The news desk · page 7 of 20
Updates, decoded.
What changed and whether it matters — grounded in the numbers, not the press release. Subscribe via RSS →
372 of 376 tracker events have stories — the desk publishes hourly. Too fast? Pulse is the monthly rollup →
HDFC hikes DCC markup — 1% to 1.75%
HDFC Bank increases its DCC markup to 1.75% across all cards, effective May 15, 2026. This change impacts all international transactions billed in INR, with no exceptions listed.
Regalia Gold gets a new quarterly 'Boarding Edge' travel perk
HDFC adds Boarding Edge to Regalia Gold: upload a boarding pass to SmartBuy and pick two of four travel perks, once per quarter. It arrives on the same effective date as an earn-rate cut.
HDFC quietly nerfs the Regalia Gold — here's what it costs you
The base earn rate drops from 4 points per ₹150 to 5 per ₹200. Small on paper, real in your wallet.
HDFC Regalia's earn rate cut 25% — 4 RP per ₹200
HDFC Regalia's earn rate is cut by 25% to 2 RP per ₹100, effective return falls from ~1.33% to 1% at ₹0.50 flight-redemption value. This change affects only the legacy Regalia card, which is closed to new applicants.
Bank of Maharashtra exits credit card business
Bank of Maharashtra is exiting the credit card business and handing its cardholders to SBI Card, with existing cards being closed and holders offered a co-branded card instead. All running EMIs will be foreclosed without penalty, with the total outstanding becoming payable.
AU Ananta tops new deck — ₹2,000 fee
AU Small Finance Bank relaunches its card range with Ananta as the top card, offering 16 lounge visits and 50k milestone points for a ₹2,000 fee, but the redemption value remains low at ₹0.25 per point. This translates to a 1.25% reward rate, making it a less attractive option for users.
BOBCARD Eterna stays free — ₹2,499 waived
BOBCARD Eterna's lifetime-free offer has been extended to July 31, 2026, with zero joining and annual fees, and the card offers 3.75% statement-credit value on online spends and unlimited domestic lounges. This extension indicates the ₹2,499 fee may not be reinstated soon.
TAP Miles&Go repriced every India award — the Gulf left Asia
TAP's new Star Alliance table took effect for tickets issued after 4 May 2026 and moved every cell an Indian traveller can reach. Intra-Asia went 40k/60k to 50k/70k, the Gulf was carved into a Middle East zone at 60k/80k, Europe and North America both hit 80k/125k, and the flat sub-Saharan Africa cell split — Nairobi to 110k/250k, Johannesburg down to 80k/110k.
Airtel Axis loses lounge access — 4 visits axed
The Airtel Axis card no longer offers 4 complimentary domestic lounge visits, effective 12 April 2026. Cashback benefits have also been scaled back, making the card less attractive to users who valued its lounge access and cashback rewards.
Airtel Axis card loses its four lounge visits
From 12 April 2026 Axis stripped all four complimentary domestic lounge visits off the Airtel co-brand, tied its cashback caps to prior spend, and cut the 10% on Swiggy, Zomato and BigBasket. A cheap lounge key for a lot of wallets just stopped turning.
AU doubles lounge spend gate — ₹30,000 more
AU Small Finance Bank increases the required prior-quarter spend for complimentary domestic lounge visits from ₹20,000 to ₹50,000. This change affects cards like AU Zenith and AU Vetta, making it harder for users to access lounges without additional spend.
Axis pulls Marriott, Accor and Qatar from EDGE transfers overnight
Three of the most useful transfer routes vanished with almost no notice. Move your miles.
AU stops paying reward points on transportation codes — 1 April 2026
AU Small Finance Bank has stopped paying reward points on transportation codes for several cards, effective 1st April 2026. This change affects the CA, Xcite, Xcite Ultra, and Altura+ cards, but not the ixigo AU co-brand variants.
Axis closes the Atlas to new applicants
It's confirmed: Axis Bank has stopped issuing the Atlas, its flagship mid-tier travel card, to new applicants. No press release, no exact date — the card simply left the application pipeline in early 2026. Existing cardholders keep the card, their EDGE Miles, and lounge access.
BOBCARD clips big tickets — 1% fee
BOBCARD introduces a 1% fee on railway bookings over ₹30,000, toll and bus charges over ₹5,000, and education payments via apps, while telecom spends now earn core points. This change affects most BOBCARD holders, except One, Uni, and Scapia co-brand cardholders, starting April 1, 2026.
HDFC adds an ₹18L/year retention rule to keep the Infinia
From 1 April 2026, retaining an HDFC Infinia requires ₹18 lakh in annual spend (EMI excluded) or a ₹50 lakh HDFC relationship — separate from, and steeper than, the ₹10L fee waiver.
IndusInd Pinnacle loses free lounge access — ₹ spend gate
IndusInd Pinnacle's domestic lounge access now requires a spend criterion to be met from July 2026 quarter, with the bank tracking spend from 1 April 2026. This change affects the card's complimentary lounge visits, making them conditional on prior spend.
ITA Airways joins Star Alliance — 350+ daily flights
ITA Airways joins Star Alliance as its 26th member, adding 350+ daily flights to the network, and Indian cardholders can now earn and burn points on ITA metal using Maharaja Club and KrisFlyer. This development plugs Rome Fiumicino and Milan Linate into the Star Alliance network.
Maharaja Club gets cheaper awards and faster crediting
Air India drops domestic awards to 1,500 points, cabin upgrades to 4,000, credits Star Alliance miles within two hours, and eases Platinum to 60 flights.
SBI kills Etihad Guest cards — 0 miles/₹100
SBI Card has phased out its Etihad Guest co-brands, replacing them with SBI MILES cards that earn SBI Travel Credits. This eliminates India's only direct 6 miles/₹100 earning rate into Etihad Guest, now only available through BOBCARD's co-brands.