The Club Vistara IDFC FIRST credit card stops working on 1 October 2026; holders are being moved to a lifetime-free Diamond Reserve
IDFC FIRST Bank says the Club Vistara IDFC FIRST Credit Card programme ends on 30 September 2026 and the card will not work for any transaction from 1 October. Live From A Lounge and CardInsider report that holders get the Diamond Reserve card lifetime free as the replacement.
Vistara stopped flying in November 2024, when it merged into Air India. Its co-branded IDFC FIRST credit card has kept going ever since. That ends this week.
The date that matters: 1 October 2026
IDFC FIRST Bank's own card page now carries the notice: the Club Vistara IDFC FIRST Credit Card programme ends on 30 September 2026 and the card will not be available for transactions from 1 October 2026. The bank's page says that covers online and international transactions and cash withdrawals, that any outstanding balance still has to be paid, and that the account closes once nothing is owed.
That means anything billed to this card on or after 1 October will be declined. If you have subscriptions, utility autopays, insurance premiums or SIP mandates on it, move them to another card now. A declined autopay can mean a late fee or a lapsed policy on the other side.
The replacement: Diamond Reserve, lifetime free
IDFC's card page does not mention a replacement. Two outlets, Live From A Lounge (18 September) and CardInsider (21 September), both report that existing holders are being moved to the IDFC FIRST Diamond Reserve Credit Card, lifetime free, and TapNow community members report seeing the replacement in the IDFC app.
What both outlets agree the Diamond Reserve carries:
| Feature | As reported by LFAL and CardInsider |
|---|---|
| Fee for migrating Vistara holders | Lifetime free |
| Fee for everyone else | ₹3,000 a year, waivable on annual spend |
| Airport lounges | 2 domestic + 2 international visits per quarter |
| Forex markup | Zero |
| Base earn | Up to 10 reward points per ₹150 spent |
| Trip cancellation cover | Up to ₹25,000 |
Two cautions before you treat that table as final. First, neither outlet quotes IDFC's terms for the migrated card, so confirm the lounge conditions in your welcome kit: other IDFC cards now gate lounge visits behind the previous month's spend. Second, IDFC is ending reward points on international spends across most of its cards from 26 October 2026, covered in our IDFC zero-forex post. Zero forex is valuable; do not assume it also earns points abroad.
What to do this week
- Move every recurring payment off the Club Vistara card before 30 September.
- Pay off or plan the final balance; the card account closes once it is clear.
- When the Diamond Reserve arrives, check its lounge terms and its reward rules on international spend before you rely on either.
Not sure the Diamond Reserve is the card that should replace it in your wallet? Polo Match ranks cards by what they would actually earn on your spending, net of fees.
Sources
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