Deep-Dive Review: Bobcard Rewards Credit Card (Discontinued)

[!WARNING] This card is no longer available for new applications. The official product URL (bobcard.co.in/bobcard-rewards-credit-card) returns 404 as of July 2026. Existing cardholders continue to earn rewards per the legacy terms, but new applicants should consider Bobcard Prime — the closest current BOBCARD product in this segment.

Community Verdict

[!NOTE] The Bobcard Rewards Credit Card was a straightforward lifetime-free Visa from Bank of Baroda designed for first-time cardholders who wanted a no-fee way to earn a small amount on every swipe. At 1 Reward Point per ₹100 (₹0.25/RP cashback, with a ₹99 redemption fee), it delivered an effective return of just ~0.25% on spending — modest by 2026 standards, but it had zero joining/annual fees and the standard BOBCARD perks (1% fuel surcharge waiver, 3 free add-on cards, zero liability on lost card, contactless). Because the product page has been removed from the live BOBCARD website, this review is published for existing cardholders and historical reference only. If you are choosing a fresh lifetime-free BOBCARD today, look at Bobcard Prime (2 RP per ₹100, ₹0.20/RP cashback, no redemption fee).

Pros

• Lifetime Free: ₹0 joining fee, ₹0 annual fee, ₹0 renewal fee — zero fee commitment to hold the card.
• Decent Welcome Trigger: Earn 1 RP per ₹100 from day one on all eligible retail spends.
• 3 Lifetime Free Add-on Cards: Issue add-on cards to spouse, parents, siblings, or kids (above 18) at no extra cost.
• 1% Fuel Surcharge Waiver: Save 1% on fuel transactions between ₹400 and ₹4,000. No reward points earned on fuel.
• Zero Liability on Lost Card: Report loss immediately and you’re protected from fraudulent transactions.
• Smart EMI Option: Convert purchases above ₹2,500 into EMIs of 6 to 48 months.
• Contactless Safe Payments: Tap-to-pay enabled for transactions up to ₹5,000 without a PIN.
• Standard 36-Month Point Validity: Reward points expire 36 months from accrual if not redeemed (per BOBCARD MITC).
• No Annual Spend Hurdle: Because the card is lifetime free, there is no fee waiver to chase.

Cons

• DISCONTINUED — Not Accepting New Applications: The official product URL returns 404 on bobcard.co.in as of July 2026. New applicants must pick a different card.
• ₹99 Redemption Fee: Every cashback statement credit request carries a flat ₹99 fee — a real drag on small redemptions.
• Low Point Value (₹0.25/RP): At 1 RP per ₹100 and ₹0.25/RP, your effective return on spending is ~0.25% before fees — and ~0% on small redemptions once the ₹99 fee is factored in.
• No Lounge Access: No domestic airport lounge access, no international Priority Pass, no travel insurance.
• No Accelerated Rewards: No 5X or 10X on any category — every eligible swipe earns at the base 1 RP per ₹100.
• Standard Reward Exclusions: Fuel, rent (MCC 6513), wallet loads, government payments, and select MCCs (per BOBCARD policy) earn zero reward points.
• 3.5% Forex Markup: High foreign currency markup makes this card unsuitable for international spending.
• ₹500 Cash Withdrawal Fee: Standard BOBCARD cash advance fee applies — avoid cash withdrawals on this card.
• No Airmiles Transfer: Reward points cannot be transferred to airline or hotel partners — cashback is the only meaningful channel.
• No Premium Concierge or Dedicated Support: Standard BOBCARD customer service only.

Reward Spends & Categories

Category Spend	Earning Rate / Reward Points
🛒 All Eligible Retail (online + offline)	1 Reward Point per ₹100 (≈1% gross, ~0.25% net of redemption fee)
✈️ Flights & Hotels	1 Reward Point per ₹100
💡 Utilities	1 Reward Point per ₹100 (per BOBCARD standard; check MITC for category-specific treatment)
🎓 Education	0% (Excluded per BOBCARD policy)
🏛️ Government & Tax Payments	0% (Excluded)
🏠 Rent (MCC 6513)	0% (Excluded)
⛽ Fuel	0% (1% surcharge waiver ₹400–₹4,000, no points)
💳 Wallet Load (MCC 6540)	0% (Excluded)
🛡️ Insurance	0% (Excluded per BOBCARD standard)
💳 EMI Conversion	0% (Excluded — paid via Smart EMI is not earn-eligible)
💰 Cash Withdrawal	0% (no points, plus cash withdrawal fee applies)

Reward Point Redemption

[!IMPORTANT]

• Cashback (Statement Credit): 1 Reward Point = ₹0.25 — but a flat ₹99 fee is charged on every redemption request.
• No airmiles / hotel transfer — cashback is the only meaningful channel.
• Points expire 36 months from accrual if not redeemed.

Redemption Option	Value	Fee
Cashback (Statement Credit)	₹0.25/RP	₹99 per request
Catalog Vouchers / Products	Variable (typically ≤₹0.25/RP)	Per redemption request
Airmiles / Transfer Partners	Not available	N/A

[!TIP] Because of the ₹99 fee, only redeem in single large batches (₹2,000+ of cashback at a time) to keep the fee-to-value ratio reasonable. Redeeming 100 RP for ₹25 cashback and paying ₹99 means a net loss.

Milestone Benefits

This card has no milestone vouchers. The only milestone was the lifetime-free structure itself — no fee to chase.

Milestone	Period	Benefit
—	—	No fee, no milestones. Lifetime-free structure.

Airport Lounge & Travel Perks

This card offers: None. No domestic airport lounge access, no international Priority Pass, no travel insurance, no air-miles transfer. If lounge access is a priority, look at Bobcard Easy (₹500 fee with 5X on departmental stores + movies) or HDFC Millennia for a similar profile with travel perks.

Insurance Coverage

Cover	Amount
Air Accident (Personal Accident)	Not offered
Non-Air Personal Accident	Not offered
Fraud Liability (lost/stolen card)	₹50,000
Travel Insurance	Not offered
Baggage / Flight Delay	Not offered
Purchase Protection / Extended Warranty	Not offered

Fees & Charges — Snapshot

Fee / Charge	Amount
Joining Fee	₹Nil (lifetime free)
Annual Fee	₹Nil (lifetime free)
Renewal Fee	₹Nil (lifetime free)
Add-on Card Fee	₹Nil (up to 3 lifetime free)
Foreign Currency Markup	3.5%
Cash Withdrawal Fee	₹500 (or 2.5%, whichever is higher)
Reward Redemption Fee (cashback)	₹99 per request
Reward Redemption Fee (catalog)	Per BOBCARD standard
Fuel Surcharge	1% (waived on ₹400–₹4,000)
Card Replacement Fee	₹100
Finance Charges	~3.5% per month (per BOBCARD standard MITC)

What Replaces This Card?

The closest current BOBCARD product in this segment is Bobcard Prime:

• Lifetime free (₹0 joining + ₹0 annual)
• 500 RP welcome bonus on ₹5,000 spend in 60 days
• 2 RP per ₹100 on all spends (vs. 1 RP per ₹100 here)
• Cashback at ₹0.20/RP with no redemption fee (vs. ₹0.25/RP with a ₹99 fee here)
• 1% fuel surcharge waiver (₹400–₹5,000, max ₹250/cycle)
• FD-backed guaranteed issuance (₹30,000 FD; no income proof required)

Stronger alternatives depending on your profile:

• Amazon Pay ICICI Credit Card — Lifetime free, 5% back for Prime members on Amazon, 3% on Amazon Pay merchants, 1% elsewhere. No redemption fees.
• Flipkart Axis Bank Credit Card — Lifetime free, 5% unlimited cashback on Flipkart/Myntra/Cleartrip, 4% on preferred merchants, 1.5% on eligible spends.
• HDFC Bank Millennia Credit Card — Lifetime free (with spends), 5% cashback on Amazon/Flipkart/Myntra, 1% on offline, plus quarterly lounge access.
• Axis Bank ACE Credit Card — Lifetime free, 5% cashback on bill payments via Google Pay + 2% on others (no cap).

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For official terms, see the BOBCARD legacy product reference (currently 404 — verified July 2026) and the BOBCARD MITC.

For monetization on the side, apply for the Bobcard Prime Credit Card via CredSutra — CredSutra earns a referral commission on approved cards at no cost to you.