IDFC FIRST Bank Ashva Metal Credit Card

Ashva in three lines

• ₹2,999 + GST a year, about ₹3,540, with no spend-based waiver stated.
• A 1% forex markup, which is the main reason people pick it over a regular mid-tier card.
• A ₹20,000 monthly gate that decides your 10X points, your lounge access and, users say, your movie offer.

Not the Mayura Metal Card: that is IDFC's ₹5,999 tier with 0% forex. This page covers Ashva only.

The ₹20,000 line, on two different clocks

Almost every Reddit complaint about Ashva comes back to one number. The confusing part is that it runs on two clocks.

For points, the clock is your statement cycle. The first ₹20,000 earns 5X, which is 5 points per ₹150. Anything above ₹20,000 in that cycle earns 10X.

For lounges, the clock is the calendar month. Spend ₹20,000 this month and you unlock next month's visits: 4 domestic and 2 international per quarter, plus 4 railway lounge visits.

Miss the line and Ashva turns into a ₹3,540 card earning 3.33 points per ₹100, with no lounges. Users also say the buy-one-get-one movie offer, twice a month with up to ₹400 off the second ticket, now needs ₹20,000 of statement spend too. Several users say they closed or downgraded after that change.

A ₹30,000 month, worked out

• First ₹20,000 at 5X: about 667 points.
• Next ₹10,000 at 10X: about 667 points.

That is about 1,333 points. IDFC says a point is worth up to ₹0.40 when you redeem for travel, so the best case is about ₹533 a month, or roughly ₹6,400 a year. Take off the fee and you keep under ₹2,900, and less if you redeem for anything other than travel.

The real upside sits in the IDFC FIRST app, where our record lists a 30X bonus on hotels and 15X on flights; treat those multipliers as unconfirmed until you check IDFC's terms. Holders who book there calculate much higher returns, and one popular thread argued Ashva beat HDFC Regalia Gold on hotels and flights. Confirm the multipliers and caps on IDFC's current terms first, because IDFC said selected features would change from 18 June 2026.

Where the 1% forex pays for the fee

Going from a 3.5% card to Ashva's 1% saves 2.5% on every foreign rupee. To cover ₹3,540 on forex alone, you need about ₹1,40,000 of foreign spend a year. Most holders need the lounges and app bookings as well to come out ahead.

Two lounge warnings from users: premium lounges such as the 080 Lounge at Bengaluru T1 are excluded, and add-on cardholders may not get free access.

Our take on Ashva

Ashva works for a narrow profile: you already spend ₹20,000 or more a month on one card, you travel abroad a few times a year, and you book hotels through the IDFC app. For that person, it returns more than its fee.

If IDFC offers you FIRST Wealth lifetime free, most users say Ashva adds little over it. And if you spend under ₹20,000 a month, a free card will serve you better. More options in our guide to credit cards for travel in India.

Credit Card Information Compiled by: Abhijeet Kumar | Reviewed by: Anmol Ratan Sachdeva