IDFC FIRST Diamond Reserve Credit Card
The IDFC FIRST Diamond Reserve is a mid-premium zero-forex travel card that sits below the metal Ashva and Mayura. For ₹3,000 (waived on ₹6 lakh of annual spend) it offers a genuine 0% forex markup, 8 domestic + 8 international lounge visits a year (spend-gated on ₹20,000 in the prior month), up to 2 monthly golf rounds or lessons unlocked by ₹20,000 of spend in the previous statement cycle, and a buy-one-get-one movie benefit worth up to ₹250 twice a month. Base rewards are modest: 3 reward points per ₹150 up to ₹20,000 of monthly spend (~0.5%) and 10 per ₹150 on incremental spend above that and on birthdays (~1.67%), redeemed at ₹0.25. International spends earn no points despite the zero forex, and the travel accelerator is app-bound — a 20% reward-point bonus on hotel bookings and 10% on flights through the IDFC FIRST app (up to ~27% back on travel there). It is a perks-led card: the value is the forex, lounges, golf and movies, not the everyday earn.
Key features
What this card is built to do — the highlights that actually matter.
Welcome Benefit
~₹500 in vouchers, points or cashback on card activation
0.5% on Other
3 RP per ₹150 up to ₹20,000/month (~0.5%), 10 RP per ₹150 on incremental above ₹20,000 and on birthdays (~1.67%); no reward points on international spends despite the 0% forex
️ Airport Lounge Access
2 domestic and 2 international lounge visits each quarter (8 + 8 a year), spend-activated on ₹20,000 in the previous month
Zero Forex Markup — but no rewards abroad
No markup on international spends, but they earn nothing on this card, so a purchase abroad costs no extra and returns nothing.
Annual Fee Waiver
Fee of ₹3,000 + 18% GST (₹3,540 all-in)/yr fully waived when you spend ₹6,00,000/year
Golf Privileges
Up to 2 golf rounds or lessons a month, unlocked by ₹20,000 of spend in the previous statement cycle
Movie Ticket Benefit
Buy-one-get-one-free movie ticket (up to ₹250 off) twice a month via the partner app
Full reward structure
| Category | Type | Rate | Monthly cap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Other | reward points | 0.5% | — |
Fees & charges
| Charge | Amount |
|---|---|
| Annual fee (incl. 18% GST) | ₹3,540 |
| Joining fee (incl. 18% GST) | ₹3,540 |
| Forex markup International spends are excluded from rewards on this card, so a purchase abroad costs no extra but earns nothing. A card with a small markup that still earns can work out better overseas. | 0% |
| Reward redemption fee | ₹99 |
Perks & benefits
Estimated annual value beyond rewards — ~₹34,800/yr in total.
movie ticket ~ ₹6,000 /yr
Buy-one-get-one-free movie ticket (up to ₹250 off) twice a month via the partner app
fuel waiver ~ ₹800 /yr
1% fuel-surcharge waiver on fuel transactions between ₹200 and ₹5,000, capped at ₹300 per statement cycle
️ lounge access ~ ₹20,000 /yr
2 domestic and 2 international lounge visits each quarter (8 + 8 a year), spend-activated on ₹20,000 in the previous month
golf ~ ₹8,000 /yr
Up to 2 golf rounds or lessons a month, unlocked by ₹20,000 of spend in the previous statement cycle
Should you get it?
Best for: Occasional international travellers who want zero forex on a budget, Regular movie-goers who value the BOGO cinema benefit
Premium tier — a solid all-rounder for steady monthly spend.
Strongest value if you spend heavily on Other ( 0.5% back).
Frequent travellers benefit from the included airport lounge access.
✓ Pros
- Genuine 0% forex markup for a modest ₹3,000 fee
- 8 domestic and 8 international lounge visits a year, plus 4 railway lounge visits a quarter
- Buy-one-get-one movie tickets twice a month (up to ₹250)
- CFAR trip-cancellation cover up to ₹25,000 twice a year
- Claim-based welcome bundle headlined at ₹5,000+ — brand vouchers and memberships (ET Prime, Lenskart, MakeMyTrip, Mokobara) on fee payment, plus 5% cashback up to ₹1,000 on the first EMI
- Annual fee waived on ₹6 lakh of spend
✕ Cons
- Base earn is thin at 3 RP per ₹150 up to ₹20,000 a month
- International spends earn no reward points despite the 0% forex
- Lounge access is spend-gated on ₹20,000 in the previous month
Eligibility & documents
Min. income
₹1,00,000 /mo
Employment
Salaried · Self-employed
Documents required
- PAN card
- Aadhaar / address proof
- Income proof (salary slips or ITR)
How to redeem rewards
Ways to convert what you earn into real value.
🎁 Book flights and hotels on the IDFC FIRST app at an accelerated rate
🎁 Redeem for statement credit and vouchers at ₹0.25 per point
What your IDFC Reward Points are worth
Realistic value per point by redemption route — the difference is what most people leave on the table.
Statement credit BEST Never-expiring points
Gift voucher catalogue BEST Brand & e-gift vouchers
The concern Base earn is thin (3 RP per ₹150 up to ₹20,000/month) and international spends earn no points at all, so the card only makes sense for its perks — the forex, lounges, golf and movies.
The bottom line
As mid-premium travel cards go, the Diamond Reserve is a reasonable pick — genuine zero forex, a decent lounge and golf combination, and a movie offer that's actually worth using, all for a fee that disappears once you spend ₹6 lakh a year. Where it falls short is everyday earning: base rewards are thin and international spends earn nothing at all, so this is better thought of as a perks card than a rewards engine. Anyone wanting metal construction and more generous lounge access should look at the costlier Ashva or Mayura instead.
Sources & verification
Fees, reward rates, and benefits for the IDFC FIRST Diamond Reserve Credit Card are taken from IDFC FIRST Bank 's official Most Important Terms & Conditions (MITC) and fee schedule — see the card's official page . Last verified 7 Aug 2026 . Reviewed by Devchandra Sah . Always confirm current details on the issuer's site before applying. How we research →
Independence. CardAdvisor is an independent editorial publication. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, sponsored by, or authorised to act for IDFC FIRST Bank . All issuer names, product names, and payment-network marks are the property of their respective owners and appear here for identification and comparison only. Card faces shown on this site are our own original illustrations — we do not display or host issuer card artwork or logos.
Value timeline
Every real-world change to this card's rewards, fees and benefits we've tracked — newest first, each linked to its source.
Tracking since 2026 · 3 changes · last change Jun 2026
▲ Revaluation ▼ Devaluation ◆ Neutral / reversed
2026 3 changes — 2 cuts, 1 neutral
▼ Reward Effective 18 Jun 2026
Earning capped at the credit limit per billing cycle
All eligible spend earned points → Only spend up to the assigned credit limit per cycle earns
From 18 June 2026 reward points accrue only on spends up to the assigned credit limit within a billing cycle; spend beyond the limit earns nothing. Aimed at repay-and-respend cycling rather than ordinary use, but it does cap what the card can pay in any one month — notable on a card whose ₹6 lakh fee waiver rewards heavy spending.
Verification: IDFC FIRST Bank ↗ · Confidence: High
▼ Benefit Effective 18 Jun 2026
Movie buy-one-get-one spend-gated
Unconditional, twice a month → Needs ₹20,000 spend in the previous calendar month
From 18 June 2026 the buy-one-get-one movie ticket only unlocks if you spent ₹20,000 or more on the card in the previous calendar month — IDFC's own example: to claim it in August 2026 you must have spent ₹20,000 in July 2026. The offer still runs monthly, but the card had carried it unconditionally for barely five months before the condition arrived.
Verification: IDFC FIRST Bank ↗ · Confidence: High
◆ Launch Effective 6 Jan 2026
IDFC FIRST launches the Zero-Forex Diamond Reserve
IDFC FIRST Bank launched the Diamond Reserve as a mid-premium travel card below its metal range, pitched at affluent global travellers: 0% forex mark-up on all international spends at ₹3,000 + GST, waived on ₹6 lakh of annual spend. Up to 10 reward points per ₹150 on monthly spends (~1.66% back), with in-app accelerators of up to 60 RP per ₹150 on hotels and 40 per ₹150 on flights; 2 domestic and 2 international lounge visits a quarter; up to 2 golf rounds or lessons a month; a buy-one-get-one movie ticket twice a month; ITC Hotels third night free; ₹25,000 trip-cancellation cover; and no expiry on reward points.
Verification: IDFC FIRST Bank ↗ · Confidence: High
Each change links to the issuer's own document — bank T&C, MITC, notice, press release or product page — where one is public. Where the bank published nothing, it's marked CardAdvisor Research and verified against the card's current terms. Independent of the live terms shown above. This timeline is one card's slice of our market-wide change record across every tracked card.
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Quick summary
Type Premium credit card
Reward rate 0.5%
Best for Occasional international travellers who want zero forex on a budget
Joining fee ₹3,000
Annual fee ₹3,000
Reviewed by
Devchandra Sah · Cards tested, miles earned, trips booked — for over a decade
Last verified 7 Aug 2026
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