Airport lounge access is gradually becoming harder to track and access, as banks continue to either remove the benefit altogether or link it to spend-based conditions. Even RuPay, which earlier offered unconditional lounge access on many cards, has now revised this benefit structure.
As per the update, RuPay is discontinuing complimentary airport (domestic & international) and railway lounge access on Platinum Debit Cards from 1st April 2026. Until 31st March 2026, access will continue but only if linked to spend-based criteria under their Benefit Management System (BMS).
For Select Debit Cards as well, lounge access will now be entirely spend-based starting 1st April 2026. However, banks may still choose to offer lounge access on certain feature-based card variants, depending on their own agreements with RuPay.
Overall, this marks a clear shift towards spend-linked benefits, meaning users will now need to actively use their cards to unlock lounge access instead of enjoying it as a default feature.
Bottom Line
RuPay debit cardholders should now be aware that complimentary airport lounge access will no longer be readily available as a default benefit. Instead, access will be linked to specific eligibility criteria, typically based on meeting a minimum spend requirement within a defined period.
This means cardholders will need to actively use their debit cards to unlock lounge access, rather than relying on unconditional entry. As these conditions may vary across card variants and issuing banks, it becomes important to regularly review the updated terms to ensure continued eligibility.