CardAgent
Verified by CardAgent admin · last checked 08 Jul 2026
Yes Bank

Yes First Exclusive Credit Card

30
Ranked #90 of 170 in credit
creditVisa/MastercardPremium

Yes Bank's premium credit card (rebranded from "YES FIRST Exclusive") offering a market-leading 1.75% forex markup and strong accelerated online rewards, but recently devalued by a major domestic lounge access spend-threshold hike (Apr 2025) — best suited for high online spenders who can hit the new Rs1L/quarter lounge threshold.

Score breakdown

Data completeness: 95% · Last verified: 09 Jul 2026

Reward value10/100 · weight 71%
≈ 0.50% effective on the standard basket (eligible spend only)
Wide-coverage rewards: +1.5% score bonus — earns broadly without narrow category restrictions.
No rewards on: rent, fuel. Reward score is scaled by ×(1 − 3.2%), proportional to how much of the standard basket falls in these excluded categories (v4 formula, capped at −5%). Tip: pair with a card that covers these.
Fee efficiency79/100 · weight 12%
Redemption flexibility75/100 · weight 9%
Perks79/100 · weight 9%

Fees

All fees shown base + 18% GST (India card fees legally attract GST).

Joining fee
₹2,499 + 18% GST
= ₹2,949 total
Annual fee
₹2,499 + 18% GST
= ₹2,949 / year total
Waiver: Joining fee waived on Rs40,000+ spend within 30 days; annual fee waived on Rs3,00,000+ annual spend
Forex markup
1.75%

Lounge access

Domestic (per year)
12
International (per year)
6

Reward structure

CategoryTypeRateCapNotes
travelpoints0.75%(3 pts @ ₹0.25)——
online_shoppingpoints0.75%(3 pts @ ₹0.25)—24 pts/Rs200 online, excl. select categories; ~3% at Rs0.25/pt (headline value higher but effective redemption lower)
diningpoints0.50%(2 pts @ ₹0.25)——
groceriespoints0.50%(2 pts @ ₹0.25)——
online_spendspoints0.50%(2 pts @ ₹0.25)——
all_spendspoints0.38%(1.5 pts @ ₹0.25)—12 pts/Rs200 offline general spends
fuelpoints0.25%(1 pts @ ₹0.25)——

Welcome offer

Amazon voucher worth Rs500 on Rs1,000 spend within first 30 days

Milestone benefits

Pros

  • Very low 1.75% forex markup (among best in market)
  • strong accelerated online rewards (24 pts/Rs200 = ~3% effective, up to 9% with subscription plans)
  • 6 international lounge visits/year including add-on cardholders
  • golf privileges

Cons

  • DEVALUATION: domestic lounge spend threshold jumped from Rs35,000/quarter to Rs1,00,000/quarter effective April 2025 — a major tightening
  • poor effective redemption ratio (~4:1, weaker than headline value)
  • no dining/movie lifestyle benefits (unusual gap for this tier)

What's inside

More benefits

  • Golf privileges

    ₹1,500

    4 green fee waivers per year + 1 complimentary golf lesson annually at select courses

    Cap ₹6,000 / yearly. Advance booking required

  • Movie ticket discount

    ₹250

    25% off BookMyShow movie tickets, capped Rs250/month

    Cap ₹3,000 / monthly. None specified

Insurance cover

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Eligibility

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Age 21-60; high income indicative (premium tier); can also be secured via NRE/NRO FD of Rs10L+

Small print

Fuel surcharge:1% waiver, Rs400-5,000 range, capped Rs500/month