Kotak Bank recently added a new super-premium credit card to its offerings – the White Reserve. The White Reserve and will be above the existing White credit card in the pecking order. Just like the White card, the White Reserve also has a good-looking premium design that hints at luxury. Here is a review of the new Kotak White Reserve credit card with its rewards, and benefits.
Fees and Charges
| Joining Fee | Rs 12500 plus taxes |
| Welcome Benefit | None |
| Annual Fee | Rs 12500 plus taxes |
| Annual Fee Waiver | Rs 10 Lakhs spend in an anniversary year |
The White Reserve has ‘pricier’ fees compared to the White card. Unlike, the White card this is not issued as LTF for Insignia and Optima customers right now.
The no welcome benefit comes across as a surprise. For a 12500 joining fee, there should have been some benefit.
Rewards
The White Reserve is for the high spenders who can exceed the spending milestones of the White credit card. While the milestones stop at Rs 12 Lakh for a White card, it goes up to Rs 1 Cr for White Reserve. Now, you know which is the target audience for the Reserve card. 🙂
| SPEND MILESTONE | WHITE PASS VALUE | TOTAL WHITE PASS VALUE |
RETURN |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rs 3 Lakhs | Rs 5,000 | Rs 5,000 | 1.6% |
| Rs 10 Lakhs | Rs 15,000 | Rs 20,000 | 2% |
| Rs 20 Lakhs | Rs 22,000 | Rs 42,000 | 2.1% |
| Rs 30 Lakhs | Rs 24,000 | Rs 66,000 | 2.2% |
| Rs 40 Lakhs | Rs 26,000 | Rs 92,000 | 2.3% |
| Rs 50 Lakhs | Rs 28,000 | Rs 1.2 Lakhs | 2.4% |
| Rs 75 Lakhs | Rs 63,000 | Rs 1.83 Lakhs | 2.4% |
| Rs 1 Crore | Rs 67,000 | Rs 2.5 Lakhs | 2.5% |
The return on this card is between 1.6% to 2.5%. This is pretty similar to what Kotak offers on its other credit cards. So, there is nothing special about the White Reserve when it comes treturns.
What is White Pass?
White Pass is Kotak’s term for gift vouchers redemption. While Kotak states that these are only for premium brands, we do have some regular ones including Amazon Pay as well. We can also use the White Pass for flight and hotel redemptions. Cashback redemption is also possible but the value of Rs 1 White Pass equals 70 paise in this case. Below is the full list of available redemption options for gift vouchers.
Complimentary Club Marriott Membership
This is the extra benefit of this card. We get the Club Marriott membership every year as long as we hold the White Reserve credit card. The membership comes with the below benefits:
- Up to 20% off on food and beverage bills at participating restaurants in the Asia Pacific for up to 10 guests (not available on Sunday brunches)
- Up to 20% off on the Best Available Rate of rooms in India and the Best Weekend Rate of rooms available in the Asia Pacific
- Up to 20% off on select spa treatments in India
- 1 certificate offering 50% off on food and 30% off on beverage bills, for up to 10 guests at all-day dining restaurants in India
- 2 Certificates offering flat 30% off on the best available Rate for 2 nights stays (each) in India
Complimentary Airport Lounge Access
The Kotak White Reserve credit card gets unlimited airport lounge access.
- Airport Lounges in India: Access with White Reserve credit card
- International Airport Lounges(outside India): Access visa Dreamfolks Lounge card
Key Benefits
- Foreign Currency Markup: 2%
- Golfing Privileges: 2 free gold rounds/month at select golf courses across the world
- Fuel Surcharge Waiver: 1% for transactions between Rs 400 and Rs 4000. The maximum waiver is capped at Rs 4500/calendar year.
Final Thoughts
If you are chasing high rewards, the Kotak White Reserve credit card might not be a fit. But this is can be a good fit for the UHNI customers that Kotak is targeting.
The White Reserve can be a good option if you are looking for a super-premium Kotak credit card. The 2.5% rewards, Club Marriott, and unlimited lounge access make it a much better option than the White card.
But, if you already hold a super-premium card like Infinia/Magnus/Reserve, there is no reason to get this card. We get better rewards and benefits on those.
