This is for anyone comparing IDFC FIRST Bank's three core cards, which look alike on the product pages and are alike on the earn rates. It settles what actually separates them, which is benefits and eligibility, and shows what the 10X structure is worth once the points are valued at what IDFC pays for them.
Quick Answer: All three cards are lifetime free, charge zero forex and earn 3X (0.375%) on ordinary spend and 10X (1.25%) on dining, travel and international purchases; the only differences are lounge access and the income bar, so get the highest one you qualify for: Wealth at ₹36 lakh, Select at ₹12 lakh, Millennia at ₹3 lakh.
Head-to-head
| Feature | FIRST Millennia | FIRST Select | FIRST Wealth |
|---|---|---|---|
| Joining fee | ₹0 | ₹0 | ₹0 |
| Annual fee | ₹0, lifetime free | ₹0, lifetime free | ₹0, lifetime free |
| Add-on card | Free | Free | ₹499 + GST (₹589) a year |
| Welcome benefit | ₹500 gift voucher on ₹5,000 spend in 30 days | ₹500 gift voucher on ₹5,000 in 30 days, plus 5% cashback up to ₹1,000 on the first EMI transaction | ₹500 gift voucher on ₹5,000 in 30 days |
| Base earn | 3 points per ₹200, 0.375% | 3 points per ₹200, 0.375% | 3 points per ₹200, 0.375% |
| 10X categories | Dining, travel, international, birthday spend: 10 points per ₹200, 1.25% | Same | Same |
| UPI (RuPay variant) | Up to 3X | Up to 3X | Up to 3X |
| Utilities, insurance, rail, FASTag | 1 point per ₹200, 0.125% | Same | Same |
| App bonuses | 20% extra points on hotel bookings, 10% on flights via the FIRST Rewards Gallery | Not listed | Not listed |
| Domestic airport lounges | None | 2 a quarter, on ₹20,000 spend in the previous month | 1 a quarter, on ₹20,000 spend in the previous month |
| International lounges | None | None | 1 a quarter via DreamFolks, same gate |
| Railway lounges | 4 a quarter, same gate | 4 a quarter, same gate | 4 a year, same gate |
| Forex markup | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Point validity | 24 months | 24 months | 24 months |
| Income bar | ₹25,000 a month or ₹3 lakh ITR; 650+ score | ₹12 lakh a year; 730+ score | ₹36 lakh a year; 730+ score |
The earn structure is the same on all three because IDFC treats them as one programme at three eligibility levels. That is unusual: at most banks the higher-tier card earns more. Here the higher-tier card earns the same and gives more lounges, a higher limit and, in Wealth's case, an international lounge visit.
The lifetime-free angle
None of the three has a fee, a waiver threshold or a renewal condition on the primary card, and the welcome voucher is the same ₹500 on all of them. For a household, that means the choice is not about cost at all; it is about which card the bank will issue. Apply for the highest tier your income supports, because the downgrade costs nothing and the upgrade requires a fresh application.
There is one small charge: Wealth's add-on card is ₹499 + GST (₹589) a year, where Millennia's and Select's are free. A Wealth cardholder who wants a free add-on for a family member should ask for it on a Select or Millennia instead.
How 10X works, with a worked example
IDFC replaced its old structure in 2026. Under the old rules, the first ₹20,000 of monthly spend earned 3X and everything above earned 10X, regardless of category. Under the current rules, 10X is category-based: dining, travel and international purchases earn 10 points per ₹200 from the first rupee, and so does all spend on your birthday. Everything else earns 3X, and utilities, insurance, railway spend and FASTag recharges earn 1X.
Points are worth ₹0.25 each, so 3X is 0.375%, 10X is 1.25% and 1X is 0.125%.
Take a household spending ₹40,000 a month: ₹8,000 on dining, ₹5,000 on travel, ₹7,000 on groceries, ₹6,000 on utilities, ₹4,000 on fuel and ₹10,000 on other retail.
| Category | Monthly spend | Rate | Points | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dining | ₹8,000 | 10 per ₹200 | 400 | ₹100 |
| Travel | ₹5,000 | 10 per ₹200 | 250 | ₹62.50 |
| Groceries | ₹7,000 | 3 per ₹200 | 105 | ₹26.25 |
| Utilities | ₹6,000 | 1 per ₹200 | 30 | ₹7.50 |
| Fuel | ₹4,000 | Excluded from accelerated points; surcharge waiver | 0 | ₹0 |
| Other retail | ₹10,000 | 3 per ₹200 | 150 | ₹37.50 |
| Total | ₹40,000 | 935 | About ₹234 a month, ₹2,800 a year |
That is a 0.58% blended return, which is what the card is: a low-earning free card whose value lies elsewhere. Add ₹1 lakh of international spend in the year and the picture changes: 5,000 points (₹1,250) at 10X and, more importantly, ₹3,500 saved against a 3.5% forex markup elsewhere. The zero forex markup is worth more than the rewards for anyone who travels.
Lounges by tier
Lounge access is the real ladder, and all of it is gated the same way: spend ₹20,000 on the card in a calendar month to unlock the benefit for the following month.
Millennia gets railway lounges only, four a quarter. No airport lounge access is listed on the product page.
Select gets two domestic airport lounge visits a quarter (up to eight a year), shared between primary and add-on cardholders, plus four railway lounge visits a quarter.
Wealth gets one domestic and one international airport lounge visit a quarter via DreamFolks, plus four railway visits a year. Fewer domestic visits than Select, but the international visit is the only one in the family.
For someone who flies domestically eight times a year, Select is worth more than Wealth on lounges. For someone who flies abroad four times a year, Wealth is the only one of the three that helps.
Who should get it
Get Wealth if:
- You clear ₹36 lakh of annual income and want the international lounge visit and the highest limit.
- You travel abroad; the zero forex markup and the DreamFolks visit are the card's case.
Get Select if:
- You clear ₹12 lakh and fly domestically; two visits a quarter is the best lounge count in the family.
- You want a free card with a real welcome bonus on an EMI purchase.
Get Millennia if:
- Your income is between ₹3 lakh and ₹12 lakh; it is the same rewards programme at the lowest bar, and its 650+ score requirement makes it one of the more accessible cards in India.
- You book hotels through the FIRST Rewards Gallery, where the 20% bonus applies.
Pair any of them with:
- A category cashback card such as SBI Cashback or Amazon Pay ICICI for online spend, where the IDFC cards' 0.375% base is out-earned ten to one. Use the IDFC card for international spend, dining and travel bookings, and as the free card that anchors your credit file.
Applying and moving between the three
All three cards are applied for on the IDFC FIRST Bank site or app with PAN, Aadhaar and income proof, and the bank decides which tier to issue against the income it can verify. If you apply for Wealth and fall short of the bar, IDFC typically offers Select or Millennia instead rather than declining outright. Moving up later is a fresh application rather than an upgrade request, so it is worth applying for the highest tier you can document from the start. Reward Points are held per card, and points on a card you close are forfeited, so redeem before switching.
Break-even
There is no fee to recover on any of the three. The only question is whether the ₹20,000 monthly spend gate for lounges is worth meeting. At the blended 0.58% above, ₹20,000 of spend earns about ₹115 of points and unlocks the following month's lounge visits, which on Select are worth about ₹3,000 at two visits. Meeting the gate in the month before a trip is worth doing; meeting it every month is not, unless the spend would have gone on the card anyway.
Common questions
Difference between the three? None on rewards or fee; lounges and income bar only.
Really free? Yes, ₹0 joining and annual, no waiver condition; ₹589 a year for a Wealth add-on.
How does 10X work? Category-based since 2026: dining, travel, international and birthday spend at 10 points per ₹200, 1.25%.
Point value? ₹0.25, valid 24 months.
Which is best? The highest tier your income allows; hold it with a cashback card.
Next steps
- IDFC FIRST Millennia Credit Card
- IDFC FIRST Select Credit Card
- IDFC FIRST Wealth Credit Card
- All IDFC FIRST Bank cards
- Zero annual fee credit cards in India
Last verified: 2026-09-17 against https://www.idfcfirstbank.com/credit-card/millenia, https://www.idfcfirstbank.com/credit-card/select and https://www.idfcfirstbank.com/credit-card/wealth.