IDFC FIRST Makes Every Credit Card Zero Forex Markup But International Spends Stop Earning From 26 October 2026

Updated 12 September 2026 · By Amit Kumar Bansal

IDFC FIRST Bank has cut the foreign-currency markup to zero on every credit card it issues. The change is already live card pages that carried a 1%, 1.5% or 1.99% markup have been rewritten to 0%, and the bank now calls its whole line-up zero forex markup.

The catch is dated: from 26 October 2026, international transactions will stop earning reward points or cashback.

What Changed

Item	Earlier	Now
Forex markup	1% to 1.99% + GST, depending on the card	0% on every card
Cards covered	A few low-markup cards	17 cards, incl. FIRST Wealth, Mayura, Ashva, Hello Cashback, WOW
Rewards on international spends	Earned as usual	No points or cashback from 26 October 2026

What This Means for You

On ₹1 lakh of overseas spending you now save roughly ₹1,500–₹2,000 plus GST that the markup used to eat. Until 25 October you get both the zero markup and the reward points so a big foreign booking is worth pulling forward.

After that the card becomes a pure cost-saver abroad, not an earner, and the lifetime-free FIRST Wealth is the cheapest way to hold one. IDFC FIRST also says to pay in the local currency, not rupees, to actually get the zero markup.

Markups and the 26 October note as shown on the IDFC FIRST Bank card pages on 12 September 2026. Confirm on the issuer’s site before applying.