The news desk · page 9 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 Bank Business Regalia lounge visits now voucher-based — 2/quarter
HDFC Bank Business Regalia cardholders will no longer be able to access domestic lounges by swiping their card, instead receiving 2 vouchers per quarter after spending ₹1 lakh in the previous quarter. The vouchers must be downloaded from the portal before visiting the lounge.
IDFC FIRST unveils Gaj, an invite-only ₹12,500 metal flagship
Gaj: caps the Ashva-Mayura-Gaj trilogy — invite-only for Private Banking clients at ₹12,500+GST, offset by 12,500 Reward Points (1RP=₹1) on in-app travel, with 0% forex and 1:1 earn.
RBI freezes new OneCard issuance across every partner bank
The Reserve Bank told every bank issuing a OneCard to stop onboarding new customers while it examines how FPL Technologies shares cardholder data. Existing cards keep working — the freeze is at the front door, and it has not lifted since.
SBI discontinues OLA Money card — 1% reward, ₹499 fee
SBI Card discontinues OLA Money SBI Card, replacing it with SimplyCLICK or SimplySAVE SBI Credit Card, with a fee of ₹499 per year from the second year, and accumulated Reward Points in the OLA Money wallet will not be transferred to the new card. The replacement cards have a different reward structure, and cardholders should spend down their OLA Money wallet balance before the replacement card arrives.
HDFC kills 6E Rewards — 2 cards, 1 currency
HDFC Bank discontinued its 6E Rewards IndiGo co-brands, migrating existing holders to a different card and sunsetting the 6E Rewards programme, with unused balances converted to IndiGo BluChip at 1:1. The cards were closed to new applications from 1 Nov 2025.
KrisFlyer devalues: the Indian points geek's favourite target gets pricier
Business and First saver awards rise 5%, Advantage awards 15%, and Star Alliance redemptions 5–12%. Every HDFC, Axis, Amex and HSBC transfer just bought less.
SBI adds 1% on third-party education and wallet loads
SBI Card now charges 1% on education payments routed through third-party apps and on wallet loads. Pay the college directly and you're fine.
Federal gates lounge access — ₹20,000/quarter
Federal Bank now requires a minimum quarterly spend of ₹20,000 for 1 domestic lounge visit on Signet, ₹40,000 for 2 visits on Imperio, and ₹60,000 for 2 visits on Celesta. This change affects primary cardholders and add-on cardholders do not get lounge access regardless of spend.
DreamFolks exits India's domestic lounges — the door everyone used just closed
DreamFolks stopped domestic lounge access from 16 September 2025 after Adani, Semolina Kitchens and Encalm pulled their lounges off its platform. The aggregator behind most Indian cards' 'complimentary lounge' line is gone, and access now splinters across Adani LoungeOne, Encalm and Elite Assist.
DreamFolks exits lounge business — chaos for Indian cardholders
DreamFolks stops domestic lounge access from 16 Sep 2025, affecting almost every Indian bank/airline card, with the network splintering across Adani LoungeOne, Encalm, and bank-specific partners. Cardholders face chaos as 'complimentary domestic lounge' benefits are now uncertain until banks re-paper deals.
Air India suspends Delhi–Washington Dulles
Air India suspends its Delhi–Washington Dulles nonstop service from 1 Sep 2025, with no return before end-2026, affecting award bookers with one fewer Star Alliance nonstop between India and the US East Coast. The suspension impacts Maharaja Club and partner-mile redemptions to DC, which now connect through New York, Newark or Europe.
Taj InnerCircle–NeuPass expands to Shangri-La, oneworld and more
IHCL's loyalty programme adds reciprocal perks with Shangri-La Circle, MyMillennium and a oneworld partnership, with Copper and Silver tiers earning 4–5 NeuCoins per ₹100.
Unity flattens BharatPe card's earn grid — 2% across all bands
Unity Small Finance Bank has changed the earn grid for the BharatPe card to a flat 2% across all spend bands, effective from 14 August 2025, with the ₹1-₹999 band now earning 2% instead of 0%. This change makes roughly ₹240 a year the honest ceiling on what this card pays a holder who refuses to borrow.
SBI Card pulls free air accident insurance from its top cards
SBI Card Elite, Miles Elite, Miles Prime, Prime and Pulse lose their complimentary air accident insurance — cover that ran up to ₹1 crore — with no replacement offered.
HDFC slaps 1% fees on rent, wallet loads and gaming spend
From 1 July 2025, HDFC charges 1% (capped at ₹4,999 per transaction) on rent payments and wallet loads above ₹10,000/month, and bans rewards entirely on skill-gaming spends over ₹10,000.
HDFC swaps daily insurance-reward caps for tighter monthly ones
HDFC replaces daily reward caps on insurance-category spend with flat monthly ceilings: 10,000 points on Infinia, 5,000 on Diners Black and its metal, H.O.G. and BizBlack siblings.
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.