The IDFC FIRST Gaj: is an invitation-only super-premium metal card, extended only to IDFC FIRST Private Banking clients — there is no open application form. It carries a ₹12,500 fee (waived on ₹10 lakh of eligible annual spend) and bundles a no-fee FIRST Digital RuPay companion for UPI.
How to get an invitation
- Become an IDFC FIRST Private Banking client. Gaj: invitations go to the bank’s top private-banking relationships — building and maintaining that relationship is effectively the only route in.
- Hold and use the IDFC FIRST Wealth or Private card well. A clean, high-value history on IDFC’s existing premium cards builds the internal profile the invitation follows.
- Consolidate deposits and investments with IDFC FIRST to reach the private-banking tier, then ask your relationship manager about Gaj: eligibility.
What issuers look for
- IDFC FIRST Private Banking relationship
- Stable high income; strong credit score
- Fee ₹12,500 (waived on ₹10 lakh annual eligible spend)
Observed patterns, not criteria the bank publishes. Any income or score level here is indicative.
Brand-new (launched Dec 2025) and invite-only — offered to a limited set of IDFC FIRST private-banking customers.
In-depth review
IDFC FIRST Gaj Credit Card
IDFC FIRST Bank's invitation-only flagship for Private Banking clients — a Visa Infinite metal card with a genuine 0% forex, reward points worth ₹1 each on in-app travel, 16+16 lounge visits a year, up to 24 golf rounds and a bundled no-fee FIRST Digital RuPay companion that earns on UPI. You cannot apply; the ₹12,500 fee waives on ₹10 lakh of spend.
Read the full review →Key features
What this card is built to do — the highlights that actually matter.
Welcome Benefit
~₹3,125 in vouchers, points or cashback in year one — usually conditional on a first spend within 30–90 days
16.67 points/₹100 on Travel (~16.67% value)
Includes: Flight & hotel bookings made through the IDFC FIRST Bank mobile app — the hotel leg earns 50 RP per ₹150 total, flights 25 RP per ₹150; a single 15,000 bonus-point monthly cap is shared across both legs, so this row uses the conservative flight-leg encoding; points worth ₹1 each on travel
0.83% on Other
5 RP per ₹150 on everyday spends (~0.83% at ₹0.25, up to ~3.3% on in-app travel where points are worth ₹1); 1 RP per ₹150 on rent/utility/insurance/government/wallet/railway/FASTag/education
Airport Lounge Access
4 domestic (incl. 1 guest) and 4 international lounge visits every quarter (16 + 16 a year)
Zero Forex Markup
Use abroad without extra charge — swipe internationally like you do domestically.
Annual Fee Waiver
Fee of ₹12,500 + 18% GST (₹14,750 all-in)/yr fully waived when you spend ₹10,00,000/year
Golf Privileges
Up to 24 complimentary golf rounds or lessons a year (spend-activated)
✈️ TRAVEL BENEFITS
Lounge access, miles, forex rates and travel perks at a glance.
AIRPORT LOUNGE ACCESS
✓
Domestic lounges
✓
International lounges
₹24,000
Estimated annual value
0% — Zero!
Forex markup
16.7%
Travel reward rate
AIRLINE / TRAVEL PARTNERS
- Domestic + international airport lounge access (worth ~₹24,000/yr)
- Miles on: Flight & hotel bookings made through the IDFC FIRST Bank mobile app — the hotel leg earns 50 RP per ₹150 total, flights 25 RP per ₹150; a single 15, 000 bonus-point monthly cap is shared across both legs, so this row uses the conservative flight-leg encoding; points worth ₹1 each on travel
- 16.7% effective return on travel bookings
- Zero forex markup — zero extra cost abroad
👑 PREMIUM LIFESTYLE BENEFITS
Concierge, golf, hotel membership and high-value perks for premium cardholders.
24 rounds
Golf rounds/year
₹20,000
Golf perk value
- 24 complimentary golf rounds/year at partner courses
For IDFC FIRST Private Banking clients who receive the invite and travel heavily — the ₹1 travel point, 0% forex and deep lounge/golf bundle reward high, travel-led spending.
Full reward structure
What you earn on every rupee, per spend category — as of 24 Oct 2026. Each rate is converted at that row’s own point value. How we value points →
| Category | Type | Rate | Monthly cap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Travelonly at Flight & hotel bookings made through the IDFC FIRST Bank mobile app — the hotel leg earns 50 RP per ₹150 total, flights 25 RP per ₹150; a single 15,000 bonus-point monthly cap is shared across both legs, so this row uses the conservative flight-leg encoding; points worth ₹1 each on travel | reward points | 16.67%16.67 pts/₹100 × ₹1.00 | ₹15,000 |
| Other | reward points | 0.83%3.33 pts/₹100 × ₹0.25 | — |
| International | reward points | 0.5%2 pts/₹100 × ₹0.25 | — |
Travel: · Flight & hotel bookings made through the IDFC FIRST Bank mobile app — the hotel leg earns 50 RP per ₹150 total, flights 25 RP per ₹150; a single 15,000 bonus-point monthly cap is shared across both legs, so this row uses the conservative flight-leg encoding; points worth ₹1 each on travel
Other: 5 RP per ₹150 on everyday spends (~0.83% at ₹0.25, up to ~3.3% on in-app travel where points are worth ₹1); 1 RP per ₹150 on rent/utility/insurance/government/wallet/railway/FASTag/education
International: 3 RP per ₹150 on international spends (~0.5% at ₹0.25) with a genuine 0% forex markup
Earns nothing on: Fuel · EMI Conversions · Cash Advances
These spends earn no rewards at all — not a reduced rate, and not the base rate. They are also normally left out of any milestone or fee-waiver calculation.
Fees & charges
The numbers that matter beyond rewards — verify on the issuer site before applying. Fees below are shown inclusive of 18% GST, as of 24 Oct 2026.
| Charge | Amount |
|---|---|
| Annual fee (incl. 18% GST) | ₹14,750 |
| Joining fee (incl. 18% GST) | ₹14,750 |
| Forex markup | 0% |
| Reward redemption fee | ₹99 |
Perks & benefits
Estimated annual value beyond rewards — ~₹44,800/yr in total.
4 domestic (incl. 1 guest) and 4 international lounge visits every quarter (16 + 16 a year)
Up to 24 complimentary golf rounds or lessons a year (spend-activated)
1% fuel-surcharge waiver on fuel transactions between ₹200 and ₹5,000, capped at ₹300 per statement cycle
Should you get it?
- Best for: IDFC Private Banking clients who receive the invitation, Heavy travel spenders chasing ₹1-per-point in-app redemption
- Super Premium tier — built for high spenders who want top-end perks.
- Strongest value if you spend heavily on everyday spends (0.83% back; 16.67% only at Flight & hotel bookings made through the IDFC FIRST Bank mobile app — the hotel leg earns 50 RP per ₹150 total, flights 25 RP per ₹150; a single 15,000 bonus-point monthly cap is shared across both legs, so this row uses the conservative flight-leg encoding; points worth ₹1 each on travel).
- Frequent travellers benefit from the included airport lounge access.
Pros & cons
✓ Pros
- Genuine 0% forex markup on a Visa Infinite metal card
- Reward points worth ₹1 each on in-app flight & hotel bookings
- 16 domestic and 16 international lounge visits a year
- 4 railway lounge visits a quarter (on ₹20,000 of spend in the previous month)
- CFAR trip-cancellation cover up to ₹50,000 twice a year
- One-time welcome extra — a 25%-off 5-star hotel voucher capped at ₹5,000, on ₹1 lakh of spend within 60 days of card generation (limited-period offer, once per customer)
- Bundled FIRST Digital RuPay companion earns points on UPI
✕ Cons
- Invitation-only — cannot be applied for, offered only to IDFC Private Banking clients
- The ₹12,500 fee needs ₹10 lakh of eligible annual spend to waive
- Everyday non-travel redemption is only ₹0.25 per point
Eligibility
IDFC FIRST Bank publishes no eligibility criteria for this card — no minimum income, no age band, no credit-score floor, and no document checklist. That is not an oversight on our part: the card is issued strictly by invitation, there is no public application form, and so there is nothing to qualify for in the usual sense. Any income or score level in the panel above is indicative of the profile the bank extends the card to, not a threshold it states, and the same goes for any salary figure quoted for it elsewhere.
What actually decides an invitation is the relationship behind it — balances held with the bank, spend on an existing card, and the banking segment you sit in. We set those signals out in how to get an invitation above, labelled for what they are: observed patterns, not published criteria.
How to redeem rewards
Ways to convert what you earn into real value.
- 🎁Book flights and hotels on the IDFC FIRST app for ₹1 per point
- 🎁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.
Never-expiring points
Brand & e-gift vouchers
You cannot apply for Gaj — it is invitation-only for IDFC Private Banking clients — and the ₹12,500 fee only makes sense for heavy travel spenders who reach the ₹10 lakh waiver.
Frequently asked questions
Can I apply for the IDFC FIRST Gaj credit card?
What is the forex markup on the IDFC FIRST Gaj?
What is the reward rate on IDFC FIRST Gaj?
How has the IDFC FIRST Gaj Credit Card changed over time?
Has the IDFC FIRST Gaj Credit Card been devalued recently?
The bottom line
Gaj is a genuinely strong ultra-premium travel card for the narrow audience that can get it: 0% forex, points worth ₹1 on in-app travel, generous lounge and golf access, and a UPI-earning RuPay companion. It is invitation-only for IDFC Private Banking customers, so most readers cannot obtain it — but for those who can and who spend heavily on travel, the economics are compelling and the ₹10 lakh waiver is realistic at that tier.
How this page was built
Counted from this card’s own record: 3 earn rules, 1 of them capped, 1 paid only at named merchants, the spends listed as earning nothing and 3 recorded perks. The renewal fee is conditional — it is waived on a published spend target, so the fee you pay depends on what you spend.
Last updated 24 Oct 2026.
Sources & verification
Fees, reward rates, and benefits for the IDFC FIRST Gaj 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 updated 24 Oct 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.
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Guides and reviews related to this card.
IDFC FIRST Gaj Credit Card
IDFC FIRST Bank's invitation-only flagship for Private Banking clients — a Visa Infinite metal card with a genuine 0% forex, reward points worth ₹1 each on in-app travel, 16+16 lounge visits a year, up to 24 golf rounds and a bundled no-fee FIRST Digital RuPay companion that earns on UPI. You cannot apply; the ₹12,500 fee waives on ₹10 lakh of spend.
IDFC FIRST Private Credit Card
IDFC FIRST Bank's invite-only metal flagship — a flat 10X earn with no thresholds, unlimited lounges and golf, zero forex and a genuinely fee-free fine print (no late-payment, over-limit or surcharge fees). The ₹50,000 commencement fee is offset by a 50,000-point benefit worth ₹50,000 on in-app travel; ₹25,000 a year thereafter. Milestones were discontinued 17 July 2026.
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 2025 · last change Jun 2026
2026
- ▼ RewardEffective 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; additional spend beyond it earns nothing. Gaj was six months old and this is its first documented trim — a narrow one, aimed at repay-and-respend cycling rather than at ordinary use, and the rest of the proposition (1 RP = ₹1 on in-app travel, never-expiring points, zero forex) was reaffirmed in the same notice.
Verification: IDFC FIRST Bank ↗ · Confidence: High
2025
- ◆ LaunchEffective 29 Dec 2025
IDFC FIRST unveils Gaj, its invitation-only flagship
IDFC FIRST Bank launched Gaj — the twin-elephant metal card completing its Ashva-Mayura-Gaj trilogy — as an invitation-only product for select Private Banking customers with established relationship depth; there is no public application. Joining and annual fee ₹12,500 + GST, waived on ₹10 lakh of annual spend, with a 12,500-point invitation benefit that offsets the joining fee outright. Built around a simple 1 RP = ₹1 redemption on flights and hotels booked in the IDFC FIRST app, zero forex mark-up, 4 domestic (including 1 guest) plus 4 international lounge visits per quarter, up to 2 golf rounds or lessons a month, a ₹50,000 trip-cancellation cover and a complimentary FIRST Digital RuPay companion for UPI.
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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Source: <a href="https://cardadvisor.in/cards/idfc-gaj#value-timeline">IDFC FIRST Gaj Credit Card value timeline</a>, CardAdvisor (CC BY 4.0).