1.5% on domestic spend · 10% on eligible dining, food delivery, grocery, and utilities
Strong data Pairwise comparison
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HSBC Live+ vs IDFC FIRST Select
Side-by-side comparison of the HSBC India Live+ and the IDFC FIRST Bank Select. Verify fees, lounge access, forex markup, and base rewards before you apply.
The short answer
Head-to-head
- Annual fee Annual fee outcome: tie. ₹999/yr apart · waiver gates differLive+ ₹999 Waivable at ₹2,00,000 spendSelect ₹0
- Forex markup Forex markup outcome: Select wins. Select saves ~₹1,990 per ₹1L abroadLive+ 1.99%Select 0%
- Domestic lounge Domestic lounge outcome: Select wins. Live+ 2/yearSelect 4/year (1 per quarter) Conditional · Domestic: 1/quarter · requires ₹20,000 spend in the previous month (unlocks the following month)
- Rewards Rewards outcome: Live+ wins. conservative base valueLive+ ~1.5%Select ~0.4%
Reward earning explained
3 pts / ₹200 · 10 pts / ₹200 on eligible dining, international, and travel
Strong dataExample usage at this monthly spend
At ₹50k/month spend:
- HSBC Live+: ~₹750/month at base rate
- IDFC FIRST Select: ~₹190/month at base rate
Illustrative only, using current base rates before caps.
All fields
| Field | Live+ HSBC India | Select IDFC FIRST Bank |
|---|---|---|
| Lounge Access | ||
| Domestic lounge visits spend-gated on some cards — see caveats 2/year vs 4/year (1 per quarter) | 2/year | 4/year (1 per quarter) |
| Railway lounge visits Only available for IDFC FIRST Select | Not specified | 16 railway lounge visits per year (max 4/quarter) |
| International lounge visits 1 per year vs Not included | 1 per year | No international lounge access |
| Forex / International Use | ||
| Forex markup Source agreement differs — verify both. 1.99% vs 0% | 1.99% | 0% |
| Fees | ||
| Recurring annual fee ₹999 vs ₹0 | ₹999 | ₹0 |
| Annual-fee waiver Only available for HSBC Live+ | ₹2,00,000 | Not specified |
| Interest-free period Only available for IDFC FIRST Select | Not specified | Up to 45 days |
| Monthly interest rate 3.75% / month vs 0.71%–3.85% per month | 3.75% / month | 0.71%–3.85% per month |
| Fuel benefit Only available for IDFC FIRST Select | Not specified | 1% surcharge waiver · ₹200–₹5,000 transactions · ₹300/month waiver cap · Fuel rewards excluded |
| Rewards | ||
| Base earn Some reward lanes are unsupported — base rate only for comparison. 1.5% on domestic spend vs 3 pts / ₹200 | 1.5% on domestic spend | 3 pts / ₹200 |
| Conservative base value ~1.5% vs ~0.4% | ~1.5% | ~0.4% |
| Earn ceiling ₹1,200 per month — shared across Dining, Food delivery, Grocery, Shopping & Utilities vs Rewards apply only to spend up to your credit limit each statement cycle — shared across General spend, Dining, International spend, Travel, Insurance & Utilities | ₹1,200 per month — shared across Dining, Food delivery, Grocery, Shopping & Utilities | Rewards apply only to spend up to your credit limit each statement cycle — shared across General spend, Dining, International spend, Travel, Insurance & Utilities |
| Point value (headline channel) Issuer headline redemption rate — see each card page for the full channel grid. Only available for IDFC FIRST Select | Not specified | ₹0.25 |
| Point validity Only available for IDFC FIRST Select | Not specified | 2 years |
| Insurance — Air accident cover Only available for IDFC FIRST Select | Not specified | ₹1 crore |
| Insurance — Personal accident cover Only available for IDFC FIRST Select | Not specified | ₹5 lakh |
| Insurance — Lost card liability cover Only available for IDFC FIRST Select | Not specified | ₹50,000 |
| Insurance — Underwriter Only available for IDFC FIRST Select | Not specified | Insured by New India Assurance |
Notes
- IDFC FIRST Select 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.
HSBC India Live+
Verify with issuer , opens external siteIDFC FIRST Bank Select
Verify with issuer , opens external site