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FEDERAL Celesta vs IDFC FIRST WOW!

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

Celesta
WOW!

The short answer

Pick WOW! for spending abroad.

Head-to-head

  • Annual fee Annual fee outcome: tie.
    Celesta ₹0
    WOW! ₹0
  • Forex markup Forex markup outcome: WOW! wins.
    Celesta 2%
    WOW! 0%
    WOW! saves ~₹2,000 per ₹1L abroad
  • Domestic lounge Domestic lounge outcome: insufficient data to compare.
    Celesta 8/year (2 per quarter) Conditional · Domestic: 2/quarter · requires ₹60,000 spend in the previous calendar quarter (unlocks the following quarter)
    WOW! No complimentary lounge access
  • Rewards Rewards outcome: tie.
    Celesta ~0.1%
    WOW! ~0.5%
    conservative base value

Reward earning explained

Celesta

1 pt / ₹100 · Up to 3 pts / ₹100 on Travel International

Strong data
WOW!

2 pts / ₹100 on domestic spend

Strong data

Example usage at this monthly spend

At ₹50k/month spend:

  • IDFC FIRST WOW!: ~₹250/month at base rate
  • Celesta: ~₹50/month at base rate

Illustrative only, using current base rates before caps.

All fields

Field Celesta Federal Bank WOW! IDFC FIRST Bank
Lounge Access
Domestic lounge visits
spend-gated on some cards — see caveats
8/year (2 per quarter) vs No complimentary lounge access
8/year (2 per quarter) No complimentary lounge access
International lounge visits
2 per year vs 4 per year
2 per year 4 per year
Forex / International Use
Forex markup
2% vs 0%
2% 0%
Fees
Recurring annual fee ₹0 ₹0
Interest-free period
Only available for Celesta
Up to 48 days Not specified
Monthly interest rate
Only available for Celesta
0.69%–3.75% per month Not specified
Late-payment charge
Only available for Celesta
₹250–₹1,250 depending on outstanding balance Not specified
Fuel benefit
Only available for Celesta
1% surcharge waiver · ₹400–₹5,000 transactions · ₹150/month waiver cap · Fuel rewards excluded Not specified
Rewards
Points per ₹100
1 pt / ₹100 vs 2 pts / ₹100 on domestic spend
1 pt / ₹100 2 pts / ₹100 on domestic spend
Conservative base value
~0.1% vs ~0.5%
~0.1% ~0.5%
Earn ceiling Not stated Not stated
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

  • Federal Bank Celesta Credit Card: Condition: ₹60,000 spend in the previous calendar quarter (unlocks the following quarter)
  • Card benefits change frequently. Always verify current terms on the issuer's official website or app before applying.