international spends stop earning reward points from 26 Oct 2026 (Diamond Reserve is not on IDFC's exception list)
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