If you’re looking for a card that rewards both spending and banking relationships, the IDFC FIRST Select Credit Card has a pretty interesting setup. IDFC FIRST Bank is waiving the annual fee permanently for customers who maintain a ₹25,000+ balance in IDFC FIRST Bank savings account. That’s a strong proposition for customers who already keep meaningful balances with the bank.
Beyond the fee waiver, the card also offers 3X reward points on online spends and 6X on dining. Those are the two categories that immediately stand out, especially for people who do a lot of shopping online or eat out frequently. The card also includes complimentary railway lounge access, which adds a travel perk that many mid-premium cards don’t always highlight.
The fee waiver structure is what makes this card especially notable. A permanent waiver tied to a banking balance is different from the usual annual spend-based waiver, and it can work very well for customers who already use IDFC FIRST Bank as a primary banking relationship. In other words, the card becomes more attractive if you’re already parked with the bank rather than if you’re just chasing the card in isolation.
The reward structure is also easy to understand. Online spends get a boost through 3X reward points, while dining gets an even stronger 6X treatment. That makes the card feel tailored to everyday lifestyle usage rather than only big-ticket travel or luxury spending. For many cardholders, that’s exactly the sweet spot: a card that quietly rewards the categories we actually use most.
The railway lounge access is a nice extra layer. It may not be the headline feature for everyone, but it adds value for travellers who use train stations more often than airports. That kind of perk can be surprisingly useful if your travel pattern is mixed.
Our take? This is a smart card for people who want a fee-light lifestyle product with strong category rewards. The permanent fee waiver condition is the real differentiator here, and the 3X and 6X reward structure gives the card a clear use case.
The bottom line: if you already maintain a ₹25,000+ balance with IDFC FIRST Bank, this card becomes much easier to justify. The fee waiver, 3X online, 6X dining, and railway lounge access make it a compelling everyday rewards card.