Credit Cards
Bandhan Credit Cards Compared: Sparks, Ignite, Flare, Lumina
Compare all four Bandhan credit cards: fees, waiver targets, reward rates, milestones and lounge access — and which one fits your monthly spending.
Pick your card: Sparks (under Rs 15K) | Ignite (Rs 25-30K) | Flare (Rs 75K travel) | Lumina (Rs 1L+)
All numbers below were verified against Bandhan Bank's official credit card site on 9 Sep 2026. Fees and offers can change, so check the official MITC link at the end before you apply.
New to credit cards? Three terms you will see everywhere: GST (18%) is tax added on every fee. Waiver means the bank drops the yearly fee if you spent enough that year. Milestone means bonus points for crossing a monthly spend target. MITC is the bank's official rulebook — it overrules this article.
Key takeaways
- Bandhan launched its first-ever credit card range on 8 September 2026: Sparks (Rs 499), Ignite (Rs 999), Flare (Rs 2,499) and Lumina (Rs 9,999), all plus 18% GST.
- Your monthly card spend picks the card: under Rs 15,000 → Sparks; Rs 15,000-40,000 → Ignite; about Rs 75,000 with travel → Flare; Rs 1 lakh-plus → Lumina.
- Rent payments and wallet loads never count toward the fee-waiver targets, per the MITC.
- Accelerated point rates only switch on above monthly category thresholds (Rs 20,000-25,000), so read the unlock line, not the headline rate.
- Reviewers rate the range poorly for its price — fuel and some categories are excluded from milestones, and early-launch systems are untested.
- Never stretch spending to hit a waiver or milestone; the bank wins that game.
Why this launch matters to you
Bandhan Bank never had its own credit card. On 8 September 2026, that changed — its first-ever range, with Mastercard.
Four cards, all named after fire: Sparks, Ignite, Flare and Lumina. Fees run from Rs 499 a year to Rs 9,999 a year (plus 18% GST every time).
If you are 25 and this would be your first card, forget the ads for a minute. Ask one question: how do I already spend? That answer picks your card. This guide gets you there in five minutes.
The fine print nobody reads (but you should)
Every card talks about "reward points" and "lounge access." What matters is what unlocks when:
1. The best point rates switch on only after you cross a monthly spend limit.
1. The welcome gift needs a fixed spend within 30 days of getting the card.
1. The yearly fee is waived only if you cross a big yearly total — and GST is always extra.
Miss these and you pay more than you get back. Here is the honest comparison.
The four cards in one table
11 of 11 rows
| Sparks | Ignite | Flare | Lumina | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joining fee | Nil (verified) | Nil (verified) | Rs 2,499 + GST | Rs 9,999 + GST |
| Yearly fee | Rs 499 + GST (Rs 589 all-in) | Rs 999 + GST (Rs 1,179 all-in) | Rs 2,499 + GST (Rs 2,949 all-in) | Rs 9,999 + GST (Rs 11,799 all-in) |
| Fee waived if you spend in a year | Rs 50,000 | Rs 1,00,000 | Rs 6,00,000 | Rs 12,00,000 |
| Base reward rate | 2 points per Rs 200 (about 0.25%) | 4 points per Rs 200 (about 0.50%) | 10 points per Rs 200 (about 1.25%) | 16 points per Rs 200 (about 2%) |
| Best rate | 4 points on grocery and apparel (about 0.50%), once Rs 20,000 is spent on grocery and apparel in the month | 8 points on grocery and travel (about 1%), once Rs 20,000 is spent on grocery and travel in the month | 20 points on travel (about 2.50%), once Rs 25,000 is spent on travel in the month | 24 points on foreign spends (about 3%) |
| Welcome gift (spend in first 30 days) | 500 points on Rs 5,000 spend | 1,000 points on Rs 10,000 spend | Rs 2,000 Amazon Pay voucher on Rs 10,000 spend | Rs 10,000 Oberoi e-voucher on Rs 20,000 spend plus joining fee paid |
| Monthly milestone | None | 1,200 points on Rs 30,000 spend | 5,000 points on Rs 75,000 spend | Up to 10,000 points on Rs 1,00,000 spend |
| Airport lounge | 1 domestic visit per quarter | 1 domestic + 1 international per quarter | 4 domestic + 1 international per quarter | 8 domestic per quarter + unlimited international |
| Foreign spend charge | 3.50% + taxes | 3.50% + taxes | 1.99% + taxes | 1.00% + taxes |
| Movies and food | 20% off BookMyShow, up to Rs 100 a month | 15% off EazyDiner, up to Rs 500 a month | 25% off BookMyShow to Rs 500 + 15% off EazyDiner to Rs 750 a month | 25% off both BookMyShow and EazyDiner, up to Rs 1,000 each a month |
| Fuel surcharge waiver | Up to Rs 150 per cycle | Up to Rs 250 per cycle | Up to Rs 500 per cycle | Up to Rs 500 per cycle |
Waiver fine print (from the MITC): rent payments and wallet loads do not count toward the yearly waiver targets above. Paying rent by card also costs a 1% fee + GST (capped at Rs 250 per transaction on Flare and Rs 500 on Lumina).
Reward value note: the percentages above use Rs 0.25 per point per Bandhan's official Delights FAQ (confirm the credit-card catalogue uses the same Delight Point on apply day). Treat them as indicative, not final.
Which one fits how you spend?
Two people, two outcomes
Ritu, 26, Bengaluru, salary Rs 55,000. She puts about Rs 28,000 a month on her card: groceries, a trip every two months, weekend movies. On Ignite she gets base points plus double points on grocery and travel, plus the 1,200-point bonus most months. Her yearly spend crosses Rs 1 lakh easily, so the Rs 999 fee is waived. That is a good fit.
Same Ritu, tempted by Lumina. The Rs 10,000 Oberoi voucher looks great. But Rs 9,999 plus Rs 1,800 GST is Rs 11,799 out of pocket, and her Rs 3.4 lakh yearly spend is nowhere near the Rs 12 lakh waiver. She would pay full fee every year for lounges she visits twice. That is a bad fit. And the voucher is not a free holiday — it is an e-voucher with the hotel's own terms, expiry and blackout dates.
What other reviewers are saying
One popular reviewer rated these cards about 2 out of 5, calling them "forgettable" for the price, and pointed out that fuel and some categories do not count toward milestones — which makes the targets harder than they look. On Reddit, users called 8 domestic lounge visits a quarter weak for a Rs 10,000 card, and advised waiting 15 to 20 days after any new bank launch because applications often get stuck early. Some creators expect these cards to be devalued or turn lifetime-free within a year.
That is opinion, not fact. But the practical tip inside it is solid: this range just launched, systems are new, terms are tight. There is no prize for applying on day one.
What to do next
1. Add up your last three months of card spending. Take the monthly average. That one number picks your card.
1. Under Rs 15,000 a month: look at Sparks only. Rs 15,000 to Rs 40,000: compare Ignite. Above Rs 75,000 with travel: compare Flare and Lumina.
1. Open the official compare page and the MITC (links below). Check the fee, waiver and lounge numbers yourself. They were correct on 9 Sep 2026 and re-confirmed against Bandhan's current promotions on 2 Nov 2026 — confirm again on the day you apply.
1. Check two things most people skip: which spends do NOT count toward milestones (fuel and some categories are usually excluded), and the joining-fee-paid condition on the Lumina voucher.
1. If you apply, put the 30-day welcome-spend target in your calendar on day one. Miss the window and the gift is gone.
Bottom line
Think of the four cards as a ladder: Sparks for beginners, Ignite for steady spenders, Flare for travellers, Lumina for heavy spenders. Match the card to spending you already do. Never raise spending to chase points, milestones or waivers.
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Verified on 9 Sep 2026 and re-confirmed 2 Nov 2026 against official pages: compare page, and the Sparks, Ignite, Flare and Lumina detail pages on creditcards.bandhan.bank.in, plus each card's Fees and Charges table. Reward-point value Rs 0.25 per point per Bandhan's official Delights FAQ (confirm the credit-card catalogue uses the same Delight Point on apply day). Credit cards are governed by the RBI's Master Direction on card issuance. The English MITC (CC/MITC/OA/090726/03/V-01) and Key Fact Statement are the final word, not this article, not aggregator sites. No tax deduction applies to card fees or repayments. Detail pages: Sparks | Ignite | Flare | Lumina | Compare
Frequently asked questions
Which Bandhan credit card should I get first?
Match it to your monthly spend: Sparks at Rs 499 yearly for under Rs 15,000 a month, Ignite at Rs 999 for Rs 25,000-30,000. Flare and Lumina only pay off for travellers and heavy spenders above Rs 75,000 a month.
How do the Bandhan card fees get waived?
Sparks waives at Rs 50,000 of annual spend, Ignite at Rs 1 lakh, Flare at Rs 6 lakh and Lumina at Rs 12 lakh. Rent and wallet loads do not count toward these targets, per the MITC.
Are Bandhan credit cards good for beginners?
Sparks is a reasonable beginner card — nil joining fee, an easy Rs 50,000 waiver and a quarterly lounge visit. Rewards are small, so treat it as a credit-building tool, not an earning card.
Is it safe to apply in the first weeks after the launch?
There is no prize for day-one applications. Reviewers and early users report untested systems and tight terms; waiting 15-20 days costs you nothing and lets the first MITC revisions settle.
About the author
Om Patel is an investor, blogger and entrepreneur. Every guide is educational, not personalised advice; rates and rules are cited to official sources and reviewed with a visible date.
Educational content, not personalised advice. Rates change — verify on the bank's site before opening an account. How we make money