Which card has a lower forex fee: Federal Bank Celesta Credit Card or IDFC FIRST Select Credit Card?

IDFC FIRST Select Credit Card has lower forex markup (1.99% vs 2%).

Which card has a lower annual fee: Federal Bank Celesta Credit Card or IDFC FIRST Select Credit Card?

Both cards have the same annual fee (₹0).

Which card offers better lounge access?

Federal Bank Celesta Credit Card: 2 per quarter domestic lounge. IDFC FIRST Select Credit Card: 1 per quarter domestic lounge.

Which card has a higher base reward rate?

IDFC FIRST Select Credit Card has higher base reward value (~0.5% vs ~0.25%).

Pairwise comparison Compare 3+ cards →

Federal Bank Celesta vs IDFC FIRST Bank Select Credit Cards – Fees, Lounge, Forex

Side-by-side comparison of the Federal Bank Celesta and the IDFC FIRST Bank Select. Verify fees, lounge access, forex markup, and base rewards before you apply.

Lounge Federal Bank Celesta

Quick comparison

Three core metrics

Celesta Federal Bank

Annual fee ₹0 Lifetime free
Forex markup 2%
Domestic lounge 2/quarter Conditional · Domestic: 2/quarter · requires ₹60,000 spend in the previous calendar quarter

Select IDFC FIRST Bank

Annual fee ₹0 Lifetime free
Forex markup 1.99%
Domestic lounge 1/quarter Conditional · Domestic: 1/quarter · requires ₹20,000 spend in the previous month

Reward earning explained

Per card

Celesta

3 pts / ₹100 on Travel International (3× rewards on travel and international ca…

Select

10 pts / ₹100 on Dining + 3 pts / ₹150 on General spend

Pick based on what matters

3 dimensions

Start with the constraint you care about most: annual fee (Federal Bank Celesta: ₹0 vs IDFC FIRST Bank Select: ₹0), forex markup (2% vs 1.99%), or lounge access (2/quarter vs 1/quarter).

Travel Tie

Both cards are similar for travel

Forex markup is 2%. Forex markup is 1.99%.
Forex markup Tie

Both cards are similar for forex

Forex markup is 2%. Forex markup is 1.99%.
Lounge access Federal Bank Celesta wins

Federal Bank Celesta is better for lounge access

Federal Bank Celesta is stronger here. Domestic lounge access is 2 per quarter.

Verify with issuer

All fields

Standard view

Example usage at this monthly spend

At ₹50k/month spend:

IDFC FIRST Select: ~₹250/month at base rate
Celesta: ~₹130/month at base rate

Illustrative only, using current base rates before caps.

Swipe for all fields

Field	Celesta Federal Bank	Select IDFC FIRST Bank
Lounge Access
Domestic lounge visits 2/quarter vs 1/quarter	2/quarter	1/quarter
International lounge visits Only available for Celesta	2/year	Not specified
Forex / International Use
Forex markup Source agreement differs — verify both. 2% vs 1.99%	2%	1.99%
Fees
Annual fee	₹0	₹0
Joining fee	₹0	₹0
Interest-free period Up to 48 days vs Up to 45 days	Up to 48 days	Up to 45 days
Rewards
Reward points (base spend) 1 pts/₹100 vs 3 pts/₹150	1 pts/₹100	3 pts/₹150
Point value (headline channel) Issuer headline redemption rate — see each card page for the full channel grid.	₹0.25	₹0.25
Point validity 3 years vs 2 years	3 years	2 years

Notes

Card benefits change frequently. Always verify current terms on the issuer's official website or app before applying.