When it comes to travel-focused credit cards in India, IndiGo co-branded cards have gained popularity among frequent travellers. If you travel often with IndiGo, you might have come across two popular credit cards – the IndiGo IDFC FIRST Credit Card and the IndiGo Kotak XL Credit Card.
Both cards reward their users with IndiGo BluChips and travel benefits, and other perks. However, they are quite different in how they work and what they offer. The IDFC FIRST card comes in two variants: Mastercard and RuPay. It also offers benefits like welcome benefits, low forex charges, and insurance.
The Kotak XL card offers milestone benefits, free airport lounge access, and other benefits. Both cards reward BluChips, which can be redeemed for flight bookings with the airline.
Choosing one credit card over the other can be confusing. In this article, we are going to compare both credit cards so that we can help the applicants decide which credit card is worth choosing.
On the Basis of Fee Structure
The IndiGo IDFC FIRST Credit Card is more expensive than the IndiGo Kotak XL Credit Card. It comes with a joining and annual fee of ₹4,999 + GST, while the IndiGo Kotak XL comes with the joining and annual fee of ₹3,000 + GST. Although IDFC FIRST also has a zero-fee option if you open a fixed deposit, that version doesn’t give any welcome benefits, so it’s not very useful for most people.
When it comes to welcome benefits, the IDFC FIRST card gives more value. You get 5,000 BluChips, a free IndiGo meal voucher, a 3-month EazyDiner membership, and an extra 3,000 BluChips if you spend ₹1 lakh in the first 90 days. In comparison, the Kotak XL card keeps things simple with 4,000 BluChips and a 6E Eats voucher. So, if you want to spend less, Kotak XL is better, but if you’re okay paying more and can use the extra benefits, the IDFC FIRST card gives you more in return.
The table given below will help you understand more easily:
| Category | IndiGo IDFC FIRST Credit Card | IndiGo Kotak XL Credit Card |
| Joining/Annual Fee | ₹4,999 + GST | ₹3,000 + GST |
| Welcome Benefits | 5,000 BluChips, Meal Voucher, 3-Month EazyDiner Membership, +3,000 BluChips on ₹1 Lakh Spend (90 Days) | 4,000 BluChips, 6E Eats Voucher |
On the Basis of BluChips
The IndiGo IDFC FIRST Credit Card offers a higher reward rate for earning BluChips on IndiGo flight bookings compared to the IndiGo Kotak XL Credit Card. Users can earn up to 22 BluChips per ₹100 spent on IndiGo bookings, whereas the Kotak XL card offers up to 21 BluChips per ₹100 spent on similar bookings.
The reward rate offered by both cards can be confusing for the users, and on top of that, the value of BluChips is also not fixed; it has a dynamic value.
Both cards are quite close in rewards. However, the IDFC FIRST card gives you 1 extra BluChip for every ₹100 spent.
On the Basis of Milestone Benefits
The IndiGo IDFC FIRST Credit Card gives more rewards if you spend a lot. It offers up to 25,000 BluChips across different spending levels from ₹2 lakh to ₹12 lakh, so the more you spend, the more you earn. The IndiGo Kotak XL Credit Card starts rewarding you earlier at ₹1.5 lakh, but the total you can earn is lower at around 16,000 BluChips.
For regular spending, both cards give good rewards on IndiGo bookings, but the IDFC FIRST card is slightly better for overall usage. If you spend more and want maximum rewards, go for the IDFC FIRST card.
On the Basis of Airport Lounge Access
With the IndiGo IDFC FIRST Credit Card, there is no complimentary airport lounge access. Meanwhile, with the IndiGo Kotak XL Credit Card, the user will get two complimentary domestic airport lounge visits to select airports.
On the Basis of Additional Benefits
When comparing the IndiGo IDFC FIRST Credit Card with the IndiGo Kotak XL Credit Card, the IDFC card clearly stands out because of its additional benefits. The IndiGo IDFC FIRST Credit Card offers some useful additional benefits, especially for people who travel often. One of the key features is its low forex markup fee of just 1.49%, which makes international transactions more affordable than many other credit cards that typically charge around 3.5%.
Another valuable benefit is the free trip cancellation cover. Cardholders can cancel non-refundable flight or hotel bookings up to two times in a year, with a maximum coverage of ₹25,000 per cancellation. This can be very helpful during emergencies and is available for both primary and add-on cardholders.
In addition to this, the card also provides multiple insurance covers for added security. These include a card liability cover of ₹50,000, personal accident cover of ₹10 lakh, credit shield cover of ₹50,000, and purchase protection cover of ₹50,000. It also offers a personal air accident cover of up to ₹1 crore.
In contrast, the IndiGo Kotak XL Credit Card does not offer these kinds of additional benefits, making the IDFC FIRST card a more valuable option overall.
Bottom Line
When comparing the IndiGo IDFC FIRST Credit Card and the Kotak XL Credit Card, the IndiGo IDFC FIRST Credit Card clearly offers more value for frequent IndiGo travellers. Although it has a higher annual fee, it provides greater benefits, including more welcome rewards, higher BluChip earnings, and superior milestone bonuses. However, it’s worth noting that while both cards offer BluChips, they are not as valuable due to the absence of a fixed redemption value.
Cardholders earn additional loyalty points that can lead to free flights, and the milestone rewards enhance the value further. The card also features lower foreign-exchange charges and travel insurance, offering protection against unexpected travel disruptions.
The IndiGo IDFC FIRST Credit Card is a better choice for regular flyers because it offers more travel rewards and benefits, enhancing your travel experience. In comparison, the Kotak XL Credit Card is cheaper and provides benefits like lounge access, but it does not offer the same overall value as the IndiGo card.
Another option to consider is the Axis Horizon Credit Card, which has a similar joining fee and offers better overall value than both choices.