The best travel credit card for most Indian travellers is one with no forex markup and no annual fee, such as the Federal Bank Scapia or IDFC FIRST Select card. On a ₹3,00,000 overseas trip either saves ₹10,500 in markup against a standard 3.5% card, and more once GST is counted. Frequent flyers who transfer miles can justify a paid card like Axis Atlas.
The headline number on a travel card is usually the reward rate. It should not be. Forex markup is charged on every rupee you spend abroad, whether or not you ever redeem a point. Miles are optional. The markup is not.
Which travel credit card is best in India?
Fees below are as issuers advertise them, before the 18% GST charged on top. Card terms are as of 5 September 2026, taken from issuer sites, so treat them as reported and confirm before you apply.
| Card | Annual fee | Forex | Lounge | Best for | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Federal Bank Scapia Credit Card | ₹0 | 0.00% | Unlimited domestic | Zero forex markup, no fee | |
Read moreWhat it is good at
The rest of the record Joining fee₹0 Headline reward rate3.0% in vouchers | |||||
| IDFC FIRST Select Credit Card | ₹0 | 0.00% | 4 domestic | Occasional foreign spend | |
Read moreThe rest of the record Headline reward rate≈1.8% | |||||
| IndusInd Bank Tiger Credit Card | ₹0 | 1.50% | 8 dom · 2 intl | Lounge access without a fee | |
Read moreWhat it is good at
The rest of the record Joining fee₹0 Headline reward rate1.2% in points | |||||
| HDFC Regalia Gold Credit Card | ₹2,500 | 2.00% | 12 dom · 6 intl | Mid-premium travel | |
Read moreWhat it is good at
The rest of the record Joining fee₹2,500 Headline reward rate2.6% in points Waived off on spending Rs. 4 lakh in a yearIssuer terms | |||||
| Axis Atlas Credit Card | ₹5,000 | 3.50% | 8 dom · 4 intl | Frequent flyers | |
Read moreWhat it is good at
The rest of the record Joining fee₹5,000 Headline reward rate4.5% in miles | |||||
| American Express Membership Rewards Credit Card | ₹4,500 | 3.50% | None | Point transfers, as a second card | |
Read moreThe rest of the record Headline reward rate2.5% | |||||
| HDFC Infinia Credit Card | ₹12,500 | 2.00% | Unlimited dom · Unlimited intl | Very high spenders | |
Read moreWhat it is good at
The rest of the record Joining fee₹12,500 Headline reward rate3.3% in points Waived off on spending Rs. 10 Lakh in a yearIssuer terms | |||||
HDFC waives the Infinia fee at ₹10,00,000 of annual spend, and the Regalia Gold fee at ₹4,00,000. Scapia, IDFC FIRST Select and IndusInd Tiger have no fee at any spend level.
Why forex markup matters more than the reward rate
Work it in rupees. The market standard markup is 3.5%. Scapia and IDFC FIRST Select charge nothing, IndusInd Tiger charges 1.5%, and both HDFC cards 2%, per each issuer’s current terms.
On ₹1,00,000 spent abroad, a 3.5% markup costs ₹3,500. A 2% markup costs ₹2,000. Zero costs nothing. That saving is certain. A 4.5% reward rate is not, because it depends on redeeming well.
GST applies on the markup too, which most comparisons ignore. So the real gap is a little wider than the raw percentages suggest.
Is the Axis Atlas worth ₹5,900 a year?
Only if you transfer miles. Axis Bank charges ₹5,000 plus GST, or ₹5,900, to join and to renew. Our own assessment of the card is direct: redeem EDGE Miles for statement credit instead and the value collapses to roughly 1%.
Two other things should give you pause. The reward structure has been devalued more than once. And there is no spend-based fee waiver, so the ₹5,900 is due every year regardless.
The lounge allocation is the strongest here outside Infinia, at up to 18 domestic and 12 international visits a year, depending on your tier. If you fly often and book award tickets, Atlas earns its fee. If you are unsure whether you will use transfer partners, you will not.
Which travel card should a first-time traveller get?
Start free. Scapia costs nothing and removes the markup entirely. Its weakness is redemption: coins can only be used for travel bookings inside its own app, the catalogue is narrow, and coins expire.
Pair it with a card you already trust for domestic spending. Many people are better served by a cashback card at home and a zero-markup card abroad. If you have no credit history yet, start with a beginner card instead.
The IndusInd Tiger is the odd one out. Its reward rate is ordinary, but its markup is a low 1.5% and it gives eight domestic lounge visits (two a quarter) and two international visits a year through Priority Pass. That is unusual on a free card.
The costs a travel card does not cover
A credit card is not travel insurance. Some cards bundle cover, but the sum insured and the conditions vary sharply. Read our page on travel insurance before assuming you are protected.
Cards also do not give you the mid-market exchange rate. The rate you get is the network rate plus the markup. Check the current USD to INR rate to see the reference your bank is marking up from.
Approval is the other constraint. Issuers set income and score bars that the zero fee hides. Atlas and Infinia both sit high. If yours is borderline, work on your credit score first.
Frequently asked questions
Which Indian credit card has zero forex markup?
On our list, the Federal Bank Scapia card and the IDFC FIRST Select card both charge 0% forex markup and no annual fee, per the issuers’ own pages. IndusInd Tiger is next at 1.5%, also with no fee.
Is a travel credit card worth it if I fly twice a year?
A free one, yes. A ₹5,900 card, usually not. Two trips rarely generate enough spend to recover the fee through miles. The lounge access on a no-fee card covers most of what you actually use.
Do lounge visits reset every year?
It depends on the card and often on quarterly spend conditions. Our counts are annual allocations from issuer material as of 5 September 2026. Issuers change these without notice, so check the current terms page before you rely on a visit.
Does the annual fee include GST?
No. GST at 18% is charged on top of the advertised fee, and our table shows fees before GST, as issuers quote them. So the ₹5,000 Axis Atlas fee costs ₹5,900 and HDFC Infinia’s ₹12,500 costs ₹14,750.
Which HDFC credit card is best for travel?
On our list, HDFC Regalia Gold (₹2,500 plus GST, waived at ₹4 lakh of annual spend) suits mid-level travellers, and Infinia (₹12,500 plus GST, waived at ₹10 lakh) suits very high spenders. Both charge a 2% forex markup. HDFC Bank has stopped taking new applications for its IndiGo 6E Rewards cards.
What are airline credit cards, and are they worth it?
Airline credit cards are co-branded with one carrier and pay rewards into its loyalty programme. The Air India SBI Platinum card costs ₹1,499 plus taxes a year and the Signature card ₹4,999 plus taxes. They suit people who mostly fly one airline; a general travel card with transferable points is more flexible.
Which credit card is best for domestic travel?
For flights within India, lounge access and rewards on bookings matter more than forex markup. In our table Scapia lists unlimited domestic lounge access, IndusInd Tiger eight visits and HDFC Regalia Gold twelve, and each card sets its own conditions. Check the issuer’s current lounge terms before you fly.
Sources
- Card terms as published by Axis Bank, HDFC Bank, Federal Bank, IDFC FIRST Bank, IndusInd Bank and American Express, as of 5 September 2026
- Federal Bank Scapia Credit Card (zero forex markup, zero fees) — Federal Bank (checked 17 Sep 2026)
- FIRST Select Credit Card (lifetime free, zero forex markup) — IDFC FIRST Bank (checked 17 Sep 2026)
- Tiger Credit Card most important terms (1.5% markup) — IndusInd Bank (checked 17 Sep 2026)
- Tiger Credit Card lounge access — IndusInd Bank (checked 17 Sep 2026)
- Regalia Gold fees and charges (₹4 lakh waiver, 2% markup) — HDFC Bank (checked 17 Sep 2026)
- Infinia fees and charges (₹12,500, ₹10 lakh waiver, 2% markup) — HDFC Bank (checked 17 Sep 2026)
- 6E Rewards XL IndiGo credit card (discontinued for new applications) — HDFC Bank (checked 17 Sep 2026)
- Atlas Credit Card (₹5,000 plus GST) — Axis Bank (checked 17 Sep 2026)
- Air India SBI Platinum Credit Card — SBI Card and Air India SBI Signature Credit Card — SBI Card (checked 17 Sep 2026)
- Credsir card database — effective reward rates are our own blended estimate for a typical spend mix, not an issuer’s accelerated rate
- RBI, list of authorised payment system operators — rbi.org.in
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