If you travel often for business or holiday, then you need a credit card without hidden extra costs like foreign-currency markups, lounge access, and travel insurance. The RBL Bank World Safari credit card is aimed at solving many of those pain points. With 0% markup on overseas spends and quite a few travel perks, it looks tempting. In this RBL Bank World Safari credit card review, you will learn how the card works, what it really offers, what its fees are, and whether it makes sense for you.
RBL Bank World Safari Credit Card Review: Quick Overview
Card issuer: RBL Bank
Annual fee: ₹3,000 + GST (joining and renewal)
Welcome bonus: MakeMyTrip voucher worth ₹3,000 (upon first transaction + fee paid)
Best for: Frequent travellers, those making foreign-currency purchases, users who will utilise airport lounge access, and travel insurance.
| Feature | Snapshot |
|---|---|
| 0% foreign currency markup fee | Yes — you pay only the real foreign spend, no extra 3.5%+GST. |
| Reward points on domestic & travel spending | 2 travel points per ₹100 on eligible domestic spends, 5 travel points per ₹100 on travel category. |
| Lounge access | Domestic and international lounge visits included. |
| Milestone benefits | Bonus points/vouchers on reaching spending targets. |
RBL Bank World Safari Credit Card Benefits
Cashback/Rewards
- On eligible domestic retail transactions, the card earns 2 travel points per ₹100 spent.
- On travel‐category transactions (domestic travel), it earns 5 travel points per ₹100.
- Important caveat: On international (foreign currency) transactions, you do not earn reward points.
- The travel points can be redeemed via the bank’s rewards portal (eg, for flights, hotels, vouchers) at a rate referenced around 1 point = ~₹0.25 in some sources.
- Milestone benefits: Spend ₹2.5 lakh in the year → 10,000 bonus points; ₹5 lakh → 15,000 bonus points; ₹7.5 lakh → gift voucher worth ~₹10,000.
This means if someone spends heavily (especially in travel or domestic categories), this card can give decent rewards, but the fact no points on international spends diminishes the value somewhat.
Travel benefits
- 0% foreign currency markup fee. That means when you make a transaction abroad (or in foreign currency) you won’t pay the usual ~3.5% markup + GST. For example, one source shows: If you spent US$100, with a usual card, you might pay ~$104.13; with this card, you pay $100.
- Airport lounge access:
- Domestic: 2 complimentary lounge visits each calendar quarter (i.e., 8 per year) provided you meet the spend condition (₹35,000 previous quarter) from 1 July 2025.
- International: Via Priority Pass membership, 2 complimentary lounge visits per calendar year outside India. Additional lounge visits are possible if you spend ₹ 50,000 or more in a quarter.
- Travel insurance: Complimentary cover on overseas travel for things like personal liability, trip delay, baggage loss, loss of passport, dental treatment, etc.
- 24×7 Concierge desk: Hotel referrals, dining, spa, golf course referrals.
- Golf privileges: 4 complimentary green fee rounds per year + one golf lesson each month (for Mastercard variant) + 50% discount beyond that.
Shopping/Partner offers
- Fuel surcharge waiver: The card offers a waiver of 1% fuel surcharge at all fuel stations in India (for transactions between ₹500 and ₹4,000) with a maximum waiver of ₹250/month.
- Welcome voucher (MakeMyTrip ₹3,000), which can be used for flights/hotels/holiday bookings.
EMI/Big spend perks
- By reaching milestone spends (₹2.5 lakh, ₹5 lakh, ₹7.5 lakh), you unlock bonus points and vouchers—so big spenders get incremental extra value.
- The zero forex markup also effectively gives “value” to international purchases (saves ~3-4% of cost), which is significant for frequent global travellers.
RBL Bank World Safari Credit Card Charges
- Annual fee: ₹3,000 + GST for both joining and renewal.
- There is no automatic waiver given (in many cases) unless the retention offer is manually negotiated.
- Interest rate (APR): The purchase interest is 3.99% per month (~47.88% p.a.).
- Foreign currency transaction markup: Zero.
- Cash advance fee: 2.5% of withdrawal amount, minimum ₹500.
- Reward redemption fee: Some sources say ₹99 + GST for redeeming points.
- Other charges: Over-limit penalty (recently removed for some cards) and fuel transaction surcharge still apply.
RBL Bank World Safari Credit Card Review: Pros Cons
Pros:
- 0% foreign currency markup fee – big saver for overseas purchases/travel.
- Good travel benefits: lounge access, travel insurance, concierge, and golf.
- The welcome voucher of ₹3,000 offsets the first-year cost.
- Milestone rewards encourage higher spending and give extra value.
- A fuel surcharge waiver helps frequent domestic spenders at petrol pumps.
Cons:
- No reward points on international transactions, which is odd given the travel focus.
- An annual fee of ₹3,000 may not justify the cost unless you use the travel perks and spend heavily.
- Limited lounge access compared to ultra-premium cards (just 2 international visits/yr).
- Interest rate is high – carry-forward balances will cost.
- Some users report merchant acceptance issues abroad, depending on the network/variant.
Who Should Apply for the RBL Bank World Safari Credit Card?
Best for:
- Travellers who go abroad fairly often (so they benefit from 0% forex markup and international lounges).
- Users who spend at least ₹2.5 lakh+ annually (to gain milestone benefits) and utilise the travel perks.
- Those who value lounge access, concierge, golf, or travel insurance gifts and will use them.
- Individuals are comfortable with paying the ₹3,000 fee and extracting value from it.
Not ideal for:
- Casual/monthly spenders who don’t travel much internationally.
- People mostly spending domestically and not using travel perks – they may not recover fee cost.
- Someone who wants reward points on all international spends – this card lacks that.
- Users who tend to carry forward balances (owing to high interest rates).
How to Apply for RBL Bank World Safari Credit Card
Eligibility criteria:
- Must be an Indian resident (some sources say)
- Age typically 21–60 years (varies)
- Stable income (salaried or self-employed) and good credit score.
- Minimum income requirement may apply (varies by city, segmentation)
Documents required:
- Proof of identity: PAN, Aadhaar, Passport, etc.
- Proof of address: Aadhaar, utility bills, etc.
- Income proof: salary slips or bank statements for salaried; ITR for self-employed.
- A recent photograph, existing bank relationships may help.
RBL Bank World Safari Credit Card Review: FAQs
RBL Bank World Safari Credit Card Review: Verdict
If you are a frequent traveller who loves shopping abroad, the RBL Bank World Safari Credit Card delivers strong value. The 0% foreign-currency markup alone can save you about ~3-4% of spend abroad, which is quite meaningful. Factor in the welcome voucher, travel insurance, lounge access, and milestone rewards, and the ₹3,000 annual fee begins to look justified.
However only if you will actually make use of the perks and spend sufficiently. If you rarely travels abroad, rarely uses lounges, and doesn’t reach milestone spends, the value drops sharply. In that scenario, the fee may not be worth it.
