YES BANK RESERV Credit Card Review
At a Glance
| Joining Fee | ₹2,499 + GST (₹2,949 all-in), waived on ₹40,000 of spends in the first month |
| Annual Fee | ₹2,499 + GST, waived on ₹3 lakh of retail spends in the year before renewal |
| Best Suited For | Online shoppers earning ₹2 lakh a month who redeem points for flights and hotels |
| Reward Type | YES Rewardz Points, worth up to ₹0.25 each on flights and hotels |
The YES BANK RESERV, earlier called YES FIRST Exclusive, sits one step below the MARQUEE in YES BANK’s range.
It earns 24 YES Rewardz Points per ₹200 spent online and 12 offline, and adds Priority Pass lounge access, golf and a 25% BookMyShow discount.
Its fee is ₹2,499, and both the joining and renewal fee can be waived through spending. The point counts look large, but each point is worth ₹0.25 at most, so the real return is far smaller than the headline. Here is the honest arithmetic.
Rewards & Benefits
Reward rate and earn structure
| Spend | Points per ₹200 | Value on flights and hotels | Value as statement credit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Online shopping | 24 | 3% | 1.2% |
| Offline shopping | 12 | 1.5% | 0.6% |
| Select categories (utilities, cable and streaming TV) | 6 | 0.75% | 0.3% |
| Rent, wallet, fuel, UPI, government, insurance, education, railways, tolls, EMI, cash | None | 0% | 0% |
Total points are capped at 36,000 a statement cycle, which only matters above ₹3 lakh of online spending a month. Utility bills are capped at 750 points a cycle.
Since 15 June 2026, insurance, education, railway, toll and ferry spends no longer earn points, and UPI payments on the RuPay variant earn nothing.
Redemption and point value
| Redeem for | Value of 1 point |
|---|---|
| Flights and hotels | ₹0.25, up to 70% of the booking value |
| E-gift vouchers | ₹0.10 |
| Statement credit | ₹0.10 |
| Air India Maharaja Club | 10 points = 1 mile |
You need at least 2,000 points to redeem, every redemption costs ₹100 + GST, flight bookings add a ₹99 + GST convenience fee, and points last 36 months.
Vouchers and statement credit are each limited to 50% of your balance per redemption. So ₹30,000 of online spending a month earns 3,600 points, worth ₹900 on a flight or ₹360 as cash.
Renewal benefit
From the second year, YES BANK adds 8,000 bonus points when the renewal fee is charged, worth up to ₹2,000 on flights and hotels.
That bonus disappears if you earn the fee waiver by spending ₹3 lakh, so a heavy spender gets a free card but no bonus. There is no separate welcome gift beyond the joining fee waiver.
Travel, lounge and lifestyle
| Benefit | Allowance |
|---|---|
| Domestic lounges | 3 visits a quarter in the value chart, only if you spent ₹1 lakh in the previous quarter |
| International lounges (Priority Pass) | 6 visits a year in the value chart, shared with add-on cards, no spend condition |
| Golf (Mastercard programme) | 4 green fee rounds and 12 lessons a calendar year |
| BookMyShow | 25% off movie tickets, up to ₹250 a month |
| Purchase protection | Up to ₹50,000 for 6 months on phones and electronics bought online |
| Fuel surcharge waiver | 1% on ₹500 to ₹4,000, up to ₹500 a statement cycle |
The visit counts come from YES BANK’s RESERV value chart, which is dated November 2023. The current product page confirms both kinds of lounge access but does not restate the numbers, so check the count with YES BANK before you plan a trip around it.
Fees & Charges
| Charge | Amount |
|---|---|
| Joining fee | ₹2,499 + GST, waived on ₹40,000 in the first month |
| Annual fee | ₹2,499 + GST, waived on ₹3 lakh in the prior 12 months |
| Interest | 2.99% a month (35.88% a year) |
| Forex markup | 2% (1.75% before 15 June 2026) |
| Cash advance | 2.5% or ₹650, whichever is higher |
| Late payment | Nil up to ₹500 outstanding, then 10% of the statement balance, capped at ₹1,350 |
| Over-limit | ₹550 |
| Reward redemption | ₹100 + GST per request |
| Utility fee | 1% when the previous month’s utility spends crossed ₹50,000 |
| Fuel fee | 1% on a fill above ₹10,000, or once monthly fuel crosses ₹50,000 |
GST at 18% is added to every fee and to interest. The joining fee waiver is the easy win: ₹40,000 of retail spending in the first 30 days means the card costs nothing in year one. The ₹3 lakh renewal waiver is ₹25,000 a month.
The charge that catches people out is the ₹100 + GST redemption fee. On a 2,000-point redemption taken as statement credit you get ₹200 and pay ₹118, so always save up and redeem in large blocks, ideally for flights.
Eligibility & Documents Required
YES BANK asks for an age of 21 to 60, salaried or self-employed, with a net salary of ₹2 lakh a month or an income tax return of ₹18 lakh or more.
You cannot apply if you already hold any YES BANK credit card. The RuPay version is offered only to existing RESERV Mastercard or Visa holders, as a virtual card. Keep PAN, address proof and recent salary slips or ITRs ready.
Pros & Cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| 3% back on online spends via flights and hotels | Only 1.2% if you take cash or vouchers |
| Joining fee waived on ₹40,000 in month one | ₹100 + GST on every redemption |
| Priority Pass with no spend condition | Domestic lounges need ₹1 lakh a quarter |
| 2.99% monthly interest | Forex markup raised to 2% |
YES BANK RESERV vs Competitors
| Card | Annual fee | Fee waived at | Forex markup |
|---|---|---|---|
| YES BANK RESERV | ₹2,499 + GST | ₹3 lakh | 2% |
| HDFC Regalia Gold | ₹2,500 + GST | ₹4 lakh | 2% |
| YES BANK MARQUEE | ₹4,999 + GST | ₹10 lakh | 1% |
Regalia Gold costs the same and asks for ₹60,000 a quarter for domestic lounges against RESERV’s ₹1 lakh, so it is easier to use for travel.
RESERV is easier to get free, at ₹3 lakh a year. MARQUEE earns more per rupee and halves the forex markup, but its ₹10 lakh waiver puts it out of reach for most RESERV applicants.
How to Apply
Apply online from the RESERV page on YES BANK’s website, or through a YES BANK branch or relationship manager.
Fill in your details, complete KYC and income verification, and track the application with the reference number sent to your mobile. After the card arrives, spend ₹40,000 within the first month to have the joining fee waived.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the YES BANK RESERV annual fee waived?
Yes, the ₹2,499 + GST renewal fee is waived if you spend ₹3 lakh in the 12 months before renewal. The joining fee is waived on ₹40,000 of spends within a month of the card being set up.
What is the value of a YES Rewardz Point on RESERV?
Up to ₹0.25 on flight and hotel bookings, and ₹0.10 for vouchers or statement credit. Each redemption carries a ₹100 + GST fee.
What is the minimum salary for YES BANK RESERV?
A net salary of ₹2 lakh a month, or an ITR of ₹18 lakh a year for the self-employed. Applicants must be 21 to 60 and must not already hold a YES BANK credit card.
What is the forex markup on YES BANK RESERV?
2% from 15 June 2026, up from 1.75% earlier. Add GST on the markup, so the real cost is about 2.36% of each foreign spend.
Was YES BANK RESERV renamed?
Yes. RESERV was earlier called YES FIRST Exclusive, and YES BANK’s documents still mention the old name in places.
Bottom Line
Get the YES BANK RESERV if you earn ₹2 lakh a month, shop mostly online, spend ₹25,000 a month to keep it free, and will redeem points for flights and hotels, where the card returns close to 3%.
Skip it if you want simple cashback, since statement credit drops the return to 1.2% before the redemption fee. Skip it too if you already hold a YES BANK card, if you travel abroad often, or if you rely on domestic lounges without spending ₹1 lakh a quarter.
