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Best Lifetime Free Credit Cards in India (2026)
Updated 23 September 2026 · Compares 7 cards
A lifetime-free (LTF) credit card has no joining fee and no annual fee, ever. That makes it a safe first card, a good backup card, and a way to keep your credit history long without paying to hold the card. Keeping a card open is good for your credit score, because the average age of your accounts matters.
Free doesn't have to mean useless. Several lifetime-free cards in India offer real rewards, zero forex markup, or even lounge access. Here are the best ones right now.
Quick comparison
| Card | Fee | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Amazon Pay ICICI Bank | Lifetime free | Lifetime free |
| Scapia Federal Bank | Lifetime free | Lifetime free |
| IndusInd Bank Tiger | Lifetime free | Lifetime free |
| IDFC FIRST Select | Lifetime free | Lifetime free |
| IDFC FIRST Millennia | Lifetime free | Lifetime free |
| OneCard Metal | Lifetime free | Lifetime free metal card |
| Kiwi Axis Bank (RuPay) | Lifetime free | Lifetime free |
Our picks in detail
Amazon Pay ICICI Bank
The most popular free card in India for good reason. It pays 5% on Amazon for Prime members, 2% on Amazon Pay partners and bill payments, and 1% on everything else, with no cap. If you shop on Amazon at all, this is the easiest recommendation.
Highlights
- Lifetime free
- 5% on Amazon for Prime members (3% otherwise)
- 2% on Amazon Pay partner merchants and bill payments
- 1% on everything else, no cap
Keep in mind
- No lounge access
- Cashback credited as Amazon Pay balance
Fee waiver: not available · Forex markup: 1.99% · Lounge: None
See details on the ICICI Bank website →Scapia Federal Bank
A free travel card. It has zero forex markup and earns about 2% in Scapia coins on regular spends, or more on travel booked through Scapia. Domestic lounge access needs ₹20,000 of monthly spend since February 2026.
Highlights
- Lifetime free
- Zero forex markup
- 10% Scapia coins (~2%) on all spends, 20% on travel booked via Scapia
- Coins redeemable for flights & hotels
Keep in mind
- Coins usable only for travel on Scapia app
- No rewards on utilities & insurance (Feb 2026)
Fee waiver: not available · Forex markup: 0% · Lounge: Unlimited domestic lounges on Rs 20K monthly spend
See details on the Federal Bank x Scapia website →IndusInd Bank Tiger
A rare free card with lounge access that doesn't depend on spending: 8 domestic and 2 international visits a year. The reward rate climbs as your annual spend grows, and since June 2026 points convert 1:1 to Air India miles.
Highlights
- Lifetime free
- Lounges without spend requirement
- Reward rate scales 1 -> 6 points/Rs 100 with annual spend
- 1 point = 1 Air India mile (from Jun 2026)
Keep in mind
- Low rate at low spends
Fee waiver: not available · Forex markup: 1.5% · Lounge: 8 domestic + 2 international per year, no spend criteria
See details on the IndusInd Bank website →IDFC FIRST Select
A free card with points that never expire and zero forex markup on all IDFC FIRST cards from September 2026. You earn 10X rewards on monthly spends above ₹20,000.
Highlights
- Lifetime free
- 10X on spends above Rs 20K/month
- Zero forex markup
- Buy-one-get-one movie tickets
Keep in mind
- Lounge visits halved and spend-gated (Apr 2026)
Fee waiver: not available · Forex markup: 0% · Lounge: Domestic + railway lounges on Rs 20K monthly spend
See details on the IDFC FIRST Bank website →IDFC FIRST Millennia
The entry-level IDFC FIRST card with the same zero-forex benefit and points that never expire. A good first card if your spending is modest.
Highlights
- Lifetime free
- 10X points on spends above Rs 20K/month and on birthday
- Zero forex markup (from Sep 2026)
- Points never expire
- Low-interest cash withdrawals
Keep in mind
- Base rate low below Rs 20K/month
- No rewards on utilities/insurance
Fee waiver: not available · Forex markup: 0% · Lounge: 4 railway lounge visits/quarter
See details on the IDFC FIRST Bank website →OneCard Metal
A free metal card with one of the best card apps in India. It gives 5X rewards on your top two spending categories each month, and has a low 1% forex markup.
Highlights
- Lifetime free metal card
- 5X rewards on your top 2 spend categories each month
- Excellent app, instant EMI conversion
- Low 1% forex markup
Keep in mind
- Low base reward rate
Fee waiver: not available · Forex markup: 1% · Lounge: None
See details on the OneCard (multiple partner banks) website →Kiwi Axis Bank (RuPay)
A free RuPay card built for UPI. It pays 1.5% on offline UPI payments made through the Kiwi app, with no cap. Useful if you pay at shops by scanning QR codes.
Highlights
- Lifetime free
- 1.5% on offline UPI payments via Kiwi app, no cap
- Scan & pay at any UPI QR
Keep in mind
- RuPay card - UPI only, limited online acceptance
- Low online rewards
Fee waiver: not available · Forex markup: 0% · Lounge: None
See details on the Axis Bank x Kiwi website →Lifetime free vs first-year free
Some cards advertise themselves as 'free' but only waive the fee for the first year. BOBCARD Eterna, for example, stopped being lifetime free in September 2026 and now charges ₹2,499 from year two unless you spend ₹2.5 lakh. Always check the annual (renewal) fee, not just the joining fee.
How to choose
- You shop on Amazon: Amazon Pay ICICI.
- You travel abroad: Scapia Federal or IDFC FIRST (zero forex).
- You want lounges without paying a fee: IndusInd Tiger.
- You pay mostly by UPI: Kiwi Axis RuPay.
Frequently asked questions
Do lifetime-free cards hurt my credit score?
No. Like any card, applying causes a hard enquiry, but holding a free card for years helps your score by lengthening your credit history and increasing your available credit.
Can a bank start charging a fee on a lifetime-free card?
Banks can change terms with notice, as BOBCARD did with Eterna in 2026. It's rare for cards sold as lifetime free, and you can always close the card if a fee is introduced.
How we pick: we compare fees, fee waivers, reward rates, monthly caps and exclusions from each bank's published terms, including 2025–26 changes. Estimates assume typical redemption values. CardWise is independent, and card rankings are not influenced by any bank.