IDFC FIRST launches zero-forex Diamond Reserve card
IDFC FIRST launches Diamond Reserve at ₹3,000+GST: 0% forex markup, 60 RP per ₹150 on app hotel bookings, 40 RP per ₹150 on flights, and 4 lounge visits per quarter.
A launch, for once. IDFC FIRST’s Diamond Reserve arrived on 6 January 2026 at ₹3,000+GST with the headline number that matters: a genuinely 0% forex markup. Until now, no travel card at the ₹3,000 fee tier offered that.
The earn structure is aggressive where it counts: 60 RP per ₹150 on app hotel bookings and 40 RP per ₹150 on flights, both worth ₹0.25 per point. Add 2 domestic and 2 international lounge visits every quarter, plus lifetime-valid points, and the mid-premium field suddenly has a fee-to-value problem to answer.
The timing is the story. In a year defined by devaluations from HDFC, Axis, ICICI and SBI, Diamond Reserve is one of the rare cards adding value instead of taking it away.
Our take: 0% forex at ₹3,000 undercuts the whole premium travel field. If international spend is your main game, this card just made several pricier rivals harder to justify.