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Best of · July 2026

The cheapest way to swipe abroad.

The standard Indian credit card takes 3.5% + GST on every foreign swipe — ₹4,130 quietly gone per ₹1L abroad. Scapia (Federal Bank) charges 0%. That is the whole argument. Every card below is ranked by its published MITC forex markup, cheapest first.

Computed from the data desk · July 2026 build

The top three

#1 the call Keep

Scapia (Federal Bank)

0%

forex markup

Nil — 0% markup (official KFS) · ₹0 per ₹1L abroad, GST in

#2 Keep

RBL World Safari

0%

forex markup

Nil — 0% markup, a World Safari-specific carve-out (3.5% standard on RBL cards) · ₹0 per ₹1L abroad, GST in

#3 Keep

BOBCARD Etihad Guest Premium

0%

forex markup

Nil — 0% markup, Premium-specific (the non-premium Etihad Guest pays 1%) · ₹0 per ₹1L abroad, GST in

The rest of the field

# Card forex markup The math
4 IDFC FIRST Mayura 0% Nil — 0% markup on foreign currency and DCC transactions · ₹0 per ₹1L abroad, GST in
5 IDFC FIRST Private 0% Nil — 0% markup on foreign currency and DCC transactions · ₹0 per ₹1L abroad, GST in
6 MakeMyTrip ICICI Bank 0.99% 0.99% + GST · ₹1,168 per ₹1L abroad, GST in
7 AU Zenith+ 0.99% 0.99% + GST — the lowest forex tier across AU's lineup · ₹1,168 per ₹1L abroad, GST in
8 HSBC Premier (Metal) 0.99% 0.99% + GST · ₹1,168 per ₹1L abroad, GST in
9 OneCard Metal 1% 1% + GST · ₹1,180 per ₹1L abroad, GST in
10 IDFC FIRST Ashva 1% 1% + GST (Ashva-specific carve-out in the bank-wide MITC) · ₹1,180 per ₹1L abroad, GST in
11 YES Bank Marquee 1% 1% + GST (DCC on INR-billed international transactions also 1%) · ₹1,180 per ₹1L abroad, GST in
12 ICICI Times Black 1.49% 1.49% + GST (card-specific carve-out in the MITC; standard ICICI rate is 3.5%) · ₹1,758 per ₹1L abroad, GST in
13 IndusInd Tiger 1.5% 1.5% + GST · ₹1,770 per ₹1L abroad, GST in
14 IDFC FIRST Wealth 1.5% 1.5% + GST · ₹1,770 per ₹1L abroad, GST in
15 IndusInd Avios Visa Infinite 1.5% 1.5% at preferred international destinations, 3.5% all other + GST · ₹1,770 per ₹1L abroad, GST in
16 Axis Bank Reserve 1.5% 1.5% + GST · ₹1,770 per ₹1L abroad, GST in
17 IndusInd Legend 1.8% 1.8% + GST · ₹2,124 per ₹1L abroad, GST in
18 SBI Card MILES ELITE 1.99% 1.99% + GST (also 1.99% DCC on INR-billed international transactions ≥₹1,000) · ₹2,348 per ₹1L abroad, GST in
19 AU Zenith 1.99% 1.99% + GST · ₹2,348 per ₹1L abroad, GST in
20 Federal Bank Celesta 2% 2% + GST · ₹2,360 per ₹1L abroad, GST in
21 Tata Neu Infinity HDFC Bank 2% 2% + GST · ₹2,360 per ₹1L abroad, GST in
22 BOBCARD Eterna 2% 2% + GST — Eterna/Tiara carve-out (most other BOBCARDs 3.5%) · ₹2,360 per ₹1L abroad, GST in
23 YES Bank RESERV 2% 2% + GST (1.75% before 15-Jun-2026) · ₹2,360 per ₹1L abroad, GST in
24 HDFC Regalia Gold 2% 2% + GST · ₹2,360 per ₹1L abroad, GST in
25 Kotak Privy League Signature 2% 2% (paid variant); 3.5% (free variant) · ₹2,360 per ₹1L abroad, GST in
26 Standard Chartered Ultimate 2% 2% + GST (Ultimate-specific; 3.5% on other SC cards) · ₹2,360 per ₹1L abroad, GST in
27 HDFC Diners Club Black Metal 2% 2% + GST · ₹2,360 per ₹1L abroad, GST in
28 ICICI Emeralde Private Metal 2% 2% + GST · ₹2,360 per ₹1L abroad, GST in
29 HDFC Infinia Metal 2% 2% + GST · ₹2,360 per ₹1L abroad, GST in
30 Axis Magnus (legacy) 2% 2% + GST · ₹2,360 per ₹1L abroad, GST in
31 Kotak White Reserve 2% 2% (+ 2% DCC) · ₹2,360 per ₹1L abroad, GST in
32 Axis Magnus for Burgundy 2% 2% + GST · ₹2,360 per ₹1L abroad, GST in
33 SBI Card MILES PRIME 2.5% 2.5% + GST · ₹2,950 per ₹1L abroad, GST in
34 AU Vetta 2.99% 2.99% + GST — the highest of AU's travel cards · ₹3,528 per ₹1L abroad, GST in
35 SBI Card MILES 3% 3% + GST · ₹3,540 per ₹1L abroad, GST in
36 AU Ananta 3.49% 3.49% + GST (Ananta sits in AU's bottom forex tier — Zenith+ gets 0.99%, ixigo AU 0%) · ₹4,118 per ₹1L abroad, GST in
37 Standard Chartered EaseMyTrip 3.5% 3.5% + GST · ₹4,130 per ₹1L abroad, GST in
38 HDFC Diners Club Privilege 3.5% 3.5% + GST · ₹4,130 per ₹1L abroad, GST in
39 IRCTC SBI Card Premier 3.5% 3.5% + GST · ₹4,130 per ₹1L abroad, GST in
40 ICICI Bank Rubyx 3.5% 3.5% + GST · ₹4,130 per ₹1L abroad, GST in
41 Marriott Bonvoy HDFC Bank 3.5% 3.5% + GST · ₹4,130 per ₹1L abroad, GST in
42 Axis Horizon 3.5% 3.5% + GST · ₹4,130 per ₹1L abroad, GST in
43 Axis Bank SELECT 3.5% 3.5% + GST · ₹4,130 per ₹1L abroad, GST in
44 Axis Miles & More World 3.5% 3.5% + GST · ₹4,130 per ₹1L abroad, GST in
45 ICICI Sapphiro 3.5% 3.5% + GST · ₹4,130 per ₹1L abroad, GST in
46 Amex Membership Rewards Card 3.5% 3.5% + GST · ₹4,130 per ₹1L abroad, GST in
47 Axis Miles & More World Select 3.5% 3.5% + GST · ₹4,130 per ₹1L abroad, GST in
48 Amex Gold Charge 3.5% 3.5% + GST · ₹4,130 per ₹1L abroad, GST in
49 HSBC TravelOne 3.5% 3.5% + GST · ₹4,130 per ₹1L abroad, GST in
50 Axis Atlas 3.5% 3.5% + GST · ₹4,130 per ₹1L abroad, GST in
51 Amex Platinum Travel 3.5% 3.5% + GST · ₹4,130 per ₹1L abroad, GST in
52 Adani One ICICI Bank Signature 3.5% 3.5% + GST · ₹4,130 per ₹1L abroad, GST in
53 RBL Icon 3.5% 3.5% + GST · ₹4,130 per ₹1L abroad, GST in
54 Emirates Skywards ICICI Bank Sapphiro 3.5% 3.5% + GST · ₹4,130 per ₹1L abroad, GST in
55 Amex Platinum Reserve 3.5% 3.5% + GST · ₹4,130 per ₹1L abroad, GST in
56 Emirates Skywards ICICI Bank Emeralde 3.5% 3.5% + GST · ₹4,130 per ₹1L abroad, GST in
57 IndusInd Pinnacle World 3.5% 3.5% + GST · ₹4,130 per ₹1L abroad, GST in
58 Amex Platinum Charge 3.5% 3.5% + GST · ₹4,130 per ₹1L abroad, GST in

How this is computed

Ranked by the forex markup published in each issuer's MITC / fees-and-charges document (data on our fine-print desk), lowest first; ties break on the lower annual fee. The ₹-per-₹1L figure adds the 18% GST issuers levy on the markup. Cards whose MITC we haven't researched yet are listed unranked below — we don't invent a number to fill a cell.

Same engines as the calculator, the optimizer and the lounge map. When the data moves, this page moves — see the tracker.

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