Pros and cons
Pros
- Earns 21X (~3.5%) reward points on HPCL fuel purchases
- Very low ₹199 annual fee (waived at ₹50K spend)
- Welcome benefits worth ₹2,250 — ₹250 HPCL voucher, 5% first-EMI cashback up to ₹1,000, merchant offers
- Accelerated travel points on IDFC FIRST app bookings (26.67% hotels / 13.33% flights — portal rates, kept out of our scoring baseline)
- RuPay UPI-linked for everyday digital payments
- Good companion card for IDFC FIRST account holders who also fuel at HPCL
Cons
- Rival fuel co-brands like the BPCL Octane (SBI) earn more at their own pumps — ~7.25% vs this card's ~3.5% at HPCL
- Not a dedicated fuel card — best treated as a bank relationship card with fuel bonus
- Reward earn outside HPCL fuel is ordinary — 2X (~0.33%) on other spends
- Only useful if you specifically bank with IDFC and fuel at HPCL
- ₹99 + GST is charged on EVERY redemption — IDFC's standard fee, which only FIRST Private, Club Vistara and IndiGo are exempt from — so redeem in blocks rather than monthly
Quick verdict: A serviceable, very cheap fuel-and-bills card for IDFC account holders who fill up at HPCL — 21X points (~3.5%) on HPCL fuel from the card itself (30X, ~5%, on the Power+ variant), with HPCL's separate HP Pay app benefits on top, plus grocery/utility/FASTag rewards, roadside assistance and accident cover, all for a ₹199–₹499 fee. It won't out-earn dedicated rivals (the SBI Octane roughly doubles it on fuel), so its case is low cost plus HP loyalty plus an existing IDFC relationship. Get the network right first: it's HPCL, not BPCL.
A common mix-up first: despite the "BPCL" tag it's sometimes given, the IDFC FIRST Power (and its Power+ sibling) is HPCL co-branded. If you fill up at HP pumps, this is your IDFC option; if you're a BPCL loyalist, this card won't serve you and you'd want a BPCL co-brand like the SBI Octane or RBL BPCL SuperCard instead. With that cleared up, the Power is a serviceable, very cheap fuel-and-utility starter card for IDFC account holders who fill up at HP.
What it earns
The Power is a focused fuel card with bill-payment extras:
- 21X reward points (~3.5%) on HPCL fuel, capped at 700 points (₹175) a statement cycle (the premium
Power+ earns 30X, ~5%, capped at 2,400 points/₹600). On top of either card, HPCL's HP Pay app pays a separate ~1.5% in Happy Coins — HPCL's own currency, not the card's points.
- 15X (~2.5%) on groceries, utilities and FASTag, with per-cycle caps.
- 2X (~0.33%) base on other spends.
- Roadside assistance and personal accident cover bundled in, with welcome benefits worth ₹2,250
(a ₹250 HPCL voucher, 5% first-EMI cashback up to ₹1,000, and ₹1,000-plus of merchant offers).
At a ₹199 fee (₹499 for Power+), waived at ₹50,000 of annual spend, the cost of entry is trivial. For someone whose monthly fuel and bill spend runs through HP and IDFC, the fuel savings alone clear the fee quickly.
The caps matter: fuel rewards are capped at 700 points (₹175) a statement cycle on the Power — 2,400 points (₹600, around ₹12,000 of HPCL spend) on the Power+ — and grocery/utility and FASTag earning is capped per cycle too. This is a card sized for ordinary household fuel-and-bills spending, not for routing large volumes.
The 2026 additions
IDFC sweetened the Power line on 18 June 2026 with app-linked perks:
- Bonus reward points on travel booked via the IDFC FIRST app — ~26.67% bonus on hotels, ~13.33% on
flights, over the base rate.
- 25% off (up to ₹100) on movie tickets monthly, provided you stayed "spend-active" with any transaction
in the previous month.
These are small but genuine adds that broaden a narrow card slightly beyond the pump.
The honest comparison
The Power does its narrow job competently, but it doesn't lead the fuel-card category. On the same fuel spend, dedicated rivals can earn more — the SBI Octane (BPCL) earns roughly double on its pumps, and IDFC's own HPCL Power+ out-earns the base Power. So the base Power's case is specifically low fee plus existing IDFC relationship plus HP loyalty. If you fill up at HP, bank with IDFC, and want the cheapest possible entry, it fits. If you optimise purely for fuel savings, a higher-tier fuel co-brand returns more per litre.
Who should hold it
The Power suits the IDFC account holder who fills up at HPCL and wants a near-free fuel-and-bills card with roadside cover, and who spends within the monthly caps. The Power+ variant suits the heavier fuel spender willing to pay ₹499 for the higher 30X (~5%) rate.
It's the wrong card for BPCL loyalists (wrong network — go SBI Octane/RBL BPCL), for heavy fuel spenders who'd exceed the caps, and for anyone wanting an all-rounder (the base rate off-fuel is just 0.33%, or 0.5% on the Power+).
The bottom line
The IDFC FIRST Power is a cheap, serviceable fuel-and-bills card for IDFC customers who fill up at HPCL — not BPCL. 21X (~3.5%) on HPCL fuel (30X, ~5%, on the Power+ variant) with HPCL's separate HP Pay benefits on top, plus grocery/utility/FASTag rewards, roadside assistance and accident cover, all for a ₹199–₹499 fee, make it an easy, low-stakes addition for the right household — and the June 2026 app-travel and movie perks widen it a touch. It won't out-earn dedicated rivals (the SBI Octane roughly doubles it on fuel), so its case rests on low cost, HP loyalty and an existing IDFC relationship. Get the network right first, then judge it on those terms.
Decided the IDFC FIRST Power Credit Card fits how you spend?
Applications are submitted to and decided by IDFC FIRST Bank. CardAdvisor does not issue cards or process applications.
I have spent over a decade on Indian credit cards, mostly for the points and miles. I am a software engineer by profession, I hold and use the cards I write about, and I redeem through airline and hotel transfer partners: Avios, KrisFlyer, Flying Blue, Air India Maharaja Club, Accor ALL, Marriott Bonvoy and Taj. What I write about is what a card is actually worth after the fine print, the caps and exclusions that decide the real return, and the changes issuers make quietly. No paid placements.
Frequently asked questions
Is the IDFC FIRST Power card worth it in 2026?
Is the IDFC FIRST Power a BPCL or HPCL card?
What's the difference between IDFC Power and Power+?
What did IDFC add to the Power card in 2026?
Does the IDFC FIRST Power cap its fuel rewards?
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