If I Were Travelling Abroad in 2026, These Are the Credit Cards I’d Actually Carry

Updated: October 15, 2026

If I were flying out of India next week, I would not try to find one “perfect” international travel credit card.

I would carry three.

One card would handle most of my foreign-currency spending.

One would handle lounges and serious travel rewards.

And one would sit in my wallet purely as a backup from a different bank and preferably a different card network.

That sounds excessive until you actually travel.

The card that gives you the best rewards while booking your flight may charge 3.5% forex once you land abroad.

The card with zero forex may have no international lounge access.

The premium card with unlimited lounges may still charge 2% forex — but earn enough rewards to offset most of it.

And the Diners Club card that looks brilliant on paper is not the card I would want to depend on as my only payment method in a small shop somewhere in Europe or Southeast Asia.

So instead of asking:

“What is the best international travel credit card in India?”

I think the better question is:

“Which card should I use at each stage of the trip?”

That is how I would build my travel wallet in 2026.

My International Travel Card Strategy in One Table

The important point is that I would not automatically use the same card for every row.

Why Forex Markup Is the First Thing I Check

International spending becomes expensive surprisingly quickly when a card charges 3%–3.5% forex markup.

GST is also applicable on the markup.

For ₹1 lakh of foreign-currency spending, the approximate issuer cost looks like this:

That is why I no longer get excited simply because a travel card gives “2% rewards”.

If the same card charges around ₹4,130 in forex-related cost on ₹1 lakh of overseas spending, that reward rate may not mean very much.

You need to look at:

reward earned − forex cost

rather than the reward headline in isolation.

For a Lifetime-Free Zero-Forex Card, Scapia Axis Is Hard to Ignore

If I wanted a card primarily for swiping abroad without worrying about annual fees or forex markup, the Scapia Axis Bank Credit Card would be high on my shortlist.

The proposition is simple:

• ₹0 joining fee;
• ₹0 annual fee;
• zero forex markup;
• zero DCC markup under the current Axis structure;
• travel-focused rewards;
• domestic airport privileges after meeting the applicable monthly spend requirement.

That makes it very easy to keep as a dedicated travel card even if it is not your primary card in India.

Scapia's reward system uses Scapia Coins rather than normal cashback.

The Mastercard version can generate roughly 2% effective travel value on eligible everyday spending, because 5 Scapia Coins equal ₹1 of value inside the Scapia ecosystem.

But I would not choose Scapia for foreign spending because of the rewards.

I would choose it because:

0% forex + lifetime free = almost no cost to keep it available for travel.

The domestic lounge proposition is also useful. Under the current structure, spending around ₹20,000 in the qualifying monthly period unlocks unlimited eligible domestic airport lounge access.

There is no comparable international lounge programme on the card, so I would pair it with something else if international lounges are important.

My take on Scapia

Federal Bank 2026 Verified

Scapia Federal / Axis Bank Credit Card

Best For: Zero Forex Markup & Unlimited Lounges

Key Reward: 0% Forex Markup + 10% to 20% Travel Coins + Unlimited Lounges on ₹20k/mo spend

Annual Fee: ₹0 (Zero Annual Fee)

Apply NowView Card DetailsCheck Airport Lounges

Merchant Offers:See Scapia Travel Coins Rewards →See Cleartrip Travel Offers →

Categories:Lifetime Free Cards →Travel Cards →Airport Lounge Cards →

Compare:Compare with IDFC FIRST Wealth →Compare with Axis Atlas →

Best role in my wallet: international spending card and domestic lounge card.

What I would not expect it to do: replace a premium international lounge card.

ixigo AU Is Another Excellent Zero-Forex Backup

The ixigo AU Credit Card remains one of the easiest travel cards to understand.

It is currently offered lifetime free and provides:

• zero forex markup;
• 2 domestic lounge visits per quarter after meeting the current spend condition;
• 1 complimentary international Priority Pass visit each year;
• railway lounge access;
• ixigo travel benefits.

The catch is that the domestic lounge condition is now fairly significant.

You need ₹50,000 of eligible spending in the previous calendar quarter to unlock two domestic visits in the following quarter.

So if you get ixigo AU only for one international holiday every year and barely use it otherwise, don't assume your domestic lounge benefit will automatically work when you arrive at the airport.

I would view ixigo AU primarily as:

a lifetime-free zero-forex card with useful secondary travel benefits.

The single international Priority Pass visit is a nice bonus, but not enough for someone who travels internationally several times a year.

IDFC FIRST Wealth Is Probably My Favourite LTF “Everything Travel” Backup

The current IDFC FIRST Wealth Credit Card has become much more interesting after IDFC FIRST Bank moved to zero forex.

It is lifetime free and currently provides:

• zero forex markup;
• 1 domestic airport lounge visit per quarter;
• 1 international airport lounge visit per quarter;
• railway lounge access;
• travel insurance benefits.

Lounge access requires ₹20,000 of spend in the previous calendar month to activate the benefit for the following month.

For someone who can naturally meet that condition, that is potentially:

4 domestic + 4 international lounge visits per year

without paying an annual card fee.

That's an excellent combination.

But there is one major change to understand.

From October 26, 2026, IDFC FIRST Wealth's current terms say international transactions will no longer earn Reward Points.

So I would not get Wealth because I expect rewards while shopping abroad.

I would get it for:

0% forex + LTF + domestic lounges + international lounges.

That is still a very strong travel proposition.

If I Actually Wanted Rewards While Shopping Abroad, Mayura Gets Interesting

This is where things become more interesting.

The IDFC FIRST Mayura Credit Card currently combines:

zero forex markup

with:

5X Reward Points on eligible international spending.

That is unusual.

Mayura earns 1 Reward Point per ₹150 at 1X, and international spending currently earns 5X.

So ₹150 of eligible international spend earns:

5 Reward Points

If you redeem those points for travel at the maximum ₹0.50 value per point:

5 × ₹0.50 = ₹2.50

₹2.50 ÷ ₹150 = approximately:

1.67% effective travel value

And because forex markup is zero, you're not losing 2%–4% in forex charges before you even count those rewards.

That makes Mayura one of the most interesting cards I found for someone who actually wants to earn something while shopping abroad, rather than merely avoid forex charges.

Mayura Is Expensive — But the Lounge Package Is Excellent

The problem is the annual fee.

Mayura costs:

₹5,999 + GST annually.

So this is not a card I would recommend to an occasional traveller simply because it has zero forex.

But look at the travel package:

• 4 domestic lounge visits per quarter;
• 4 international lounge visits per quarter;
• 1 domestic guest visit included within the quarterly entitlement;
• railway lounge visits;
• trip-cancellation protection;
• zero forex;
• international-spend rewards.

The lounge benefits activate after ₹20,000 of spending in the previous calendar month.

For a frequent traveller, that package is substantially stronger than what most lifetime-free cards offer.

If someone asked me:

“I want one premium card that gives me zero forex, international rewards, domestic lounges and international lounges.”

Mayura would be near the top of my current shortlist.

It is not cheap.

But at least the benefits fit the fee.

AU Zenith+ Is the Low-Forex Premium Alternative I Would Also Look At

AU Zenith+ takes a slightly different approach.

It doesn't eliminate forex completely.

Instead, it charges:

0.99% forex markup

which works out to roughly 1.17% after GST on the markup.

That is still dramatically cheaper than a conventional 3.5% forex card.

The card currently also offers:

• up to 2 Reward Points per ₹100 on dining, travel and international spending;
• 4 domestic airport lounge visits per quarter;
• 4 international airport lounge visits per quarter;
• airport Meet & Assist privileges;
• premium lifestyle benefits.

Annual fee:

₹4,999 + GST

with the current annual-fee waiver requiring substantial yearly spending.

I like Zenith+ because it sits between two extremes.

It doesn't give you the simplicity of 0% forex.

But its forex cost is low enough that rewards can offset a meaningful part of it, while its lounge package is much stronger than most free cards.

If I Already Had HDFC Infinia, I Would Definitely Carry It Abroad

This might sound strange because HDFC Infinia charges 2% forex markup.

Why carry it when zero-forex cards exist?

Because Infinia's reward economics are different.

The card earns:

5 Reward Points per ₹150

and those points can be worth:

₹1 each

when used for eligible SmartBuy flights and hotels.

That means the normal eligible reward rate can be approximately:

3.33%

Now compare that with the forex cost.

Approximate rewards:

₹3,333

2% forex markup:

₹2,000

GST on forex markup:

₹360

Total forex-related cost:

₹2,360

Theoretical net reward value:

₹973

or roughly:

0.97%

That is why the sentence:

“Never use a card with forex markup abroad.”

is too simplistic.

If the card earns enough valuable rewards, the economics can still work.

This calculation assumes:

• the transaction earns normal rewards;
• you value the points at ₹1;
• you actually redeem them at that value.

If you redeem poorly, the advantage disappears.

But if I already held Infinia, I would absolutely keep it in my international travel wallet.

And there is another major reason:

unlimited domestic and international airport lounge access.

For a frequent traveller, that can remove a lot of lounge-planning friction.

Diners Club Black Metal Is Similar — But I Would Never Carry Only Diners Abroad

The HDFC Diners Club Black Metal Edition follows similar reward economics:

• 5 Reward Points per ₹150;
• potentially ₹1/RP on eligible travel redemptions;
• 2% forex markup;
• unlimited airport lounge access.

Financially, it can be excellent.

But real travel isn't a spreadsheet.

Acceptance matters.

There are places where Visa and Mastercard acceptance is simply more predictable than Diners Club.

So if I were travelling with Diners Club Black, I would always carry:

a Visa or Mastercard backup from another bank.

That is not optional for me.

The worst travel-card strategy is having brilliant rewards and then discovering the merchant doesn't accept your network.

Axis Atlas Is a Card I Would Use to Book the Trip — Not Necessarily to Shop on the Trip

I like Axis Atlas.

But I would use it very differently.

Atlas currently earns:

5 EDGE Miles per ₹100

on eligible airline, hotel and Travel EDGE bookings.

It earns:

2 EDGE Miles per ₹100

on normal eligible spending.

That's an excellent travel-reward structure.

It also provides domestic and international lounge benefits depending on your Atlas tier.

The problem is overseas spending.

Forex markup is around:

3.5%

And once GST is included, that is roughly:

4.13% cost.

So if I am standing in a store in Paris buying something for ₹50,000 equivalent, Atlas probably would not be the first card I pull out.

I would rather use the zero-forex card.

But if I am sitting at home booking the airline ticket or hotel and Atlas gives me 5 EDGE Miles per ₹100?

That's where Atlas becomes interesting.

Use Atlas to book the trip.

Use the zero-forex card on the trip.

That distinction alone can save a surprising amount of money.

What If I Am Booking the Holiday Through Thomas Cook?

This is where I would stop thinking about forex completely.

If you're booking an international package through Thomas Cook India and paying the Indian entity in INR, that is fundamentally different from swiping a card at a foreign merchant.

At the time of writing, Thomas Cook is running an HDFC Bank card promotion for eligible holiday packages.

The current campaign offers, subject to the applicable transaction slabs:

up to ₹12,000 instant discount on eligible full-swipe HDFC credit-card transactions

and:

up to ₹15,000 on eligible HDFC EasyEMI transactions.

The campaign currently covers eligible Thomas Cook and SOTC domestic and international holiday packages and has its own eligibility, card and transaction restrictions.

This is exactly why I would never decide:

“Scapia has zero forex, so I'll book Thomas Cook with Scapia.”

Forex doesn't matter if Thomas Cook India is billing you in INR.

A ₹12,000 instant discount on a ₹2.5–3 lakh holiday package can easily beat an extra 1% or 2% of reward value.

I would not take an EMI purely because the discount is ₹3,000 higher.

Always compare:

• interest;
• processing fee;
• GST;
• lost reward points;
• foreclosure conditions;

against the additional discount.

A ₹15,000 headline saving is not really a ₹15,000 saving if the financing costs eat most of it.

The Card I Use to Book the Trip May Not Be the Card I Carry Abroad

This is probably the most important takeaway from this entire comparison.

For example:

I might use Axis Atlas to book the airline.

I might use an eligible HDFC card for a Thomas Cook package because there is an instant discount.

I might carry Scapia Axis for normal foreign-currency purchases.

And I might carry IDFC FIRST Wealth or Mayura for lounge access.

There is nothing wrong with that.

Credit-card optimisation becomes much easier once you stop expecting one card to win every category.

How I Would Build a Low-Cost International Travel Wallet

If I wanted to minimise annual fees, I would probably build something around:

Card 1: Scapia Axis

Federal Bank 2026 Verified

Scapia Federal / Axis Bank Credit Card

Best For: Zero Forex Markup & Unlimited Lounges

Key Reward: 0% Forex Markup + 10% to 20% Travel Coins + Unlimited Lounges on ₹20k/mo spend

Annual Fee: ₹0 (Zero Annual Fee)

Apply NowView Card DetailsCheck Airport Lounges

Merchant Offers:See Scapia Travel Coins Rewards →See Cleartrip Travel Offers →

Categories:Lifetime Free Cards →Travel Cards →Airport Lounge Cards →

Compare:Compare with IDFC FIRST Wealth →Compare with Axis Atlas →

For:

0% forex + Mastercard acceptance + domestic airport benefits

Card 2: IDFC FIRST Wealth

IDFC FIRST Bank 2026 Verified

IDFC FIRST Wealth Credit Card

Best For: Lifetime Free Domestic & International Lounges

Key Reward: 4 Domestic & 4 International Lounge Visits/Quarter + 10X Points above ₹30k/mo

Annual Fee: ₹0 (Lifetime Free)

Apply NowView Card DetailsCheck Airport Lounges

Merchant Offers:See BookMyShow BOGO Offers →See District Event Discounts →

Categories:Lifetime Free Cards →Airport Lounge Cards →Premium Cards →

Compare:Compare with Scapia Card →Compare with HDFC INFINIA →

For:

0% forex + domestic lounges + international lounges

Purely as:

backup

That third card does not need to give spectacular rewards.

Its job is to work if:

• one bank blocks the transaction;
• one network isn't accepted;
• your primary card gets lost;
• fraud controls temporarily freeze the account.

When you're thousands of kilometres from home, redundancy is worth more than an extra 0.5% reward.

How I Would Build a Mid-Premium Travel Wallet

For someone willing to pay for better travel benefits:

This would handle:

• foreign spending;
• foreign rewards;
• domestic lounges;
• international lounges.

Then I would still carry:

Scapia Axis or ixigo AU

Federal Bank 2026 Verified

Scapia Federal / Axis Bank Credit Card

Best For: Zero Forex Markup & Unlimited Lounges

Key Reward: 0% Forex Markup + 10% to 20% Travel Coins + Unlimited Lounges on ₹20k/mo spend

Annual Fee: ₹0 (Zero Annual Fee)

Apply NowView Card DetailsCheck Airport Lounges

Merchant Offers:See Scapia Travel Coins Rewards →See Cleartrip Travel Offers →

Categories:Lifetime Free Cards →Travel Cards →Airport Lounge Cards →

Compare:Compare with IDFC FIRST Wealth →Compare with Axis Atlas →

as the lifetime-free zero-forex backup.

That gives you two issuers and potentially two networks.

Simple and effective.

How I Would Build a Premium Travel Wallet

If I already held HDFC Infinia:

would handle:

• SmartBuy bookings;
• high-value rewards;
• unlimited domestic lounges;
• unlimited international lounges;
• eligible foreign purchases where the reward economics make sense.

I would then add:

such as Scapia Axis.

Why?

Because Infinia is Visa Infinite.

Carrying a Mastercard backup gives me both:

bank diversification + network diversification.

That's the kind of practical detail that matters once you're actually travelling.

Which Card Is Best for Shopping Abroad?

This depends on what you mean by “best”.

I would choose:

Scapia Axis / ixigo AU / IDFC FIRST Wealth

because the issuer forex markup is zero.

I currently find:

IDFC FIRST Mayura

more interesting because eligible international transactions continue earning 5X Reward Points while forex is zero.

I would calculate the transaction rather than automatically avoiding it.

3.33% potential base reward value against roughly 2.36% forex + GST can still leave positive theoretical value.

If I have Axis Atlas

Axis Bank 2026 Verified

Axis Bank Atlas Credit Card

Best For: Air Miles & Frequent Flyers

Key Reward: 5 EDGE Miles / ₹100 on Flights & Hotels (Up to 10% Return)

Annual Fee: ₹5,000 + GST (Waived @ ₹15L spend)

Apply NowView Card DetailsCheck Airport Lounges

Merchant Offers:See Cleartrip Flight & Hotel Offers →See MakeMyTrip Travel Offers →See EaseMyTrip Offers →

Categories:Travel Cards →Airport Lounge Cards →Premium Cards →

Compare:Compare with Amex Platinum Travel →Compare with HDFC INFINIA →

I would normally use something else for foreign shopping because the 3.5% forex markup is too high for me unless a specific promotion changes the calculation.

Before You Travel, Check the Lounge — Not Just the Card

This deserves its own section because lounge benefits have become messy.

A card may advertise:

“8 lounge visits per year”

but that tells you almost nothing.

You still need to know:

• domestic or international;
• current airport;
• current terminal;
• participating lounge;
• spend requirement;
• previous month or previous quarter;
• Priority Pass vs physical card;
• guest eligibility;
• whether the quota has already been used.

Before every trip, I would run the card through the CardRecommend Airport Lounge Checker instead of assuming an old blog post or screenshot is still correct.

This is especially important now because Indian issuers keep changing lounge spend thresholds.

ixigo AU, Regalia Gold, AU Zenith and several other cards now have spend-linked domestic lounge programmes.

A lounge benefit that isn't activated when you reach the airport is worth exactly ₹0.

My Rule Abroad: Always Choose the Local Currency

If a card terminal in Dubai asks:

₹22,400 INR

or:

1,000 AED

I would normally choose:

AED.

If I'm in Europe:

choose euros.

Japan:

choose yen.

US:

choose dollars.

This avoids Dynamic Currency Conversion, where the merchant or payment provider converts the transaction into INR using its own rate and potentially adds another fee.

Even a zero-forex card cannot protect you from a bad merchant-side DCC conversion if you voluntarily choose to pay in INR.

The simple rule is:

zero forex card + local currency.

Zero Forex Does Not Mean Free ATM Cash Withdrawals

This is another common mistake.

Credit-card purchases and credit-card cash withdrawals are completely different.

A card can have:

0% forex markup

while still charging:

• cash-advance fee;
• ATM operator fee;
• interest;
• taxes.

Some premium cards structure overseas cash withdrawals more favourably than others, but I would never assume.

For most trips I would carry some emergency cash and use cards for purchases.

My Actual Ranking by Use Case

CardRecommend's Take

The best international travel strategy in 2026 is not finding one perfect card.

It is avoiding expensive mistakes.

The first mistake is paying 3.5% forex when a zero-forex card could do the same job.

The second is choosing a zero-forex card and assuming it also gives great rewards.

The third is paying for an expensive premium travel card and never using the lounge, milestone or travel benefits that justify the fee.

And the fourth is carrying only one card abroad.

If I were travelling internationally tomorrow, my priorities would be:

1. Zero or very low forex.

2. At least one reliable Visa/Mastercard.

3. A second issuer as backup.

4. Enough domestic and international lounge access for the actual trip.

5. Rewards only after the first four are solved.

For a low-cost setup, I think Scapia Axis + IDFC FIRST Wealth is currently extremely difficult to beat.

For someone willing to pay a premium fee, Mayura becomes interesting because it combines zero forex + international rewards + strong lounge access.

For someone who already holds Infinia, I would not rush to replace it. Its reward rate and unlimited lounge access remain strong enough that paying 2% forex can still make mathematical sense on eligible purchases.

And Axis Atlas?

I like it.

But I like it more before the flight than after I land.

That's the difference between choosing a travel credit card based on marketing and actually building a travel wallet.

Frequently Asked Questions

There isn't one best card for every traveller.

For zero forex and low fees, Scapia Axis, ixigo AU and IDFC FIRST Wealth are strong options.

For premium travellers who want zero forex, rewards and lounges together, IDFC FIRST Mayura is particularly interesting.

Existing HDFC Infinia holders may also get strong value because of the card's high reward rate and unlimited lounge access despite its 2% forex markup.

Scapia Axis is one of the strongest current LTF options because it combines zero joining and annual fees with zero forex markup.

ixigo AU and IDFC FIRST Wealth are also worth considering.

IDFC FIRST Wealth currently combines zero forex with both domestic and international lounge visits while charging no annual fee.

Mayura offers a much larger lounge allowance with zero forex, but carries a premium annual fee.

IDFC FIRST Mayura currently earns 5X Reward Points on eligible international transactions while charging zero forex markup.

HDFC Infinia also earns normal rewards on eligible foreign spending, although the card charges 2% forex markup.

Always check the latest card-specific exclusions before making a large purchase.

No.

A zero-forex card is usually simpler, but a high-reward premium card can sometimes offset its forex charge.

For example, Infinia's potential 3.33% travel-redemption value can exceed its approximate 2.36% forex cost including GST on the markup.

The answer depends on reward eligibility and how you redeem the points.

Don't choose based on forex.

If Thomas Cook India bills you in INR, compare the current bank instant discounts first.

At the time of writing, eligible HDFC credit cards have a Thomas Cook campaign offering discounts of up to ₹12,000 on qualifying full-swipe bookings and up to ₹15,000 on qualifying EasyEMI bookings.

Offers change, so verify the live campaign before paying.

Not automatically.

Compare the EMI interest, processing fee, GST and any lost rewards with the additional discount.

A larger headline discount can still be worse financially after financing costs.

For premium unlimited access, HDFC Infinia and Diners Club Black Metal are among the strongest options.

IDFC FIRST Mayura provides 4 domestic and 4 international visits per quarter after meeting the applicable spend condition.

For LTF users, IDFC FIRST Wealth provides a smaller but valuable domestic and international lounge allowance.

Before travelling, check your exact airport, terminal, lounge and spend eligibility using the CardRecommend Airport Lounge Checker.

I wouldn't.

I prefer at least two cards from different banks, and ideally different card networks.

If your main card is Visa, carrying a Mastercard backup is sensible.

If your main card is Diners Club, carrying Visa or Mastercard becomes even more important.

Usually, no.

Choose the local currency.

Paying in INR can trigger Dynamic Currency Conversion and result in an unfavourable exchange rate or separate DCC charges.

Zero forex markup does not automatically mean zero cash-withdrawal cost.

ATM withdrawals can involve separate cash-advance fees, ATM operator fees and interest.

Check the specific card terms before withdrawing cash abroad.

Final Verdict

If I had an international trip coming up, I would stop looking for one card that claims to do everything.

I would build a small travel wallet.

For most people, the foundation should be a zero-forex card with no or low annual fee.

Then add the lounge card.

Then add the backup.

If I wanted to keep costs low, my current preference would be something like:

Scapia Axis + IDFC FIRST Wealth + one backup card from another bank.

If I travelled often enough to justify a premium annual fee:

IDFC FIRST Mayura + a lifetime-free zero-forex backup would be a very strong combination.

And if I already owned Infinia:

I would carry it without hesitation — but still keep a zero-forex Mastercard beside it.

Because the best international travel credit-card strategy isn't maximizing every last reward point.

It's making sure the right card is in your hand when you actually need it.