RuPay Credit Card via UPI for Flights: Which Banks Give Rewards?

HDFC, SBI, IDFC FIRST and Axis RuPay credit cards linked to UPI — which ones still earn reward points on flight bookings in 2026, and which have quietly cut

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RuPay Credit Card via UPI for Flights: Which Banks Still Give Rewards in 2026?

By Aarav Sharma (Aarav Sharma covers Indian airline operations, airport infrastructure and route economics. He writes about Tier-1 and Tier-2 airport developments, IndiGo and Air India fleet strategy, and the unsung Indian aviation hubs travellers should know about.) · Published · 9 min read

Linking a RuPay credit card to UPI sounds like the perfect hack — UPI convenience with credit-card rewards. But banks have been quietly pulling the rug. Here's which cards still earn points on flight bookings in 2026, and which ones you're wasting a swipe on.

TL;DR — The Quick Answer

A handful of RuPay credit cards do still earn reward points when you pay via UPI (using apps like PhonePe, CRED or Paytm), but the list has shrunk significantly since 2024. HDFC Bank's RuPay credit card and IDFC FIRST Bank's WOW! credit card are among the more consistent performers for UPI-linked rewards as of mid-2026 — but the devil is in the merchant-category exclusion clauses. SBI and Axis have trimmed their UPI-on-credit-card reward rates for travel categories specifically. Always verify on the issuer's current Most Important Terms and Conditions (MITC) page before you book a ₹30,000 international ticket expecting 5x points back.

Why RuPay + UPI Is Such an Attractive Combo for Flight Payments

When the RBI and NPCI rolled out RuPay credit card interoperability on UPI in 2022–23, travellers got genuinely excited — and understandably so. For the first time you could pay from a credit line using UPI, which meant no card surcharges on some OTAs, no need to type a 16-digit number into a sketchy browser on an airport wifi, and — if the stars aligned — reward points on top of all of it.

The appeal is real. UPI transactions on airline websites and OTAs like ixigo and EaseMyTrip often attract zero payment-gateway fee, whereas a standard Visa/Mastercard credit card can add 1–2% on the total fare. On a ₹20,000 ticket, that's ₹200–₹400 saved just on the mode of payment — before you even count rewards.

The catch? Banks didn't sign up for this to give away points for free. Several have added carve-outs that exclude UPI-routed transactions from their standard rewards programme. Others exclude travel/airline MCC codes (Merchant Category Code 4511 for airlines, 4722 for travel agencies) regardless of how you pay. You have to read the fine print, which — I'll be honest — is deliberately exhausting.

HDFC Bank RuPay Credit Card: Still Earning?

HDFC Bank's RuPay credit card (typically issued on their Millennia or MoneyBack platforms) has been one of the more traveller-friendly options because HDFC's UPI-credit reward policy has historically mirrored its card-swipe rewards — though with some merchant-category exclusions. As of early 2026, UPI transactions on HDFC RuPay cards generally do earn CashPoints or reward points, but the earn rate for airline transactions is capped differently from regular retail spend.

In practice: if your HDFC RuPay card gives you, say, 2 points per ₹150 on retail, don't assume you're getting the same rate on an IndiGo booking via PhonePe. Airlines and travel MCCs often earn at the base rate, not the accelerated rate. HDFC also runs periodic 'SmartBuy' promotions where flight bookings via their own portal earn extra points — those promotions don't apply when you pay via third-party UPI apps.

Bottom line on HDFC: you'll earn something, but verify the current earn rate on hdfcbank.com for your specific card variant before assuming the headline rate applies to UPI flight payments.

SBI RuPay Credit Card: The Benefit That Got Quietly Buried

SBI's RuPay credit cards — particularly the SimplySAVE and BPCL co-branded variants — are extremely popular because SBI has hundreds of millions of customers and the card is easy to get approved for. But here's what happened in 2024–25: SBI progressively excluded UPI-routed credit transactions from the accelerated reward categories for a number of their cards. The base earn rate still applies in many cases, but the 10x or 5x multipliers that make SBI cards attractive? Those are now frequently restricted to 'card present' or 'net banking / card gateway' transactions.

Travel bookings via UPI on SBI's RuPay credit cards have, in several documented cases, earned zero reward points — not the base rate, zero — because the transaction was classified as a UPI credit pull rather than a standard card swipe. SBI's MITC documents are dense and change often. If you're relying on SBI RuPay for points on your next flight, I'd genuinely call their customer care (1860-180-1290) and ask them to confirm before you commit to a big booking.

IDFC FIRST Bank RuPay (WOW! Card): The Underdog That Actually Delivers

IDFC FIRST Bank's WOW! credit card is a secured credit card (backed by a fixed deposit) that runs on RuPay — and it's quietly become one of the better options for UPI-linked rewards in 2026. IDFC FIRST has been more transparent than most about their UPI rewards policy: the WOW! card earns reward points on UPI transactions, including travel categories, at a consistent rate. There's no forex markup either, which is a different but related benefit if you're booking international flights.

The catch with IDFC FIRST's rewards is the redemption side — points are typically redeemable against statement balance or on their app's catalogue, not against OTA vouchers directly. So the reward has real monetary value but it's not a 'free flight' in a dramatic sense. For a secured credit card aimed at building a credit history, the UPI-on-flights reward still being intact is honestly a pleasant surprise.

Verify current terms at idfcfirstbank.com — IDFC FIRST does update their MITC quarterly.

Axis Bank RuPay: Rewards Present, Travel Carve-Outs Growing

Axis Bank issues RuPay credit cards primarily on their ACE, Flipkart and MY ZONE platforms. The UPI-on-credit experience with Axis is... mixed. Axis does support RuPay credit on UPI, and the base earn rate generally applies. But the higher-value travel benefits — like airport lounge access credit or the elevated earn rates on the ACE card — are tied to the card network's swipe infrastructure, not UPI routing. So you earn points but you might not trigger the lounge-credit logic if the flight payment goes UPI.

One thing worth knowing: Axis's TATA Neu RuPay credit card (a co-branded card) has slightly different rules because NeuCoins are merchant-funded. NeuCoins on flight bookings via UPI may or may not apply depending on whether the merchant has the Tata Neu integration active. Check with Axis directly for the card you hold — the rules genuinely differ by product.

The 'No Reward on UPI' Banks You Should Know About

Several smaller co-operative banks and some PSU banks issue RuPay credit cards without any meaningful rewards programme on UPI transactions. These cards are sometimes handed out at airport lounges or bundled with salary accounts, and people assume they work like regular credit cards. They often don't earn points on UPI-routed transactions at all — or earn at such a low rate (say, 0.25% equivalent) that the accounting is purely psychological.

If you have a RuPay credit card from a Tier-2 bank and you've never gotten a rewards statement that made sense, there's a good chance UPI flight payments are earning you nothing. The test is simple: make a ₹500 UPI payment on the card and check if points hit your account within 48–72 hours. If they don't, you have your answer.

For high-value flight payments — anything above ₹15,000 — I'd default to a well-understood Visa/Mastercard credit card or use FlightGPT's AI flight search to find the best fare and then evaluate your payment options against actual savings, not assumed rewards.

How to Actually Verify Before You Book

Here's the practical checklist I use before trusting any card-UPI-reward combination for a flight payment:

Also check out our article on no-cost EMI on flights — sometimes the EMI saving is more concrete than chasing rewards points through UPI.

Frequently asked questions

Do all RuPay credit cards earn reward points on UPI transactions?

No — this is the most common misconception. Whether a RuPay credit card earns points on UPI depends entirely on the issuing bank's policy. IDFC FIRST WOW! and HDFC Bank's RuPay cards have historically been more consistent about this, but even they have category-specific caps. SBI and some smaller issuers have quietly removed or reduced UPI rewards for travel MCCs. Always check your bank's current MITC document.

Which UPI app works best for RuPay credit card flight payments?

PhonePe and CRED both support RuPay credit cards well and are widely used for flight payments. CRED sometimes has additional credit-card-specific offers. Paytm also supports the flow. The UPI app itself doesn't change whether you earn rewards — that's determined by your bank's policy on UPI-routed credit transactions, not the app.

Does paying via UPI with a RuPay credit card avoid the credit card surcharge on OTAs?

Often, yes — many OTAs charge a 1–1.5% convenience fee on Visa/Mastercard credit card transactions but waive it for UPI payments. Since RuPay credit via UPI routes as UPI, you typically avoid the surcharge. EaseMyTrip and ixigo both show this fee structure on their checkout pages. Verify on the payment screen before confirming, since OTA fee policies do change.

Can I use a RuPay credit card linked to UPI on international flight bookings?

For international flights booked on Indian OTAs (MMT, ixigo, Cleartrip) in INR, yes — UPI with RuPay credit works the same way. For bookings made directly on a foreign airline's website billed in foreign currency, UPI usually won't be an option; you'd need a card with international transaction capability. RBI rules on LRS and TCS apply to foreign-currency transactions — UPI doesn't sidestep those.

What's the risk of a large flight payment via RuPay UPI not being reversed if there's a cancellation?

Credit card payments (including RuPay credit via UPI) are technically protected under your bank's dispute process, similar to a standard card chargeback. Refunds on cancelled flights go back to your credit card account, typically within 7–10 working days for domestic and up to 15–20 working days for international bookings. The OTA's refund timelines often add to this. DGCA rules mandate refunds for cancelled flights — see dgca.gov.in for passenger rights.

Is there a per-transaction limit for RuPay credit card payments via UPI?

UPI has transaction limits set by NPCI and your bank. As of 2026, the standard UPI limit is ₹1 lakh per transaction for most banks, with some banks allowing up to ₹2 lakh for credit-card-linked UPI. For high-value flight tickets above ₹1 lakh, you may need to split the payment or use a direct card gateway. Check your bank's UPI limit in their app — it varies by issuer and account type.