Marriott Bonvoy HDFC Bank vs IDFC FIRST Ashva (2026)
The answer flips at ₹1.5L a month: Marriott Bonvoy HDFC Bank below it, IDFC FIRST Ashva above.
Head to head
| Marriott Bonvoy HDFC Bank | Metric | IDFC FIRST Ashva |
|---|---|---|
| #12 — wins this row | Our rank | #20 |
| ₹3,000/yr | Fee — joining · annual (+ GST) | ₹2,999/yr — wins this row |
| None | Fee waiver | None |
| 3.5% + GST | Forex markup | 1% + GST (Ashva-specific carve-out in the bank-wide MITC) — wins this row |
| 3.75%/mo (45%/yr) | APR | Dynamic 0.71%–3.85%/mo (8.5%–46.2%/yr); overdue rate 3.99%/mo (47.88%/yr) on MAD non-payment |
| 0.9% | Headline earn rate | 1.3% — wins this row |
| Marriott Bonvoy | Currency | IDFC FIRST Reward Points |
| ₹0.65/pt | House value | ₹0.50/pt † |
| Free Night Award (up to 15,000 pts) on fee payment — joining and every renewal | Welcome benefit | 7,500 RP — 2,500 on fee payment + 2,500 each on ₹20k in cycles 2 and 3 (once per customer) |
| 91 of 789 | Lounge doors opened | 93 of 789 — wins this row |
| ₹1L+/month net | Income — salaried | not published |
| ITR ₹15L+/yr | Income — self-employed | not published |
† IDFC FIRST Ashva: Ashva redeems the same IDFC points at ₹0.40 on app travel bookings and ₹0.25 everywhere else — a 20% haircut on Mayura's ₹0.50 house value that earn.base already bakes in.
Gold marks the better side of a row. House value is our ₹-per-point mark for each card's currency — the full valuation index →
Ranking-value face-off
Everyday spend at each card's base rate plus a realistic ~20% at its best accelerator (less for narrow or capped boosters) — milestones, fee waivers and the redemption haircut all at our house ₹/point. That's why the biggest headline rate doesn't automatically win. This is the ranking model, the one that orders the board; each card page prints the earn-rate-only net annual value instead, which reads lower for any card with an accelerator (both models, side by side). Tune it to your own spend in the calculator.
Marriott Bonvoy HDFC Bank wins under ₹1.5L/month; IDFC FIRST Ashva takes over above it.
Where the lead changes hands
The lead changes hands at ₹1.5L a month: Marriott Bonvoy HDFC Bank is ahead by ₹5,687 at ₹0.25L, IDFC FIRST Ashva by ₹1,42,193 at ₹5L.
Marriott Bonvoy HDFC Bank's ongoing earn stops at ₹1,50,000 of spend a month, where IDFC FIRST Ashva's doesn't; Marriott Bonvoy HDFC Bank pays a renewal bonus whatever you spend, and IDFC FIRST Ashva pays nothing to stay.
Marriott Bonvoy HDFC Bank draws above the line, IDFC FIRST Ashva below · ₹0.25L to ₹5L a month, step by step
| Monthly spend | Marriott Bonvoy HDFC Bank | IDFC FIRST Ashva | In front |
|---|---|---|---|
| ₹0.25L | ₹9,739 | ₹4,052 | Marriott Bonvoy HDFC Bank by ₹5,687 |
| ₹0.5L | ₹22,478 | ₹14,294 | Marriott Bonvoy HDFC Bank by ₹8,184 |
| ₹0.75L | ₹35,217 | ₹27,537 | Marriott Bonvoy HDFC Bank by ₹7,680 |
| ₹1L | ₹38,205 | ₹37,779 | Marriott Bonvoy HDFC Bank by ₹426 |
| ₹1.25L | ₹50,945 | ₹48,022 | Marriott Bonvoy HDFC Bank by ₹2,923 |
| ₹1.5L | ₹53,933 | ₹58,265 | IDFC FIRST Ashva by ₹4,332 |
| ₹1.75L | ₹54,328 | ₹68,507 | IDFC FIRST Ashva by ₹14,179 |
| ₹2L | ₹54,724 | ₹78,750 | IDFC FIRST Ashva by ₹24,026 |
| ₹2.25L | ₹55,119 | ₹88,992 | IDFC FIRST Ashva by ₹33,873 |
| ₹2.5L | ₹55,514 | ₹99,235 | IDFC FIRST Ashva by ₹43,721 |
| ₹2.75L | ₹55,910 | ₹1,09,478 | IDFC FIRST Ashva by ₹53,568 |
| ₹3L | ₹56,305 | ₹1,19,720 | IDFC FIRST Ashva by ₹63,415 |
| ₹3.25L | ₹56,700 | ₹1,29,963 | IDFC FIRST Ashva by ₹73,263 |
| ₹3.5L | ₹57,096 | ₹1,40,205 | IDFC FIRST Ashva by ₹83,109 |
| ₹3.75L | ₹57,491 | ₹1,50,448 | IDFC FIRST Ashva by ₹92,957 |
| ₹4L | ₹57,886 | ₹1,60,691 | IDFC FIRST Ashva by ₹1,02,805 |
| ₹4.25L | ₹58,282 | ₹1,70,933 | IDFC FIRST Ashva by ₹1,12,651 |
| ₹4.5L | ₹58,677 | ₹1,81,176 | IDFC FIRST Ashva by ₹1,22,499 |
| ₹4.75L | ₹59,072 | ₹1,91,418 | IDFC FIRST Ashva by ₹1,32,346 |
| ₹5L | ₹59,468 | ₹2,01,661 | IDFC FIRST Ashva by ₹1,42,193 |
Transfer reach
Full route maps on each card page, best ₹/point routes on the optimizer →
What to watch out for
Marriott Bonvoy HDFC Bank · 3 more →
- Only worth it if you actually stay at Marriott properties
- Bonvoy's dynamic pricing (2025) keeps devaluing points and free nights
- No fee waiver; Diners acceptance still patchy abroad
IDFC FIRST Ashva · 1 more →
- ₹0.40/pt is the ceiling — Ashva points are worth 20% less than Mayura's, ₹0.25 outside app travel
- Closed loop: no airline or hotel transfer partners at all
- Lounge, golf and movie perks all need ₹20k spend the previous month
The call
For the ₹1L/month spender, Marriott Bonvoy HDFC Bank nets ₹38,205 against ₹37,779 — a ₹426 gap. At ₹5L/month, IDFC FIRST Ashva nets ₹2,01,661 against ₹59,468 — a ₹1,42,193 gap. Lounge chasers: IDFC FIRST Ashva opens 93 of 789 tracked doors to Marriott Bonvoy HDFC Bank's 91.
Our standing verdicts: Marriott Bonvoy HDFC Bank — Keep; IDFC FIRST Ashva — Keep. On our board, Marriott Bonvoy HDFC Bank sits at #12 to IDFC FIRST Ashva's #20 — that's the overall call. Your spend pattern can overrule us: run your exact numbers →
Straight answers
Which is better, Marriott Bonvoy HDFC Bank or IDFC FIRST Ashva?
Marriott Bonvoy HDFC Bank. It sits at #12 on our board to IDFC FIRST Ashva's #20. IDFC FIRST Ashva takes 6 of the 8 rounds we can score. Marriott Bonvoy HDFC Bank wins under ₹1.5L/month; IDFC FIRST Ashva takes over above it.
Marriott Bonvoy HDFC Bank or IDFC FIRST Ashva — which earns more at ₹3L a month?
At ₹3L a month, IDFC FIRST Ashva nets ₹1,19,720 against ₹56,305 — a ₹63,415 gap. Those are ranking-value figures: everyday spend at the card's base rate plus a realistic slice at its best accelerator, net of the fee.
Which costs less to hold, Marriott Bonvoy HDFC Bank or IDFC FIRST Ashva?
IDFC FIRST Ashva — ₹2,999/yr against ₹3,000/yr. Marriott Bonvoy HDFC Bank waives its fee at no spend level — there is no waiver; IDFC FIRST Ashva at no spend level — there is no waiver.
Which gets you into more airport lounges, Marriott Bonvoy HDFC Bank or IDFC FIRST Ashva?
Lounge chasers: IDFC FIRST Ashva opens 93 of 789 tracked doors to Marriott Bonvoy HDFC Bank's 91. Visit quotas, guest charges and spend gates are per card — the lounge map carries each one.
How current is this comparison?
Card records last re-verified against their issuers' own documents: Marriott Bonvoy HDFC Bank on 2026-08-05, IDFC FIRST Ashva on 2026-08-01. Every figure on this page — the ranking values, the fee rows, the lounge counts, the transfer ratios — is recomputed from those records each time the site builds, so a devaluation changes the call the day we log it.