Question 1

What is the annual fee on the FIRST Select and how do you get it waived?

Accepted Answer

The FIRST Select is a lifetime free card, so there is no joining fee and no renewal fee to recover. Everything you earn on it is net gain, which also means the only thing worth watching is the reward caps and the excluded categories. Check that the card still has no fee on your welcome letter, because IDFC FIRST Bank prices some variants differently.

RECENT CHANGES

Terms were revised recently — verify current fee, reward and exclusion terms before you apply.

Question 2

What is the reward rate on the FIRST Select?

Accepted Answer

You earn 10 points per ₹200 on Incremental spends above ₹20 and similar spends. Everything else earns 1 point per ₹200. Each point is worth about ₹0.25 when you redeem it well, so ₹10,000 of top category spend gives you 500 points, roughly ₹125, which is about 1.2% back.

Question 3

Does the FIRST Select give free airport lounge access?

Accepted Answer

The FIRST Select gives 4 complimentary domestic lounge visits a year, usually capped at 1 per quarter. International lounge visits are capped at 4 a year. There is no prior spend requirement on paper, though IDFC FIRST Bank has been moving cards to spend linked access, so confirm before you rely on it at the airport.

Question 4

What changed on the FIRST Select recently and is it still worth it in 2026?

Accepted Answer

Devalued (Apr 2026 (Mar 2026 cycle)): Lounge reduced; base ₹150→₹200; FASTag/railway/govt/education cut to 0.5X + 1% surcharges. The changes are dated Apr 2026 (Mar 2026 cycle). It costs nothing to hold, so keep it as a backup card and stop treating it as your main one if your top category no longer earns.

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FIRST Select

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