Zero forex markup cards are the absolute gold standard for international transactions. Here, we match the fully co-branded Scapia Credit Card (issued by Federal Bank/BOBCARD) against the ixigo AU Small Finance Bank Credit Card. Both claim 0% markup fees, but their travel benefits, reward structures, lounge thresholds, and annual pricing rules diverge significantly.
Issuer: Federal Bank / BOBCARD
Annual Fee: ₹0 (Lifetime Free)
Best for: General spenders who redeem on travel bookings.
Issuer: AU Small Finance Bank
Annual Fee: ₹999 + GST (Waived on milestones)
Best for: Dedicated ixigo users & frequent railway lounge users.
| Feature | Scapia Credit Card | ixigo AU Credit Card |
|---|---|---|
| Joining/Annual Fee | ₹0 (Lifetime Free) | ₹999 + GST (Waived if spent ₹1,000 in first 30 days & ₹1L annually) |
| Forex Markup Fee | 0% | 0% |
| Lounge Access | Unlimited Domestic (Requires ₹20,000 spend in preceding billing cycle) | 8 Domestic + 1 International Lounge visits/year (Railway lounge access included) |
| UPI Compatibility | Yes (Via RuPay variant, subject to min ₹500 transaction) | No (Only issued on Visa network) |
| General Rewards | 2% net value (10% Scapia Coins) on online/offline card spends | 1.25% net value (5 reward points per ₹100) on online spends |
| In-App Travel Rewards | 4% net value (20% Scapia Coins) on app travel bookings | 2.5% net value (10 reward points per ₹100) on ixigo spends |
The Scapia Credit Card is unconditionally Lifetime Free (LTF). There are no joining fees, annual charges, or hidden spend milestones to maintain the ₹0 price tag. This makes it an ideal "drawer card" that you can hold purely for international trips without worrying about ongoing maintenance costs.
The ixigo AU Credit Card charges a joining and annual fee of ₹999 + GST. However, the joining fee is fully waived if you spend a nominal ₹1,000 within the first 30 days of issuance. The annual renewal fee is waived if your overall retail spends exceed ₹1,00,000 in the preceding year.
Scapia's rewards are credited as Scapia Coins at a valuation of 5 Coins = ₹1. The reward structure is extremely aggressive: 4% net return on travel bookings via Scapia app and 2% net return on all general spends (minimum ₹20 transaction). Note that international transactions are exempted from earning rewards, even though they carry a 0% forex markup.
The ixigo AU card earns AU Reward Points at 1 Point = ₹0.25 (when redeemed for travel vouchers or ixigo money). You get a 2.5% net return on bookings made through the ixigo app, 1.25% net return on general online spends, and 0.5% return on offline card spends.
This is where cards cater to very different travel styles:
Choose Scapia if you want an unconditionally lifetime-free card, primarily spend domestically online/offline, link to UPI, and easily exceed the ₹20,000 monthly spend rule to unlock unlimited airport lounges.
Choose ixigo AU if you book a lot of flights and hotels directly via the ixigo app, want access to railway lounges in India, want a complimentary international lounge visit, or want a card where lounge access is guaranteed without meeting monthly spending thresholds.
It carries a ₹999 + GST joining and annual fee. The first-year joining fee is waived by spending ₹1,000 in the first 30 days. The renewal fee is waived on annual spending of ₹1,00,000 or more.
No, Scapia does not award Scapia Coins on international spends, though it continues to offer a 0% forex markup. This makes it cheap to spend abroad, but not rewarding.
No, the co-branded card is issued exclusively on the Visa network, so it cannot be linked to UPI apps for RuPay merchant QR payments.
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