YES FIRST Exclusive Credit Card Review

YES FIRST Exclusive Credit Card is a premium credit card that offers an unmatched combination of lifestyle benefits and powerful rewards. The card comes with an annual fee of Rs. 999 and is best suited for frequent travelers as it offers unlimited complimentary international airport lounge access. Here is our detailed review of the card which will help you decide if this is the right choice for you.

Important: As per RBI guidelines, the issuance of new credit cards on the Mastercard platform has been discontinued until further notice. Normal card services will continue for existing users.

Also Read: Top Yes Bank Credit Cards

Generous Rewards Points

 You can get a big part of your spending back in the form of reward points. The card offers:

• 6 reward points per Rs. 200 spent on selected merchant categories*
• 12 reward points per Rs. 200 spent on other categories
• 5X reward points on the first 3 transactions of the biller registered on YES PayNow (valid only on the first 5 billers registered)

*Click here for the list of select categories.

In addition to regular earning, you will also earn a reward bonus under milestone benefit i.e. 25,000 bonus reward points on spending Rs. 20 lakh in a year.

What Can you do with the Reward Points?

Reward points on YES FIRST Exclusive Credit Card can be used in multiple ways to help you save money. It can be redeemed against items from the rewards catalogue (not for NRI users) or converted into InterMiles. YES Bank also has a dedicated website for booking flight tickets, hotel stays and movies where your reward points can be utilized (10 Reward Points = 1 InterMile / 1 Club Vistara Point)

Complimentary Lounge Access for Primary and Add-on Cardholders

This credit card offers complimentary membership to the Priority Pass Program. Unlike most other credit cards, there is no limit on the number of lounge visits. Moreover, this is not only for the primary cardholder but add-on cardholders can also avail it. You can avail 3 domestic lounge access per quarter for primary and add-on cardholders and unlimited international lounge access through the LoungeKey Program.

This comes as a strong benefit for card users as unlimited lounge access is usually a feature common with super-premium cards. and if you are getting the same with a premium-level card with an annual fee of Rs. 999 is not less than an amazing deal.

Click here for other terms and conditions. 

Complimentary Insurance Covers

The YES FIRST Exclusive Credit Card offers the following insurance coverage:

• Life Insurance Cover of Rs. 3 crore for death due to Flight Accidents
• Medical Insurance cover of Rs. 50 lakh for emergency hospitalization when traveling overseas
• Credit Shield cover up to Rs. 10 lakh in case of accidental death of Primary Cardmember
  

Complimentary Golf Programme

You can enjoy the following golf benefits:

• 4 complimentary rounds of green fees per calendar year at select Golf courses in India
• 1 complimentary Golf Lesson every calendar month at select golf courses in India
  

Click here to know more. 

Suggested Read- Best Golf Credit Cards in India for 2022

YES FIRST Exclusive is Easier on Your Pocket

Another great feature of this credit card is the low foreign exchange markup fee and the low-interest rate on revolving credit, overdue amounts, and cash advances.

Interest Rate: 1.99% per month (23.88% annually)

Foreign Exchange Markup Fee: 1.75%

This way, your international spending on this card will cost you much less. Usually, the forex markup fee on credit cards ranges from 2.5% to 3.5%. The table below shows the total cost of international spending on some other travel credit cards as compared to YES FIRST Exclusive. An important point to note here is that GST @18% will also be applicable on the Forex Markup Fee, thus making the cost of your expenses in foreign currency even more.

Other Benefits of YES FIRST Exclusive Credit Card

Apart from the many benefits mentioned above, the card also offers some additional privileges:

Drawbacks of YES FIRST Exclusive Credit Card

While this card totally makes up for the annual fee it charges, there are some limitations to this card as given below:

• Reward points cannot be transferred to any loyalty program other than InterMiles.
• Despite it being a travel-centric card, there is no complimentary insurance cover for baggage loss, passport loss, delayed flights, etc.
• For a premium-level card, the capping of only Rs. 250 discount in a month on movie tickets is not satisfactory.
• No welcome benefits and cashback are some of the disappointing factors.

Should you Get this Card?

As you can see that most of its benefits come in the form of rewards and memberships, in order to make the most of it, you should be a frequent traveler, a movie buff, and enjoy playing golfs. However, if you like to put major expenses on a credit card, especially travel, this card is a good match for you. If you are looking for a card that offers not reward points, but cashback then you must not opt for this card instead apply for Best Cashback Credit Cards available in the market.

Bottom Line

The premium services and perks offered by YES FIRST Exclusive Credit Card make this card unique and stand out from the crowd of other premium credit cards. You can totally enjoy the amazing travel benefits that the card has to offer which will certainly help you save a good amount of money on your travel. However, it is up to you to decide whether this card suits your requirements the best or not.