The news desk
Updates, decoded.
What changed and whether it matters — grounded in the numbers, not the press release. Subscribe via RSS →
249 of 249 tracker events have stories — the desk publishes hourly. Too fast? Pulse is the monthly rollup →
RBL gates lounges — ₹35k/quarter
RBL Bank now requires ₹35,000 of prior-quarter retail spend to unlock domestic lounge visits for World Safari and Icon cardholders. Add-on cardholders are excluded from lounge access altogether.
Axis caps the Magnus 35-per-₹200 tier at your credit limit
Magnus and Burgundy accelerated earn now stops at your credit limit plus ₹1.5 lakh per statement month, then falls back to 12 per ₹200. Reserve's international 2X gets the same ceiling.
Amex stops earning MR points on fuel
From 12 June 2025, fuel spends on Indian Amex cards earn zero Membership Rewards — though they still count toward monthly milestones.
Amex tightens MRCC's monthly bonus and devalues Gold Collection
MRCC's 1,000-point monthly bonus now needs ₹10,000 in spend to trigger, MR points on inactive accounts expire after three years, and Gold Collection voucher ratios get worse.
Kotak guts Privy League Signature — 20% reward cut
Kotak Mahindra Bank cuts the cash redemption value of Kotak Privy League Signature points by 20% to ₹0.20 and increases the interest rate to 3.5%/month. The card is no longer available for new applicants.
Kotak hikes fees — 1% on utility, fuel, wallet
Kotak Mahindra Bank introduces a 1% fee on utility, fuel, and wallet transactions above certain limits, and a 2% DCC fee on premium cards like White Reserve, affecting heavy spenders. This change is effective from June 1, 2025.
IndiGo BluChip and Accor ALL enable 2-way points conversion
IndiGo BluChip and Accor ALL agree to two-way points conversion, expected to go live in July 2026, potentially resurrecting the Axis EDGE Miles to Accor corridor at up to 90% of its old value. The conversion ratio will decide the value of this partnership.
Amex Platinum Travel kills Flipkart redemption, devalues Taj by 20%
From 1 April 2025, Flipkart vanishes from the Platinum Travel Collection entirely, and Taj vouchers cost roughly 20% more — ₹5,000 now runs 12,500 MR points, ₹10,000 runs 25,000.
YES triples lounge gate to ₹1 lakh
YES Bank increased the quarterly spend required for domestic lounge access on Marquee and Reserv cards to ₹1 lakh, nearly tripling the previous amount of ₹35,000. This change effectively raises the annual spend to ₹4 lakh to maintain the benefit.
YES Bank zeros out gov/ad spends — 0% earn rate
Thirteen YES Bank cards, including Marquee and Reserv, now earn 0 points on government and advertising transactions, effective 1 April 2025. This change is part of the fourth exclusion round in eighteen months, indicating a clear direction of devaluation.
IndusInd hikes redemption fee 49% — ₹149
IndusInd Bank increases redemption fee to ₹149, capping cash-outs at 50% of points balance, affecting cards like Pinnacle and Legend. The new fee is ₹49 higher than before, and cash redemption is now limited.
IndusInd Legend loses lounge access — 100% cut
IndusInd Legend cardholders will no longer receive complimentary lounge access, a 100% cut from the previous 1 visit per quarter. This change takes effect from 7 March 2025, despite the card's ₹5,000 joining fee.
Kotak reprices premium cards — 4 months post ban lift
Kotak Mahindra Bank has repriced its entire premium card portfolio within four months of the RBI lifting its ten-month card-issuance ban. This move indicates a shift in the bank's strategy after regaining the ability to issue new credit cards.
Axis slaps redemption fees on EDGE points and miles
Redeeming EDGE points on the portal now costs ₹99 and transferring to airline miles costs ₹199 — Axis's second cut of 2024.
Hilton's Friday-night special: top hotels get 5,000–10,000 points pricier
Hilton Honors silently raised award prices at dozens of its best properties by 5,000–10,000 points a night, with the Waldorf Astoria Los Cabos Pedregal jumping from 120,000 to 140,000 points overnight.
HSBC TravelOne arrives — a 20-partner airmiles card
HSBC launches TravelOne at ₹4,999: 4X on travel and forex, and 1:1 transfers to ~20 airline and hotel partners including Avios and KrisFlyer.
YES Bank caps travel redemptions at 70% — a 30% haircut
YES Bank now caps travel redemptions at 70% of the invoice, forcing cardholders to pay the remaining 30% in cash, with monthly redemption caps and increased finance charges. This devaluation affects all YES Bank credit cards, including Marquee and Reserv.
ICICI's November purge: rewards, lounges and 1% fees
ICICI excludes rent, government and education from rewards, caps grocery earn, adds a 1% education/utility fee and gates lounge access behind prior spend — across the portfolio, Emeralde Private included.
Vistara flies its last: Club Vistara becomes Maharaja Club
4.5 million Club Vistara members fold into Air India's Maharaja Club at 1:1. The favourite transfer target for Indian card points just moved house.
Standard Chartered halves EaseMyTrip domestic lounges — 2 visits/year
Standard Chartered's EaseMyTrip card now offers only 2 domestic lounge visits per year, down from 4, and loses Priority Pass and complimentary international lounge access. The card's benefits have been significantly reduced, making it less attractive to travelers.