Deep-Dive Review: Bobcard Travel Credit Card (Discontinued as standalone)

[!WARNING] This card is no longer available for new applications as a standalone product. The official URL (bobcard.co.in/bobcard-travel-credit-card) now redirects to BOBCARD’s travel-category landing page, which lists the currently active travel lineup: BOBCARD Eterna (15 RP per ₹100 on travel + unlimited lounge), BOBCARD Premier (10 RP per ₹100 + travel deals + fee waiver), BOBCARD Tiara (4X rewards + unlimited lounge for women), BOBCARD Etihad Guest / Etihad Guest Premium (Etihad Airways miles), BOBCARD IRCTC Credit Card (train tickets), and BOBCARD HPCL Energie (fuel). Existing cardholders continue to earn rewards per the legacy terms. This review is published for existing cardholders and historical reference only.

Community Verdict

[!NOTE] The Bobcard Travel Credit Card was a lifetime-free Visa entry-tier card positioned for travel and everyday spending. Despite its “Travel” branding, the underlying card had no travel-specific 5X or 10X accelerator — it earned the same flat 1 Reward Point per ₹100 on every eligible category as the rest of BOBCARD’s discontinued entry-tier lineup (Silver, Suvidha, Titanium, Rewards, Shopping, Classic, Gold, Platinum, Dining). Cashback was at ₹0.25/RP with a flat ₹99 redemption fee, leaving an effective return of just ~0.25% on spend before fees. The card had no lounge access, no welcome voucher, no milestone benefit, no airmiles transfer, and no premium insurance. The closest “Travel” card in the current BOBCARD lineup that actually delivers travel-specific benefits is BOBCARD Eterna (15 RP per ₹100 on travel, unlimited domestic + international lounge, BOGO movie tickets, fee waiver on milestones), which is a paid product rather than lifetime-free.

Pros

• Lifetime Free: ₹0 joining fee, ₹0 annual fee, ₹0 renewal fee — zero fee commitment to hold the card.
• Flat 1 RP per ₹100 Across All Categories: Simple, predictable earn rate — every eligible swipe earns the same.
• 1% Fuel Surcharge Waiver: Save 1% on fuel transactions between ₹400 and ₹4,000. No reward points 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 (per BOBCARD MITC).
• Worldwide Visa Acceptance: Usable at any Visa-accepting merchant globally.
• No Annual Spend Hurdle: Lifetime-free structure — no fee waiver to chase.
• Fraud Liability Cover ₹50,000: Standard BOBCARD protection against unauthorised transactions on lost/stolen cards.

Cons

• DISCONTINUED AS STANDALONE PRODUCT: The official URL now serves as BOBCARD’s travel-category landing page; no standalone “Bobcard Travel Credit Card” product is being sourced for new applications as of July 2026.
• No Travel-Specific Accelerator Despite the Name: Despite “Travel” branding, the card earned the same flat 1 RP per ₹100 on every category as Bobcard Silver, Suvidha, Titanium, Rewards, Shopping, Classic, Gold, Platinum, Dining — no 5X on flights/hotels, no 10X on travel bookings.
• No Lounge Access: No domestic airport lounge access, no international Priority Pass, no travel insurance.
• No Welcome Benefit: No joining voucher, no activation bonus, no gift.
• No Milestone Bonuses: No quarterly or annual spend tiers.
• ₹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.
• Standard Reward Exclusions: Fuel, rent (MCC 6513), wallet loads, government payments, insurance, education, utilities, and EMI conversions all 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 — no travel accelerator
💡 Utilities	0% (Excluded per BOBCARD policy)
🎓 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 policy)
💳 EMI Conversion	0% (Excluded — paid via Smart EMI is not earn-eligible)
💰 Cash Withdrawal	0% (no points, plus cash withdrawal fee applies)

[!IMPORTANT] Why this is “Travel” in name only: Compare this card’s 1 RP per ₹100 on flights and hotels to BOBCARD Eterna’s 15 RP per ₹100 on travel — a 15x difference in earn rate on the very category this card is named after. The current active travel lineup (Eterna, Premier, Tiara, Etihad Guest, IRCTC, HPCL Energie) is where the actual travel benefits live.

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 you want actual travel benefits from BOBCARD, the current travel lineup delivers:

• BOBCARD Eterna: 15 RP per ₹100 on travel, unlimited domestic + international lounge, BOGO movie tickets (Limited Period Lifetime Free offer)
• BOBCARD Premier: 10 RP per ₹100, travel deals & benefits, fee waiver
• BOBCARD Tiara: 4X rewards, unlimited lounge, complimentary memberships worth up to ₹31,652 (women-focused)
• BOBCARD Etihad Guest Premium: 6 Etihad Miles per ₹100 on Etihad, 0% forex markup, bonus miles on spend milestones
• BOBCARD IRCTC Credit Card: Up to 10% savings on train tickets
• HDFC Millennia: HDFC’s equivalent — 5% cashback on Amazon/Flipkart/Myntra, 1% offline, quarterly lounge access

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 (per BOBCARD lifetime-free lineup)
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 for actual travel benefits is BOBCARD Eterna:

• Limited-period Lifetime Free offer
• 15 Reward Points per ₹100 on travel spends (15X the earn rate of this card)
• Unlimited domestic + international airport lounge access
• BOGO movie tickets
• Lifestyle & travel privileges valued up to ₹81,000 (per BOBCARD marketing)

Other strong travel alternatives across the industry:

• HDFC Infinia Credit Card — Super-premium, unlimited Priority Pass lounge, 5 RP per ₹150 (3.33%), 10X on SmartBuy, fee waiver on ₹10L spend
• Axis Atlas Credit Card — 5 EDGE Miles per ₹100, lounge access, low forex markup (2%), transfer to airlines/hotels
• Air India SBI Card — 4 Reward Points per ₹150 on Air India, lounge access, milestone flight vouchers
• Axis Vistara Infinite Credit Card — Club Vistara CV Points, premium travel benefits, lounge access

For a basic lifetime-free card that also earns a similar flat 1 RP per ₹100 (but with a better cashback rate), Bobcard Prime offers:

• Lifetime free (₹0 joining + ₹0 annual)
• 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)

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For official terms, see the BOBCARD travel-category landing page (currently the active travel-card lineup — verified July 2026) and the BOBCARD MITC.

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