IDFC FIRST Hello Cashback Credit Card
The IDFC FIRST Hello Cashback is a secured, FD-backed RuPay credit card built around one strong idea: real cashback for people who cannot easily get an unsecured card. It earns 3% cashback on online spends up to ₹10,000 a statement cycle and 5% on incremental online spend above that (online cashback capped at ₹1,000/cycle), 1% on UPI via the IDFC FIRST app and on offline card swipes, 1% on essentials (utility, rent, insurance, education, wallet, FASTag, railway, government, jewellery, gift cards) and a bonus 1% on in-app hotel/flight bookings that takes in-app travel to about 4% total (6% once online spend crosses ₹10,000) — with total cashback capped at ₹1,500 a cycle. Because it is backed by a fixed deposit from ₹10,000, approval does not depend on your income or CIBIL score, and the FD keeps earning interest. It quietly bundles protection too: a 1% fuel-surcharge waiver up to ₹100 a cycle, personal accident and lost-card cover, a credit shield, purchase protection and roadside assistance four times a year. The catches are a real ₹1,000 fee — though an introductory offer waives the joining fee to ₹0 for cards issued up to 31 August 2026, and the annual fee is waived on ₹2 lakh of annual spend and halved on ₹1–2 lakh — a standard 3.5% forex and no lounge access. This is a cashback workhorse, not a travel card.
Key features
What this card is built to do — the highlights that actually matter.
4% on Travel
About 4% total on hotels and flights booked via the IDFC FIRST app (3% base online rate + 1% bonus; 6% total on the incremental tier above ₹10,000 of online spend); counts toward the shared ₹1,500/cycle total cashback cap
3% on Online Shopping
3% cashback on online spends up to ₹10,000/statement cycle, 5% on incremental online spend above ₹10,000; online cashback capped at ₹1,000 a cycle, within the shared ₹1,500/cycle total cashback cap
Annual Fee Waiver
Fee of ₹1,000 + 18% GST (₹1,180 all-in)/yr fully waived when you spend ₹2,00,000/year
UPI Linked
Link to PhonePe, GPay or Paytm and earn credit card rewards on UPI payments
️ Insurance Cover
Personal accident cover of ₹2,00,000 and lost-card liability of ₹25,000 (both require one transaction in the previous 30 days), credit shield of ₹50,000, purchase protection of ₹25,000, plus roadside assistance worth ₹1,399 up to four times a year
Full reward structure
| Category | Type | Rate | Monthly cap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Travel | cashback | 4% | ₹1,500 |
| Online Shopping | cashback | 3% | ₹1,000 |
| Other | cashback | 1% | ₹1,500 |
| Utility Bills | cashback | 1% | ₹1,500 |
Fees & charges
| Charge | Amount |
|---|---|
| Annual fee (incl. 18% GST) | ₹1,180 |
| Joining fee (incl. 18% GST) | ₹1,180 |
| Forex markup | 3.5% |
Perks & benefits
Estimated annual value beyond rewards — ~₹1,800/yr in total.
fuel waiver ~ ₹300 /yr
1% fuel-surcharge waiver on fuel transactions between ₹200 and ₹5,000, capped at ₹100 per statement cycle (fuel itself earns no cashback)
️ insurance ~ ₹1,500 /yr
Personal accident cover of ₹2,00,000 and lost-card liability of ₹25,000 (both require one transaction in the previous 30 days), credit shield of ₹50,000, purchase protection of ₹25,000, plus roadside assistance worth ₹1,399 up to four times a year
Should you get it?
Best for: New-to-credit or credit-rebuilding users who spend online, Self-employed applicants without easy income proof, Heavy online shoppers who can use the ₹1,000/cycle online cap
Mid tier — a solid all-rounder for steady monthly spend.
Strongest value if you spend heavily on Travel ( 4% back).
✓ Pros
- Up to 5% cashback on online spends — high for a secured card
- FD-backed, so no income proof or credit history needed
- The collateral fixed deposit keeps earning interest
- 1% on UPI (via app), offline swipes and a wide essentials list
✕ Cons
- Real ₹1,000 fee — low online spenders can pay more than they earn back
- Cashback tightly capped (₹1,000 online, ₹1,500 total per statement cycle)
- Standard 3.5% forex and no lounge access — not a travel card
Eligibility & documents
Age
18 –80 years
Min. income
₹0 /mo
Employment
Salaried · Self-employed · Student
Documents required
- PAN card
- Aadhaar / address proof
- Fixed deposit of ₹10,000 or more (no income proof required)
How to redeem rewards
Ways to convert what you earn into real value.
🎁 Cashback is auto-credited to the card statement each cycle
What your Cashback are worth
Realistic value per point by redemption route — the difference is what most people leave on the table.
Statement credit Direct cash adjustment — no conversion
The concern The ₹1,000 fee and tight caps (₹1,000 online, ₹1,500 total per cycle) mean low online spenders can end up paying more in fees than they earn back; the 1% base rate and 3.5% forex are ordinary.
The bottom line
What makes Hello Cashback stand out is that it offers genuine 3–5% cashback on online spending to a group of applicants the unsecured card market typically overlooks, all while the backing fixed deposit continues to earn its own interest. For anyone who spends enough online to comfortably clear the ₹1,000 fee and make use of the reward caps, it ranks among the stronger secured cards available in India. The trade-off is worth keeping in mind, though: a 1% base rate and 3.5% forex markup mark this out as a card built for online cashback specifically, rather than a general-purpose everyday card.
Sources & verification
Fees, reward rates, and benefits for the IDFC FIRST Hello Cashback 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 15 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 · 2 changes · last change Apr 2026
▲ Revaluation ▼ Devaluation ◆ Neutral / reversed
2026 2 changes — 1 improvement, 1 neutral
▲ Fee Effective Apr 2026
Zero-joining-fee introductory offer extended to 31 August 2026
₹0 intro offer, originally slated to end 31 March 2026 → ₹0 intro offer extended — now valid till 31 August 2026 (standing fee ₹1,000)
IDFC FIRST kept the Hello Cashback's introductory ₹0 joining fee running past its original 31 March 2026 end date; the card's page now states the offer is valid till 31 August 2026. The card's standing schedule remains ₹1,000 joining / ₹1,000 annual, with a 50% annual-fee reversal at ₹1–2 lakh of spend and a full reversal at ₹2 lakh.
Verification: IDFC FIRST Bank ↗ · Confidence: Reconstructed
◆ Launch Effective 16 Feb 2026
IDFC FIRST Hello Cashback launched
IDFC FIRST Bank launched the Hello Cashback as an FD-backed secured RuPay card aimed at online-first, UPI-led spenders aged 18+, available against a fixed deposit from ₹10,000 with no income proof or credit score required. Launch terms: 5% cashback on online spends above ₹10,000 a cycle, 3% on online spends up to ₹10,000 (online cashback capped at ₹1,000 a cycle), 1% on in-store, contactless and UPI spends and on essentials including utilities, education and insurance, a bonus 1% on in-app travel bookings, and a ₹1,500 total cashback cap a cycle. Fee ₹1,000 + GST joining and annual, with the joining fee waived as an introductory offer until 31 March 2026 and the annual fee 100% reversed on ₹2 lakh of annual spend (50% between ₹1 lakh and ₹2 lakh).
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.
Embed this timeline on your site Free to use. Facts only — dates, changes and before/after values. Please keep the credit line below the frame: it's the only part search engines can see, and it's what we ask for in return.
Source: IDFC FIRST Hello Cashback Credit Card value timeline — CardAdvisor
“ Cite this timeline Quoting a date or a before/after figure? Copy the HTML version — it credits the record with a working link.
HTML (with link) Plain text Copy
Source: IDFC FIRST Hello Cashback Credit Card value timeline , CardAdvisor (CC BY 4.0).
Want to know if this beats your current card for your spending?
Apply now → Compare with my profile
Applications are submitted to and decided by IDFC FIRST Bank . CardAdvisor does not issue cards or process applications.
Find your best card
Answer 5 questions. Get a personalised shortlist with ₹ value estimates.
Find my card →
Quick summary
Type Mid credit card
Reward rate 1%–3%
Best for New-to-credit or credit-rebuilding users who spend online
Joining fee ₹1,000
Annual fee ₹1,000
Reviewed by
Devchandra Sah · Cards tested, miles earned, trips booked — for over a decade
Last verified 15 Aug 2026
How we research →
Useful links
Rewards calculator
Estimate any card’s annual value
Points valuations
What each point is really worth
Latest card changes
Live fee & reward-rate tracker
Market insights
The Indian card landscape
Card data study 2026
280 cards analysed — August 2026
Frequently asked questions
Check your eligibility for this card
Answer a few quick questions and our team will reach out with matching card offers based on your profile.