IDFC FIRST Millennia Credit Card
Best for: a lifetime free card with zero forex markup and 10X rewards on dining, travel and international spends.
Why it ranks
- No joining or annual fee, with no spend condition
- Zero forex markup is uncommon on a free card
- The 10X rate applies from the first eligible transaction
What holds it back
- No airport lounge access; railway lounge visits need ₹20,000 monthly spend
- Utilities, insurance, railways and FASTag earn only 1X
Advertiser disclosure: we may be paid if you apply through our links. Ratings are editorial. Confirm today's terms on the issuer's site — offers change.
Why the IDFC FIRST Millennia Credit Card ranks where it does
The FIRST Millennia is the rare lifetime free card that is genuinely good abroad. There is no joining or annual fee and no spend condition, and IDFC FIRST charges zero forex markup, which on its own saves the 3.5% markup that many Indian cards in our list charge on foreign currency spends. Since June 2026 it also earns 10X Reward Points on dining, travel and international spends from the first transaction, 3X on most other spends, and 1X on insurance, utilities, railways and FASTag.
The weakness is how little else comes with it. There is no airport lounge access, and the four railway lounge visits a quarter need ₹20,000 of spend in the previous month. Fuel, EMI and cash withdrawals earn no points, and the movie discount is 25% up to ₹100 once a month, only if you used the card the month before. Our data does not record a rupee value per point, so we judge the card mainly on what it saves rather than what it earns.
That makes it an easy second card. Keep it for trips, foreign websites and restaurant bills, and let a cashback card handle groceries and bills. With no fee, there is no break-even to reach.
Good fit if
- Travellers and online shoppers who pay in foreign currencies
- People who want a lifetime free card with no spend condition
- Frequent diners, who earn the 10X rate from the first transaction
Skip it if
- Anyone who wants airport lounge access
- People whose spending is mostly utilities, insurance or fuel
Assume ₹1.5 lakh of foreign currency spend in a year across two trips and some overseas websites. On a card with a 3.5% forex markup, such as the Axis Horizon, the markup would cost 1,50,000 × 3.5% = ₹5,250. On the FIRST Millennia the markup is zero and there is no annual fee, so the saving is the full ₹5,250. Those spends also earn 10X Reward Points, which we value at zero here because our data has no rupee value per point; that keeps the estimate conservative.
How it stacks up
The Scapia Federal card is also lifetime free with zero forex markup and adds unlimited domestic lounge access once you spend ₹20,000 a month, but its coins can be used only for travel on the Scapia app. The IDFC FIRST Wealth keeps the zero markup and adds international lounge visits, though it needs ₹36 lakh of annual income. Of the three, the Millennia asks the least of you.
The FIRST Millennia is a lifetime free IDFC FIRST Bank card with zero forex markup. Since June 2026 it earns 10X Reward Points on dining, travel and international spends from the first transaction, and 3X on most other spends.
IDFC FIRST Millennia Credit Card at a glance
| Issuer | IDFC FIRST Bank |
| Card network | See issuer |
| Annual fee | Lifetime free |
| Welcome bonus | ₹500 voucher on spending ₹5,000 within 30 days of activation, plus 5% cashback up to ₹1,000 on the first EMI transaction within 30 days |
| Rewards rate | 10X Reward Points on dining, travel and international spends from the first transaction (from 18 June 2026); 3X on other spends; 1X on insurance, utilities, railways and FASTag; no points on fuel, EMI or cash withdrawals |
| Intro APR | None |
| Regular APR | 8.5% to 46.2% a year, depending on credit profile |
| Foreign transaction fee | Zero forex markup |
| Airport lounge access | No airport lounge access; 4 railway lounge visits a quarter, unlocked by spending ₹20,000 in the previous calendar month |
| Credit needed | See issuer for income and CIBIL requirements |
| Best for | Lifetime free rewards on dining, travel and foreign spends with zero forex markup |
Key features
- 10X Reward Points on dining, travel and international purchases with no minimum spend
- Zero forex markup on international spends
- Interest-free ATM cash withdrawals for up to 45 days (₹199 fee per withdrawal)
- 25% off movie tickets up to ₹100 once a month, if the card was used the previous month
- 1% fuel surcharge waiver up to ₹200 a month
Before you apply: confirm the current fee, reward rates and eligibility on the issuer's official site. BestCreditCards is an independent ranking site, not the card issuer, and this is not financial advice.
Sources: idfcfirst.bank.in · idfcfirst.bank.in
How it ranks against similar India cards
| Rank | Card | Annual fee | Rewards | Welcome offer | Foreign fee | Who qualifies | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | IFIDFC FIRST BankIDFC FIRST MillenniaNo annual fee · IN IDFC FIRST Millennia Credit CardLifetime free rewards on dining, travel and foreign spends with zero forex markup |
None | 10X Reward Points on dining, travel and international spends from the first tran… | ₹500 voucher on spending ₹5,000 within 30 days of activation… | Zero forex markup | See issuer for income and CIBIL… | |
| 2 | FTFPL Technologies, issued with partner banks (BOBCARD, CSB Bank, Federal Bank, SBM Bank, South Indian Bank, Indian Bank)One OneCardNo annual fee · IN One Credit Card (OneCard)Young earners who want a free metal card with app controls and low forex fees |
None | 1 reward point per ₹50 spent; 5X on your top 2 spend categories each month (mini… | See issuer for the current offer | 1% forex markup | Age 18 to 60; a credit score of… | |
| 3 | ASAU Small Finance BankAU LITNo annual fee · IN AU LIT Credit CardPeople who want a free card and will pay only for the benefits they use |
None | 1 Reward Point per ₹100 base (up to 10,000 points a cycle); optional paid featur… | See issuer for the current offer | See issuer | Resident Indian; salaried 21 to… | |
| 4 | KMKotak Mahindra BankKotak 811 #DreamDifferentNo annual fee · IN Kotak 811 #DreamDifferent Credit CardNew-to-credit users who can place a fixed deposit and want a free card |
None | 2 points per ₹100 online, 1 per ₹100 on other spends; none on fuel or railways | No fixed welcome bonus; lifetime free card | 4% markup on foreign curre… | Secured card: fixed deposit of a… |
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