All cards / IDFC FIRST Bank
IDFC FIRST Select
Lifetime-free with zero forex markup (since 9 Sep 2026) and interest rates that scale down with good repayment behavior — unusual for this tier, with accelerated rewards on dining and travel. International spends stop earning reward points from 26 Oct 2026. Insurance, utility, and railway/FASTag spends earn at a much lower rate than the general 3 points per ₹200, so cardholders shouldn't expect the card to reward routine bill payments the way it rewards dining or travel. Both the domestic airport lounge and railway lounge perks are gated behind a minimum ₹20,000 of spend in the preceding month, so occasional or low spenders may find the visits harder to unlock than the headline benefit suggests.
Annual fee
₹0
Joining fee
₹0
Reward type
points
Base reward rate
0.5%
Card network
Visa
Card tier
Mid
Who this card fits
Best suited to applicants with a credit score of roughly 700+ whose spend is concentrated in dining, travel. It's a lifetime-free card with no fee to track.
Rewards & benefits
- Rewards rate: 0.5% base rate
- Domestic lounge access: 1 complimentary domestic airport lounge visit per quarter (4 per year), plus 4 railway lounge visits per quarter, on ₹20,000 spend in the preceding calendar month
- Insurance benefits: ₹1 crore air accident cover and ₹5 lakh personal accident cover
Benefits by category
- 🍽️ Dining & food delivery
4% reward rate
- ✈️ Travel
4% reward rate · Complimentary domestic + railway lounge access, quarterly (min. ₹20,000 spend in preceding month)
- 🛡️ Insurance
₹1 crore air accident cover and ₹5 lakh personal accident cover
- 🌍 Forex / international spend
0% forex markup on international transactions
Eligibility
- Minimum credit score: 700
- Minimum monthly income: ₹1,00,000
- Employment: salaried, self-employed
- Age: 21–60
Fees & charges
- Foreign currency markup: 0%
- Interest rate: 9%–42% p.a.
- Fuel surcharge waiver: 1% fuel surcharge waiver on transactions between ₹400 and ₹4,000
- Cash advance charges: ₹250 per domestic or international cash advance transaction
Benefits
- Complimentary domestic + railway lounge access, quarterly (min. ₹20,000 spend in preceding month)
- ₹1 crore air accident cover and ₹5 lakh personal accident cover
Pros
- + Lifetime free
- + Zero forex markup, good for travel
- + Interest rates can reduce over time
- + Railway lounge access included alongside airport lounges
Cons
- − Very low base reward rate outside bonus categories
- − Lounge access is spend-conditional
- − Insurance, utility, and FASTag spends earn a much lower reward rate than dining or travel
- − International spends stop earning reward points from 26 Oct 2026 (the trade-off for zero forex markup)
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