Best Travel Credit Cards with No Annual Fee in India (2026)
Travel perks shouldn't come at a price. If you've ever held back from getting a travel credit card because of steep joining fees or annual charges, you're not alone — and you're in the right place.
India's credit card market now includes several strong options that offer genuine travel benefits, from airport lounge access to zero forex markup on international spends, without asking you to pay a recurring annual fee.
This guide covers the best travel credit cards with no annual fee or minimal fee in India for 2026, explains what to look for, and helps you pick the right card for how you travel.
What Makes a Travel Credit Card "No Fee"?
Not all "no-fee" travel cards are identical, and understanding the distinction helps you make a smarter choice:
- Lifetime Free Credit Card: Charges zero joining fee and zero annual fee — forever with no annual spend thresholds.
- Fee-Waived Credit Card: Has a stated annual fee but reverses it automatically when you hit a defined spending milestone during the year.
- Low-Fee Credit Card: Charges a nominal annual fee (typically under ₹500–₹999) that is offset by welcome vouchers in the first year itself.
For a traveller who flies a few times a year and wants lounge access or flight discounts without a financial commitment, the lifetime-free and fee-waived categories offer the best value. The right choice depends on your spending volume and how consistently you use the card.
Best No-Fee Travel Credit Cards in India — Quick Comparison
Compare annual fees, lounge quotas, forex markup rates, and top travel benefits across issuers:
| Card Name | Issuer | Annual Fee | Key Travel Benefit | Forex Markup | Lounge Access |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ixigo AU Credit Card(Best Lifetime Free) | AU Small Finance Bank | Nil (Lifetime Free) | 10% off on flights via Ixigo | 0% | 16 domestic airport + 16 railway |
Federal Scapia Credit Card(Top Rewards) | Federal Bank | Nil (Lifetime Free) | 20% Scapia Coins on travel bookings | 0% | Unlimited domestic (on ₹20K/month spend) |
Standard Chartered EaseMyTrip(Budget Friendly) | Standard Chartered | ₹350 + taxes | 10–20% off on flights & hotels via EaseMyTrip | Standard Bank Rate | 2 domestic visits/year |
MakeMyTrip ICICI Bank Card(Best for MMT) | ICICI Bank | ₹999 (Welcome vouchers offset) | Up to 6% myCash on hotel bookings via MMT | 0.99% | 8 domestic + 1 international |
IDFC FIRST WOW! Black(FD Secured) | IDFC FIRST Bank | ₹750 (FD-backed) | Up to 16.7% bonus points on IDFC app travel | 0% | Included |
RBL World Safari(Zero Forex) | RBL Bank | ₹3,000 | 5 reward points per ₹100 on travel spends | 0% | Domestic lounge access |
Note: Fee-waiver conditions and benefits subject to change per issuer terms. Verify on PaisaOne before applying.
Explore Top Credit Card Options
AU Credit Cards
Zero annual fee travel cards with up to 16 complimentary airport & railway lounge visits per year, zero forex markup, and instant online approvals.
Other Credit Cards
Compare 50+ travel, cashback, and rewards credit cards across top Indian banks with personalized pre-approved offers and instant eligibility check.
Top No-Fee & Low-Fee Travel Credit Cards — Detailed Reviews
Ixigo AU Credit Card — Best Lifetime Free Travel Card
The Ixigo AU Credit Card is arguably the strongest lifetime-free travel card available in India today. Issued by AU Small Finance Bank on the Visa network, it carries zero joining fee and zero annual fee — for life. The core travel benefits include a 10% discount on flight bookings via Ixigo (up to ₹1,000 per month), a 10% discount on bus bookings (up to ₹300 per month), and a 10% discount on hotel bookings through Ixigo (up to ₹1,000 per month).
Best for: Frequent domestic and train travellers; first-time credit card users seeking travel benefits.
Federal Scapia Credit Card — Best for Domestic Flyers Who Book via App
The Federal Scapia Credit Card, issued by Federal Bank, is a lifetime-free card designed around the Scapia travel app ecosystem. The card earns 20% Scapia Coins on travel bookings made through the Scapia app and 10% Scapia Coins on eligible online and offline transactions worth ₹20 or more. Coins are redeemable at 5 Scapia Coins = ₹1.
Best for: Travellers who book via Scapia and spend ₹20,000+ per month to unlock lounge access.
Standard Chartered EaseMyTrip Credit Card — Best Low-Fee Flight Booking Card
At just ₹350 per year (plus taxes), the Standard Chartered EaseMyTrip Credit Card is one of the most affordable travel cards in India with meaningful benefits. It offers direct discounts — not reward points to be redeemed later — including 10% off on domestic flight bookings via EaseMyTrip (up to ₹1,000) and 20% off on domestic hotel bookings (up to ₹5,000). Importantly, it also provides accelerated reward points (10 points per ₹100) on airline and hotel websites outside EaseMyTrip, giving it platform flexibility.
Best for: Occasional domestic travellers who frequently book through EaseMyTrip and want maximum discount on flights and hotels.
MakeMyTrip ICICI Bank Credit Card — Best for MakeMyTrip Loyalists
The MakeMyTrip ICICI Bank Credit Card comes with a ₹999 annual fee, but the welcome benefit — an MMT voucher worth ₹1,000 plus complimentary MMTBLACK Gold membership — effectively neutralises the first-year cost. Ongoing benefits include up to 6% back as myCash on hotel bookings on MakeMyTrip, 3% on flight and bus bookings via the same platform, and 1% on all other spends.
Best for: Frequent MakeMyTrip users who want high earn rates on the platform and low forex charges for international travel.
IDFC FIRST WOW! Black Credit Card — Best FD-Backed Travel Card
The IDFC FIRST WOW! Black is a secured credit card backed by a fixed deposit, making it accessible to individuals with a limited or new credit history. Despite its FD-backed nature, it offers genuine travel benefits including zero forex markup and up to 16.7% bonus reward points on travel bookings made via the IDFC FIRST Bank mobile app.
Best for: New-to-credit users who travel internationally and want to build credit history while earning travel rewards.
RBL World Safari Credit Card — Best Zero Forex Card for Mid-Spend Travellers
The RBL World Safari Credit Card carries a ₹3,000 annual fee — higher than the other cards in this list — but qualifies here because of its best-in-class zero forex markup combined with 5 reward points per ₹100 on eligible retail travel spends. For Indian travellers who make significant international transactions, the savings on forex markup can easily exceed the annual fee within a few transactions.
Best for: Moderate to frequent international travellers where forex savings justify the annual fee.
Key Benefits to Look for in a No-Fee Travel Credit Card
When comparing travel credit cards with no annual fee or minimal charges, focus on five core benefit areas that deliver real monetary value:
- Airport & Railway Lounge Access: Lounge access provides comfort during flight layovers and train journeys. Even 2 complimentary visits per year save ₹1,000–₹2,000 in lounge entry fees.
- Reward Earn Rate on Travel Bookings: The reward earn rate on flight and hotel bookings tells you how much value you accumulate per rupee spent on tickets and stays.
- Zero Forex Markup: Essential if you travel internationally or shop online in foreign currency. Standard bank forex markups of 2–3.5% add up heavily across an international trip.
- Fuel Surcharge Waivers: 1% fuel surcharge waiver across petrol pumps in India reduces a recurring expense for road trips and highway commuting.
- Co-Branded Platform Discounts: Instant discounts on Ixigo, MakeMyTrip, or EaseMyTrip provide direct, upfront cash savings instead of deferred points redemption.
The best no-fee travel cards combine at least two of these benefits effectively, rather than offering one isolated feature.
No-Fee vs. Fee-Waived vs. Annual-Fee Travel Cards — Which Is Right for You?
Your travel frequency and annual card spend should guide this decision:
• Under ₹1 Lakh Annual Spend (1–2 trips/year): A lifetime-free card like the Ixigo AU or Federal Scapia offers the best value — you spend zero on fees while enjoying lounges, flight discounts, and zero forex markup.
• ₹1 Lakh to ₹2.5 Lakh Annual Spend (3–5 trips/year): A fee-waived card (where the annual fee is reversed on hitting the milestone) gives you richer benefits, concierge services, and bonus miles without recurring costs.
• ₹3 Lakh+ Annual Spend (6+ trips/year & International Trips): A premium paid travel card with unlimited international Priority Pass lounges, air miles conversion, and luxury hotel perks often delivers far more total value than avoiding an annual fee.
The PaisaOne credit card comparison tool lets you filter by annual fee, lounge access, and forex rate simultaneously across issuers — matching your exact profile in seconds.
How to Maximise Value from a No-Fee Travel Credit Card
- Book on Dedicated Partner Portals: Use your card specifically on its co-branded travel partner (e.g. Ixigo for AU card, Scapia app, or MakeMyTrip for ICICI) to unlock 10%–20% maximum rewards.
- Leverage Zero Forex Abroad: If your card offers 0% forex markup, make it your primary card abroad for dining, shopping, and transport to avoid the 3.5% markup charged by conventional cards.
- Track Lounge Quota Cycles: Know your lounge access renewal frequency (quarterly vs calendar year) and check whether monthly spend requirements apply before planning your airport visit.
- Monitor Reward Expiry: Many banks expire reward points after 12–24 months. Redeem points regularly for flight vouchers, cashback, or hotel bookings.
- Maintain CIBIL Score Above 700: Keep your credit score healthy above 700 with timely bill payments so you qualify for the best lifetime-free travel card approvals.
Eligibility & How to Apply on PaisaOne
Most no-fee and low-fee travel credit cards in India require applicants to be at least 21 years of age, salaried or self-employed with a minimum annual income of ₹2–4 lakh (varies by issuer and card), and hold a CIBIL score of 700 or above. FD-backed options like the IDFC FIRST WOW! Black are available without a prior credit history, as the credit limit is secured against a fixed deposit amount.
PaisaOne is an independent financial marketplace — not a card issuer — that lets you compare travel credit cards from HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, SBI Card, Axis Bank, AU Small Finance Bank, IDFC FIRST Bank, Federal Bank, RBL Bank, Standard Chartered, and more on a single platform. You can filter by annual fee, lounge access, forex markup, and reward type, check your eligibility instantly, and apply directly through PaisaOne's secure digital process.
