IndusInd Bank Indulge Credit Card Review

By | January 17, 2023

IndusInd Bank has been issuing Indulge Credit Card – the super premium credit card of the bank since past couple of years and they have recently added some new features and benefits that makes it better than how it used to be. Here’s the detailed review of IndusInd Indulge Credit Card,

Overview

TypeSuper Premium Credit Card
Reward Rate1.5%
Annual Fee45,000 INR+GST = 53,100 INR
Best forGolf & dining benefits
USPUnlimited Golf rounds

With so many super premium cards in India with much higher reward rate and lifestyle benefits, Indulge Credit Card caters to a very small set of customers in the open market.

Fees

Joining Fee45,000 INR + GST (more options available)
Welcome BenefitEquivalent Welcome Voucher
Renewal Fee10,000 INR + GST
Renewal BenefitNil
Renewal Fee waiverOn spending >20 lakhs

IndusInd Bank super premium cards are known for their high joining fees that comes with equivalent premium shopping & stay vouchers.

Indulge can be applied at multiple fee points just like most other IndusInd super premium cards, here are the available options at the moment:

  1. 45,000 INR + GST
  2. 90,0000 INR + GST
  3. 1,80,000 INR + GST

Option #3 comes with no renewal fee, so you don’t need to complete the 20 Lakhs (too high) renewal fee waiver criteria to keep the card for free. If you’re a Pioneer Banking customer, you may request for a better pricing than option #1.

Note that the welcome voucher for the above options keeps changing from time to time. Generally Oberoi+Vouchagram (or) Postcard+Vouchagram gives wonderful value.

If you do the math, the Oberoi vouchers would ideally cost you ~25K but you can get a value as good as ~40K depending on which property you choose.

Similar math for Postcard hotels as well and those hotels are even more expensive, so you may draw lot more value, as long as you like postcard properties.

Design

You might have heard of metal credit cards of all sorts but a credit card with 22K pure gold inlay is certainly not something one is used to and that’s what IndusInd Bank Indulge Credit Card comes with.

It has a neat and simple design, looks good in reality, just as it is on image. The gold inlay on the card is well done and it looks just like another gold “colour” on the card.

But of-course all that glitters are 22K pure gold, as they say!

Rewards

SPEND TYPEREWARD POINTSREWARD RATE
Regular Spends1.5 RP’s on every 100 INR1.5%
Select Category Spends0.70 RP’s on every 100 INR0.70%
  • Select Categories: Utility Bill Payments, Insurance Premium Payments, Government Services, Education Institute Fees, Rental Payments.

The reward rate is indeed pretty low for a card of this range. Some milestone benefit could have helped, but well, as of now we only have this.

Regular rewards includes both domestic & international spends, so spends on foreign currency only incurs a loss, more on that later.

Dining Benefit

  • Get Rs.3000 off on EazyDiner / twice a year.
  • T&C: Cooling period between two transactions: 6 months

This is a very good dining benefit that was added recently to the card and it can help you save a nice 6000 INR on dining spends every year.

Caution: This is a nice benefit but they’ve recently modified this offer to make sure you can’t avail the offer easily. Read the updated t&c, call them to verify and then use the offer.

Note that we also have the 30% off on PayEazy with IndusInd Credit & Debit Cards, for a limited period.

Airport Lounge Access

ACCESS TYPEACCESS VIAACCESS LIMIT
DomesticVisa6/Qtr
InternationalPriority PassUnlimited

While above lounge access benefits are good, I think its time for banks to go Axis way by adding complimentary guest access as well on the primary card just like how it works with Axis Reserve Priority Pass.

Golf Benefit

Prestige Golfshire, Bangalore
  • Complimentary Limit: Unlimited games/lessons
  • Spend requirement to unlock golf benefit: 25,000 INR in previous billing cycle.
  • Max. bookings at a time: 3

Golf is one of the most important benefit on this card. If you play Golf quite often, this is the card for you.

While it used to accept bookings without any max. cap, they’ve now added 3 at a time since late Aug 2022.

Bookmyshow Benefit

  • Offer: Buy one Get one
  • Valid on: Movie bookings
  • Max. Cap: Rs.700 off on movie ticket + 50 INR on f&b for every 2 tickets
  • Monthly limit: 3 tickets per month

Given that now IndusInd has moved to completely free tickets route on the newly launched credit cards like Pioneer Heritage metal and Eazydiner cards, this isn’t exciting.

But one can save a lot if you’re watching movies with tickets that costs >500 INR. The F&B discount could have been generous though.

Forex Markup Fee

  • Forex Markup Fee: 1.8%+GST = 2.12%
  • Reward rate on Intl. Spends: 1.5%
  • Net gain: -0.62% (loss)

So as you see above, Indulge is not the right credit card for international transactions as you will end up in net loss.

Other Benefits

indusind indulge  add-on credit cards
  1. Add-on Cards: You may get upto 5 add-on cards on your account. This comes with domestic airport lounges access but not to International Lounges as Priority Pass access is not complimentary for add-on cards.
  2. No Pre-set Spending Limit: It’s not what we generally think though. Indulge also comes with a regular credit limit just like any other credit cards with IndusInd bank. Though, the NPSL feature helps one to go beyond the limit to an extent, but that is limited to just 3% of the assigned credit limit – that’s indeed too low to call it as a feature.

My Experience

indusind indulge credit card - welcome kit

It’s been couple of months since I’ve been holding IndusInd Bank Indulge Credit Card and its a good experience so far.

While the doesn’t reward much, I hope the IndusInd Rewardz festival that the bank runs during every Diwali will help to increase the reward rate to a certain extent.

Here’s the Unboxing of IndusInd Indulge Credit Card and a bit on upgrade experience.

Bottomline

  • Cardexpert Rating: 3.7/5

IndusInd Bank Indulge Credit Card makes sense for those who prefer to Indulge in luxury lifestyle, like stays at Oberoi and enjoy ongoing benefits via golf & dining. But for most others who look for a better reward rate on regular spends, this card might just disappoint.

Moreover, if you’ve planned to spend 1 Lakh or more on joining fee, you might instead consider the IndusInd Pioneer Heritage Credit Card on Mastercard Variant as it is superior in many aspects and you also get the Mastercard World Elite benefits.

Do you hold IndusInd Bank’s super premium credit cards? Feel free to share your experiences in the comments below.

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.

22 thoughts on “IndusInd Bank Indulge Credit Card Review

  1. AAJ

    I tried Sid, for Heritage Metal (upgrade from LTF Legacy), the limit they offer/increase doesn’t give economic sense of 90k or 180k and they are not willing to provide Amazon/useful features nor waive off. IndusInd has been extremely disappointing experience to say the least. They even cancel the card they would have delivered (physical) which has gone through online process from limit to all the checks.

    Reply
    1. Siddharth Post author

      I had limit issues in the past though generous LE every year was useful to an extent.

      But with this LE & upgrade my limit is now as good as Infinia. Getting the right person to handle the case is essential.

      Reply
      1. AAJ

        Mine I had taken via Pioneer RM (to regional level/higher as per RM – hope personnel is truthful 😉 ). Initially they said limit issue, they gave some 10-15% LE and later said with other card combined limit they can, but no fee budge – left it there 🙂

        Reply
  2. Ajai Singh

    Aurum has the same gold inlay and is not such a big deal but the amount of gold here seems higher. I have been actively trying to get my hands on Pioneer Heritage after being complimentary upgraded back to Pioneer from Executive but forever what reason my RM still needs some approval from her zonal head.

    @Sid In your view is getting the Indulge easier than getting Pioneer Heritage then I will try for that instead. Also so many months you have been using this and holding out on us need reviews fast at least unboxing should be faster also I recommend video unboxing 😉

    Reply
    1. Siddharth Post author

      As long as the limit is >5L with good standing savings a/c & other cc stmt with high limit as additional proof, getting these cards isn’t tough.

      I took Indulge as Heritage MC was not issued back then. Getting either of them should be on same level of eligibility.

      These days no one needs reviews, they all need tricks. The readers have evolved a lot, so I no longer see a need to publish it faster.

      Reply
      1. Mahesh S. Panicker

        Not really. People do rate your reviews highly as the trafic on this site indicates. I for one, surely do, and would be much happier to have more regular content though I can indeed understand you would have a lot of other priorities…

        Reply
  3. Iyer

    Can you please clarify reader’s doubt on how can you hold this many credit cards? Are you getting paid for writing these reviews and hence you are given a credit card for that purpose? your response would clear the air once for all. In case response cannot be provided in public, feel free to reply privately. Thanks.

    Reply
      1. Rohit Bahl

        Hi Sid,
        I am using credit cards from 2010. I have a total of 19 credit cards, many of them got upgraded to super-premium. Your blog helps a lot in terms of latest offers running/new card launches. I have seen a few blogs which seems clearly biased but your site and most importantly your review gives a clear indication whether a person should hit or miss it.
        Thanks for giving your dedication & time. Appreciate it. 🙂

        Reply
    1. Satish Kumar Agarwal

      If you are in doubt whether contents on this website is paid, look at other websites n compare. Readers comments volume lead over other websites itself shows readers trust which website. This trust can’t be earned without giving unbiased reviews.

      Nobody is perfectly unbiased in world. Isn’t near unbiased without getting paid for is too good to be true. That’s what makes it number 1 website of India for Card reviews.

      Reply
  4. Varun

    Hi,
    Please review IndusInd Pioneer Heritage Metal Credit Card.

    Thanks

    Reply
    1. Siddharth Post author

      Unfortunately no, have to spend to get the renewal fee waived. Might switch before that. Though I see some getting it as LTF.

      Reply
  5. Mouli

    With high joining fee and less reward rate any reason to have this card ?
    Which fee option have you opted for ?

    Reply
  6. Sandeep

    I think my Pinnacle works better for me. I got it LTF – I was told there will be a joining fee with equivalent amount (except GST) of Amazon vouchers. But the fee was never actually charged.

    Reply
  7. Ankur

    Just wondering, does the card have any “resale” value? If you discontinue the card, what do you do with the 22k gold inlay?

    Reply
  8. Amit Patnaik

    I actually agree with Siddharth that this card can be excellent value for someone who wants to stay at the Oberoi properties. With hotel prices as they are, the Udaivilas/Amarvilas is going for Rs. 50,000 to Rs. 70,000 a night!

    However, what should have been mentioned is HOW MANY vouchers does the card come with? Is it one or two? I remember my RM saying it was 2. 1 voucher = 1 night except at the Cecil, where it is 2 nights!

    Reply
  9. kiran

    I have faced lot of issues about this card. If credit limit is crossed 1 rupee also, the Collection team people will call you and they are asking to pay total outstanding amount not the over limit amount. if your not paying, then daily around 50 -60 time they will call you trouble you . even they charged over limit as well. I never faced this issue in my life time .no banks are not doing like this. IF bank charging overlimit why Collection team people are calling even due date is there ? I don’t know why

    Reply
  10. Neeraj Gupta

    I am having the worst experinece of my life with the Creditcard team of IndusInd Bank. In May 2023, the IndusInd executives reached out to me to sell IndusInd Indulge pls Credit Card. The card has a one time fee to 1Lakh + GST of 18K. They assured me that I will get vouchers worth 1Lakh within 15-20 days of making the payment. I made the payment on 2nd-Jun-2023. However I did not receive the vouchers even after 3 months passed. I sent them numerous reminders via phone and email. On 16-Sep-2023 I raised a complaint with IndusInd Bank to cancel my card and refund me the money. They are not responding to that complaint even after I have sent numerous reminders to them.

    Reply

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