Updated September 29, 2026 · DebitCue Editorial Team
IDFC FIRST Bank Credit Cards vs Varo Visa® Debit Card
IDFC FIRST Bank Credit Cards
Varo Visa® Debit Card
Higher score in this comparison
Where IDFC FIRST Bank Credit Cards and Varo Visa® Debit Card differ
| Compare | IDFC FIRST Bank Credit CardsReviewVisitVisit | Varo Visa® Debit CardReviewSee alternativesSee alternatives |
|---|---|---|
| Annual fee | ₹0 | $0 |
| APR | 8.5% | 0%Lower |
| Rewards rate | 1% online up to INR 10,000 per statement cycle, 2% on incremental online spends above INR 10,000, 1% on UPI via the IDFC FIRST Bank app, 1% in-store, 0.5% on select categories, plus 1% bonus on hotel and flight bookings in the app; total capped at INR 500 per statement cycle | Offer-based, varies by merchant offer; up to $750 per calendar month |
| Perks | Personal accident cover of INR 200,000, Lost card liability cover of INR 25,000, UPI enabled RuPay credit card auto linked to the IDFC FIRST Bank app, No income proof or credit history required, Fixed deposit keeps earning interest while funding the card, Zero forex markup on international spends, Cash withdrawal interest free for up to 45 days at a nominal fee of INR 199 plus GST | Reports to all three credit bureaus, Free credit score tracking in the Varo app, No credit check to apply, No minimum security deposit; cardholder sets own spending limit, Cashback offers at select merchants with the card, Free out of network free Allpoint ATM access |
| Cashback rate | 0.5% to 2% | Not confirmed |
Same on both: Currency conversion fee (0%), Rewards type (Cashback), Credit needed (Poor), Card kind (Credit).
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Key differences
- Varo Visa® Debit Card scores higher overall: 9.2 vs 8.8.
- Founded is lower at Varo Visa® Debit Card: 2015 vs 2018.
- APR is lower at Varo Visa® Debit Card: 0% vs 8.5%.
- Perks: only IDFC FIRST Bank Credit Cards offers Personal accident cover of INR 200,000, Lost card liability cover of INR 25,000, UPI enabled RuPay credit card auto linked to the IDFC FIRST Bank app.
- Perks: only Varo Visa® Debit Card offers Reports to all three credit bureaus, Free credit score tracking in the Varo app, No credit check to apply.
- Support channels: only Varo Visa® Debit Card offers Chat, Email.
- Features: only IDFC FIRST Bank Credit Cards offers Rewards, Secured.
- Features: only Varo Visa® Debit Card offers Virtual card.
Our verdict on each
IDFC FIRST Bank Credit Cards
IDFC FIRST Bank Credit Cards suit adults with poor credit who want a cashback card they can use abroad without extra cost. The annual fee is INR 0 and the currency conversion fee is 0%, so most spending stays fee free.
Varo Visa® Debit Card
The Varo Visa Debit Card is a US account for people whose credit is poor who still want cashback and a virtual card, and it charges a monthly fee of $0. Wise and Starling sit on the same monthly fee, so the deciding points are the credit building and the card network.
Score breakdown
| Area | IDFC FIRST Bank Credit Cards | Varo Visa® Debit Card |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | 9.5HigherAnnual fee of INR 0, APR of 8.5% and currency conversion fee of 0% keep the running costs low. | 9.4Monthly fee $0 and annual fee $0 sit at the foot of the debit table; conversion fee 0% beats the site median of 1%. |
| Offer | 8.9 | 9.9Higher |
| Trust | 8.1 | 8.6Higher |
Spending 1,000 abroad
IDFC FIRST Bank Credit Cards
0
0% of 1,000
Varo Visa® Debit Card
0
0% of 1,000
Both come to the same total.
Worked out from the stated prices and rates; your own total depends on how you use it. Facts checked September 26, 2026.
Availability and regulation
| Country | IDFC FIRST Bank Credit Cards | Varo Visa® Debit Card |
|---|---|---|
| United States | Not confirmed | FDIC FDIC cert 59190 |
Additional countries for IDFC FIRST Bank Credit Cards: 1. Additional countries for Varo Visa® Debit Card: 1.
What we checked
IDFC FIRST Bank Credit Cards
- idfcfirstbank.com: 15 facts, checked September 26, 2026
Varo Visa® Debit Card
- varomoney.com: 11 facts, checked September 26, 2026
- banks.data.fdic.gov: 2 facts, checked September 26, 2026
- support.varomoney.com: 1 fact, checked September 26, 2026
How they place
| Ranking | IDFC FIRST Bank Credit Cards | Varo Visa® Debit Card |
|---|---|---|
| Credit cards | 32 of 1020 | 141 of 1020 |
| Bad credit and credit builder cards | 3 of 23 | 9 of 23 |
| Cashback cards | 11 of 203 | 47 of 203 |
| Secured credit cards | 5 of 27 | 8 of 27 |
Every fact side by side
| Fact | IDFC FIRST Bank Credit Cards | Varo Visa® Debit Card |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | No annual fee | No annual fee |
| Features | Rewards, Secured | Virtual card |
| Legal entity | IDFC FIRST Bank Ltd | Varo Bank, National Association |
| Headquarters | India | United States |
| Founded | 2018 | 2015Lower |
| Support channels | Phone, Help centre | Chat, Phone, Email, Help centreCovers more |
Where each stands against the rest
| Fact | IDFC FIRST Bank Credit Cards | Varo Visa® Debit Card | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| APR | 8.5%lowest quarter | 0%lowest quarter | 19.39% |
| Currency conversion fee | 0%below the median | 0%below the median | 1% |
| Cashback rate | 0.5% to 2%above the median | Not confirmed | 1.5 |
Median across 312 listed cards.
Pros and cons
IDFC FIRST Bank Credit Cards
Pros
- Annual fee of INR 0 makes it a no annual fee card, matching no annual fee.
- Currency conversion fee of 0% means international spends carry no extra markup, ahead of the site median of 1%.
- APR of 8.5% sits well under the credit card median of 20.85%.
Cons
- Cashback is capped each statement cycle, so heavy spenders earn less than the headline rate.
- The deposit backing the card keeps earning interest, but the money stays tied up while it funds the limit.
- Support runs on phone and help centre only, so there is no chat or email route listed.
Varo Visa® Debit Card
Pros
- Rewards are cashback at select merchants, and the rate moves with each offer, so the card pays back at shops you already visit.
- There is no credit check to apply and the credit level asked for is poor, so the account opens for a thin credit file.
- A virtual card is included, listed as virtual card, which keeps online spending and subscriptions away from the physical card.
Cons
- Rewards are cashback, but the rate is offer based and moves with each merchant offer, so everyday spending earns whatever the offer happens to be.
- Every card compared here charges a monthly fee too, at £0, €0 and £0, so the free monthly account is not by itself a reason to move.
- The cardholder sets their own spending limit, as listed in Reports to all three credit bureaus, Free credit score tracking in the Varo app and No credit check to apply, so the ceiling stays where you put it instead of rising on its own.
Who each suits
IDFC FIRST Bank Credit Cards
Who it suits
- Adults in India with poor credit who need a card without income proof or a credit history.
- Anyone who spends online, on UPI through the app and abroad and wants cashback on it.
- People with a RuPay credit card they want auto linked to the bank app.
Who should look elsewhere
- Frequent cash withdrawers, because cash advances come with a fee and a short interest free window.
- Chasers of points or miles, since the rewards are plain cashback.
- Shoppers who want lounge access or travel insurance benefits in a single fee free card.
Varo Visa® Debit Card
Who it suits
- People whose credit is poor and who want a card that opens without a credit check, with cashback at select merchants rather than a travel account such as Wise.
- US residents who want a virtual card alongside a physical one and free Allpoint cash withdrawals, where Starling is the alternative to compare.
- Spenders who want rewards paid as cashback at merchants they already use, and who are happy setting their own spending limit.
Who should look elsewhere
- Not for people whose main need is holding and spending in several currencies: Wise is the alternative to compare, while this is a US debit account.
- Not for people who need cash machines in many countries: the ATM access listed in Reports to all three credit bureaus, Free credit score tracking in the Varo app and No credit check to apply is Allpoint, and Starling is the alternative to compare for a different debit setup.
- Not for anyone who wants a card that sets its own ceiling: the cardholder sets their own spending limit, as listed in Reports to all three credit bureaus, Free credit score tracking in the Varo app and No credit check to apply, so Bitpanda is worth a look for a different spending arrangement.
Current offers
IDFC FIRST Bank Credit Cards
Current offer
Bonus
Cashback on 1st transaction with the Hello Cashback Credit Card: INR 250
Applies to the first transaction on the Hello Cashback Credit Card; up to 1% cashback on UPI spends
Source, checked September 26, 2026
Country by country
| Country | IDFC FIRST Bank Credit Cards | Varo Visa® Debit Card |
|---|---|---|
| India | Yes | No |
| United States | No | Yes |
Questions about each
IDFC FIRST Bank Credit Cards
Does this credit card charge an annual fee?+
No. The annual fee is INR 0 and the card is listed as a no annual fee model, so holding it costs nothing across a year. Many cards in the lists are not so lucky, with an annual fee median of €0 and a top quartile of €4.89. A small cashback rate of 0.5% to 2% is the main reward on offer.
What interest rate will I pay if I carry a balance?+
The APR is 8.5%, which is below the credit card median of 20.85% and the site median of 20.97%. It is a low rate for a card aimed at people with poor credit, but it is not a balance free card, so carrying money month to month still costs you. Paying in full avoids the interest entirely.
Varo Visa® Debit Card
What does it cost to hold this account?+
The account charges a monthly fee of $0 and the card an annual fee of $0, so there is no charge for holding it open. The credit building side of the same bank lists the same annual fee and an APR of 0%, and the model is listed as no annual fee, which keeps the cost of holding the card at the bottom of the table.
Is my money protected?+
The bank behind the card is Varo Bank, National Association, based in the United States, and its licence reads FDIC cert 59190. The FDIC is the regulator named for it in the US, and the certificate number is how the bank is identified in that regulator's records. The licence terms set out what the deposit protection covers.
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IDFC FIRST Bank Credit Cards
Varo Visa® Debit Card