RuPay Platinum Credit Card

The lounge question nobody can answer

The catch with Union Bank's RuPay Platinum credit card is that its best-known perk is the vaguest. Union's page says the card comes with complimentary lounge access, but it does not say how many visits you get or how they work. Much of what you read online about "RuPay Platinum lounge access" is about RuPay Platinum debit cards, which follow different rules.

So do not plan a trip around this card's lounge access until the branch confirms it in writing. What the card does do well is cheap RuPay UPI payments with a fee that is easy to avoid.

This page covers Union Bank of India's RuPay Platinum credit card only. It is not the HSBC RuPay Platinum credit card, and it is not a debit card.

₹2,500 a month keeps it free

The joining fee is nil. The annual fee is ₹350 + GST, about ₹413, and Union waives it in the first year. After that, it is not charged if you used the card for ₹30,000 or more in the previous year. That works out to about ₹2,500 a month, which a few UPI grocery and bill payments can cover.

Some older listings call this card lifetime free, or credit it with cashback, a 3% forex markup, concierge and travel insurance. None of that is on Union's page. The card is not lifetime free; its fee is waived on usage.

0.5% flat, including UPI

You earn 2 reward points per ₹100 and each point is worth ₹0.25, so the card returns 0.5% on everything. There are no bonus categories. ₹30,000 of spend in a year earns 600 points, worth ₹150.

Because the card is RuPay, you can link it to UPI apps and pay merchants by scanning QR codes. Union does not say whether every small UPI payment earns points, so check your first statement.

The other benefits are modest:

• A 1% fuel surcharge waiver, up to ₹100 per billing cycle.
• ₹2 lakh accidental insurance with the premium paid by NPCI, plus an optional ₹10 lakh cover that you pay for.
• Up to 3 add-on cards.

Forex markup, interest and late fees are not on Union's page, so check the MITC before you use it abroad.

Step up to RuPay Select?

If you qualify, Union's RuPay Select earns 4 points per ₹100 (about 1%) and states 8 domestic and 2 international lounge visits a year. Our records list its fee at ₹550, which the bank page does not confirm. For roughly ₹200 more a year, it doubles the earn and removes the lounge guesswork. Ask about both at the same branch visit.

Expect a branch visit

Users describe Union Bank's credit card applications as offline and slow. Some were asked to fill a paper declaration listing every card they already hold, with limits. Others say limits rarely grow without a written request and income proof. Carry your existing card statements when you apply.

Where it fits in your wallet

It suits a Union Bank customer who wants a low-cost RuPay card for UPI payments and will spend ₹2,500 a month on it so the fee never applies. As a rewards card, 0.5% is basic. If you want better returns on UPI and a digital application, look at cards like the Tata Neu Plus HDFC Bank card instead. More on how fee waivers work in our fee waiver guide.

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