Is the IDFC FIRST Hello Cashback Credit Card Worth It?
Enter what you spend where this card pays more, and the benefits you would use. See what it is worth to you in rupees, after its fee.
- 207Cards to check
- FreeCost
- Travel card
- ₹1,180 fee a year (with GST)
- Fee waived from ₹16,667 a month
- 1% base, up to 3% on online shopping; 4% only at partner merchants
- Pays in cashback
- travel only at Hotel and flight bookings made through the IDFC FIRST Bank mobile app: 4% back, up to ₹1,500 a month
- online shopping: 3% back, up to ₹1,000 a month
- spending ₹16,667 or more a month: the ₹1,180 fee is waived
- spending abroad: 0% markup, most cards add 3.5%
- you spend less than ₹16,667 a month (₹2,00,000 a year, rent and wallet loads not counted): the ₹1,180 fee is then charged
- most of your spending is fuel: those earn nothing on this card
- you spend a lot on government payments: the card's terms do not state a rate there, so we count nothing
- you rarely spend on Hotel and flight bookings made through the IDFC FIRST Bank mobile app: the 4% rate applies only there, everything else earns 1%
Your spend a month, by kind
Terms on the normal rate: 1% cashback on UPI (via IDFC FIRST app) and on offline card swipes; total cashback across all categories shares one ₹1,500 cap per statement cycle
Also earns nothing on: UPI spends via third-party apps.
Total on the card: ₹0 a month
Abroad and benefits
Every rate on this card, and what your spend earns
| Spend category | Rate | Monthly cap | Where it applies | Your spend earns |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UPI payments (scan and pay) | 1% | No cap | The card's normal rate | - |
| Online shopping | 3% | ₹1,000, shared with other bonus rates | All merchants in the categoryTerms: 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 | - |
| Dining and food delivery | 1% | No cap | The card's normal rate | - |
| Groceries | 1% | No cap | The card's normal rate | - |
| Travel: flights, hotels, trains | 1% | No cap | Anywhere else in the category | - |
| Travel: flights, hotels, trains, only at listed merchants | 4% | ₹1,500, shared with other bonus rates | Only at: Hotel and flight bookings made through the IDFC FIRST Bank mobile appTerms: 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 | - |
| Fuel | Earns nothing | - | earns nothing on this card | - |
| Bills and recharges | 1% | ₹1,500, shared with other bonus rates | All merchants in the categoryTerms: 1% cashback on essentials, utility, rent, insurance, education, wallet load, FASTag, railway, government services, jewellery and gift cards; counts toward the shared ₹1,500/cycle total cashback cap | - |
| Rent | 1% | No cap | The card's normal rate | - |
| Insurance premiums | 1% | No cap | The card's normal rate | - |
| School and college fees | 1% | No cap | The card's normal rate | - |
| Wallet top-ups | 1% | No cap | The card's normal rate | - |
| Taxes and government payments | Not stated | - | the card's terms state no rate here; many cards pay nothing on these | - |
| Spend abroad or in a foreign currency | 1% | No cap | The card's normal rate | - |
| Everything else | 1% | No cap | The card's normal rate | - |
Card data sourced via CardAdvisor.in, India Credit Card Facts, CC BY 4.0, adapted by SkyloFin.
Common Questions
When is a credit card worth its annual fee?
When the rewards you actually earn in a year are more than the fee plus 18% GST, or when you spend enough for the bank to waive the fee. This calculator works out both from the card's own published terms.
Why is GST added to the fee?
Card fees carry 18% GST, so a ₹1,000 fee costs ₹1,180. Where the bank already quotes the fee with GST, it is not added twice.
What does 'capped' mean?
Many cards limit the reward you can earn in a month in a category. Spending above the cap earns nothing extra, so the calculator stops counting there.
Is a lifetime free card always better?
Not always. A paid card with higher rewards can leave you with more once you spend enough. The break-even line shows the monthly spend where that starts.
