If you already keep money parked in an IDFC FIRST Bank savings account, the IDFC FIRST Select Credit Card just became a lot easier to justify. The bank is waiving the annual fee permanently for customers maintaining a ₹25,000+ balance in the savings account linked to the card. That’s a strong retention-style benefit because it ties card ownership to a banking relationship many users already have.
The card also continues to offer 3X reward points on online spends, 6X on dining, and complimentary railway lounge access. Those are useful everyday benefits, especially for people who spend heavily online or eat out often. The fee waiver makes the package more attractive because it removes one of the biggest friction points in premium-ish cards: paying to keep the card open.
What makes this interesting is the combination of rewards and fee relief. A card with decent accelerated categories is always better when the annual fee is effectively removed for eligible customers. For people who can comfortably maintain the ₹25,000+ balance, this becomes a much easier card to hold without second-guessing the cost.
That said, the value still depends on whether your spending pattern matches the card’s strengths. If your biggest spends are online and dining, the 3X and 6X structure can be useful. If not, the fee waiver alone shouldn’t be the reason to keep it. The railway lounge access is a nice add-on, but it’s the fee-free angle that really changes the conversation here.
What You Should Do: If you already bank with IDFC FIRST and can maintain the ₹25,000+ balance, this is a good card to keep because the annual fee can be waived permanently. If you don’t meet that condition, compare the rewards carefully against your current card before moving over.