Cardfare / What changed

What changed on Indian credit cards

Every reward cut, new fee and benefit change we can source, dated and linked to where it was announced. Changes to cards in your wallet are highlighted on this device.

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Coming up

• UpcomingCutAmerican Express· from 30 September 2026

  Amex India shuts the Reward Multiplier bonus-points portal

  Amex India's Reward Multiplier programme, which gave accelerated Membership Rewards on purchases with select brands, closes on 30 September 2026; purchases completed by 29 September are honoured. Accelerated points on eligible ShopWise e-voucher purchases continue.

  Applies across American Express's cards

  Source: American Express India – Reward Multiplier page

• UpcomingCutBank of Baroda· from 1 October 2026

  BOBCARD Eterna and Tiara lounges need ₹75,000 quarterly spend

  Unlimited domestic lounge access on Eterna, Eterna (FD), Tiara and Varunah Premium will need ₹75,000 of spend in the previous calendar quarter, up from ₹40,000. BOBCARD's addendum moved this from 15 July to 1 October 2026; spend from July to September counts for October–December access.

  Source: BOBCARD – revision in charges and benefits (addendum, 16 Jun 2026)

• UpcomingCutAxis Bank· from 1 October 2026

  Axis SELECT milestone no longer counts non-reward spends

  The ₹3 lakh annual spend that unlocks 6 extra international lounge visits, 6 golf rounds and Priority Pass renewal on SELECT will no longer count insurance, rent, fuel, education, utilities and telecom, wallet, gold/jewellery, government or gift card spends.

  Cards: Axis Bank Select Credit Card

  Source: Axis Bank – SELECT T&C revision

• UpcomingBenefit changeIDFC FIRST Bank· from 1 October 2026

  Club Vistara IDFC FIRST card stops working from 1 October

  IDFC FIRST says the Club Vistara credit card programme ends on 30 September 2026, and from 1 October the card (including add-on cards) can't be used for transactions. Maharaja Points earned until 30 September move to the linked Maharaja Club account. News reports say holders will get the Diamond Reserve card lifetime free; IDFC hasn't published that on its own site.

  Source: IDFC FIRST Bank – Club Vistara card closure notice

• UpcomingCutAmerican Express· from 1 October 2026

  Amex Platinum Travel domestic lounge visits need quarterly spend

  From 1 October 2026 the 2 domestic lounge visits a quarter require eligible spend in the previous quarter: ₹70,000 in Q3 2026 for Q4 visits, then ₹1 lakh a quarter from Q4 2026 for Q1 2027 visits.

  Cards: American Express Platinum Travel

  Source: American Express India – Platinum Travel benefits

• UpcomingNew feeReportedAmerican Express· from 11 October 2026

  Reported: Amex MRCC to lose its 50% annual fee waiver tier

  CardInsider reports that the 50% renewal-fee waiver on the Membership Rewards Credit Card at ₹90,000 of annual spend ends from 11 October 2026, with monthly milestones counted by posting date. Amex's MRCC page still shows the waiver with no end date.

  Cards: American Express Membership Rewards

  Source: CardInsider

• UpcomingCutReportedAmerican Express· from 11 October 2026

  Reported: Amex Membership Rewards points to stop pooling across cards

  Live From A Lounge reports, from cardmember emails, that from 11 October 2026 each proprietary Amex card's Membership Rewards balance will be kept separately, with no transfers between cards. Amex India hasn't published this on its website, and its current Membership Rewards terms still allow linking cards to pool points.

  Applies across American Express's cards

  Source: Live From A Lounge

• UpcomingCutAxis Bank· from 1 November 2026

  Axis movie offers need ₹25,000 spend in the previous 3 months

  The District buy-one-get-one on SELECT, Privilege and MY ZONE, and the NEO BookMyShow discount, will require ₹25,000 of settled spend in the previous 3 months. New cards are exempt for the issuance month and the next 3 months.

  Cards: Axis Bank Select Credit Card, AXIS BANK PRIVILEGE Credit Card

  Source: Axis Bank – Privilege T&C revision

• UpcomingUpdateAxis Bank· from 15 November 2026

  Axis complimentary memberships renew only with your consent

  Complimentary memberships on Magnus, Magnus for Burgundy, Reserve, SELECT and other premium Axis cards will renew only after explicit cardholder consent. Axis says renewal details and consent options will be shared near the renewal date.

  Cards: AXIS BANK MAGNUS Credit Card, Axis Bank Reserve Credit Card, Axis Bank Select Credit Card

  Source: Axis Bank – Reserve T&C revision

September 2026

• CutAmerican Express· since 10 September 2026

  Amex Platinum Travel drops ₹1.9L milestone; ₹7L now gives ₹20,000 Taj voucher only

  The ₹1.9 lakh milestone (7,500 points) is gone, the ₹4 lakh milestone stays at 10,000 points, and the ₹7 lakh milestone now gives a ₹20,000 Taj voucher instead of 22,500 points plus a ₹10,000 voucher. Milestone points at ₹7 lakh of spend fall from 40,000 to 10,000.

  Cards: American Express Platinum Travel

  Source: Live From A Lounge

• BetterIDFC FIRST Bank· since 9 September 2026

  IDFC FIRST removes forex markup on all credit cards

  All IDFC FIRST credit cards, existing and new, now carry zero forex markup with no spend condition or upgrade needed. Reports conflict on whether most cards stop earning points on international spends from 26 October 2026; the bank's 18 September release said rewards continue as per each card's features.

  Applies across IDFC FIRST Bank's cards

  Source: Business Standard

August 2026

• CutAxis Bank· since 28 August 2026

  Axis stops rewards on tolls and moves gift cards to their own excluded category

  Bridge, road and toll payments no longer earn rewards. Gift card purchases remain excluded from rewards and fee-waiver spend and now sit in a separate 'Gift card' category instead of 'Wallet'.

  Cards: Axis Bank Select Credit Card, AXIS BANK PRIVILEGE Credit Card, AXIS BANK MAGNUS Credit Card, Axis Bank Reserve Credit Card

  Source: Business Standard

• New feeAxis Bank· since 28 August 2026

  Axis raises top late-payment fee to ₹1,300

  The late fee for outstanding balances above ₹50,000 rises to ₹1,300, while lower slabs are unchanged. Payments are now applied first to fees and taxes, then EMIs, interest, purchases and cash advances.

  Applies across Axis Bank's cards

  Source: Business Standard

• Benefit changeAxis Bank· since 28 August 2026

  Axis Priority Pass no longer works at Indian domestic lounges

  On premium Axis cards, domestic lounges in India must now be accessed with the Axis credit card and boarding pass instead of the Priority Pass. Priority Pass still works for international lounges, including those at Indian international terminals.

  Cards: AXIS BANK MAGNUS Credit Card, Axis Bank Reserve Credit Card, Axis Bank Select Credit Card

  Source: Axis Bank – Magnus T&C revision

• New feeAxis Bank· since 28 August 2026

  Axis raises DCC markup to 3.5% on most cards, 2% on Magnus

  The markup on rupee-billed international transactions rises from 1.5% to 3.5% on SELECT, Privilege, MY ZONE and NEO, to 2% on Magnus and Magnus for Burgundy, and to 1.8% on Olympus.

  Cards: Axis Bank Select Credit Card, AXIS BANK PRIVILEGE Credit Card, AXIS BANK MAGNUS Credit Card

  Source: Business Standard

• Benefit changeHDFC Bank· since 18 August 2026

  HDFC phasing out Swiggy card; holders move to Swiggy BLCK or Ornge

  HDFC is migrating Swiggy HDFC cardholders in phases to Swiggy BLCK (10% on Swiggy, ₹1,000 annual fee) or Swiggy Ornge (5% on Swiggy, lifetime free for existing holders). Those who don't choose are moved to Ornge after at least 30 days' notice, and autopay mandates must be set up again.

  Cards: Swiggy HDFC Bank

  Source: HDFC Bank – Swiggy card upgrade FAQ

• BetterReportedAmerican Express· since 18 August 2026

  Amex India improves points transfers to Virgin Atlantic and Hilton

  1,000 Membership Rewards points now convert to 800 Virgin Atlantic points (was 500) and 1,500 Hilton Honors points (was 900).

  Applies across American Express's cards

  Source: CardExpert

July 2026

• BetterHSBC India· since 26 July 2026

  HSBC Live+ extends 10% cashback to shopping and utilities, cap ₹1,200

  The 10% cashback now also covers shopping and utility bills, the shared monthly cap rose to ₹1,200 from ₹1,000, the forex markup fell to 1.99% and an international lounge visit was added. Domestic lounge visits fell from 4 to 2 a year and international spends no longer earn 1.5% cashback.

  Cards: HSBC Live+

  Source: Live From A Lounge

• BetterReportedAxis Bank· since 25 July 2026

  Qatar Airways returns as Axis transfer partner at lower ratios

  Qatar Airways Privilege Club reappeared as an Axis EDGE transfer partner in July 2026 without a formal announcement. It uses the reduced April ratios, e.g. 5:1 on Magnus and Reserve and 2:1 on Atlas and Horizon, not the old rates.

  Cards: AXIS BANK MAGNUS Credit Card, Axis Bank Reserve Credit Card, Axis Bank Atlas Credit Card, HORIZON Credit Card

  Source: Live From A Lounge

• New feeBank of Baroda· since 15 July 2026

  BOBCARD raises finance charges and ends accidental death cover

  Finance charges on Eterna, Eterna (FD) and Tiara rose to 3.75% a month from 3.25%, HPCL card fuel benefits now apply only at listed outlets, and complimentary air/non-air accidental death cover was withdrawn. Existing eligible cards kept the cover only until 25 August 2026.

  Source: LivemintMoney

• CutReportedAmerican Express· since 1 July 2026

  Amex India drops Etihad Guest as a points transfer partner

  Membership Rewards points can no longer be transferred to Etihad Guest in India from 1 July 2026, as part of Amex's global exit from the partnership. Transfers had been at a 2:1 ratio.

  Applies across American Express's cards

  Source: Live From A Lounge

• CutSBI Card· since 1 July 2026

  PhonePe SBI cards get lower reward caps and more exclusions

  On PhonePe SBI SELECT BLACK, online-spend rewards are capped at 1,000 points a month (from 2,000), and PhonePe-app rewards are split into 500 points for insurance and 1,500 for other spends. Tolls, jewellery, education and non-PhonePe utility, insurance and UPI spends stop earning; the PURPLE card was revised on the same date.

  Source: SBI Card – PhonePe SELECT BLACK revision notice

• CutHDFC Bank· since 1 July 2026

  HDFC caps SmartBuy voucher bonus points at 3,000 a month

  Accelerated points on brand vouchers bought through SmartBuy (GyFTR or Woohoo) are now capped at 3,000 a month. On Infinia this sits inside the unchanged 15,000-point monthly SmartBuy accelerated cap.

  Cards: HDFC Infinia Metal Edition, HDFC Diners Club Black Metal

  Source: Live From A Lounge

• CutHDFC Bank· since 1 July 2026

  HDFC Regalia Gold and Diners Privilege lounges need ₹60,000 quarterly spend

  Regalia Gold now gives 3 domestic lounge visits a quarter, and Diners Club Privilege 2 domestic + 1 international, only after ₹60,000 of spend in the previous calendar quarter. BizPower's domestic visits drop from 16 to 8 a year, and Regalia Gold gains a Boarding Edge travel-perks programme.

  Cards: HDFC Regalia Gold

  Source: CardExpert

June 2026

• CutIDFC FIRST Bank· since 18 June 2026

  IDFC FIRST points now expire after 24 months; movie offer needs spend

  Reward points now expire 24 months after credit (existing balances stay valid until July 2028), points stop beyond the credit limit each cycle, and the buy-one-get-one movie offer needs ₹20,000 of spend in the previous calendar month. On FIRST Select, 10X on dining, travel and international now applies from the first transaction.

  Cards: IDFC FIRST Select, IDFC FIRST Wealth, IDFC FIRST Millennia, IDFC FIRST Ashva, IDFC FIRST Mayura

  Source: IDFC FIRST Bank – cardholder communication

May 2026

• New feeHDFC Bank· since 15 May 2026

  HDFC raises DCC markup to 1.75% and adds a card re-issue fee

  HDFC revised the dynamic currency conversion markup to 1.75% on rupee-billed international transactions. Replacing a lost, stolen or damaged card now costs ₹199, or ₹3,500 for metal cards.

  Cards: HDFC Regalia Gold

  Source: HDFC Bank – cardholder notice

• CutHDFC Bank· since 15 May 2026

  HDFC points cards move to per-₹200 earning; Regalia Gold now 5 per ₹200

  Most HDFC reward-point cards now earn per ₹200 instead of per ₹150; Regalia Gold goes to 5 points per ₹200 (from 4 per ₹150) and Diners Club Privilege to 4 per ₹200. Infinia, Diners Black and cashback cards such as Millennia, Swiggy and Tata Neu are unchanged.

  Cards: HDFC Regalia Gold

  Source: Live From A Lounge

April 2026

• CutAxis Bank· since 12 April 2026

  Airtel Axis ties cashback caps to base spend, drops Swiggy and lounges

  The 25% Airtel cap is now twice the 1% base cashback earned that month, and the 10% utility cap equals the base cashback, replacing fixed ₹250 caps. The 10% cashback on Swiggy, Zomato and BigBasket became 10% value-back (max ₹200 per partner) on Zomato, Blinkit and District, and the 4 domestic lounge visits were removed.

  Cards: Airtel Axis Bank Credit Card

  Source: Axis Bank – Airtel card T&C revision

• CutReportedAxis Bank· since 2 April 2026

  Axis drops Accor, Marriott and Qatar as transfer partners

  Axis removed Accor, Marriott Bonvoy and Qatar Airways Privilege Club from EDGE Rewards and EDGE Miles transfers with immediate effect and no advance notice. Avios and Vietnam Airlines partners were set at lower ratios, e.g. 5:1 instead of 5:2 on Magnus and Reserve.

  Cards: AXIS BANK MAGNUS Credit Card, Axis Bank Reserve Credit Card, Axis Bank Atlas Credit Card, HORIZON Credit Card

  Source: Live From A Lounge

• CutICICI Bank· since 1 April 2026

  ICICI BookMyShow offers now need ₹25,000 spend in the prior quarter

  BookMyShow benefits on Coral, Rubyx, Sapphiro, Emeralde and other eligible ICICI cards unlock only after ₹25,000 of spend in the previous spend quarter. Instant Platinum cards lost the benefit altogether.

  Cards: ICICI Bank Coral Credit Card, ICICI Bank Rubyx Credit Card, ICICI Bank Sapphiro Credit Card, ICICI Bank Emeralde Credit Card

  Source: ICICI Bank – Upcoming changes page

• New feeReportedDBS Bank· since 1 April 2026

  DBS adds 1% fees on wallet loads, transit/toll and railway spends

  DBS charges 1% on wallet loads of ₹5,000 or more, on select travel spends (local transport, bus, tolls) above ₹10,000 in a cycle, and on railway spends above ₹20,000 in a cycle.

  Applies across DBS Bank's cards

  Source: DBS Bank India – card terms

• New feeBank of Baroda· since 1 April 2026

  BOBCARD adds 1% fees on education apps, tolls and large rail bookings

  BOBCARD charges 1% on education payments made through third-party apps (up to ₹5,000), on toll and bus transactions of ₹5,000 or more, and on railway bookings of ₹30,000 or more. Telecom bill payments started earning base reward points on all variants.

  Applies across Bank of Baroda's cards

  Source: SaveSage

• CutReportedIndusInd Bank· since 1 April 2026

  IndusInd makes domestic lounge access spend-based

  Spends are tracked from April 2026, and from the July–September 2026 quarter, domestic lounge visits depend on the previous quarter's spend. Thresholds run from ₹1.5 lakh a quarter (Celesta, Pinnacle, Legacy) to ₹5 lakh (Indulge, Solitaire, Crest).

  Cards: IndusInd Bank Celesta

  Source: Live From A Lounge

• Benefit changeReportedHDFC Bank· since 1 April 2026

  HDFC Infinia needs ₹18L spend or ₹50L relationship to keep the card

  To retain Infinia, cardholders must spend ₹18 lakh on the card or hold ₹50 lakh of relationship value with HDFC between 1 April 2026 and 31 March 2027. Those who meet neither will be told in 2027 and may be downgraded or removed.

  Cards: HDFC Infinia Metal Edition

  Source: CardExpert

• CutSBI Card· since 1 April 2026

  SBI Card caps statement-credit redemption at 60,000 points a month

  Redeeming reward points as statement credit is now limited to 60,000 points per card per calendar month, in multiples of 4,000 points. Air India SBI Signature and the PhonePe SBI cards are exempt.

  Applies across SBI Card's cards

  Source: SaveSage

• CutSBI Card· since 1 April 2026

  SBI Cashback card splits cap: ₹2,000 online + ₹2,000 offline

  Cashback is now capped at ₹2,000 per statement cycle for 5% online spends and ₹2,000 for 1% offline spends, down from a single ₹5,000 cap. Gaming platforms, tolls and government payments were added to the exclusions.

  Cards: CASHBACK SBI Card

  Source: Live From A Lounge

March 2026

• CutReportedAmerican Express· since 9 March 2026

  Amex Platinum Travel halves ₹1.9L milestone, moves Taj voucher to ₹7L

  The ₹1.9 lakh milestone dropped to 7,500 Membership Rewards points from 15,000, and the ₹4 lakh milestone now gives only 10,000 points. The ₹10,000 Taj voucher moved to a new ₹7 lakh milestone that also gives 22,500 points.

  Cards: American Express Platinum Travel

  Source: SaveSage

February 2026

• UpdateReportedHDFC Bank· since 10 February 2026

  HDFC stops issuing new Swiggy HDFC credit cards

  HDFC stopped sourcing new Swiggy HDFC Bank credit cards. Existing cards kept working at the time; a phased migration to new variants followed in August 2026.

  Cards: Swiggy HDFC Bank

  Source: TechnoFino (quoting HDFC Bank website)

• CutReportedHDFC Bank· since 1 February 2026

  HDFC Infinia limits redemptions to five a month

  Infinia cardholders can now redeem reward points at most five times a month, within existing value caps such as ₹1.5 lakh a month on flights, hotels and air miles. Apple and Tanishq redemptions on SmartBuy can cover only up to 70% of the bill with points.

  Cards: HDFC Infinia Metal Edition

  Source: Business Standard

• CutICICI Bank· since 1 February 2026

  ICICI caps rewards on transport spends

  Transport-category spends (rail, local transit, bus and tolls) now earn points only on the first ₹20,000 a month on Rubyx, Sapphiro and Emeralde, and ₹10,000 on Coral, Platinum and other cards. Emeralde Metal also stopped earning on government, fuel, rent, tax and wallet spends, and HPCL Super Saver insurance rewards are capped at ₹40,000 of spend.

  Cards: ICICI Bank Rubyx Credit Card, ICICI Bank Sapphiro Credit Card, ICICI Bank Emeralde Credit Card, ICICI Bank Coral Credit Card

  Source: Business Today

January 2026

• Benefit changeAmerican Express· since 27 January 2026

  Amex India pauses Travel With Points redemptions

  The Travel With Points option, which let cardmembers redeem Membership Rewards on the Amex Travel Online platform, was temporarily paused. Amex told cardmembers by email in December 2025.

  Applies across American Express's cards

  Source: American Express India – Membership Rewards T&C

• CutReportedIDFC FIRST Bank· since 18 January 2026

  IDFC FIRST Ashva and Mayura cut international rewards to 5X

  Ashva and Mayura now earn 5X on international spends instead of 10X. The 10X rate returns only after ₹20,000 of eligible spend in a billing cycle.

  Cards: IDFC FIRST Ashva, IDFC FIRST Mayura

  Source: Upstox News

• CutIDFC FIRST Bank· since 18 January 2026

  IDFC FIRST lifetime-free cards now earn per ₹200 instead of ₹150

  Classic, Select and Wealth cards now earn reward points per ₹200 spent instead of per ₹150, about a 25% cut. No points are earned in a cycle where the minimum due is missed, and FASTag and railway spends earn only 1X.

  Cards: IDFC FIRST Classic, IDFC FIRST Select, IDFC FIRST Wealth

  Source: Upstox News

• New feeICICI Bank· since 15 January 2026

  ICICI adds fees on gaming, wallet loads and big transport spends; revises DCC

  ICICI charges 2% on skill-gaming platforms, 1% on wallet loads of ₹5,000 or more, and 1% on transport-category transactions above ₹50,000. DCC markups were revised to 3.5% on most cards, 2% on Emeralde variants, 1.99% on Amazon Pay and 0.99% on MakeMyTrip Travel.

  Applies across ICICI Bank's cards

  Source: Business Today

November 2025

• New feeReportedSBI Card· since 1 November 2025

  SBI Card adds 1% fee on education via apps and on wallet loads

  SBI Card charges 1% on education payments made through third-party apps such as CRED or MobiKwik, while paying the school or college directly stays free. Wallet loads above ₹1,000 also attract a 1% fee.

  Applies across SBI Card's cards

  Source: Upstox News

October 2025

• CutAxis Bank· since 1 October 2025

  Axis forfeits unredeemed points 30 days after card closure

  Axis can forfeit unredeemed EDGE Reward Points or EDGE Miles 30 days after a card is closed, or once the minimum due has been outstanding for more than 90 days. Redeem before closing the card.

  Applies across Axis Bank's cards

  Source: Live From A Lounge

July 2025

• CutReportedHDFC Bank· since 1 July 2025

  HDFC caps reward points on insurance and ends points on skill-gaming

  Reward points on insurance payments are now capped each month at 10,000 on Infinia, 5,000 on Diners Black variants and 2,000 on most other cards. Online skill-gaming spends no longer earn reward points or CashPoints.

  Applies across HDFC Bank's cards

  Source: Upstox News

• New feeReportedHDFC Bank· since 1 July 2025

  HDFC adds 1% fee on wallet loads and skill-gaming, raises fee cap to ₹4,999

  HDFC began charging 1% on wallet loads (excluding PayZapp) and online skill-gaming once either exceeds ₹10,000 in a calendar month. Its existing 1% fees on rent, fuel, education (via third-party apps) and utilities (above ₹50,000 a month, ₹75,000 for business cards) are now capped at ₹4,999.

  Applies across HDFC Bank's cards

  Source: Business Standard

June 2025

• Benefit changeReportedAxis Bank· since 20 June 2025

  Flipkart Axis adds 7.5% on Myntra but caps cashback and drops lounges

  Myntra cashback went up to 7.5%, while Myntra, Flipkart and Cleartrip cashback each became capped at ₹4,000 per statement quarter. Complimentary lounge access was removed from the card.

  Cards: FLIPKART AXIS BANK Credit Card

  Source: Live From A Lounge

• UpdateAxis Bank· since 20 June 2025

  Axis defines reward exclusions by spend category instead of MCC

  Axis now decides which spends are excluded from rewards, fee waivers and milestones using its own spend-category labels (Utility & Telecom, Rent, Wallet, etc.) rather than 4-digit merchant category codes. Axis said the list of excluded categories itself did not change.

  Applies across Axis Bank's cards

  Source: Live From A Lounge

• CutReportedKotak Mahindra Bank· since 1 June 2025

  Kotak adds 1% category fees, raises interest and trims rewards

  Kotak added a 1% fee on utility, education, wallet-reload, skill-gaming and fuel spends above per-cycle thresholds, raised finance charges on most cards from 3.5% to 3.75% a month, and stopped rewards on rent, wallets, insurance, utilities, education, government and gaming spends. White Reserve, Solitaire, Infinite and Signature variants were exempt from the new fees, and point redemption values were cut on cards such as Royale, League and 811.

  Applies across Kotak Mahindra Bank's cards

  Source: Business Standard

April 2025

• CutReportedSBI Card· since 1 April 2025

  SBI SimplyCLICK cuts Swiggy rewards from 10X to 5X

  Online Swiggy spends on the SimplyCLICK SBI Card now earn 5X reward points instead of 10X. The other 10X partners, including Myntra, BookMyShow, Cleartrip and Apollo 24x7, were not changed.

  Cards: SimplyCLICK SBI Card

  Source: Business Today