Travel & Lounge · India 2026

Best Lifetime Free Travel & Lounge Credit Cards in India (2026)

Compare lifetime-free travel cards on the benefits that actually matter: airport lounge access, forex markup, travel rewards, booking benefits and the conditions attached to complimentary access.

₹0 Joining & Annual Fee Focus Travel + Lounge Last verified: 2 October 2026

Quick answer: Two travel cards stand out for different use cases: ixigo AU Credit Card combines travel rewards, zero forex markup and lounge benefits, while Scapia Federal Credit Card combines zero joining/annual fees, zero forex markup, travel rewards and monthly-spend-based domestic airport privileges. Both are currently presented as lifetime-free products, but lounge eligibility and other benefits are subject to conditions. AU official details and Scapia official details.

Our LTF definition ₹0 joining fee + ₹0 annual fee. We separately disclose spending conditions attached to lounge or other benefits.

See all LTF cards

Travel LTF Cards at a Glance

Travel + Lounge

ixigo AU Credit Card

0% Forex

Travel-focused co-branded card with 2.5% rewards, ixigo travel benefits and complimentary lounge access subject to spend conditions.

Best fit: Users who book travel on ixigo and want low-cost international spending.

Read full review

Travel + Everyday

Scapia Federal Credit Card

0% Forex

Lifetime-free travel card issued by Federal Bank, with travel rewards, zero forex markup and domestic airport privileges unlocked through qualifying spend.

Best fit: Travellers who want a travel-centric rewards ecosystem and international spending benefits.

Check official offer

1. ixigo AU Credit Card

The ixigo AU Credit Card is one of the most travel-oriented LTF cards in the current Indian market. AU currently lists zero forex markup, 2.5% rewards, ixigo travel discounts and complimentary airport and railway lounge benefits.

Feature	Current information
Joining fee	₹0
Annual fee	₹0 — currently offered as lifetime free for a limited period
Forex markup	0%
Rewards	2.5% on every ₹200 spent
Domestic airport lounge	2 complimentary visits per quarter after ₹50,000 spend in the previous calendar quarter
Railway lounge	2 complimentary visits per calendar quarter
International lounge	1 complimentary visit every year
Travel benefits	Up to 10% off on eligible ixigo hotel, flight and bus bookings

AU's current product page is important here because the card is simultaneously described as lifetime free and as being offered lifetime free for a limited period. We therefore classify it as currently LTF / limited-period offer, rather than implying that the promotion can never change.

Lounge access: the condition most readers miss

The headline lounge benefit should not be read as unconditional. AU currently states that domestic airport lounge access requires ₹50,000 of spend in a calendar quarter, which unlocks two complimentary visits per quarter in the subsequent quarter. Railway lounge access has a separate allowance, and the international benefit is one complimentary visit per year.

Source: AU Small Finance Bank — ixigo AU Credit Card.

2. Scapia Federal Credit Card

The Scapia Federal Credit Card is issued by Federal Bank in partnership with Scapia. Scapia currently advertises zero joining fees, zero annual fees and zero forex fees, with travel rewards and airport privileges built around the Scapia app.

Feature	Current information
Joining fee	Nil
Annual fee	Nil
Forex markup	0% on eligible international spends; SmartForex is available on the Visa card
Rewards	Rewards converted to Scapia Coins
Domestic lounge	Unlimited domestic airport privileges after the applicable monthly spend condition
Travel redemption	Scapia Coins can be used for flights, stays, buses, trains and other services on the Scapia platform
RuPay variant	Available for UPI-focused spending, subject to current eligibility and terms

Scapia's current website states that unlimited domestic lounge access unlocks on combined monthly spend of ₹20,000 across its Visa and RuPay cards. The Federal Bank terms have also documented spend-based lounge eligibility. Always check the current app/card terms because benefit mechanics can change.

Sources: Scapia official website · Federal Bank Key Fact Sheet.

ixigo AU vs Scapia

Factor	ixigo AU	Scapia Federal
Joining fee	₹0	₹0
Annual fee	₹0 — limited-period LTF offer	₹0
Forex	0%	0%
Core travel ecosystem	ixigo	Scapia app
Rewards	2.5% on every ₹200 spent	Scapia Coins with travel redemption
Domestic airport access	2/quarter after qualifying previous-quarter spend	Unlimited after applicable monthly spend condition
International lounge	1 complimentary visit/year	Current airport privileges depend on the applicable Scapia programme
Railway lounge	2/quarter	Check current Scapia/Federal Bank terms
UPI	Not the main proposition	RuPay variant supports UPI functionality, subject to terms

What Does "Free Lounge Access" Actually Mean?

This is one of the most important points when comparing travel cards. A card can be lifetime free while lounge access is conditional.

Check before travelling

Minimum spend required?
Is the spend measured in the previous or current quarter?
How many complimentary visits are available?
Are guests included?
Is international access separate from domestic access?
Is Priority Pass required?

Do not confuse these

₹0 annual fee ≠ unlimited lounge access.
Zero forex ≠ zero charges for every overseas transaction.
A lounge visit can still become chargeable after the free quota.
Airport lounge eligibility can change independently of the annual fee.
Partner-lounge lists can change.

How to Choose a Travel LTF Card

If you mostly travel within India

Look at domestic airport and railway lounge conditions first. The number printed on a product page matters less than the spend required to unlock those visits.

If you travel internationally

Forex markup becomes a major consideration. A 0% forex card can reduce the issuer markup on eligible foreign-currency transactions, but you should still review the applicable exchange-rate and transaction terms.

If you book through a specific travel platform

A co-branded card can make more sense when you actually use the partner platform. ixigo AU is built around ixigo travel benefits, while Scapia integrates rewards and travel redemption into the Scapia app.

Are These Cards Really Lifetime Free?

ixigo AU: AU currently lists the card as lifetime free, but its FAQ explicitly says the LTF offer is currently for a limited period. We therefore recommend checking the offer displayed at application time.

Scapia Federal: Scapia currently advertises zero joining and annual fees, and Federal Bank's available Key Fact Sheet lists both joining and annual membership fees as nil.

Travel LTF Checklist

Confirm joining fee is ₹0.
Confirm annual fee is ₹0.
Check whether the LTF status is permanent or promotional.
Check the lounge spend threshold.
Check the number of domestic and international visits.
Check whether lounge access requires Priority Pass.
Check forex markup and applicable transaction charges.
Check reward redemption rules and expiry.
Check whether travel-platform discounts are capped or conditional.
Read the issuer's current MITC/KFS before applying.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which LTF cards are useful for international travel?

ixigo AU and Scapia are two currently available LTF-oriented travel cards with 0% forex markup advertised by their respective providers. The detailed lounge and reward conditions differ.

Does ixigo AU have zero forex markup?

Yes. AU currently lists zero forex markup on spends outside India.

Is ixigo AU lounge access completely free?

Complimentary lounge access is subject to the applicable visit quota and, for domestic airport lounges, a qualifying spend condition. The international lounge benefit is separately limited to one complimentary visit per year.

Is Scapia lifetime free?

Scapia currently advertises zero joining fees and zero annual fees. Federal Bank's current available Key Fact Sheet also lists joining and annual membership fees as nil.

Does zero forex mean there are no charges abroad?

No. Zero forex markup refers specifically to the issuer's foreign-currency markup. Other charges, exchange-rate effects, cash-advance charges and transaction-specific fees can still apply.

Our Travel LTF Methodology

How this page was built

We first verified the current fee positioning from issuer or product sources. We then compared the travel-specific value proposition: forex markup, lounge access, rewards, travel-platform benefits and qualifying conditions.

We do not treat "free lounge access" as an unconditional benefit when the issuer requires a qualifying spend. The page therefore shows the conditions alongside the headline benefit.

Explore More LTF Credit Cards

Disclaimer

This article is for informational purposes only and is not financial advice. Credit-card fees, lounge access, rewards, eligibility and promotional offers can change. Verify the latest issuer terms and Key Fact Sheet before applying.

Last verified: 2 October 2026 Category: Travel & Lounge LTF Credit Cards