Paid cards which are effectively LTF through welcome and renewal benefits?

[eldraco]

Can we make a repository of all credit cards available in India which are paid but effectively LTF through the joining and renewal benefits they provide (not considering milestones)? Essentially all the paid cards you can keep without having to worry about spending on and still not be in loss due to the renewal fees because the benefits pay for the fees itself.

I will start with the few cards I happen to know. Also I am not including cards where you need to put a closure request to get benefits against renewal fees (in other words, retention benefits).

EDIT: I will keep adding to this list as everyone keeps replying about such cards on this thread. Also, please keep in mind that most of these cards' renewal benefits cover just the renewal fee, not the GST component.

SBI Cards
SBI Vistara: Rs 1500 fees but you get one complementary economy voucher
SBI Vistara Prime: Rs 3000 fees but you get one complementary premium economy voucher
SBI Pulse: Rs 1500 but you get one year of Fitpass pro membership
SBI Lifestyle, Max and Spar (Regular/ Select/ Prime): Rs 500/ 1500/ 3000 but you get 2000/ 6000/ 12000 points (1 pt = 0.25 INR)

HDFC Cards
Infinia: Rs 12500 fees but you get 12500 points (1 pt = 1 INR, redeemable only on Smartbuy for flights, hotels/Apple/Tanishq products, max 70% of purchase value can be paid through points OR can be transferred @ 1:1 on certain airline/hotel programs)
Millenia: Rs 1000 fees but you get 1000 Cashpoints, not the GST Component.
Mariott Bonvoy: Rs 3000 fees but you get 1FNA (equal to 15,000 MB points).

Axis Cards
Axis Vistara: Rs 1500 fees but you get one complementary economy voucher
Axis Vistara Signature: Rs 3000 fees but you get one complementary premium economy voucher
Axis Vistara Infinite: Rs 10000 fees but you get one complementary business class voucher

IDFC Cards
IDFC Vistara: Rs. 5000 fees but you get one complementary premium economy voucher

ICICI Cards
ICICI Bank Emeralde Private Metal: Rs. 12500 fees but you get 12500 points (1 pt = 1 INR)

Standard Chartered Cards
Standard Chartered Ultimate: Rs. 5000 fees but you get 5000 points (1 pt = 1 INR)

AU Cards
AU Zenith+: Rs 5000 fees but you get 5000 points (1 pt = 1 INR)

IndusInd Cards
IndusInd Eazydiner: Rs 2000 fees but you get one year of EazyDiner Prime Membership (worth Rs. 2495)

Yes Bank Cards
Yes Marquee: Rs 5000 fees but you get 20000 points (1 pt = 0.25 INR) [Joining fees is Rs 10000 but you get 60000 pts as joining benefit]
Yes Reserv: Rs 2000 fees but you get 8000 points (1 pt = 0.25 INR)

 

[ChurningNoob]

Interesting thread but are you sure you get these benefits on renewal too?

 

[eldraco]

Interesting thread but are you sure you get these benefits on renewal too?

Yes. All the vistara cards get complementary vouchers on renewal.

 

[Deleted member 26954]

In infinia, benefit of Rs 12500 is for buying flight tickets through smartbuy or tanishq/apple products...These are priced very high and effective return is around Rs 8000 only + add GST

 

[aayusharyan]

Also maybe ICICI Emeralde Metal, they give same points 12.5K on renewal as well I think. (Maybe devalued, I haven't followed that since a few months)

 

[JAM]

SBI Pulse. That Fit Pass Pro Membership is worth way more than the cost of the card.

 

[aayusharyan]

Yeap, just checked, ICICI has that annual benefit. You get 12.5K points, AF for the card is 12.5K. So effectively it's LTF.

 

[Swastik]

Most of the cards above are Vistara cards ,
Not sure what will happen after merger with AI flying returns

 

[Rdspam]

flight vouchers will have you paying taxes and fees separately so it’s difficult to say it’s exact compensation

 

[anisharya16]

Let's consider annual fees + gst. Then this will be more interesting.

 

[Swastik]

Let's consider annual fees + gst. Then this will be more interesting.

Then Infinia and Emerald Private Metal will be out ,
Also difficult to put value on Vistara vouchers

 

[Swastik]

Stan Chart Ultimate gives 5k points on renewal

 

[Swastik]

W

flight vouchers will have you paying taxes and fees separately so it’s difficult to say it’s exact compensation

While that's true ,and redeeming these vouchers is quite difficult, for those who successfully do redeem it ,the value is quite more then the renewal fee of the card

 

[ᏰᏋᎥᏁᎶᎥᏁፈᎧᎶ]

HDFC millennia .

 

[Sudip]

AU Zenith+ 5900INR (900 GST)fees, 5000INR renewal benefits.

 

[lijov]

IndusInd Eazydiner Signature card with Rs 1999 fees gives 1 year Eazydiner prime membership. Easily worth the fees without the spend based benifits.

 

[Heehaahee]

Stan Chart Ultimate gives 5k points on renewal

Are the points worth it though?

 

[Swastik]

Are the points worth it though?

Points can be redeem for shopping vouchers for 1:1 ratio ,just ₹99 + gst redemption fees needs to be paid

 

[eldraco]

HDFC millennia .

H o w?

 

[eldraco]

flight vouchers will have you paying taxes and fees separately so it’s difficult to say it’s exact compensation

I personally find the vistara cards well worth the renewal fees. Technically you can literally pay roughly 1800 for the card and have a Delhi-Port Blair flight for just that and 1000 rs tax. Availability is also not an issue for majority sectors. But yes, in the busy sectors, you have to book at least 3 weeks in advance.