IDFC FIRST Select Credit Card Review

At a Glance

Joining Fee	Nil
Annual Fee	Nil, lifetime free
Best Suited For	Earners of ₹12 lakh a year or more who want a free card for dining, travel and spending abroad
Reward Type	Reward points worth ₹0.25 each, redeemed on FIRST Rewards Gallery

The IDFC FIRST Select Credit Card asks for nothing to hold it: no joining fee, no annual fee, no spend target to keep it free.

In return you get zero forex markup on international spends, 10X reward points on dining, travel, foreign spends and your birthday, a quarterly airport lounge visit, railway lounges and a trip cancellation cover of ₹10,000.

The catch is that most of the travel perks switch on only if you spend ₹20,000 in a calendar month, and the everyday reward rate on regular shopping is low. Here is exactly what the card pays and where it falls short.

Rewards & Benefits

Reward rate and earn structure

Spend type	Earn rate	Value back
Dining, travel, international spends and spends on your birthday	10X: 10 points per ₹200	1.25%
All other eligible spends	3X: 3 points per ₹200	0.375%
Utility bills, insurance premiums, railway spends, FASTag recharges	1X: 1 point per ₹200	0.125%
Fuel, EMI transactions, cash withdrawals	None	0%

IDFC publishes no monthly cap on 10X points; the only limit is that points are earned on spends up to your credit limit in each billing cycle.

The 10X rate excludes rent and property management, government services, education, wallet loads, utilities, insurance, railway and FASTag spends.

Book flights and hotels inside the FIRST Rewards Gallery section of the IDFC FIRST app and you get 10% bonus points on flights and 20% on hotels, over and above your normal points.

Linked to UPI, the card earns up to 3X on UPI spends, but the UPI feature carries its own ₹199 + GST joining fee and the same annual fee from the second year.

Redemption and point value

One point is worth ₹0.25. A ₹4,000 restaurant bill earns 200 points, worth ₹50.

Redeem on FIRST Rewards Gallery for vouchers, gift cards, flights or hotels, with a ₹99 + GST fee on every redemption. The card page says points stay valid for 24 months from the date they are credited.

Welcome benefits

Spend ₹5,000 within 30 days of card generation and you can pick a ₹500 gift voucher from a list of brands. UPI, add-on card, wallet load, EMI and ATM transactions do not count towards the ₹5,000.

Separately, your first EMI conversion within 30 days earns 5% cashback, capped at ₹1,000, paid within 90 days of the offer ending.

Travel, lounge and lifestyle

Benefit	Allowance	Condition
Domestic airport lounge	1 visit a quarter	₹20,000 spent in the previous calendar month
Railway lounge	4 visits a quarter, shared with add-on cards	₹20,000 spent in the previous calendar month
Buy 1 Get 1 movie tickets	Every month	₹20,000 spent in the previous calendar month
Trip cancellation cover	Up to ₹10,000, across two claims	Non-refundable flights and hotels
Roadside assistance	Worth ₹1,399, up to 4 times a year	Car or two-wheeler, across India

There is no international lounge access. Insurance includes air accident cover of ₹1 crore, personal accident cover of ₹5 lakh and lost card liability cover of ₹50,000, valid only if you used the card at least once in the previous 30 days.

Travel insurance pays up to USD 300 in all: USD 100 for lost checked-in baggage and USD 67 each for baggage delay, passport loss and flight delay. The fuel surcharge waiver is 1% on transactions between ₹200 and ₹5,000, capped at ₹300 a statement cycle.

Fees & Charges

Charge	Amount
Joining and annual fee	Nil
Interest rate	0.71% to 3.85% a month (8.5% to 46.2% a year)
Overdue interest	3.99% a month (47.88% a year)
Forex markup and currency conversion	Nil
Cash withdrawal	₹199 + GST per withdrawal, interest free for up to 45 days
Late payment fee	15% of the total amount due less payments made, minimum ₹100, maximum ₹1,300
Over-limit fee	2.5% of the over-limit amount, minimum ₹550
Payment return	2% of the payment, minimum ₹500
Reward redemption	₹99 + GST each time
Card replacement	₹199

Fees attract 18% GST. There is no waiver threshold to chase, since the card is free for life.

The interest rate you pay is set by IDFC FIRST Bank from your credit score and repayment history, and if you pay only the minimum amount due, it is charged at 46.2% a year.

The charge that catches people out is overdue interest. Miss the minimum amount due and IDFC charges 3.99% a month on the unpaid amount, on top of the late fee.

The cheap cash withdrawal (₹199 flat, interest free for 45 days) is useful in an emergency, but it is still a loan, so repay it inside the window.

Eligibility & Documents Required

IDFC FIRST Bank asks for an annual income of ₹12 lakh or more for the FIRST Select card. If you already hold an IDFC FIRST unsecured credit card, the new card shares the same credit limit rather than adding a fresh one.

The application is digital, so keep your PAN, Aadhaar and recent income proof such as salary slips or bank statements ready. Approval and your credit limit depend on the bank’s own assessment.

Pros & Cons

Pros	Cons
No joining or annual fee, ever	Lounge, movie and railway perks need ₹20,000 a month
Zero forex markup	Only 0.375% on regular shopping
1.25% on dining, travel and foreign spends	No international lounge access
₹10,000 trip cancellation cover	₹99 + GST on every redemption

IDFC FIRST Select vs Competitors

Feature	IDFC FIRST Select	BOBCARD TIARA	IndusInd Platinum RuPay
Annual fee	Nil	₹2,499, waived at ₹2.5 lakh spend	Nil
Best reward rate	1.25%	3.75%, capped at 5,000 points a cycle	1.2% on UPI
Forex markup	0%	2%	3.5%
Domestic lounge	1 a quarter	Unlimited, with ₹75,000 a quarter	None

For overseas spending, nothing here beats zero markup. If your spending is mostly local, compare it with its sibling, the IDFC FIRST Millennia.

Women who spend ₹75,000 a quarter get far more lounge and reward value from the BOBCARD TIARA, but they pay for it if spends fall short.

How to Apply

Use the Apply button on this page to reach the FIRST Select page and tap Apply Now. Enter your mobile number, PAN and income details, complete the KYC step and accept the offer.

Once the card is generated, the 30-day window for the ₹500 voucher and the first-EMI cashback starts, so plan your first ₹5,000 of spending around it. Activate UPI from the IDFC FIRST app if you want it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the IDFC FIRST Select Credit Card really lifetime free?

Yes. There is no joining, membership or annual fee at any point. Only the optional UPI feature carries a ₹199 + GST fee.

How many lounge visits does IDFC FIRST Select give?

One domestic airport lounge visit a quarter, plus four railway lounge visits a quarter. Both need ₹20,000 of spending in the previous calendar month.

What is the minimum salary for IDFC FIRST Select?

An annual income of ₹12 lakh or more, according to IDFC FIRST Bank’s card page.

Does IDFC FIRST Select charge a forex markup?

No. The markup is 0% on international spends. Always pay in the local currency abroad, because a merchant’s rupee conversion adds its own charge.

What is an IDFC FIRST reward point worth?

₹0.25. That makes the 10X rate worth 1.25% and the standard 3X rate worth 0.375%.

Bottom Line

Get the IDFC FIRST Select if you earn ₹12 lakh or more, eat out or travel often, and spend in foreign currency, because zero markup and 1.25% back on those categories cost you nothing to hold.

Spend ₹20,000 a month on it and the lounge, railway lounge and movie perks come along too. Skip it if you want one card for everyday shopping, since 0.375% back is thin. Skip it too if you need international lounges or more than four airport visits a year.