In-depth review
LIC Select Credit Card
The higher tier of the IDFC FIRST × LIC × Mastercard co-brand, and lifetime free — 10 reward points per ₹125 (~2%) on LIC premiums paid through LIC's official website, 5 per ₹125 (~1%) on other spends in India, plus 2 domestic airport and 4 railway lounge visits a quarter. Both LIC cards cost nothing, so the choice against the Classic is about how much premium you pay, not about fees.
Read the full review →Key features
What this card is built to do — the highlights that actually matter.
Welcome Benefit
~₹500 in vouchers, points or cashback in year one — conditional on ₹10,000 of spend within 30 days of card set-up
8 points/₹100 on Utility Bills (~2% value)
10 RP per ₹125 (~2%) on LIC premium payments at licindia.in; 1 RP = ₹0.25. OUTSIDE capGroup essentials, CONFIRMED -- IDFC scopes that ceiling by MCC and the published list carries no insurance MCC. Only 5 premium payments a cycle earn; no field models that, so this is a ceiling.
1% on Other
5 RP per ₹125 (~1%) on all other spends, outside the Essentials ceiling; points expire 3 years after being earned
Airport Lounge Access
Complimentary: 8 domestic airport lounge visits a year (2 a quarter) and 16 railway (4 a quarter)
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.
Lifetime Free
No annual fee — ever. Keep this card long-term without any recurring cost.
Insurance Cover
Personal accident cover ₹5,00,000; lost-card liability ₹50,000; purchase protection and credit shield ₹25,000 each; travel-inconvenience cover ₹4,000 per leg (4 legs); ₹1 crore air-accident cover; roadside assistance worth ₹1,399
✈️ TRAVEL BENEFITS
Lounge access, miles, forex rates and travel perks at a glance.
AIRPORT LOUNGE ACCESS
8 visits/yr
Domestic lounges
₹6,400
Estimated annual value
0% — Zero!
Forex markup
- Domestic airport lounge access (8 domestic visits/yr, worth ~₹6,400)
- Zero forex markup — zero extra cost abroad
- Travel insurance cover included
For LIC policyholders who pay premiums on LIC's official website and want the higher 2% premium rate plus better lounge access — at no annual cost.
Full reward structure
What you earn on every rupee, per spend category — as of 27 Oct 2026. Rates assume 1 pt = ₹0.25. How we value points →
| Category | Type | Rate | Monthly cap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Utility Billsonly at LIC insurance premium payments made on LIC of India's official website (licindia.in) | reward points | 2%8 pts/₹100 × ₹0.25 | — |
| Other | reward points | 1%4 pts/₹100 × ₹0.25 | — |
| Education | reward points | 1%4 pts/₹100 × ₹0.25 | ₹150one cap shared with Government & Tax, Groceries, Utility Bills |
| Government & Tax | reward points | 1%4 pts/₹100 × ₹0.25 | ₹150one cap shared with Education, Groceries, Utility Bills |
| Groceries | reward points | 1%4 pts/₹100 × ₹0.25 | ₹150one cap shared with Education, Government & Tax, Utility Bills |
| Utility Bills | reward points | 1%4 pts/₹100 × ₹0.25 | ₹150one cap shared with Education, Government & Tax, Groceries |
Utility Bills: 10 RP per ₹125 (~2%) on LIC premium payments at licindia.in; 1 RP = ₹0.25. OUTSIDE capGroup essentials, CONFIRMED -- IDFC scopes that ceiling by MCC and the published list carries no insurance MCC. Only 5 premium payments a cycle earn; no field models that, so this is a ceiling. · LIC insurance premium payments made on LIC of India's official website (licindia.in)
Other: 5 RP per ₹125 (~1%) on all other spends, outside the Essentials ceiling; points expire 3 years after being earned
Education: 5 RP per ₹125 (~1%); shares one 600 RP/month Essentials ceiling with groceries, utilities and government
Government & Tax: 5 RP per ₹125 (~1%); shares one 600 RP/month Essentials ceiling with groceries, utilities and education
Groceries: 5 RP per ₹125 (~1%); shares one 600 RP/month Essentials ceiling with utilities, education and government
Utility Bills: 5 RP per ₹125 (~1%) on utility bills away from LIC's own site; shares one 600 RP/month Essentials ceiling with groceries, education and government
Earns nothing on: Rent · Fuel · Insurance · Cash Advances · EMI Conversions · International
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 27 Oct 2026.
| Charge | Amount |
|---|---|
| Annual fee (incl. 18% GST) | Lifetime free |
| Joining fee (incl. 18% GST) | Free |
| Forex markupInternational 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 — ~₹8,400/yr in total.
2 domestic airport lounge visits a quarter plus 4 railway lounge visits a quarter
1% fuel-surcharge waiver on fuel transactions between ₹200 and ₹5,000, capped at ₹300 per statement cycle
Personal accident cover ₹5,00,000; lost-card liability ₹50,000; purchase protection and credit shield ₹25,000 each; travel-inconvenience cover ₹4,000 per leg (4 legs); ₹1 crore air-accident cover; roadside assistance worth ₹1,399
Should you get it?
- Best for: LIC policyholders with large annual premiums, Users who pay premiums on LIC's official website and want lounge access
- Mid tier — a solid all-rounder for steady monthly spend.
- Strongest value if you spend heavily on everyday spends (1% back; 2% only at LIC insurance premium payments made on LIC of India's official website (licindia.in)).
- Frequent travellers benefit from the included airport lounge access.
Pros & cons
✓ Pros
- 10 RP per ₹125 (~2%) on LIC premium payments on LIC's official website
- 5 RP per ₹125 (~1%) base rate — respectable for a card that costs nothing
- 2 domestic + 4 railway lounge visits a quarter
- 2,000-point welcome bonus on ₹10,000 spend in 30 days
✕ Cons
- The 10X (2%) rate applies only to LIC premiums paid on LIC's official website
- Essentials rewards (groceries, utilities, railways, FASTag, etc.) are capped at 600 points/month
- No reward points on international spends from 26 October 2026, even with no forex markup since September 2026
Eligibility & documents
Documents required
- 📄PAN card
- 📄Aadhaar / valid address proof
- 📄Income proof (salary slips or ITR)
How to redeem rewards
Ways to convert what you earn into real value.
- 🎁Statement credit / cashback adjustment at ₹0.25 per point
- 🎁Online rewards catalogue (vouchers, merchandise)
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
The 2% rate is limited to LIC premiums paid on LIC's official website, and the select-category earn is capped at 600 points/month.
Frequently asked questions
What does the LIC Select earn on LIC premiums?
What does it earn on other spends?
What lounge access does it offer?
What are the fees?
How has the LIC Select Credit Card changed over time?
Has the LIC Select Credit Card been devalued recently?
When did the LIC Select Credit Card's fees last change?
How did the LIC Select Credit Card change in 2026?
The bottom line
The LIC Select is the better of the two LIC cards, and since both are lifetime free the decision comes down to whether you qualify rather than whether you spend enough. At 10 points per ₹125 on premium payments made the right way, ₹1 lakh of annual premium returns around ₹2,000 with no fee to offset it, and the base 5 points per ₹125 is a respectable 1% at home. Abroad it charges no forex markup but, from 26 October 2026, earns no points. The catches are familiar: the 2% only applies to premiums paid on LIC's own site, and the Essentials rate is capped at 600 points a month.
How this page was built
Counted from this card’s own record: 6 earn rules, 4 of them capped, 1 paid only at named merchants, the spends listed as earning nothing and 3 recorded perks.
Last updated 27 Oct 2026.
Sources & verification
Fees, reward rates, and benefits for the LIC Select 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 27 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.
LIC Select Credit Card
The higher tier of the IDFC FIRST × LIC × Mastercard co-brand, and lifetime free — 10 reward points per ₹125 (~2%) on LIC premiums paid through LIC's official website, 5 per ₹125 (~1%) on other spends in India, plus 2 domestic airport and 4 railway lounge visits a quarter. Both LIC cards cost nothing, so the choice against the Classic is about how much premium you pay, not about fees.
LIC Classic Credit Card
A lifetime-free IDFC FIRST × LIC × Mastercard co-brand built around one job — paying LIC premiums. It earns 6 reward points per ₹125 (~1.2%) on premiums paid through LIC's official website, and an ordinary 3 points per ₹125 (~0.6%) on other spends in India. Points are worth ₹0.25 and now expire in three years. Since it costs nothing to hold there is no fee to earn back; away from LIC it is a plain card, with no forex markup since September 2026 but no points on international spends from 26 October 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 2023 · last change Oct 2026
2026
- ▼ RewardObserved 9 Sept 2026 · Effective 26 Oct 2026
International spends stop earning reward points
Reward points on international spends at the card's own rate→No reward points on international spends
From 26 October 2026 IDFC FIRST Bank credit cards stop earning reward points on international spends, except the Ashva, Mayura, Gaj, FIRST Private, FIRST WOW!, FIRST WOW! Black and IndiGo cards. IDFC announced it in its 9 September 2026 letter to cardmembers, the same letter that removed the forex markup, so paying abroad still costs no markup but earns nothing. On the Classic, Millennia, Select and FIRST Wealth this ends the 10X rate on international spends.
Verification: IDFC FIRST Bank ↗ · Confidence: High
- ▲ FeeEffective 9 Sept 2026
Forex markup removed
1% to 3.5%, depending on the card→0% (nil)
IDFC FIRST Bank stopped charging a markup on foreign-currency spends on all its credit cards from 9 September 2026, the effective date its letter to cardmembers gives. Its Key Fact Statement dated 15 September 2026 lists the markup on foreign-currency and currency-conversion transactions as nil, with no card-by-card exception, where the January 2026 edition charged 3.5% on most cards and less on a few (1.99% on the FIRST Select, 1.5% on the FIRST Wealth, 1.49% on the IndiGo card and 1% on the Ashva). The same letter says international spends stop earning reward points from 26 October 2026 on most IDFC FIRST cards; that is recorded as its own change.
Verification: IDFC FIRST Bank ↗ · Confidence: High
- ▲ RewardEffective 18 Jan 2026
Bonus reward points on travel booked in the IDFC FIRST app
No app-booking bonus→45X bonus on hotels, 20X bonus on flights
IDFC added accelerated earning on travel booked through the IDFC FIRST Bank mobile app — 45X bonus reward points on hotels and 20X on flights, the same uplift given to the LIC Classic. It pairs naturally with the card's lounge access, though it only pays inside the bank's own booking channel.
Verification: IDFC FIRST Bank ↗ · Confidence: Reconstructed
- ▼ RewardObserved 18 Dec 2025 · Effective 18 Jan 2026
FASTag folded into the capped Essentials bucket
FASTag earned 5X outside the Essentials ceiling→FASTag counts within Essentials — still 5X, but sharing its 600 RP/cycle ceiling
IDFC moved FASTag recharges (MCC 4784) into the card's Essentials category. The rate is untouched at 5 reward points per ₹125, but FASTag now draws on the same 600-points-per-cycle ceiling as the other Essentials spends, so regular toll users reach the cap sooner and earn nothing beyond it.
Verification: IDFC FIRST Bank ↗ · Confidence: Reconstructed
- ▼ FeeObserved 18 Dec 2025 · Effective 18 Jan 2026
Fair-usage fees on heavy FASTag and railway spends
No FASTag or railway spend fee→1% fee above ₹10,000 FASTag or ₹25,000 railway per cycle
FASTag recharges above ₹10,000 in a billing cycle now attract a 1% fee on the whole cycle's FASTag amount, and railway spends (MCC 4111, 4112) above ₹25,000 do the same. Railway is a notable target here, since the card advertises four railway-lounge visits a quarter.
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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