OneCard Metal vs Federal Bank Celesta (2026)
Two lifetime-free cards that barely pay: OneCard's 1% forex and no lounge vs Celesta's 2% forex and two free international lounges — pick the perk you'll actually use.
Head to head
| Metric | OneCard Metal | Federal Bank Celesta |
|---|---|---|
| Our rank | #56 | #57 |
| Annual fee | ₹0 + GST | ₹0 + GST |
| Fee waiver | None | None |
| Forex markup | 1% + GST | 2% + GST |
| APR | Varies by issuing bank; OneCard app quotes a dynamic rate (~1.5%–3.5%/mo) set per issuer | 1.99%–3.75%/mo (23.88%–45%/yr), risk-based — range published on the official card page |
| Effective reward rate | 0.2% | 0.3% |
| Currency | OneCard Reward Points | Federal Bank Reward Points |
| House value | ₹0.10/pt | ₹0.25/pt |
| Welcome benefit | None — lifetime free with no joining bonus; the 1% forex is the pitch | ₹600 Amazon Pay gift voucher on ₹10,000 spend within 30 days |
| Lounge doors opened | 0 of 644 | 588 of 644 |
| Income — salaried | not published | not published |
| Income — self-employed | not published | not published |
Gold marks the better side of a row. House value is our ₹-per-point mark for each card's currency — the full valuation index →
Net annual 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. Tune it to your own spend in the calculator.
OneCard Metal out-earns Federal Bank Celesta at every spend level we model, from ₹25k to ₹5L a month.
Transfer reach
Full route maps on each card page, best ₹/point routes on the optimizer →
The call
For the ₹1L/month spender, OneCard Metal nets ₹3,840 against ₹3,720 — a ₹120 gap. At ₹5L/month, OneCard Metal nets ₹19,200 against ₹18,600 — a ₹600 gap. Lounge chasers: Federal Bank Celesta opens 588 of 644 tracked doors to OneCard Metal's 0.
Our standing verdicts: OneCard Metal — Keep; Federal Bank Celesta — Keep. On our board, OneCard Metal sits at #56 to Federal Bank Celesta's #57 — that's the overall call. Your spend pattern can overrule us: run your exact numbers →