Zero Forex Credit Cards in India (2026)
Eight Indian credit cards charge no markup on foreign spending. What each costs, and what the annual fee actually buys in lounge access and cover.
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Most Indian credit cards add 3.5% to everything you buy abroad. On a ₹2 lakh trip that is ₹7,000, before tax.
Eight cards charge nothing. They are not equally good. The markup is the same on all eight, so the annual fee buys something else entirely.
Some links below are affiliate links. We may earn a commission if you apply through them, at no extra cost to you. It does not change what we say about a card, and most cards here earn us nothing. Terms are from each bank's own published documents, read on 16 September 2026.
The eight cards
| Card | Annual fee | Lounge in India | Lounge outside India | Overseas medical |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BOBCARD Uni GoldX | Free | None | None | None |
| Scapia Axis Bank | Free | Unlimited, on ₹20,000 a month | None | Not published |
| BOBCARD Scapia | Free | Unlimited, on ₹20,000 a month | Not published | Not published |
| RBL World Safari Lite | ₹1,000 | 1 a quarter, on ₹50,000 | 1 a quarter, on ₹50,000 | None |
| RBL World Safari | ₹3,000 | 2 a quarter | 2 a year | USD 50,000 |
| BOBCARD Etihad Guest Premium | ₹5,000 | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| RBL World Safari Plus | ₹6,000 | 2 a quarter | 4 a year | USD 100,000 |
| RBL LUMIÈRE | ₹50,000 | Unlimited | Unlimited | Not published |
All fees are before GST. Where a spend figure is shown, you must hit it before you get any visits at all. "Not published" means the bank does not state it. That is not the same as the card lacking it.
BOBCARD Uni GoldX
- Annual fee — none, and no joining fee either
- Forex markup — 0%
- Conversion charge — 0%, so billing in rupees abroad costs nothing extra
- Lounge — none
- Overseas medical — none
- Rewards — 1% back as 24-carat digital gold in India, nothing abroad
- Also — 50 days interest free, 1% fuel surcharge waived up to ₹7,500
The purest version of the idea. It removes the markup and charges you nothing to hold.
There is no lounge access and no travel cover. If that is all you want, nothing here does it cheaper.
Apply NowScapia Axis Bank
- Annual fee — none, and no joining fee
- Forex markup — 0%
- Conversion charge — 0%
- Lounge in India — unlimited, but only if you spend ₹20,000 in the billing cycle
- Lounge abroad — none at all
- Overseas medical — not published
- Rewards — Scapia coins, usable only inside the Scapia app
A free card with no markup and a generous domestic lounge benefit.
Its terms cover lounges in India alone. There is no lounge access abroad, which is worth knowing on a card sold for foreign travel.
Apply NowBOBCARD Scapia
- Annual fee — none, and no joining fee
- Forex markup — 0%
- Lounge in India — unlimited, on ₹20,000 of spending a month
- Lounge abroad — not published
- Add-on cards — none offered at all
- Overseas medical — not published
- Rewards — 20% back on travel booked in the Scapia app
The same Scapia brand, issued by BOBCARD instead of Axis. Terms differ between the two.
No add-on card is offered, so a partner cannot share anything on this one.
Apply NowRBL World Safari Lite
- Annual fee — ₹1,000
- Forex markup — 0%
- Conversion charge — 0%
- Lounge abroad — 1 a quarter, only after ₹50,000 of spending in the quarter before
- Lounge in India — 1 a quarter, same condition, add-on cards not eligible
- Overseas medical — none
- Rewards — 1 point per ₹100 on domestic travel, 5 on RBL's booking portal, nothing else
- Welcome — vouchers worth ₹1,000
The cheapest paid card here, and the one to think hardest about.
Every lounge visit has a spending condition. Below ₹50,000 a quarter you get none at all. The free cards give you the same zero markup for nothing.
Apply NowRBL World Safari
- Annual fee — ₹3,000
- Forex markup — 0%
- Conversion charge — 0%
- Lounge abroad — 2 a year with no conditions, plus 1 a quarter if you spend ₹50,000
- Lounge in India — 2 a quarter
- Overseas medical — USD 50,000, ten days per trip, three trips a year, under-60s only
- Rewards — 2 points per ₹100 in India, 5 on travel, nothing abroad outside travel
- Welcome — a MakeMyTrip voucher worth ₹3,000
The best-value paid card, and the cheapest here with real travel cover.
Read the policy limits before relying on them. Ten days per trip will not cover a fortnight away.
Apply NowBOBCARD Etihad Guest Premium
- Annual fee — ₹5,000, reversed if you spend ₹5,00,000 in a year
- Forex markup — 0%
- Rewards — Etihad Guest Miles
- Airline status — Gold tier after ₹10,000 of spending on Etihad.com within six months
- Lounge — not published
- Overseas medical — not published
- Also — 20 to 50 days interest free
The only airline card here with no markup. It suits someone who already flies Etihad.
The Gold tier rule was tightened on 5 August 2026. A minimum spend now applies where none did before.
Apply NowRBL World Safari Plus
- Annual fee — ₹6,000
- Forex markup — 0%
- Conversion charge — 0%
- Lounge abroad — 4 a year, no spending condition
- Lounge in India — 2 a quarter
- Overseas medical — USD 100,000 through Care Health Insurance
- Rewards — 1 point per ₹100, 2 on domestic travel, 5 on RBL's booking portal
- Welcome — 6,000 reward points
Twice the free lounge visits of the ₹3,000 card, and twice the cover.
Two things to do on arrival. Turn on overseas use in the app before your first lounge visit. Generate the insurance policy from the emailed link, or you are not covered.
RBL publishes no product page for this card. It appears only in the bank's fee tables and card terms, both linked below.
RBL LUMIÈRE
- Annual fee — ₹50,000
- Forex markup — 0%
- Conversion charge — 0%
- Lounge abroad — unlimited, plus 10 guest visits a year
- Lounge in India — unlimited, guests included
- Rewards — 4 points per ₹200, 20 points per ₹200 on RBL's own portal
- Point value — RBL states 1 point is worth ₹1, and points never expire
- Overseas medical — not published
The ceiling. Unlimited lounge access abroad is rare on an Indian card.
RBL states a rupee value for its points here, which it does not do on the World Safari cards. Redemption is free.
Apply NowWhat the markup actually costs
The markup is a percentage the bank adds to every foreign-currency transaction. GST applies on top of it.
A 3.5% markup is really 4.13% once tax is added. Spend ₹2 lakh abroad and that is ₹8,260.
Zero means zero. There is no small print reducing it to 1% after a threshold.
The charge almost nobody mentions
There is a second markup, and it catches people who think they are being careful.
Dynamic currency conversion happens when a foreign shop offers to bill you in rupees instead of the local currency. It feels safer. It is usually a separate charge.
Banks treat it very differently:
- RBL, BOBCARD and Axis — nil on the cards in this guide. Truly zero either way.
- IndusInd — 1% plus tax, even on its zero-markup cards. Zero forex, not zero cost.
- HDFC — 1.75% since 15 May 2026, on any card.
The rule abroad is simple. Always choose the local currency, never rupees.
Zero forex often means zero rewards
A card that charges nothing may also pay you nothing.
RBL's World Safari terms say it plainly. The cardmember "shall not be entitled to any reward points on international spending", apart from travel bookings.
World Safari Lite is stricter still. Its only earning clauses cover domestic travel and RBL's own booking portal. Everything else earns nothing, at home or abroad.
Uni GoldX pays 1% in digital gold on Indian spending. Foreign spending earns nothing.
So you save 3.5% and hand back 1% to 3%. That is still a good trade. It is not the whole story that the marketing tells.
Insurance: the limits matter more than the number
A large sum insured is easy to advertise. The limits decide whether you can use it.
RBL's World Safari cover is USD 50,000. It works worldwide, including the USA and Canada. You need not buy the ticket on the card. But it covers ten days per trip, three trips a year, and nobody over 60. Medical cover is for hospital stays only.
A two-week holiday is uninsured from day eleven.
Axis publishes one insurance list for its whole range. It covers four things:
- Lost or delayed baggage
- Credit shield
- Purchase protection
- Price protection
No Axis credit card covers medical costs abroad. The "global travel and medical assistance" on its pages is a helpline, not cover.
Check the policy limits before you fly
Sum insured is the number banks advertise. Trip length, trips per year and age limits are what decide a claim. Read those three before you rely on the cover.
Dates to watch
Banks are still tightening the spending you must do to keep lounge access.
Two changes land on 1 October 2026:
- BOBCARD — the bar on several cards rises from ₹40,000 to ₹75,000 a quarter.
- American Express — a new bar of ₹70,000 a quarter.
Neither change hits the eight cards above. Both show which way this is going.
Frequently asked questions
Is a zero forex credit card better than a forex card?
For spending, usually yes. A credit card with no markup needs no loading, no reloading and no leftover balance to convert back. A prepaid forex card locks in a rate and protects you from currency swings, which some travellers prefer.
Does zero forex markup apply to cash withdrawals abroad?
Not always. The markup and the ATM fee are separate charges, and most banks still levy a cash advance fee of about 2.5%. Check the schedule of charges for cash, not just for purchases.
What is dynamic currency conversion?
It is when a foreign shop or ATM offers to charge you in rupees instead of the local currency. The rate is set by the merchant's bank and is usually worse. Several Indian banks also add their own fee on top. Always choose the local currency.
Do I pay 20% TCS when I spend abroad on a credit card?
Not at present. The rule that would bring card spending abroad under the Liberalised Remittance Scheme has been put off more than once. It is not in force today. It could start at short notice, so check before a big trip.
Which zero forex card is best for a two-week holiday?
RBL World Safari Plus, if you want cover. It pays up to USD 100,000 and gives four free lounge visits a year. World Safari costs less, but its cover stops after ten days. That will not see you through a two-week trip.
Do these cards earn rewards on foreign spending?
Often not. World Safari earns nothing abroad outside travel bookings, and Uni GoldX earns nothing abroad at all. Several banks simply do not publish the position, so treat foreign earning as a bonus rather than a reason to choose.