Is the IDFC FIRST SWYP 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
- ₹589 fee a year (with GST)
- 1% on most spends; 3% only at partner merchants
- Some lounge visits a year
- Pays in reward points
- travel only at Hotel and flight bookings made through the FIRST Rewards Gallery in the IDFC FIRST Bank app: 3% back
- flyers: some airport lounge visits a year
- spending abroad: 0% markup, most cards add 3.5%
- you spend less than ₹5,000 a month: below that the ₹589 fee costs more than the rewards
- most of your spending is fuel: those earn nothing on this card
- you pay mostly by UPI: a Visa or Mastercard card cannot pay by UPI
- 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 FIRST Rewards Gallery in the IDFC FIRST Bank app: the 3% rate applies only there, everything else earns 1%
- you sometimes pay only the minimum due: interest of 0% a month outweighs any reward
Your spend a month, by kind
Terms on the normal rate: Monthly milestones on total (not incremental) spend, reset each cycle: 200 pts at ₹5k, 500 at ₹10k, 1,000 at ₹15k, 2,000 at ₹30k, 4,000 at ₹60k; UPI, fuel, education, FASTag, railway and cash do not count. Separate 400 pts on ₹20k (800 on ₹40k) of education/FASTag/railway spends
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) | Earns nothing | - | a Visa or Mastercard card cannot pay by UPI | - |
| Online shopping | 1% | No cap | The card's normal rate | - |
| 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 | 3% | No cap | Only at: Hotel and flight bookings made through the FIRST Rewards Gallery in the IDFC FIRST Bank appTerms: Reward points equal to 25% of hotel and 12% of flight booking value via the in-app FIRST Rewards Gallery, modelled at the conservative flight-leg rate (hotels earn roughly double); IDFC publishes no monthly cap on this bonus | - |
| Fuel | Earns nothing | - | earns nothing on this card | - |
| Bills and recharges | 1% | No cap | The card's normal rate | - |
| 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 | - |
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.
Guides in Plain Words
Short reads that explain how it works before you decide.
- GuidesBest Credit Cards Under ₹500 a Year in India (2026)Credit cards with an annual fee of ₹500 or less (before GST) in 2026, ranked by the reward rate each bank states, with fee waivers.Read the guide →
GuidesNo-Cost EMI: What It Really Costs You, With a Worked ExampleNo-cost EMI is not a trick, but it is rarely free. Here is where the money goes: the discount you give up, the processing fee, and GST on the interest, worked out on a Rs 30,000 phone.Read the guide →- GuidesBest Online Shopping Credit Cards in India (2026)The credit cards that pay the most back on online shopping in 2026, which sites count, the monthly cap and the annual fee.Read the guide →
