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Verified against Bandhan Bank’s official Sparks page and Fees and Charges table on 9 Sep 2026. Check the MITC link at the end before applying.
First card? Three terms to know: waiver = yearly fee dropped if you spent enough, milestone = bonus for crossing a monthly target, MITC = the bank’s official rulebook that has the final word.
Why should you care? The cheapest way into Bandhan’s new family
Sparks is Bandhan’s entry card. No joining fee, Rs 499 a year, and one free airport lounge visit every three months.
If you have never had a credit card, or you spend modestly and want to build a credit history, start here. And honestly, stop here until your spending grows.
The catch, in plain words: small fee, small rewards, same strict rules
Two things trip up beginners. First, 18% GST on the fee — Rs 499 becomes Rs 589 in real life. Second, the point rate is low, so chasing points by overspending makes no sense. Think of Sparks as a payment tool that builds your score, not a way to earn big.
What Sparks actually gives you
Fee: Joining Nil. Yearly Rs 499 plus GST, so Rs 589 all-in. Fee is waived if you spend Rs 50,000 in a year. Per the MITC, rent payments and wallet loads do not count toward this target, and paying rent by card costs 1% + GST. That is about Rs 4,200 a month. Most users cross it without trying.
Rewards: 2 points for every Rs 200 you spend on eligible purchases. That is roughly 0.25% back, at Rs 0.25 per point per Bandhan’s official Delights FAQ (confirm the credit-card catalogue uses the same Delight Point on apply day). On grocery and apparel you earn 4 points per Rs 200 (about 0.50%), but only once you spend Rs 20,000 or more on grocery and apparel in that month. Note this is category spend, not total spend. Below that, you earn the base rate everywhere.
Welcome gift: 500 bonus points if you spend Rs 5,000 within 30 days of getting the card. At Rs 0.25 per point per the Delights FAQ, that is about Rs 125. Small, but the target is easy — one month of groceries does it.
Lounge: 1 free domestic lounge visit per quarter at select airports. No international lounge.
Movies: 20% off on BookMyShow, up to Rs 100 once a month.
Fuel: 1% surcharge waiver, up to Rs 150 per statement cycle.
EMI: 10% cashback up to Rs 500 on your first EMI booking of 12 months or more. One time only.
Foreign spends: 3.50% plus taxes. Avoid using this card abroad if you can.
Interest and extras: 3.50% a month on unpaid dues and cash withdrawals. Add-on card free. No fee to redeem rewards. EMI setup costs Rs 99 plus taxes.
Does Sparks pay for itself? A quick example
Say you spend Rs 12,000 a month, or Rs 1,44,000 a year. At 2 points per Rs 200 you earn about 1,440 points a year, worth roughly Rs 360. Add the 500-point welcome (about Rs 125) and one or two Rs 100 movie discounts. Year-one value is around Rs 600 to Rs 700 against a Rs 589 fee — and the fee is waived anyway once you cross Rs 50,000. You come out slightly ahead, plus you build a credit score.
Here is the honest part: Rs 360 of yearly rewards is tiny. Nobody should get Sparks for rewards. Get it for the credit history, the lounge visit, and the habit of paying in full every month.
What to do next
- If your monthly card spend is under Rs 15,000, Sparks is the only Bandhan card you should look at.
- In week one, spend Rs 5,000 on normal stuff to lock the 500-point welcome. Groceries count. Do not rely on fuel — it may not count.
- Set autopay for the full bill. At 3.50% a month (over 40% a year), carrying a balance even once wipes out a full year of rewards.
- Track Rs 50,000 of yearly spending to keep the card effectively free.
Bottom line
Sparks is a learner’s card. It costs little, rewards little, and mistakes still cost you — like any credit card. Use it for a year, pay in full, build your score, then ask if you need a bigger card.
If you do one thing today: if you have no card and already spend at least Rs 5,000 a month on a card, check your eligibility on the official Sparks page linked below.
Verified 9 Sep 2026: official Sparks page and its Fees and Charges table (Joining Nil, Renewal Rs 499 plus taxes, waiver Rs 50,000, forex 3.50%, fuel cap Rs 150). Reward 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). Final word is the English MITC (CC/MITC/OA/090726/03/V-01).
