Kotak UPI RuPay Credit Card vs HSBC TravelOne Credit Card

• The Kotak UPI RuPay Credit Card is issued entirely in digital form. No physical card is provided
• Card details are automatically registered under the Credit Card section of Kotak Mobile Banking after issuance
• The card can be connected with supported UPI applications and used for eligible merchant payments after setting a UPI PIN
• It is designed primarily for merchant UPI transactions. Credit cards linked to UPI generally cannot be used for person-to-person transfers, cash withdrawals or other transactions restricted under RuPay and NPCI rules
• Cardholders earn 3 Kotak Reward Points for every Rs. 100 spent on eligible transactions
• Reward points can be earned on both qualifying UPI purchases and regular card transactions completed virtually
• Regular virtual-card spending includes eligible online, e-commerce and international transactions
• Under standard non-cash redemption options, every 1,000 reward points are worth Rs. 100. This means one reward point ordinarily provides a value of Rs. 0.10
• A minimum of 1,000 reward points is required for redemption against regular options such as products, vouchers, recharge, movies or travel
• With effect from June 1, 2025, cash redemption provides a lower value of Rs. 0.07 per reward point
• Cash redemption requires at least 2,000 reward points
• Reward points may be redeemed through Kotak Rewards for mobile recharges, products, brand vouchers, movies, travel and other options available in the rewards catalogue
• Utility payments earn points only on spending of up to Rs. 35,000 in a statement cycle. Utility spending above this limit does not earn reward points
• Reward points are not earned on rent, fuel, railway, wallet-loading, EMI, education or balance-transfer transactions
• Insurance, government payments and online skill-based gaming transactions are also excluded from earning reward points
• Spending in excluded categories does not count towards any applicable milestone benefit
• The card has no joining fee and no annual renewal fee, making it lifetime free without any minimum-spending requirement
• Applicants must be at least 18 years old and must already hold an eligible Kotak Bank credit card

• As a Welcome Benefit, on spending Rs. 10,000 within the first 30 days, get Cashback worth Rs. 1,000, Postcard Hotels voucher worth Rs. 3,000, and 3 months EazyDiner Prime membership. Get additional 3,000 bonus reward points when you spend Rs. 100,000 in the first 90 days
• Annual fee will either be Rs. 4,999, or free if you spend more than Rs. 800,000 a year
• Get complimentary airport lounge visits, holiday, car hire and lifestyle discounts, and more
• Avail 4 reward points for every Rs. 100 spent on flights, travel aggregators and in foreign currency
• Avail 2 reward points for every Rs. 100 spent on anything else, with no cap
• Avail 10,000 bonus reward points when spending more than Rs. 1,200,000 a year
• Get even more reward points with additional cards
• Instantly convert Reward points to Air Miles 1 to 1 in the app
• Save 15% on domestic and international holiday Bookings at Yatra, EaseMyTrip, PayTM Travel, and ClearTrip
• Save up to 20% at selected duty free stores in India
• Save when booking getaway at StayVista
• Enjoy Mastercard World Platform benefits, such as complimentary golf, holiday discounts and more
• Get up to USD 20,000 purchase protection every year
• Get 6 domestic and 4 international airport lounge visits every year
• Enjoy discounts on movies, events and dining with the Zomato app
• 15% off on Yatra
• 15% off on EaseMyTrip
• 15% off on Paytm Flights
• 15 % off on Cleartrip
• 11% off at StayVista: Stay for less when making a hotel booking through the StayVista website (max 2 bookings per card per year; max saving per booking INR3,000)
• Up to 50% off with the District app by Zomato: Up to 10% off events and dining. Plus, buy 1 movie ticket and get 1 free  twice a month
• Up to 20% off duty-free with AdaniOne: Save 20%, up to Rs. 3,000, on their app or website when spending Rs. 8,000 or more, once per card per year
• Access to the top golf courses in India: Get 4 complimentary rounds of golf and 12 complimentary lessons per calendar year (max 1 per calendar month). Plus, get 50% off your green fees for additional rounds

Pros

• Lifetime free with no joining or renewal fee
• Supports merchant UPI payments through compatible UPI apps
• Earns rewards on eligible UPI and regular card transactions
• Instantly accessible as a virtual card through Kotak Mobile Banking
• Reward points can be redeemed for vouchers, shopping, travel, movies and recharges

Cons

• Available only to existing Kotak credit-card holders
• No physical credit card is issued
• Low effective reward rate of approximately 0.30% on regular redemptions
• No rewards on fuel, rent, EMI, education, wallet loading and several other categories
• No complimentary lounge access or fuel-surcharge waiver

Pros

• Enjoy Mastercard World Platform benefits, such as complimentary golf, holiday discounts and more
• Up to 15% discount across some of the most popular travel platforms
• Complimentary golf rounds and green fee offers

Cons

• No Fuel benefits
• Welcome benefits come with spend-based conditions
• Redemption of the accrued reward points is limited to just travel partner points or miles