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Independent card analysis

IDFC FIRST Hello Cashback Credit Card

IDFC FIRST Bank · RuPay · Mid card

A secured cashback card that can reward online shoppers materially while still covering UPI and in-store use.

Best suited to

Online-first credit builders able to clear the ₹2 lakh annual fee-waiver threshold.

Authored and reviewed by GainFair
Terms checked 24 Sept 2026
Annual fee
₹1,000 + GST
Joining fee
₹0
Base reward rate
1%
Forex markup
0%

Reward rates by spending category

Published catalogue rates before caps and merchant-category exclusions.

CategoryRecorded rate
Online shopping
3%
incremental online spend above ₹10,000 per cycle
Groceries & essentials
1%
Dining & delivery
1%
Travel & hotels
1%
Bills & utilities
1%
Beauty & wellness
1%
Entertainment & movies
1%
Education & family
1%
Healthcare & pharmacy
1%
Subscriptions & streaming
1%
Offline store shopping
1%
International spending
1%
Gold & jewellery
1%
House rent
1%
Insurance premiums
1%
Other miscellaneous
1%
Fuel & commute
0%

Caps and fee waiver

Reward caps
Total statement cashback: ₹1,500/statement cycle · Online statement cashback: ₹1,000/statement cycle
Annual fee waiver
At ₹2,00,000 annual spending
Monthly income requirement
Fixed-deposit backed

Airport lounge access

No complimentary airport lounge access recorded

Benefit details

Benefits & conditions

Expand a category to see recorded benefits, fees and eligibility, with conditions and links to the sources. Categories without recorded details are grouped below; missing information does not mean a benefit is unavailable.

Rewards and cashback · 5 items

  • Eligible online cashback slabs

    Usage-based value

    Eligible online shopping earns 3% on the first ₹10,000 and 5% only on incremental statement-cycle spend above ₹10,000; cashback requires timely minimum-due payment.

    Status: verifiedReviewed: 2026-09-24Official source ↗

  • Eligible online travel cashback slabs

    Usage-based value

    Eligible online travel enters the shared online cashback programme only when the transaction is identified as online.

    Conditions: Eligible online travel enters the shared online cashback programme only when the transaction is identified as online.

    Status: verifiedReviewed: 2026-09-24Official source ↗

  • IDFC app UPI cashback

    Usage-based value

    1% only on eligible merchant UPI payments made through the IDFC FIRST Bank app.

    Conditions: 1% only on eligible merchant UPI payments made through the IDFC FIRST Bank app.

    Status: verifiedReviewed: 2026-09-24Official source ↗

  • In-store and essential-category cashback

    Usage-based value

    1% on eligible in-store purchases and published essential categories, including utility, rent, jewellery, wallet, insurance, education, government, FASTag and railway payments.

    Status: verifiedReviewed: 2026-09-24Official source ↗

  • IDFC app flight and hotel bonus

    Usage-based value

    Additional 1% only on eligible flight and hotel bookings through the IDFC FIRST Bank app; it stacks with the qualifying online slab.

    Conditions: Additional 1% only on eligible flight and hotel bookings through the IDFC FIRST Bank app; it stacks with the qualifying online slab.

    Status: verifiedReviewed: 2026-09-24Official source ↗
Fees · 1 item

  • Annual card fee

    Cost ₹1,000

    ₹1,000 annual fee before applicable tax.

    Status: verifiedReviewed: 2026-09-24Official source ↗
Fee waiver · 1 item

  • Annual fee waiver

    Usage-based · up to ₹1,000

    Annual fee may be waived after ₹2,00,000 of eligible annual spending.

    Conditions: Reach ₹2,00,000 eligible annual spending

    Exclusions: fuelCommute

    Status: verifiedReviewed: 2026-09-24Official source ↗
Travel privileges · 1 item

  • Additional 1% on eligible flights and hotels booked through the IDFC FIRST app

    Shown without a cash value
    Status: verifiedReviewed: 2026-09-24Official source ↗
Insurance and protection · 4 items

  • Lost-card liability ₹25,000

    Shown without a cash value
    Status: verifiedReviewed: 2026-09-24Official source ↗

  • Personal-accident cover ₹2 lakh

    Shown without a cash value
    Status: verifiedReviewed: 2026-09-24Official source ↗

  • Credit-shield cover ₹50,000

    Shown without a cash value
    Status: verifiedReviewed: 2026-09-24Official source ↗

  • Purchase protection ₹25,000

    Shown without a cash value
    Status: verifiedReviewed: 2026-09-24Official source ↗
Foreign-currency charges · 3 items

  • International purchases stop earning cashback from October 26, 2026; zero forex remains a separate fee benefit

    Shown without a cash value
    Status: verifiedReviewed: 2026-09-24Official source ↗

  • Zero forex markup

    Usage-based value

    0% foreign-currency markup before applicable tax.

    Conditions: Applies to eligible foreign-currency transactions

    Status: verifiedReviewed: 2026-09-24Official source ↗

  • Zero issuer forex markup

    Shown without a cash value
    Status: verifiedReviewed: 2026-09-24Official source ↗
Eligibility and availability · 1 item

  • Restricted application availability

    Shown without a cash value

    Application availability: secured. A fixed deposit of at least ₹10,000 is required and becomes 100% of the card limit. No income proof or prior credit history is required.

    Status: verifiedReviewed: 2026-09-24Official source ↗
Other benefits · 5 items

  • Four roadside-assistance uses per year under issuer terms

    Shown without a cash value
    Status: verifiedReviewed: 2026-09-24Official source ↗

  • 50% renewal-fee reversal at ₹1-2 lakh annual spend; full reversal at ₹2 lakh

    Shown without a cash value
    Status: verifiedReviewed: 2026-09-24Official source ↗

  • 1% fuel-surcharge waiver capped at ₹100 per statement cycle on eligible ₹200-₹5,000 fuel purchases

    Shown without a cash value
    Status: verifiedReviewed: 2026-09-24Official source ↗

  • 3% on the first ₹10,000 of eligible online spend per statement and 5% on the incremental amount above it

    Shown without a cash value
    Status: verifiedReviewed: 2026-09-24Official source ↗

  • 1% on eligible in-store, essential-category and IDFC-app UPI spend

    Shown without a cash value
    Status: verifiedReviewed: 2026-09-24Official source ↗
Other categories (10)

These categories have no detailed entries. We distinguish confirmed absences from information that still needs review.

What stands out

  • ✓ 3% on the first ₹10,000 of eligible online spend per statement and 5% on the incremental amount above it
  • ✓ 1% on eligible in-store, essential-category and IDFC-app UPI spend
  • ✓ Additional 1% on eligible flights and hotels booked through the IDFC FIRST app
  • ✓ Zero issuer forex markup

What to watch

Online cashback is capped at ₹1,000 and total cashback at ₹1,500 per statement cycle. UPI through other apps and fuel earn no cashback, and the cycle’s cashback is forfeited if minimum due is unpaid.

Recorded exclusions

Fuel Commute · Cash withdrawal · Emi conversion · Other app upi · Fees charges

How GainFair evaluates this card

The personal card advisor applies your monthly spending to category rates, limits rewards at the applicable caps, adds eligible movie, milestone and lounge value, and subtracts annual fees plus foreign-currency markup and GST. It can recommend keeping your current cards when a new card does not create enough incremental value.

Ask the advisorApply ↗Read the methodology
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Terms tracker

Card change history

Material changes verified against dated issuer notices. Effective dates can differ from announcement dates.

  1. Value reduced

    International cashback scheduled to end

    The issuer has published a future exclusion for international transactions.

    Before
    Eligible international transactions can earn cashback under the current grid.
    After
    International transactions will not earn cashback; zero forex remains a separate fee feature.
    Announced 1 Sept 2026Checked 24 Sept 2026Hello Cashback current reward notice ↗
  2. Value reduced

    Current zero-joining-fee offer scheduled to end

    The reviewed zero joining-fee offer is published only through September 30, 2026.

    Before
    Eligible applications through September 30 carry zero joining fee.
    After
    The standard joining fee may apply unless IDFC FIRST extends or replaces the offer.
    Announced 1 Sept 2026Checked 24 Sept 2026Hello Cashback current fee offer ↗
  3. Value improved

    Zero forex markup introduced

    IDFC FIRST Bank extended zero issuer forex markup to current credit cards.

    Before
    The prior foreign-currency markup applied.
    After
    Eligible foreign-currency purchases carry 0% issuer forex markup.
    Checked 24 Sept 2026IDFC FIRST zero-forex announcement ↗

Issuer sources

Open the sources used for this card's product details, rewards, fees and eligibility.

Product, Fees, Eligibility ↗Rewards ↗Change notice ↗Change notice ↗

Sources checked 24 Sept 2026 · Latest recorded change effective 17 Sept 2026