Travel credit cards compared
Worked out on ₹40,000 a month of ordinary spending at each card's base rate, with points valued at the bank's travel redemption rate (₹0.50 a point on Regalia Gold, ₹1 a Mile on Atlas). Lounge visits and forex savings are on top of this.
| Card | Joining / annual fee | Fee waived at | Top rate | Value a month | Net a year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tata Neu Infinity HDFC Bank Credit CardHDFC Bank | ₹1,499 / ₹1,499 | ₹3,00,000 a year | 5%Tata Neu and Tata brands | ₹6001.5% overall | ₹7,200no fee to pay |
| Regalia Gold Credit CardHDFC Bank | ₹2,500 / ₹2,500 | ₹4,00,000 a year | 6.67%M&S, Myntra, Nykaa, Reliance Digital | ₹5331.33% overall | ₹6,400no fee to pay |
| Axis Bank Atlas Credit CardAxis Bank | ₹5,000 / ₹5,000 | – | 5%Airlines and hotels | ₹8002% overall | ₹3,700after ₹5,900 fee |
| FIRST WOW! Credit CardIDFC FIRST Bank | Lifetime free | – | 0.5%International spends | ₹2000.5% overall | ₹2,400no fee to pay |
| FIRST Millennia Credit CardIDFC FIRST Bank | Lifetime free | – | 1.25%Dining, travel, international | ₹1500.38% overall | ₹1,800no fee to pay |
| BPCL SBI Card OCTANESBI Card | ₹1,499 / ₹1,499 | ₹2,00,000 a year | 2.5%Groceries, dining, movies | ₹1000.25% overall | ₹1,200no fee to pay |
Lounge access card by card
- Tata Neu Infinity HDFC Bank Credit Card: Up to 8 domestic visits a year (2 a quarter on ₹50,000 of quarterly spends) and 4 international visits (1 a quarter)
- BPCL SBI Card OCTANE: 4 domestic visits a year (1 a quarter)
- FIRST Millennia Credit Card: Railway lounges only: 4 visits a quarter after ₹20,000 of spends in the previous month
- Regalia Gold Credit Card: 3 domestic visits a quarter after ₹60,000 of spends in the previous quarter, and 6 international visits a year (Priority Pass)
- Axis Bank Atlas Credit Card: Silver tier: 8 domestic and 4 international visits a year; more in the Gold and Platinum tiers
Banks increasingly unlock lounge visits by spending in the previous month or quarter, so a new card may not give access on your first trip.
What the forex markup costs on ₹1 lakh abroad
| Card | Markup | Cost with GST |
|---|---|---|
| FIRST Millennia Credit Card | 0% | ₹0 |
| FIRST WOW! Credit Card | 0% | ₹0 |
| Regalia Gold Credit Card | 2% | ₹2,360 |
| Axis Bank Atlas Credit Card | 3.5% | ₹4,130 |
On a ₹1 lakh trip, a 3.5% markup costs ₹4,130 with GST, which can wipe out the rewards earned on the same spend. Our currency converter shows today's reference rate to compare against your statement.
Each card in detail
Tata Neu Infinity HDFC Bank Credit Card · HDFC Bank
Up to 10% on Tata brands such as BigBasket, Croma and Tata CLiQ
- Rewards
- 5% back as NeuCoins on Tata Neu and partner Tata brands (another 5% on selected categories with NeuPass), 1.5% on other non-UPI spends; 1 NeuCoin = ₹1 on Tata Neu. Grocery, utility and telecom NeuCoins are capped at 2,000 a month each; none on fuel, wallet, rent or government payments.
- Fees
- Joining ₹1,499, annual ₹1,499 + GST; next year's fee waived on ₹3,00,000 of spends a year
- Lounges
- Up to 8 domestic visits a year (2 a quarter on ₹50,000 of quarterly spends) and 4 international visits (1 a quarter)
- Who can apply
- Salaried: 21–60 years, income of ₹1 lakh a month
- Best for
- Households that buy groceries and electronics from Tata brands
Checked on the HDFC Bank page on 6 October 2026.
Regalia Gold Credit Card · HDFC Bank
Up to 12 domestic and 6 international lounge visits a year, 2% forex markup
- Rewards
- 4 points per ₹150 on retail spends and 20 per ₹150 at Marks & Spencer, Myntra, Nykaa and Reliance Digital (up to 5,000 points a month). A point is worth ₹0.50 on flights and hotels or ₹0.65 in the Gold catalogue, but much less against the bill.
- Fees
- Joining ₹2,500, annual ₹2,500 + GST; next year's fee waived on ₹4,00,000 of spends a year
- Lounges
- 3 domestic visits a quarter after ₹60,000 of spends in the previous quarter, and 6 international visits a year (Priority Pass)
- Forex markup
- 2% on foreign currency spends
- Who can apply
- Self-employed: ITR above ₹18 lakh a year
- Best for
- People who fly several times a year and spend ₹4 lakh a year on the card
Checked on the HDFC Bank page on 6 October 2026.
Axis Bank Atlas Credit Card · Axis Bank
Miles that transfer to airline and hotel programmes, with tier upgrades at ₹7.5 lakh and ₹15 lakh
- Rewards
- 2 EDGE Miles per ₹100 on most spends and 5 per ₹100 on direct airline, hotel and Travel EDGE bookings; Axis values a Mile at ₹1. Spends on jewellery, rent, wallets, government, insurance, fuel, utilities and telecom do not count towards tiers.
- Fees
- Joining ₹5,000, annual ₹5,000 + GSTUp to 5,000 EDGE Miles back on paying the annual fee, by tier
- Lounges
- Silver tier: 8 domestic and 4 international visits a year; more in the Gold and Platinum tiers
- Forex markup
- 3.5% on foreign currency spends
- Best for
- Big spenders who redeem miles for flights
Checked on the Axis Bank page on 6 October 2026.
FIRST WOW! Credit Card · IDFC FIRST Bank
No income proof or credit history needed: the card is backed by your FD
- Rewards
- 4 points per ₹200 on online, offline and international spends (0.5%) and 1 point per ₹200 on utilities, insurance, FASTag and railways; 1 point = ₹0.25. Nothing on fuel or EMIs.
- Fees
- No joining or annual feeLifetime free; needs a fixed deposit of at least ₹20,000 with the bank
- Forex markup
- None
- Who can apply
- 18–80 years, an FD of ₹20,000 or more; no income proof or credit history
- Best for
- Students, homemakers and anyone with no credit history
Checked on the IDFC FIRST Bank page on 6 October 2026.
FIRST Millennia Credit Card · IDFC FIRST Bank
No annual fee and no forex markup
- Rewards
- 10 points per ₹200 on dining, travel, international spends and on your birthday (1.25%), 3 points per ₹200 on most other spends (0.375%) and 1 point per ₹200 on utilities, insurance, railways and FASTag; 1 point = ₹0.25. Nothing on fuel or EMIs.
- Fees
- No joining or annual feeLifetime free; ₹99 + GST per reward redemption
- Lounges
- Railway lounges only: 4 visits a quarter after ₹20,000 of spends in the previous month
- Forex markup
- None
- Best for
- A first card that also works abroad
Checked on the IDFC FIRST Bank page on 6 October 2026.
BPCL SBI Card OCTANE · SBI Card
7.25% value back at BPCL, plus 4 domestic lounge visits a year
- Rewards
- 25 points per ₹100 at BPCL pumps (6.25% at 4 points = ₹1, or 7.25% with the surcharge waiver) up to 2,500 points a statement; 10 points per ₹100 on groceries, department stores, movies and dining (up to 7,500 a month) and 1 point per ₹100 elsewhere.
- Fees
- Joining ₹1,499, annual ₹1,499 + GST; next year's fee waived on ₹2,00,000 of spends a year
- Lounges
- 4 domestic visits a year (1 a quarter)
- Best for
- Heavy BPCL users who spend ₹2 lakh a year on the card
Checked on the SBI Card page on 6 October 2026.
Which travel card suits you
- You travel abroad once or twice a year: a no-fee IDFC FIRST card for zero forex markup.
- You fly domestically every month: Regalia Gold or Tata Neu Infinity, if your quarterly spending unlocks the visits.
- You spend several lakh a year and redeem for flights: Axis Atlas, whose Miles transfer to airline programmes.
How we compared these cards
Every fee, reward rate and cap here was read on the issuing bank's own website on 6 October 2026; each card links to the page we checked. Where a figure could not be confirmed on the bank's site, the card is left out. Points are converted to rupees at the value the bank itself states, and the "value a month" and "net a year" columns apply each card's caps to the spending described above the table. Surcharge waivers, welcome vouchers and milestone gifts are left out of those columns.
SmartFigure earns nothing from these cards. There are no affiliate links and no paid placements, and the order comes only from the arithmetic. This is not a recommendation: banks revise card terms often, so read the current terms on the bank's site before you apply.
Frequently asked questions
Which credit card gives the most airport lounge visits in October 2026?
Of the cards here, HDFC Regalia Gold offers up to 12 domestic visits a year (3 a quarter, each quarter unlocked by ₹60,000 of spends in the previous one) and 6 international visits through Priority Pass. Axis Atlas gives 8 domestic and 4 international visits in its entry Silver tier, and more in higher tiers.
Is lounge access free with every credit card?
No longer. Most banks now tie domestic lounge visits to spending, such as ₹50,000 to ₹75,000 in a quarter, and some give them only as vouchers you claim online. Check the condition before relying on a card at the airport.
Which credit card has no forex markup?
IDFC FIRST Bank’s FIRST Millennia, FIRST Classic and FIRST WOW! cards charge no forex markup. Most other cards charge 3.5% plus 18% GST on it; Regalia Gold charges 2% and Amazon Pay ICICI 1.99%.
What is dynamic currency conversion?
When a shop or ATM abroad offers to charge you in rupees, it uses its own exchange rate, usually much worse than your card’s. Always choose to pay in the local currency, even on a zero-forex card.
Is there TCS on international credit card spends?
Spending abroad on an international credit card is not counted under the Liberalised Remittance Scheme, so no TCS is collected on it. TCS applies to remittances and overseas tour packages.
Are travel cards worth the fee?
Only if you use the benefits. A ₹2,500 or ₹5,000 fee pays for itself through lounge visits and miles if you fly several times a year and put most of your spending on the card; for occasional travellers a no-fee, zero-forex card is better value.
Sources
- HDFC Bank – Tata Neu Infinity HDFC Bank Credit Card
- SBI Card – BPCL SBI Card OCTANE
- IDFC FIRST Bank – FIRST Millennia Credit Card
- IDFC FIRST Bank – FIRST WOW! Credit Card
- HDFC Bank – Regalia Gold Credit Card
- Axis Bank – Axis Bank Atlas Credit Card
- RBI – Master Direction on Credit Card and Debit Card Issuance and Conduct, 2022
Last checked on 6 October 2026. Not a recommendation. Lounge rules in particular change often; read the current terms on the bank's website before applying or travelling. SmartFigure earns nothing from any card.