After HDFC Bank, IndiGo has now tied up with Kotak Bank to launch co-branded credit cards. There are two variants – Ka-Ching 6E Rewards and Ka-Ching 6E Rewards XL. XL as the name suggests is the higher variant. Being a co-branded card, we can expect good benefits on IndiGo for these variants. In this post, we review the Kotak Indigo Ka-Ching credit cards and if they are worth applying for.
Fees and Charges
| KOTAK INDIGO KA-CHING 6E REWARDS CREDIT CARD | KOTAK INDIGO KA-CHING 6E REWARDS XL CREDIT CARD | |
|---|---|---|
| Joining Fee | Rs 700 | Rs |
| Annual Fee | Rs 700 | Rs |
| Fee Waiver | None | None |
| Welcome Ticket | Rs 1500 | Rs 3000 |
The point to note here is there are no fee waiver criteria whatsoever. Do the rewards make up for this? We will see it in the next section.
- The welcome benefit ticket can be redeemed only towards the base fare
- The welcome benefit ticket will be sent on making 3 transactions every month for the first 3 months
- Additional welcome benefits – Rs 1000 Accor Dining voucher worth Rs 1000, 30% off Accor Stay voucher (1-3 nights), Budweiser voucher worth Rs 250, 30 days Lionsgate Play trial
- 6E Prime Addon is also given as a first-year only benefit
Rewards
- We get ‘6E Reward Points’ on spends. These are just like regular reward points with 1 6E RP = Rs 1.
- The earned ‘6E Reward Points’ will be valid for 2 years from the date of credit.
| SPEND CATEGORY | KOTAK INDIGO KA-CHING 6E REWARDS CREDIT CARD | KOTAK INDIGO KA-CHING 6E REWARDS XL CREDIT CARD |
|---|---|---|
| IndiGo | 3% | 6% |
| Dining, Entertainment and Grocery | 2% | 3% |
| Other Spends (Incl Fuel) | 1% | 2% |
| Wallets | 0% | 0% |
6E Rewards Partners
There are some ‘feature’ partners where we get accelerated rewards on spending.
| FEATURED PARTNER | KOTAK INDIGO KA-CHING 6E REWARDS CREDIT CARD | KOTAK INDIGO KA-CHING 6E REWARDS XL CREDIT CARD |
|---|---|---|
| 6E Treats – Dining | 5% | 7% |
| AVA – Merchandise | 6% | 10% |
| Avis – Car Rental | 7% | 10% |
| Be U – Salon | 10% | 15% |
| Netmeds | 6% | 8% |
| Accor Hotels | 3% | 6% |
| Boat | 8% | 10% |
- The dining benefit is not of much use as we have better offers on other cards/Eazydiner.
- Netmeds benefit is good but we have other avenues to get same or better rewards.
Other Benefits
- Discounted convenience fees of Rs 150 on IndiGo
- Only for XL Variant – 8 Domestic Airport Lounge Access
- Additional lounge access through Visa Lounge program
My Take
For someone who travels on IndiGo, these cards might make sense. But, these cards are not suitable as an all-purpose daily spending driver. The reward rate is between 1%-3% for these spends. We are better off using other entry-level cards like Axis Aceand getting direct cashback.
If you are planning to get ‘free’ tickets on IndiGo with this card, there are more surprises. We can redeem 6E rewards only against base fare. All other taxes, surcharges need to be paid in cash. Compare this with regular card discount offers on MakeMyTrip/Yatra and we will not see much of a benefit. Plus, no annual fee waiver!
For domestic travel on credit card rewards, do take a look at Regalia/Diners Club Privilege/Amex Platinum Travel cards. HDFC Bank cards are available LTF(conditional) and are good when it comes to earning rewards.
