Hey TFCians,
Now it’s Yes Bank, and they’re raising the spending requirements to get complimentary airport lounge access. Several Yes Bank credit cards have been devalued, making it necessary to spend a significant amount each quarter to qualify. And some changes regarding reward point redemption.
Here are the details:
Airport Lounge Access:
Effective from April 1, 2025, you’ll need to meet a spending threshold in the previous quarter (Dec 21 - Mar 20 | Mar 21 - Jun 20 | Jun 21 - Sep 20 | Sep 21 - Dec 20) to qualify for complimentary lounge access in the following quarter (Apr 1 - Jun 30 | Jul 1 - Sep 30 | Oct 1 - Dec 31 | Jan 1 - Mar 31).
This move by Yes Bank was something everyone anticipated. After ICICI Bank’s similar change, I predicted that most banks would follow this trend of imposing high quarterly spending requirements for complimentary airport lounge access. Don’t be surprised if other banks also increase their spending requirements for lounge access—even RuPay now requires spending for lounge privileges.
I’ve posted a thread on “Free Airport Lounge Access Using Credit Cards: How It Works.” You can check it out for insights into why banks want you to spend to access free lounge benefits.
The 70% cap on reward point redemption isn’t new either; HDFC Bank introduced similar restrictions on their premium credit cards long ago. This change shouldn’t be a big issue, as most people use their Yes Bank reward points for gift vouchers anyway. In short, these changes were expected, and it’s likely that other banks will, unfortunately, follow this trend soon.
Now it’s Yes Bank, and they’re raising the spending requirements to get complimentary airport lounge access. Several Yes Bank credit cards have been devalued, making it necessary to spend a significant amount each quarter to qualify. And some changes regarding reward point redemption.
Here are the details:
Airport Lounge Access:
Effective from April 1, 2025, you’ll need to meet a spending threshold in the previous quarter (Dec 21 - Mar 20 | Mar 21 - Jun 20 | Jun 21 - Sep 20 | Sep 21 - Dec 20) to qualify for complimentary lounge access in the following quarter (Apr 1 - Jun 30 | Jul 1 - Sep 30 | Oct 1 - Dec 31 | Jan 1 - Mar 31).
- Yes Bank MARQUEE/RESERV Credit Card: Spend Rs. 1,00,000 in a quarter to receive complimentary airport lounge access.
- Yes Bank YES First Preferred/YES First Business Credit Card: Spend Rs. 75,000 in a quarter.
- Yes Bank ELITE+/SELECT/BYOC/WELLNESS PLUS/YES Prosperity Business Credit Card: Spend Rs. 50,000 in a quarter.
- The number of complimentary lounge accesses remains the same, subject to meeting the spending threshold.
- This threshold applies only for complimentary access to domestic lounges (within India).
- Yes Private & Private Prime Credit Cards: Redeem up to 70% of the total invoice value or 6,00,000 YES Rewardz points (whichever is lower) per calendar month on flights and hotels.
- For MARQUEE Credit Cards: Redeem up to 70% of the total invoice value or 3,00,000 YES Rewardz points (whichever is lower) per calendar month on flights and hotels.
- For RESERV Credit Cards: Redeem up to 70% of the total invoice value or 2,00,000 YES Rewardz points (whichever is lower) per calendar month on flights and hotels.
- For Other Credit Cards: Redeem up to 70% of the total invoice value or 1,00,000 YES Rewardz points (whichever is lower) per calendar month on flights and hotels.
This move by Yes Bank was something everyone anticipated. After ICICI Bank’s similar change, I predicted that most banks would follow this trend of imposing high quarterly spending requirements for complimentary airport lounge access. Don’t be surprised if other banks also increase their spending requirements for lounge access—even RuPay now requires spending for lounge privileges.
I’ve posted a thread on “Free Airport Lounge Access Using Credit Cards: How It Works.” You can check it out for insights into why banks want you to spend to access free lounge benefits.
The 70% cap on reward point redemption isn’t new either; HDFC Bank introduced similar restrictions on their premium credit cards long ago. This change shouldn’t be a big issue, as most people use their Yes Bank reward points for gift vouchers anyway. In short, these changes were expected, and it’s likely that other banks will, unfortunately, follow this trend soon.
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