A premium metal card with zero forex and heavy hotel and flight acceleration, but no transfer partners and some costs worth knowing before you apply.
The IDFC FIRST Mayura Credit Card is the bank’s best-in-class metal card – a 17-gram peacock-themed card that targets high spenders with a penchant for travelling and lifestyle offers. It earns really well on hotel and flight bookings done via the bank’s mobile app, incurs zero foreign exchange mark-up fee, and accumulates additional lounges access, movie discounts, golf and travel insurance benefits. But it is riddled with some significant shortcomings that tend to be ignored.
For example, it does not have any partner airlines or hotels for transferring points; it has an extremely poor base point value; and replacement cost of a lost metal card is sky-high. This review highlights the current changes and cost breakdown along with its pros and cons.
What the IDFC FIRST Mayura Credit Card Is:
The IDFC FIRST Mayura Credit Card holds the pole position in the premium category offerings by IDFC FIRST Bank just below its cousin Ashva. This card operates under the Mastercard World and Visa Infinite platform. While not offering airline miles like the airmiles cards issued by Axis and HSBC, this is a closed-loop rewards card wherein you earn your rewards within the IDFC universe and these points are redeemed via the app of the bank.
Latest Changes You Should Know:
IDFC has revised this card more than once, and the changes matter for value. Here are the ones to track.
| Effective date | What changed |
|---|---|
| 18 June 2026 | Reward points are earned only on spends up to your credit limit per billing cycle, and the movie buy one get one now needs Rs 20,000 spend in the previous month |
| 2025 upgrade | Added 30X on hotels and 15X on flights via the app gallery, and doubled travel redemption value to Rs 0.50 per point |
| 20 February 2025 | Lounge, spa and railway access now need Rs 20,000 spend in the previous month, fuel surcharge waiver capped at Rs 300, and interest rate range revised to 8.5 to 46.2 percent a year |
Also, Read About: IDFC FIRST Ashva Credit Card
Fees and Charges at a Glance:
| Charge | Amount |
|---|---|
| Joining fee | Rs 5,999 plus GST, paid upfront and non refundable |
| Annual fee | Rs 5,999 plus GST, no waiver available |
| Metal card replacement | Rs 3,500 plus GST |
| Reward redemption fee | Rs 99 plus GST |
| Cash withdrawal fee | Rs 199 plus GST per withdrawal, up to Rs 10,000 a transaction |
| Forex markup | 0 percent |
| Fuel surcharge waiver | 1 percent up to Rs 300 on transactions of Rs 200 to Rs 5,000 |
| Interest rate | 8.5 to 46.2 percent a year, based on profile |
What a Lost Metal Card Costs You:
That’s an expense that few reviews mention. For replacing the lost/damaged metal card on the IDFC FIRST Mayura Credit Card, you have to pay Rs 3,500 plus GST, which works out to around Rs 4,130. This is much higher compared to the Rs 199 plus GST charged by IDFC for replacing the ordinary cards and also higher than the Rs 1,500 replacement cost of the sibling metal card called Ashva. The premium finish may look good, but take care of your metal card; it will cost you close to 65% of your annual fee.
How You Earn Reward Points:
The base unit is 1 reward point per Rs 150 spent, which the bank calls 1X. The IDFC FIRST Mayura Credit Card then scales the rate with your monthly spend.
| Spend type | Reward rate |
|---|---|
| Spends up to Rs 20,000 in a statement cycle | 5X, 5 points per Rs 150 |
| Incremental spends above Rs 20,000 in a cycle | 10X, 10 points per Rs 150 |
| International spends and birthday spends | 5X to 10X, as above |
| Rent, wallet load, education, government | 3X, 3 points per Rs 150 |
| Insurance, utilities, railways, FASTag | 1X, 1 point per Rs 150 |
| EMI, cash, fuel, fees and charges | No points |
Acceleration on Hotels and Flights:
The strongest earning on the IDFC FIRST Mayura Credit Card comes when you book travel through the FIRST Rewards Gallery inside the IDFC app. These are bonus points on top of the base rate.
| Booking type | Bonus rate | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Hotel bookings | 30X reward points | FIRST Rewards Gallery, app only |
| Flight bookings | 15X reward points | FIRST Rewards Gallery, app only |
| Bonus points cap | 25,000 a month | Across gallery bookings |
The catch is that this acceleration only works inside the app gallery, not on airline or hotel websites directly, and the bonus is capped at 25,000 points a month. You can also use points to cover up to 70 percent of a travel booking, paying the rest on the card.
How You Redeem, and Why There Are No Transfer Partners:
This is the only limitation that you need to focus on. There are absolutely no airline or hotel partners for transfer of points in the IDFC FIRST Mayura Credit Card. While other cards like HSBC TravelOne or Axis Atlas allow points transfer to frequent flyer program at 1 to 1, IDFC keeps the points within their mobile app. This limits the maximum possible value since you won’t be able to book the premium cabin awards using the points. Your points’ value remains as per the table below.
| Redemption route | Value per point |
|---|---|
| Hotel and flight bookings via the app gallery | Rs 0.50 |
| Gift vouchers, products, pay with points | Rs 0.25 |
| Transfer to airlines or hotels | Not available |
On the plus side, the points never expire, so there is no pressure to burn them quickly. But the best you will ever get is Rs 0.50 a point, and only on travel booked through the app.
Reward Rate in Plain Numbers:
Here is what the rates actually translate to as value back, once you apply the point value.
| Scenario | At Rs 0.25 | At Rs 0.50 |
|---|---|---|
| 5X on regular spends | 0.83 percent | 1.66 percent |
| 10X on spends above Rs 20,000 | 1.66 percent | 3.33 percent |
| 3X on rent and similar | 0.50 percent | 1.00 percent |
So the realistic everyday return sits between 0.83 and 1.66 percent, reaching 3.33 percent only when you push spends past Rs 20,000 a month and redeem strictly for travel in the app. For a card that costs Rs 5,999, that is modest unless you use the travel and lifestyle perks heavily.
Lounge, Spa and Railway Access:
The lounge allowance on the IDFC FIRST Mayura Credit Card is generous on paper, but every visit is spend gated.
| Access type | Per quarter | Per year |
|---|---|---|
| Domestic airport lounge | 4 visits plus 1 guest | 16 visits |
| International airport lounge | 4 visits | 16 visits |
| Railway lounge | 4 visits | 16 visits |
| Airport spa | 4 visits | 16 visits |
The condition to remember: you must spend Rs 20,000 in the previous calendar month to unlock lounge, spa and railway access for the next month. Skip the spend and you lose the access for that month, even on a card that costs almost Rs 6,000 a year.
Travel and Lifestyle Benefits:
| Benefit | Detail |
|---|---|
| Zero forex markup | 0 percent on all international spends |
| Trip cancellation cover | Up to Rs 50,000, twice a year, for any reason |
| Movie buy one get one | Up to Rs 500 off the second ticket, twice a month, via District by Zomato, needs Rs 20,000 spend in the previous month |
| Golf | 24 complimentary rounds and lessons on spending Rs 4.8 lakh a year |
| Postcard Hotels | Flat Rs 5,000 off on a Rs 25,000 booking, once a quarter, code IDFCVIP |
| Little Emperors | One year travel membership worth 299 pounds, via Mastercard |
| Culinary Club | Discounts across 350 plus restaurants in 16 cities |
| Insurance | Air accident cover Rs 1 crore, lost card liability Rs 50,000 |
There is one common rule that links some of these limitations above. The lounge access, spa access, railway, golf and movie BOGO facilities all depend on one thing – you need to have spent Rs 20,000 in the prior calendar month to make use of these benefits in the next month. Fail to achieve that spending target, and all these facilities are gone for that month from a card that almost costs you Rs 6,000 per year.
Welcome and Renewal Benefits:
| Benefit | Detail |
|---|---|
| Welcome cashback | Rs 1,000 back on each of your first 4 transactions of Rs 1,000 or more within 60 days, up to Rs 4,000 |
| Renewal option one | 7,500 reward points on Rs 8 lakh spend in the previous card year |
| Renewal option two | 15,000 reward points on Rs 15 lakh spend in the previous card year |
| Annual fee waiver | None, and only one renewal option can be claimed |
The welcome cashback nearly offsets the first year fee, which is why many take the IDFC FIRST Mayura Credit Card for year one and reassess at renewal, since there is no fee waiver and the renewal points are modest.
Eligibility: IDFC FIRST Mayura Credit Card
- Minimum income of about Rs 25 lakh a year for fresh applicants.
- Existing IDFC FIRST Bank cardholders are assessed on a profile check and are often pre approved.
- Standard adult age range, Indian resident, with the usual identity, address and income proof.
- The joining fee must be paid upfront before the metal card is dispatched.
Pros and Cons: IDFC FIRST Mayura Credit Card
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Zero forex markup at 0 percent, one of the best cards for foreign spends | No airline or hotel transfer partners, so points stay locked in the app |
| Heavy travel acceleration, 30X on hotels and 15X on flights via the app | Low point value, Rs 0.25 generally and Rs 0.50 only on app travel |
| Reward points never expire | High Rs 5,999 fee with no waiver and a weak renewal benefit |
| Wide lounge access across airport, railway and spa | Lounge, spa, movie and golf perks are all spend gated |
| Trip cancellation cover up to Rs 50,000, twice a year | A lost metal card costs Rs 3,500 plus GST to replace |
| First year math works, welcome cashback offsets much of the fee | June 2026 change caps reward earning to your credit limit each cycle |
How It Compares With Other Travel Cards:
| Feature | IDFC Mayura | HSBC TravelOne | Axis Horizon | SBI Miles Elite |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annual fee | Rs 5,999 | Rs 4,999 | Rs 3,000 | Rs 4,999 |
| Forex markup | 0 pct | 3.5 pct | 3.5 pct | 1.99 pct |
| Transfer partners | None | 20 plus | 20 plus | 20 plus |
| Best point value | Rs 0.50 | Re 1 plus | Re 1 plus | Re 1 |
| Lounge spend gate | Yes, 20k a month | No | No | No |
| Points expiry | Never | About 3 years | About 3 years | Varies |
| Card replacement | Rs 3,500 | Standard | Standard | Standard |
The story is simple enough. The IDFC FIRST Mayura Credit Card scores in forex and in having never-expiry points, but fails badly in flexibility since it cannot transfer points anywhere. In terms of pure miles value, the transfer cards above it simply offer more value per point.
Who Should Get This Card:
- Heavy international spenders who will use the zero forex markup often.
- People who book hotels and flights through the IDFC app and can use the 30X and 15X acceleration.
- Spenders who cross Rs 20,000 a month easily and will actually use the lounge, movie and golf perks.
- Anyone happy to take it for a strong first year and reassess at renewal.
It is a weak fit if you want airline transfers, high redemption value, a fee waiver, or a low maintenance card, since the IDFC FIRST Mayura Credit Card asks you to track spend gates and keeps your points locked inside its own app.
Our Rating Out of Five:
As a result of balancing between the impressive zero forex and travel boost and such negatives as the absence of transfer partners, a low point value, perks which are gated by spending and high cost of metal card replacement, IDFC FIRST Mayura Credit Card receives 3 out of 5.
| Category | Score | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Forex and travel | 5 / 5 | Zero markup, strong acceleration |
| Reward flexibility | 2 / 5 | No transfer partners, low value |
| Lounge and lifestyle | 3.5 / 5 | Generous but spend gated |
| Fees and value | 2.5 / 5 | High fee, no waiver, costly replacement |
| Overall | 3 / 5 | Great for forex, weak for miles |
Final Verdict:
IDFC FIRST Mayura Credit Card is an outstanding card when it comes to one particular purpose: spending overseas without any markup. This card is also a fine choice for the first year due to the generous welcome cashback offer which offsets the annual charge quite well. Nevertheless, be aware of what you get in terms of redemption.
The lack of transfer partners, the maximum value of just Rs 0.50 per point and the fact that most of the perks can only be earned if you make a minimum spend of Rs 20,000 monthly prevent this card from being competitive with transfers in terms of mileage value. Other notable downsides include the cost of a metal card of Rs 3,500 plus GST. If spending abroad with zero markup and booking trips via the app suit you well, then the card gets its point.
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