AU Zenith Credit Card – Benefits, Fees & Eligibility

AU Zenith Credit Card

Introduction

The AU Zenith Credit Card is a premium offering from AU Bank, designed to provide a luxurious lifestyle and extensive benefits to its cardholders. With an annual membership fee of ₹7,999, the card delivers a wide array of best-in-class privileges, including attractive milestone benefits, complimentary domestic and international lounge access, comprehensive insurance coverage, and a competitive foreign currency markup fee. It features a decent reward rate on regular spends and accelerated rewards on specific categories like dining at standalone restaurants, grocery and departmental store spends, and international transactions, enabling cardholders to unwrap premium offers and travel in luxury.

Welcome Benefits

• Receive shopping vouchers worth ₹1,000 from top brands upon making the first POS transaction within 60 days of card issuance.
• Earn 10,000 Bonus Reward Points (RPs) on achieving retail spends of ₹1 lakh within 60 days of card activation.
• Both welcome benefits are applicable for retail spends made within sixty days of card setup.

Fees

• Joining Fee: ₹7,999 + applicable taxes (GST).
• Renewal Fee: ₹7,999 + applicable taxes (GST).
• Spend-Based Waiver:
  • The 1st year joining fee can be waived on retail spends of ₹1,25,000 within 90 days of card setup.
  • The annual fee for the 2nd year onwards can be waived on retail spends of ₹5,00,000 in the previous card anniversary year.
• Rewards Redemption Fee: ₹99 + GST.
• Foreign Currency Markup: 1.99% of the transaction amount.
• Interest Rates: 3.75% per month (45% per annum) on revolving credit.
• Fuel Surcharge: 1% fuel surcharge waiver for fuel transactions across all fuel stations in the country, with a maximum waiver of ₹1,000 per statement cycle.
• Cash Advance Charges: 2.5% of the withdrawn amount or ₹500, whichever is higher.

Rewards

• Accelerated Rewards Program:
  • Earn 20 Reward Points per ₹100 on retail spends at standalone restaurants for dining. (Maximum 5,000 Reward Points per statement cycle on Dining Spends).
  • Earn 10 Reward Points per ₹100 on retail spends for International transactions, Grocery, and Departmental stores.
  • Earn 5 Reward Points per ₹100 on retail spends across other merchant categories.
  • Earn 1 Reward Point per ₹100 on retail spends for Insurance and Utility & Telecom categories. (Maximum 100 Reward Points per transaction on Utility & Telecom spends. Reward Points capped to a transaction amount of ₹10,000 for Utility, Insurance, and Telecom transactions).
  • A maximum of 25,000 points can be earned in a statement cycle.
  • Note: Cash, Rent, Education & Government, EMI, Fuel, BBPS, and Quasi Cash transactions are not eligible for Reward Points.
• Milestone Benefits:
  • Quarterly Milestone Benefits: Receive ₹1,000 vouchers from a bouquet of top brands on a minimum of ₹2 lakh retail spends per calendar quarter.
  • Yearly Milestone Benefits: Get complimentary Epicure Membership on a minimum of ₹8 lakh retail spends in a card anniversary year.
• Birthday Benefit: Earn 2,500 Bonus Reward Points on completing one retail transaction on your birthday.
• Complimentary Lounge Access:
  • Domestic Airport Lounges: Enjoy 2 complimentary lounge access per calendar quarter within India using your AU Credit Card, subject to a minimum spend of ₹20,000 in the calendar quarter.
  • International Airport Lounges: Receive 2 complimentary lounge access per calendar quarter using Priority Pass at all participating lounges. (Usage of Priority Pass within India is chargeable).
  • Railway Lounges: Access 2 complimentary lounge visits per calendar quarter using your AU Credit Card at railway stations in locations like Kolkata (Sealdah), New Delhi, Jaipur, Ahmedabad, Madurai, and Agra. Add-on cardholders can also enjoy these railway lounge benefits.
• Insurance Benefits (Comprehensive Protection Cover):
  • Air Accident Cover: Up to ₹2 Crore.
  • Card Liability Cover: Zero liability on fraudulent transactions after reporting the loss to the bank. Protection against Card Counterfeit/Skimming and Online frauds.
  • Credit Shield: Up to ₹15 Lakhs.
  • Purchase Protection: Up to ₹50,000.
  • Other Travel Related Covers: Includes protection in the event of baggage loss, baggage delay, flight delay, loss of passport, and plane hijack.
• Lifestyle Benefits:
  • Luxury Hotel Membership: Complimentary Epicure Membership with yearly milestone spends.
  • Curated Offers (Visa/RuPay):
    • Visa Offerings:
      • Luxury stay at ITC Hotels: "Stay for 3, Pay for 2" and 50% savings on the 2nd night at 40+ properties.
      • Exclusive Stay Offers with Elivaas: "Stay for 3, Pay for 2" and 50% savings on the 2nd night at 150+ luxury villas.
      • Complimentary Visa Meet & Greet services at major Indian airports for international flights (to/from India), offered to cross-border active customers, with repeat customers receiving a 10% discount.
      • Premium Dining Program DinewithVisa, offering reservations and curated menus for unique culinary experiences.
    • RuPay Offerings: Enjoy amazing offers available on your Zenith RuPay Credit Card.

Rewards Redemption Guide

• Reward Points can be redeemed for a plethora of options on the AU Rewardz portal.
• Redemption options include:
  • E-vouchers from top brands
  • Merchandise
  • Mobile/DTH recharges
  • Flight/Hotel bookings
• Each Reward Point (RP) is valued at ₹0.25 (1 RP = ₹0.25).

Card Eligibility Criteria

• Primary Cardholder Age Group:
  • Self-Employed: 25 years to 65 years.
  • Salaried: 21 years to 60 years.
• Add-on Cardholder Age: Should be over 18 years.
• Residency: Must be a Resident Indian.
• Note: These criteria are indicative, and AU Small Finance Bank reserves the right to approve or decline credit card applications.

Card Review

The AU Zenith Credit Card is positioned as a premium offering, with its annual membership fee of ₹7,999 being justified by a suite of high-value benefits. Cardholders can enjoy extensive travel perks, including complimentary domestic and international airport lounge visits, as well as railway lounge access. The card also stands out with a lower foreign currency markup fee of 1.99%, making it attractive for international travelers. Comprehensive insurance coverage adds a layer of security, while dedicated global concierge services cater to bespoke travel and leisure needs.

However, a notable drawback for some users might be the absence of specific complimentary golf or movie benefits, which are often expected from cards in this premium segment. While the joining and annual fees are high, they are waivable based on significant spend thresholds. This card is well-suited for individuals who frequently travel, dine out, and engage in substantial retail spending, appreciating luxury benefits and robust protection features.

Important Product Details

• Annual membership fee of ₹7,999 + applicable taxes.
• Joining fee waiver on ₹1.25 lakh retail spends within 90 days.
• Annual fee waiver on ₹5 lakh retail spends in the previous year.
• Up to 20 Reward Points per ₹100 spent on dining.
• 10 Reward Points per ₹100 on international, grocery, and departmental store spends.
• 5 Reward Points per ₹100 on other retail transactions (excluding specific categories).
• 10,000 Bonus Reward Points on ₹1 lakh retail spends within 60 days of card setup.
• ₹1,000 worth of vouchers on ₹2 lakh expenditure per calendar quarter.
• Complimentary Taj Epicure membership on ₹8 lakh expenditure in an anniversary year.
• 2,500 Bonus Reward Points on a birthday retail transaction.
• Lower foreign currency markup fee of 1.99%.
• Complimentary domestic and international airport lounge access (2 per quarter each) and IRCTC railway lounge access (2 per quarter).
• Comprehensive insurance cover including air accident, credit shield (up to ₹15 lakhs), purchase protection, and various travel-related covers.
• No specific golf or movie benefits are explicitly mentioned as complimentary card features.

Other Details

• Dedicated Concierge Services: Customize travel, entertainment, and leisure experiences with 24x7 Global Concierge Assistance. Services include booking travel, arranging golf sessions, or planning anniversary dinners. Contact on 1800 210 0298 (toll-free) or 022-42320298.
• Priority Customer Service: For priority assistance with queries, email creditcard.priority@aubank.in.
• Contactless Card Usage: Make quick, secure & easy payments by tapping the card at participating merchants for amounts up to ₹5000, without needing to enter the Credit Card PIN.
• XpressEMI: Convert eligible transactions of ₹500 and above (with a minimum total value of ₹2,000) into EMIs. Up to 20 billed or unbilled transactions can be clubbed for conversion. Available channels include AU 0101 App, Net-Banking, Auro Chat-bot, WhatsApp Banking (8383838399), On Call (1800 1200 1500), and IVR.
• Add-on Cards: Offer Zenith Credit Card benefits to loved ones with Add-on cards, which are free for lifetime.