Travel Credit Card Comparison India (2026): Fees, Lounge Access & Rewards
Choosing the right travel credit card in India requires balancing reward flight earnings, foreign exchange (forex) markup fees, and airport lounge access spend criteria. In this side-by-side comparison matrix, we evaluate annual fees, domestic and international lounge limits, points transfer partners, and insurance protections across India's leading travel cards for 2026.
Key Factors to Compare in TRAVEL Cards
- Lounge Access Qualification: Most Indian banks now enforce quarterly spend thresholds (₹20,000 to ₹1,00,000) to activate domestic lounge vouchers. Verify whether lounge access is spend-linked or truly complimentary.
- Forex Markup Rates: Standard credit cards charge 3.5% + GST on foreign transactions. Premium travel cards reduce this to 0% - 1.99%, saving substantial fees on overseas hotel and flight bookings.
- Airline Loyalty Currency Value: Co-branded airline cards (like IndiGo 6E Rewards) earn direct airline currency for flights, whereas bank points (like Axis EDGE or HDFC CashPoints) offer multi-partner transfer flexibility.
Side-by-Side Comparison Matrix
| Feature | Scapia Federal Credit Card | IndiGo Axis Bank Credit Card | IndiGo Axis Bank Premium Credit Card | IndiGo Kotak Credit Card | IndiGo Kotak XL Credit Card | IndiGo IDFC FIRST Credit Card |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joining/Annual Fee | Lifetime Free | ₹799 | ₹5,000 | ₹700 | ₹1,500 | ₹4,999 |
| Welcome Benefit | - | 1,200 BluChips | 5,000 BluChips + 6E Eats voucher | 1,500 BluChips | 3,000 BluChips | 5,000 BluChips + 6E Eats voucher |
| Annual Fee Waiver Spends | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Domestic Lounge Visits | Unlimited | 4 visits/year (1 per quarter) | 8 visits/year (max 2 per quarter) | 4 visits/year (1 per quarter) | 8 visits/year (2 per quarter) | 16 visits/year (4 per quarter) |
| Spends for Lounge | ₹20K monthly | ₹50K in previous quarter | Complimentary | Complimentary | Complimentary | ₹20K in previous calendar month |
| Amazon | 2% Value | - | - | - | - | - |
| Amazon Fresh | 2% Value | - | - | - | - | - |
| BigBasket | 2% Value | - | - | - | - | - |
| Blinkit | 2% Value | - | - | - | - | - |
| Dining & Grocery Spends | - | 2 BluChips per ₹100 | 3 BluChips per ₹100 | 2 BluChips per ₹100 | 3 BluChips per ₹100 | 3 BluChips per ₹100 |
| Education | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Flipkart | 2% Value | - | - | - | - | - |
| Flipkart Grocery | 2% Value | - | - | - | - | - |
| Forex Markup | 0% | 3.50% | 3.50% | 3.50% | 3.50% | 1.49% |
| Fuel | 1% Surcharge Waiver (max ₹500/mo) | - | - | - | - | - |
| Govt. Payments | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| IndiGo Spends | - | 3 BluChips per ₹100 | 7 BluChips per ₹100 | 3 BluChips per ₹100 | 6 BluChips per ₹100 | Up to 22 BluChips per ₹100 |
| Insurance | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| International Lounge Visits | - | - | 2 visits/year (via Priority Pass) | - | - | 4 visits/year (via Priority Pass) |
| Jewelry | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| JioMart | 2% Value | - | - | - | - | - |
| Milestone Benefits | - | Up to 2,400 BluChips annually | Up to 25,000 BluChips annually | Up to 2,000 BluChips annually | Up to 5,000 BluChips annually | Up to 25,000 BluChips annually |
| Myntra | 2% Value | - | - | - | - | - |
| NPS | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Offline Spends | 10% Scapia Coins (2% Value) | - | - | - | - | - |
| Ola | 2% Value | - | - | - | - | - |
| Online Spends | 20% Scapia Coins (4% Value on Travel) | - | - | - | - | - |
| Other Spends | - | 1 BluChip per ₹100 | 2 BluChips per ₹100 | 1 BluChip per ₹100 | 1.5 BluChips per ₹100 | 3 BluChips per ₹100 |
| Rapido | 2% Value | - | - | - | - | - |
| Rent | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Swiggy | 2% Value | - | - | - | - | - |
| Uber | 2% Value | - | - | - | - | - |
| UPI Spends | - | - | - | 1 BluChip per ₹100 | - | 0.5 BluChips per ₹100 |
| Utilities | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Wallets | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Zomato | 2% Value | - | - | - | - | - |
| Notes | 0% Forex Markup. Unlimited Domestic Lounge Access after ₹20K combined monthly spend. 5 Coins = ₹1. Redeemable for travel on Scapia App. Rewards removed on insurance/utilities from Feb 2026. | Annual renewal fee payment gives 1,200 BluChips benefit. Spends on fuel, utilities, rent, and insurance are excluded from rewards. | Annual renewal fee payment gives 5,000 BluChips benefit. Welcome benefit voucher is valid for 6 months. | RuPay variant supports UPI payments. Earning points on UPI requires RuPay network. | Currently restricted/discontinued for new applicants (existing cardholders retain terms). | Can be obtained Lifetime Free (₹0 joining/annual fee) against a ₹1 Lakh Fixed Deposit. UPI spends supported via the RuPay variant. |
Frequently Asked Questions
- Which travel credit card offers the lowest foreign currency markup in India?
- The Scapia Federal Credit Card offers 0% forex markup, while the IndiGo IDFC FIRST Credit Card offers a competitive 1.49% markup fee, saving significant money on international transactions.
- How does spend-linked lounge access work on travel credit cards?
- Many travel cards require you to spend a threshold amount (typically ₹20,000 to ₹50,000) in the previous calendar quarter or month to unlock complimentary domestic airport lounge access visits.
- Are co-branded airline cards better than general travel credit cards?
- Co-branded cards are best if you fly 80%+ with a single airline (like IndiGo). General travel cards are superior if you want flexible redemption across multiple domestic and international airlines and hotel partners.