BOBCARD Etihad Guest Premium Credit Card Review
Premium airline co-brand from BOBCARD with Etihad Guest miles, 0% forex markup, complimentary Etihad Guest Silver Tier on first transaction, and 12+8 lounge access. Verified Apr 2026 against the official BOBCARD product page.
Quick take
The BOBCARD Etihad Guest Premium is one of the very few premium credit cards in India with true 0% forex markup — rare for a fee-paying card. Combined with the Etihad airline co-brand earn rate (6 miles/₹100 on Etihad, 2/₹100 elsewhere) and complimentary Silver Tier status from your first transaction, it's built for Indians who fly Etihad to/via Abu Dhabi for international travel. The 12 domestic + 8 international lounges per year cover most of the lounge-access need. Annual fee ₹5,000 + GST is recoverable through the welcome miles + first-year usage.
Rewards & miles
| Spend type | Etihad Miles per ₹100 | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Etihad Airways spends | 6 Miles | Highest accelerator |
| All other domestic + cross-border spends | 2 Miles | Uniform earn rate |
| Fuel | 0 Miles (excluded) | 1% surcharge waiver applies |
| Welcome — joining | 10,000 Bonus Miles | On ₹25,000 spend in first 60 days + joining-fee payment |
| Welcome — spend milestone | 5,000 Bonus Miles | On cumulative ₹50,000 spend |
| Implied annual peak | ~24,000 Miles | Issuer's “Best Deal” framing |
Travel benefits
- Complimentary Etihad Guest Silver Tier on your first card transaction (a perk usually requiring qualifying flights to earn)
- 0% forex markup on international transactions — saving 3.5%+ vs typical premium cards
- 12 domestic airport lounge visits per year (3 per quarter)
- 8 international airport lounge visits per year (2 per quarter)
- Smart EMI on transactions above ₹2,500 (6-48 month tenures)
- 1% fuel surcharge waiver on transactions ₹500-₹5,000, max ₹250 per cycle
- Contactless tap-and-pay
What we like
- Genuine 0% forex on a co-brand card with airline miles is genuinely rare in India — matches Federal Scapia, IDFC FIRST WOW, but adds airline tier benefits on top
- Silver Tier status from first transaction is a real shortcut — Etihad normally requires miles + qualifying flights to reach Silver
- 8 international lounges/year (in addition to 12 domestic) is a strong package
- Annual fee waiver at ₹5L spend is reasonable for premium-tier customers
Where it falls short
- If you don't fly Etihad, the co-brand value evaporates — Etihad miles transferability/utility outside Etihad is limited
- Other-spend earn (2 miles/₹100) is modest in absolute terms; depends heavily on Etihad mile valuation
- Annual fee waiver requires ₹5L annual spend — not trivial
- BOBCARD ecosystem is smaller than HDFC/Axis/ICICI — redemption catalogue and concierge depth are lighter