Finding the Best Low Fee Lounge Access Credit Card

[Jetstone]

Hi all,
I recently joined the forum and, currently, I'm looking to accquire a credit card that'll provide me access to airport lounges within and outside India.

My Requirements are:

1. The card should be midrange. I don't want super premium cards with 10K+ annual fees. My budget is max 3K+GST annual fee.
2. The card should provide access to lounges within India (both domestic and international terminals) and outside India.
3. Quaterly cap on lounge visits is OK but I need at least 4 visits per quarter.
4. The card should proivde shared access for add-on card members too. This is the reason I need 4 visits per quarter for wife and myself.

Credit cards that I currently hold:

1. ICICI HPCL Coral credit card - As far as I know this card does not provide airport lounge access.
2. HDFC Regalia First - Provides 8 complementary lounge access within India and 6 outside India per year. I'm not sure if there is quarterly capping but when shared with my wife, this should just be sufficient for our purposes but I'd like to have better numbers than this.

My Research:

1. IDFC First Wealth
   1. Provides 4 complimentary visits within and outside India for both primary and add-on card holders combined. That is, 16 visits in a year.
   2. Provides acccess to spas within India also but only in very limited airports.
   3. I was told that I'm not eligible for this card so this card is out of contention for now.
2. HDFC Diners Club Privilege
   1. Provides 12 complimentary access across lounges both within and outside India.
   2. Applicable for both primary and add-on members.
   3. My understanding is there is no quarterly cap.
   4. Rewards wise this card is not good.
3. HDFC Regalia
   1. Provides 12 complementary access within India and 6 outside India.
   2. Applicable for both primary and add-on members.
   3. My understanding is there is no quarterly cap.
   4. Rewards wise better than DC so this might be the better card overall for me.

Any thoughts, inputs and alternate card suggestions are much appreciated. Nice to be here.

 

[Slayer]

Do we get that giftcard on paying annual charges as well or just on paying the joining fees?

Both

 

[xiddy]

Both

Thanks! Now I need to figure out a way to get it, since I already have 3 axis cards.

 

[Slayer]

Thanks! Now I need to figure out a way to get it, since I already have 3 axis cards.

Which ones do you hold?

 

[xiddy]

Which ones do you hold?

Myzone, FK, and Ace.

 

[Endline]

Thanks! Now I need to figure out a way to get it, since I already have 3 axis cards.

I think it will be easy for you if you have itr above 20L

 

[xiddy]

I think it will be easy for you if you have itr above 20L

It was slightly lower last year, but will exceed that this year.

 

[Endline]

It was slightly lower last year, but will exceed that this year.

18L is their minimum for Magnus so if you can get that much or if not then any other card with 3L plus will help

 

[insight]

Why not go with Axis Magnus? Because the 10k comes back as a tata cliq giftcard (which you can sell online or even use it) you are actually only spending 1800 on fees (gst) and you will get unlimited domestic and international also 8 guest visits per year

Completely?

 

[Jetstone]

Why not go with Axis Magnus? Because the 10k comes back as a tata cliq giftcard (which you can sell online or even use it) you are actually only spending 1800 on fees (gst) and you will get unlimited domestic and international also 8 guest visits per year

Thanks for this suggestion. At the present time I don't feel too comfortable owning a card with a 10k annual fee and also I find that my lounge requirements can be more than met with a combination of low fee cards so my going down that path for now. Hopefully, there'll come a day when I won't need to think twice before applying for one of those super premium cards. 🙂

 

[Slayer]

Thanks for this suggestion. At the present time I don't feel too comfortable owning a card with a 10k annual fee and also I find that my lounge requirements can be more than met with a combination of low fee cards so my going down that path for now. Hopefully, there'll come a day when I won't need to think twice before applying for one of those super premium cards. 🙂

Do tell me how that 10k voucher doesn't make Magnus worth it

 

[Jetstone]

Do tell me how that 10k voucher doesn't make Magnus worth it

My point is that the attractiveness of the 10k tatacliq voucher could be subjective. I just felt that I'll be pushed into a descretionary spending of 10k every year with the voucher. But guess what, I weighed the potential benefits of the card again and went ahead and applied for it last night.

 

[Slayer]

My point is that the attractiveness of the 10k tatacliq voucher could be subjective. I just felt that I'll be pushed into a descretionary spending of 10k every year with the voucher. But guess what, I weighed the potential benefits of the card again and went ahead and applied for it last night.

Great decision

Just buy 2gm gold coin worth 12k (using that 10k voucher) and you would get atleast 10k for the coin so your total card fees would be roughly 4k

But otherwise TataCliq has good headphones and earphones catalogue - so you can also buy one of those instead of fashion related things

 

[Jetstone]

Great decision

Just buy 2gm gold coin worth 12k (using that 10k voucher) and you would get atleast 10k for the coin so your total card fees would be roughly 4k

But otherwise TataCliq has good headphones and earphones catalogue - so you can also buy one of those instead of fashion related things

Good idea. As you said tatacliq seems to have quite a range of things to buy and I should be able to make a sensible purchase from there at least once a year!

 

[xiddy]

That voucher is valid for 1 year. So you can wait and purchase something when you truly need it. Or just buy gold and keep it as an investment.

 

[insight]

Great decision

Just buy 2gm gold coin worth 12k (using that 10k voucher) and you would get atleast 10k for the coin so your total card fees would be roughly 4k

But otherwise TataCliq has good headphones and earphones catalogue - so you can also buy one of those instead of fashion related things

What is this 10k Coin? Can it be easily flipped/ monetized?

PS: Saw Gold/ Silver "coins and biscuits" - How much $ is lost on them in terms of market value of gold? Or none?

I usually buy lots of stuff via Amazon so I wonder if Cliq will have any benefit in similar capacity?

 

[Slayer]

What is this 10k Coin? Can it be easily flipped/ monetized?

PS: Saw Gold/ Silver "coins and biscuits" - How much $ is lost on them in terms of market value of gold? Or none?

I usually buy lots of stuff via Amazon so I wonder if Cliq will have any benefit in similar capacity?

🥱🥱

 

[insight]

🥱🥱

Cant see/ read or interpret this Emoji 🙂 ?

 

[insight]

My point is that the attractiveness of the 10k tatacliq voucher could be subjective. I just felt that I'll be pushed into a descretionary spending of 10k every year with the voucher. But guess what, I weighed the potential benefits of the card again and went ahead and applied for it last night.

I am wondering if I ought to follow through in your footsteps. What kinda income/ ITR did you convey and have you had a response?

Had it not been this, which other low fee cards might you go for (from your shortlist)

 

[Jetstone]

I am wondering if I ought to follow through in your footsteps. What kinda income/ ITR did you convey and have you had a response?

Had it not been this, which other low fee cards might you go for (from your shortlist)

You can give it a go by all means. My net annual income is above 18 lakh which is the criteria.

BoB Eterna is another card that I've applied for which gives unlimited domestic lounge access for primary and add-on card holders for 2499 + GST joining and annual fee. The sweet thing is both joining and annual fees can be reversed on reaching spend targets.

Or get hold of Regalia or DCP both of which are good for lounge access.

Finally if you can get the IDFC First Wealth card using one of your existing credit cards then that's great too as it's LTF by default and provides great lounge access benefits among others.

 

[Slayer]

You can give it a go by all means. My net annual income is above 18 lakh which is the criteria.

BoB Eterna is another card that I've applied for which gives unlimited domestic lounge access for primary and add-on card holders for 2499 + GST joining and annual fee. The sweet thing is both joining and annual fees can be reversed on reaching spend targets.

Or get hold of Regalia or DCP both of which are good for lounge access.

Finally if you can get the IDFC First Wealth card using one of your existing credit cards then that's great too as it's LTF by default and provides great lounge access benefits among others.

Why did you apply for Eterna?

Magnus almost covers everything which Eterna provides