1% · Up to 30 pts / ₹150 on HPCL
Strong data Pairwise comparison
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IDFC FIRST Bank HPCL Power Plus vs Standard Chartered Bank India Smart Credit Cards – Fees, Lounge, Forex
Side-by-side comparison of the IDFC FIRST Bank HPCL Power Plus and the Standard Chartered Bank India Smart. Verify fees, lounge access, forex markup, and base rewards before you apply.
The short answer
VerdictPick HPCL Power Plus for lounge access.
Head-to-head
Three core metrics- Annual fee HPCL Power Plus ₹499 Waivable at ₹1,50,000 spendSmart ₹499 Waivable at ₹1,20,000 or more spend
- Forex markup HPCL Power Plus 3.5%Smart 3.5%
- Domestic lounge HPCL Power Plus: +4 lounge visits/yrHPCL Power Plus 4/year (1 per quarter) Conditional · Domestic: 1/quarter · requires ₹20,000 spend in the previous month (unlocks the following month)Smart No complimentary lounge access
Reward earning explained
Per card1% · Up to 2% on online spend
Strong dataPick based on what matters
3 dimensionsStart with the constraint you care about most: annual fee (IDFC FIRST Bank HPCL Power Plus: ₹499 vs Standard Chartered Bank India Smart: ₹499), forex markup (3.5% vs 3.5%), or lounge access (4/year (1 per quarter) vs No complimentary lounge access).
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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 Tie Both cards are similar for rewards
IDFC FIRST Bank HPCL Power Plus conservative base value ~1% vs Standard Chartered Bank India Smart's ~1%. Standard Chartered Bank India Smart conservative base value ~1% vs IDFC FIRST Bank HPCL Power Plus's ~1%.
All fields
Example usage at this monthly spend
At ₹50k/month spend:
- IDFC FIRST HPCL Power Plus: ~₹500/month at base rate
- Standard Chartered Smart: ~₹500/month at base rate
Illustrative only, using current base rates before caps.
| Field | HPCL Power Plus IDFC FIRST Bank | Smart Standard Chartered Bank India |
|---|---|---|
| Insurance — Personal accident cover Only available for IDFC FIRST HPCL Power Plus | ₹2 lakh | Not specified |
| Insurance — Lost card liability cover Only available for IDFC FIRST HPCL Power Plus | ₹25,000 | Not specified |
| Insurance — Underwriter Only available for IDFC FIRST HPCL Power Plus | Insured by New India Assurance | Not specified |
| Lounge Access | ||
| Domestic lounge visits spend-gated on some cards — see caveats 4/year (1 per quarter) vs No complimentary lounge access | 4/year (1 per quarter) | No complimentary lounge access |
| International lounge visits Only available for Standard Chartered Smart | Not specified | No international lounge access |
| Forex / International Use | ||
| Forex markup | 3.5% | 3.5% |
| Fees | ||
| Recurring annual fee | ₹499 | ₹499 |
| First-year cost Only available for Standard Chartered Smart | Not specified | ₹0 |
| Annual-fee waiver ₹1,50,000 vs ₹1,20,000 or more | ₹1,50,000 | ₹1,20,000 or more |
| Interest-free period Only available for IDFC FIRST HPCL Power Plus | Up to 45 days | Not specified |
| Monthly interest rate 3.85% / month vs 3.75% / month | 3.85% / month | 3.75% / month |
| Late-payment charge Only available for Standard Chartered Smart | Not specified | ₹100–₹1,200 depending on outstanding balance |
| Fuel benefit No surcharge waiver vs No surcharge waiver · Fuel rewards excluded | No surcharge waiver | No surcharge waiver · Fuel rewards excluded |
| Rewards | ||
| Base cashback | 1% | 1% |
| Earn ceiling 2,400 points per month; at 30 pts / ₹150, this lane reaches the cap at ₹12,000 of eligible spend vs ₹500 per statement cycle | 2,400 points per month; at 30 pts / ₹150, this lane reaches the cap at ₹12,000 of eligible spend | ₹500 per statement cycle |
| Point value (headline channel) Issuer headline redemption rate — see each card page for the full channel grid. Only available for Standard Chartered Smart | Not specified | ₹1 |
| Point validity Only available for IDFC FIRST HPCL Power Plus | 2 years | Not specified |
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.
IDFC FIRST Bank HPCL Power Plus
Verify with issuer , opens external siteStandard Chartered Bank India Smart
Verify with issuer , opens external site