2 pts / ₹100 · 20 points/₹100 on eligible blinkit, bookMyShow, easeMyTrip, flipkart, myntra, nykaa, select 10X partners, uber, and zomato
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American Express SmartEarn vs IDFC FIRST Bank HPCL Power Plus Credit Cards – Fees, Lounge, Forex
Side-by-side comparison of the American Express SmartEarn and the IDFC FIRST Bank HPCL Power Plus. Verify fees, lounge access, forex markup, and base rewards before you apply.
The short answer
VerdictPick HPCL Power Plus for lounge access and rewards.
Head-to-head
Three core metrics- Annual fee SmartEarn saves ₹4/yrSmartEarn ₹495 Waivable at ₹40,000 spendHPCL Power Plus ₹499 Waivable at ₹1,50,000 spend
- Forex markup SmartEarn 3.5%HPCL Power Plus 3.5%
- Domestic lounge HPCL Power Plus: +4 lounge visits/yrSmartEarn No complimentary lounge accessHPCL Power Plus 4/year (1 per quarter) Conditional · Domestic: 1/quarter · requires ₹20,000 spend in the previous month (unlocks the following month)
Reward earning explained
Per card1% · Up to 30 pts / ₹150 on HPCL
Strong dataPick based on what matters
3 dimensionsStart with the constraint you care about most: annual fee (American Express SmartEarn: ₹495 vs IDFC FIRST Bank HPCL Power Plus: ₹499), forex markup (3.5% vs 3.5%), or lounge access (No complimentary lounge access vs 4/year (1 per quarter)).
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Forex markup Tie Both cards are similar for forex
Forex markup is 3.5%.
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Lounge access IDFC FIRST Bank HPCL Power Plus wins IDFC FIRST Bank HPCL Power Plus is better for lounge access
IDFC FIRST Bank HPCL Power Plus is stronger here. Domestic lounge access is 1 per quarter.
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Rewards IDFC FIRST Bank HPCL Power Plus wins IDFC FIRST Bank HPCL Power Plus is better for rewards
IDFC FIRST Bank HPCL Power Plus is stronger here. IDFC FIRST Bank HPCL Power Plus conservative base value ~1% vs American Express SmartEarn's ~0.5%.
All fields
Example usage at this monthly spend
At ₹50k/month spend:
- IDFC FIRST HPCL Power Plus: ~₹500/month at base rate
- American Express SmartEarn: ~₹250/month at base rate
Illustrative only, using current base rates before caps.
| Field | SmartEarn American Express | HPCL Power Plus IDFC FIRST Bank |
|---|---|---|
| Insurance — Personal accident cover Only available for IDFC FIRST HPCL Power Plus | Not specified | ₹2 lakh |
| Insurance — Lost card liability cover Only available for IDFC FIRST HPCL Power Plus | Not specified | ₹25,000 |
| Insurance — Underwriter Only available for IDFC FIRST HPCL Power Plus | Not specified | Insured by New India Assurance |
| Lounge Access | ||
| Domestic lounge visits spend-gated on some cards — see caveats No complimentary lounge access vs 4/year (1 per quarter) | No complimentary lounge access | 4/year (1 per quarter) |
| Forex / International Use | ||
| Forex markup | 3.5% | 3.5% |
| Fees | ||
| Recurring annual fee ₹495 vs ₹499 | ₹495 | ₹499 |
| Annual-fee waiver ₹40,000 vs ₹1,50,000 | ₹40,000 | ₹1,50,000 |
| Interest-free period Only available for IDFC FIRST HPCL Power Plus | Not specified | Up to 45 days |
| Monthly interest rate 3.5% / month vs 3.85% / month | 3.5% / month | 3.85% / month |
| Fuel benefit 1% surcharge waiver · ₹5,000+ transactions · Fuel rewards excluded vs No surcharge waiver | 1% surcharge waiver · ₹5,000+ transactions · Fuel rewards excluded | No surcharge waiver |
| Rewards | ||
| Base earn 2 pts / ₹100 vs 1% | 2 pts / ₹100 | 1% |
| Conservative base value ~0.5% vs ~1% | ~0.5% | ~1% |
| Earn ceiling 500 points per month; at 20 pts / ₹100, this lane reaches the cap at ₹2,500 of eligible spend vs 2,400 points per month; at 30 pts / ₹150, this lane reaches the cap at ₹12,000 of eligible spend | 500 points per month; at 20 pts / ₹100, this lane reaches the cap at ₹2,500 of eligible spend | 2,400 points per month; at 30 pts / ₹150, this lane reaches the cap at ₹12,000 of eligible spend |
| Point value (headline channel) Issuer headline redemption rate — see each card page for the full channel grid. Only available for American Express SmartEarn | ₹0.25 | Not specified |
| Point validity Only available for IDFC FIRST HPCL Power Plus | Not specified | 2 years |
Notes
- IDFC FIRST HPCL Power Plus Credit Card: Condition: ₹20,000 spend in the previous month (unlocks the following month)
- Card benefits change frequently. Always verify current terms on the issuer's official website or app before applying.
American Express SmartEarn
Verify with issuer , opens external siteIDFC FIRST Bank HPCL Power Plus
Verify with issuer , opens external site