PowerMiles Credit Card

Built for people who spend abroad

Equitas PowerMiles is for someone who spends ₹1 lakh or more a year in foreign currency, on trips or on international websites, and who can put about ₹40,000 a month on one card. If that is not you, the ₹5,000 + GST fee is hard to earn back.

What you get for that fee is confirmed by the bank: 3 reward points per ₹100, 3X on eligible international spends, a 2% forex markup and lounge visits every quarter. Our card record values points at ₹0.50 each for travel, vouchers and catalogue redemptions.

The 3X math on ₹1 lakh of foreign spend

Equitas describes international POS and online spends as earning 3X. On a 3-point base, that most likely means 9 points per ₹100, though the bank does not spell it out.

At 9 points, ₹1 lakh of foreign spend earns 9,000 points, worth about ₹4,500. The 2% markup on that spend is ₹2,000, plus GST on the markup. You net roughly 2.1%, which still beats the 3.5% markup many Indian cards charge before giving you anything back.

On domestic spends, 3 points per ₹100 at ₹0.50 is about 1.5%. Fuel, rent, wallet loads, government payments, cash and EMI earn nothing, and Equitas says accelerated points depend on how the merchant is coded.

₹4.8 lakh to make the fee go away

The joining fee of ₹5,000 comes back as cashback if you meet a spend condition within a set time, but GST is not refunded. Ask for the exact amount and deadline before you apply.

The renewal fee is waived only if you spend ₹4,80,000 in the previous anniversary year, about ₹40,000 a month. Spend that much on eligible purchases and you also earn about 14,400 points, roughly ₹7,200. Fall well short and the card costs about ₹5,900 a year from year two.

The other benefits:

• 2 domestic and 1 international lounge visit every quarter. Unused visits lapse, and guests pay.
• Club Marriott and EazyDiner memberships, which you must activate within 90 days of getting the card.

Waiting on 1:1 miles

The feature users talk about most is the promised 1:1 transfer of points to airline and hotel partners. Equitas said it would be available from September 2026. We cannot confirm it has launched, and 8 threads in the sentiment report describe repeated delays. Users name British Airways and Qatar as expected partners.

Until transfers are live, value your points at ₹0.50 each, the rate available today. Do not hold a large balance for a feature you cannot use yet.

Tiers, onboarding and card blocks

Users also describe a tier system, with higher rewards and zero forex at a top "Diamond" tier unlocked by high spending in each month of a calendar quarter. This is not in our bank-confirmed data, and Equitas also sells a PowerMiles debit card with tiers, so get the current credit card terms in writing before you plan around them.

Users report other friction too: being asked to open an Equitas account, eKYC questions during onboarding, and a few sudden card blocks while abroad. Carry a backup card when you travel.

Where PowerMiles lands for us

Apply if you are a heavy international spender who will cross ₹4.8 lakh a year and use the quarterly international lounge. The confirmed 2% markup and ₹0.50 points already make it good for foreign spends, and working miles transfers would be a bonus.

If you want an established miles programme today, users prefer the Axis Atlas. If you want zero forex without spend targets, they point to Scapia. For more options, read our travel credit cards guide.

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