New Card Launch: Club Vistara IndusInd Bank Explorer Credit Card

By | September 27, 2021
Club Vistara IndusInd Bank Explorer Credit Card

On this 2021 World Tourism Day (Sep 27th), IndusInd Bank has launched a super premium Airline Credit Card with vistara and named it as “Club Vistara IndusInd Bank Explorer Credit Card “. Here’s everything you need to know about this product,

Features & benefits

The card is aimed at premium world travellers and so they combined the benefits of a premium credit card & airline credit card, likely because Vistara is flying International now and so it makes sense to do so.

  • Joining Fee: Rs.40,000+GST = 47,200 INR (may have multiple variants – usual Indusind style)
  • Welcome Benefit: 1 Business Class ticket + Vistara Gold Tier + [1 night stay voucher at Oberoi (or) 25K worth vouchers (vouchagram & others)]
  • Renewal Fee: 10,000+GST (with 1 biz class voucher)
  • Milestone benefits: 1 biz class ticket each on spending 3L/6L/9L/12L/15L
  • Rewards: 2CV/Rs.200 on all spends (~1%)
  • Accelerated Rewards: 6CV/200 INR on Hotel, Airline, Travel (~3%) ; 8CV/200 INR on Vistara spends (~4%)
  • Low Rewards: 1CV/200 INR on Utility, Insurance, Government Payment, Fuel (~0.5%)
  • Noteworthy benefits: Eazydiner offer, No markup Fee, No Cash Advance fee, No Over Limit Fee
  • Entertainment: 2 complimentary tickets every month on www.bookmyshow.com. Each ticket is capped at INR 700. (BOGO)
  • Lounge Access: Domestic 1per qtr, International: 4/qtr (Priority Pass)

The joining fee & welcome benefit are still not clear.

Also the Vistara Gold tier benefit is only for 1st year. (t&c says that the renewal will be as per usual Vistara standard)

IndusInd always has this habit of hiding the joining fee and is not visible on important pages, this card is no exception. We will have some clarity on this shortly.

Update: So for welcome benefit you can choose from 1 Night stay at Oberoi (or) 25K Vouchagram vouchers. This is apart from the Business class ticket & Gold tier.

I wish RBI comes up with a rule stating that the joining fee/renewal fees of any product sold to the public are transparent to users. Just can’t believe IndusInd is still doing this in 2021.

My Thoughts

Club Vistara IndusInd Bank Explorer Credit Card variants
Seems we may also get Mastercard variant once the ban ends.

Overall you get a “beautiful credit card” from IndusInd along with a nice ~7.5% return on spending 15L a year, assuming 1 Biz class ticket at 20K INR and assuming you at-least get 1% on these spends via CV points.

However the joining fee is way too much for an airline credit card with above benefits for a regular premium cardholder. If they tune the joining fee to 25K or so (maybe without Oberoi voucher) as they have mentioned in some pages previously, this may sell well.

At the current 47K price point, the best way to get max value is via Oberoi voucher.

For ex, a night stay at “The Oberoi Vanyavilas Wildlife Resort, Ranthambore” costs 50K INR a night. But then the T&C is yet to be clear on the inclusions/exclusions on this.

Yet it feels less attractive to mass premium segment because Axis Vistara Infinite is lot better in terms of value for the fee, but yes this card does come with other benefits like no markup fee which is certainly useful for some.

Having said that, not to forget that Axis is running first year free offer on Vistara Infinite cards till 30th Sep 2021.

Detailed review of the card to be covered in a short while once we get a clarity on the fee & its linked benefits.

Author: Siddharth

Helping Indians to choose right credit cards, pick right offers and enjoy luxury vacations for less. Day & night exploring the spiritual reality of our human existence.

49 thoughts on “New Card Launch: Club Vistara IndusInd Bank Explorer Credit Card

  1. Akshat

    signature for such a high ask?
    bare minimum infinite should have been there

    another pass form Indusind, wonder whose taking their cards apart from Pinnacle and maybe iconia amex

    Reply
  2. Akshat Garg

    Sid, the document has been updated on Indusind end and it mentions 40k joining fee.

    Aside, you need to update the article with milestone ticket benefits.

    Reply
  3. RV

    I recently got issues with an IndusInd CC with 4.8Lakh limit, I requested them to change my billing date to suit my spending cycle, surprisingly the customer care denied saying this facility is not available with IndusInd Bank. It’s weird since all my previous CC issuing banks be it HDFC or Axis Bank happily changed it for me. Seems like its better to keep away from IndusInd if they don’t even have basic facilities like this.

    Reply
      1. RV

        How did you got it changed? I enquired over both email as well as customer care and they expressed their inability to do so. Is there a different route to get it done?

        Reply
    1. Subrata

      IndusInd is the worst credit Card operator in the country. Last time they issued me a credit card with 1) Wrong mail ID, 2) Wrong Mobile number, 3) Wrong date of birth and 4) Wrong PIN Code. I got the Card by courier i/o of wrong PIN. Then I had absolutely no chance to contact them, as all my verifications failed. One day, I got a call on my L/L number. That is the time I blasted them with my choicest galis’. They outcome was, they threatened to cancel my card for my bad behaviour. I happily agreed. That was the end of my relation with IndusInd. I don’t recommend any business with this bank.

      Reply
    1. Siddharth Post author

      😀
      But I’m sure they will end up reducing the rate to 25K or lesser or come up with multiple options. Let’s see how long it takes for them to realise the need for that.

      Reply
      1. AAJ

        IndusInd is weird, recently they issued me a Legend and now they say since I already hold another Cc they deactivated and now not willing to activate it. Cc team is pathetic. Pioneer RM was more pathetic by the way! I always have disappointing experience with IndusInd. Need to be careful, something they give in writing they took U turn in my case saying not for free card!

        Reply
        1. Shivi

          Here is my case of their weirdness – Upgraded from exclusive to pioneer. Now, all in my family group get the OTP sent to me!! Loads of emails and complaints and tokens but no use. Customer care and RM is clueless. Makes me wonder where all my purchase OTPs are going actually. Blocked card. Waiting to close account.

          Reply
      2. Varun

        They allow second credit card provided it secured by fd and the first is unsecured. Else they allow only one unsecured credit card. They didnt allow me to continue my pinnacle credit card when upgrading to pioneer heritage credit card.

        Reply
        1. AAJ

          I see. Any chance you may share charges for the card? Annual or one time? If chargeable what we’re the options (gift vouchers etc) and best to choose

          Reply
  4. Rags

    The reward rate is very low vs Axis Vistara infinite and Vistara is not empathetic when it comes to extending the vouchers.

    Disappointing offering from Indusind

    Reply
  5. Bhoom

    Hey Sid, thanks for quick info about the card.
    I have checked on Bookmyshow. Movie ticket are not complimentary instead they are buy one get one free for this card. Please update the article .

    Reply
  6. Raj

    One of the main things to be noted here is unlike the Axis vistara CC the Vistara gold status is only for a year and one need to renew that by taking adequate number of flights/spends other they will get downgraded !!!

    Reply
  7. Karan

    off topic: federal bank has come out with some beautiful designed debit and credit cards. It would be great if you could do a review on them.

    Reply
  8. Aayush

    Speaking as someone who’s a vistara platinum, holding infinia, premier miles and axis vistara infinite – this isn’t worth it at all.

    Whether it be for the benefits, points earning or spending bonuses.

    Reply
  9. ManzB

    Looks like a poorly structured card based on Axis Vistara Infinte with much lower benefits and 4 times the joining fee. Not sure why someone will opt for this one over the axis? Unless he has a bad experience with Axis and wants a premium Vistara card.

    Reply
  10. Darshdeep Singh Grewal

    I contacted the sales executive who applied the credit card in IndusInd Bank. He told me that only one unsecured credit card of IndusInd can be made rest four have to be secured credit cards only. And also do review the upcoming festive rewards by IndusInd Bank.

    Reply
  11. gegobyte

    Business class ticket is only applicable on domestic Vistara routes on Axis Vistara Infinite card. If this card comes with 4 times the joining fee of Axis card, on which routes is the business class ticket valid on? International also?

    Reply
    1. Ankur S

      Domestic only here also.

      The fee is high maybe vistara is dictating the trrms of agreement now and is flying international too whereas during Axis time vistara was just expanding domestically and maybe Axis got better terms then.

      Reply
  12. neil

    One particular feature that stuck me as odd: domestic lounge – 1/qtr while international is 4/qtr. Is the international lounge access with PP only when one flies Vistara?

    Reply
    1. Ankur S

      This can be because not every one will fly internationally compared to domestic so they can afford to add more for international.

      PP are always related to card not to airline you fly. So can be used with flying vistara also.

      Reply
  13. Ashish

    @neil, International lounge is through pp and not necessarily u need to travel by vistara.

    Reply
  14. Narinder Singh

    I currently have IndusInd Pinnacle Credit Card for which I paid Rs. 50,000 + GST as a joining fee. Now they are offering to “upgrade” Pinnacle to Explorer but are still asking for the Joining fee of Rs. 40,000 + GST.

    Two questions if you can answer please: (1) Is it worth “upgrading” Pinnacle to Explorer. and (2) Will they later offer this “upgrade” without a fresh joining fee? Tough choice!

    Reply
    1. Siddharth Post author

      I’m 100% damn sure that they will reduce the fee, might be after 3/6/12 months. I think it’s worth waiting.

      Reply
      1. Atul

        reduceed to 10k+gst , with only Biz class ticket as joining benefit..just got call from RM

        Reply
  15. Indian guy

    Got the vistara card offer in my indusind offer folder. Wont be applying as its a paid card as per all accounts.
    Weirdly received a call from their call center about a ltf credit card, which I accepted.
    Now I have a collection of lifetime free credit cards-
    Icici platinum visa – oldest card
    Icici Amazon
    Hdfc regalia first
    Axis bank titanium – useless old card , though i did get some good discount some time back, cant remember what ?
    Yesbank first preferred
    Idfc – select first Visa signature
    Flipkart- axis visa
    And in the mail – some indusind card

    Except the axis card which I avoid, I randomly choose which credit card to use.
    So which cards should I use the most ?

    Reply
    1. SK

      Unless there is an offer or if you believe you can consistently spend 20k every month on IDFC card, your best option will be Flipkart Axis Card, which gives 1.5% Cashback on everything.

      Reply
      1. Indian guy

        Saw your advice too late.
        Just made a 5 lakh medical expense payment with –
        3 lakhs – hdfc regalia first
        75k – idfc
        75k – yesbank
        50k – Amazon icici

        Idea was to keep the total usage per card around 30 % of limit, exceeded in hdfc.

        Also recd a ltf indusind platinum visa card yesterday.

        Reply
    2. Ankur S

      If all you are looking for is cashback then icici amazon pay and axis flipkart card can get the job done.

      If you want to top your cashback card game then axis ace is the card to get.

      Reply
  16. Atul

    fee reduced to 10k joining , with just 1 biz class ticket
    annual remains intact with its original product features.

    Reply
    1. AAJ

      Hi Atul,

      Any link for this reduced fee? I contacted customer care and they say it is still 40k.

      Reply
      1. Atul

        Call from Banker/Customer care. Received card. Verification also made for 10k anual fee.

        Yes , Its METAl variant, but strangely on VISA Signature platform

        Reply
      2. Mayank Agarwal

        There is no link for it. Strange thing is that the indusind customer care will always say that joining fees is ₹40k plus GST. According to them it is not available for ₹10k Joining fees. I got a call from agent and he gave me the option for 2 fees variant…i agreed for ₹10k joining fees option.. verification done from customer care and got an email for the same..now waiting for card delivery..hope this helps!

        Reply
  17. Mayank Agarwal

    Is this card metal variant? I have been offered this card for 10k plus gst joining fees.

    Reply
    1. Sumedh Phadke

      Did you get the card @Mayank? Is it real? xD
      I received the same offer, 10K + GST in fees, and a business class voucher on every 3L spent. No waiver on fee apparently

      But the bit that interested me in the card has a “Zero Foreign Currency Mark-up” feature.
      Forex charge-0
      Cash withdrawal -0
      Late payment -0
      Overlimit charges -0
      Rate of int-2.85%
      Can you confirm this? It is hard to believe.
      I had the IndusInd Legend card just because it had least Markup fee, which is still 1.8%

      What do you guys think, even for 10k, isn’t it worth it?

      Reply
      1. Mayank Agarwal

        Hey, I got it last year in May with ₹10k joining fees and 1 year vistara gold membership and associated benefits. It has zero mark up fees . I did multiple foreign transactions and yes no mark up fees! But from second year there is no renewal of vistara gold status, so from 2nd year might not be good , atleast for me! I hope this helps!

        Reply
  18. Abhi

    Hi Siddharth, will you be reviewing the IDFC Vistara mastercard also, which is targeting premium economy?
    It’s surprising vistara is still coming with fresh tie ups despite the impending AI merger.

    Reply
  19. Deepak kumar

    As per vistara website Vistara gold membership can be renewed every year if total no of fly in a year is atleast 6. If I spend 15L from indusind explorer card every year then I will get 5 biz class ticket and 1 ticket after paying 10k annual fee then total I will get 6 Free ticket so in this way gold membership can be renewed every year at free of cost if I spend 15L every year.

    Reply
  20. Shaishav Shah

    Indusind Vistara Explorer credit card has BOGO offer of 2 cards and ticket value up to Rs. 700 each. But here there is catch. The quota is very limited, so one has to book ticket in limited quota only. For such a expensive card one has to fight in quota is very shamefull.

    Reply

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