Best Forex Cards / Prepaid Travel Cards in India 2026 — 6 Ranked
Last verified October 2026. An Indian forex card or prepaid travel card avoids the 3-3.5% forex markup that regular credit cards add on international transactions. The right pick depends on your travel style: frequent and unpredictable trips favour Niyo Global (0% markup, nothing to pre-load); multi-currency planned trips favour HDFC’s 22-currency card; ICICI banking customers should use ICICI Travel Card for ecosystem convenience. Forex cards in 2026 are increasingly being matched by zero-forex credit cards (Scapia, IDFC WOW) that also earn rewards.
- 1. Niyo Global — Best Overall
- 2. HDFC Multi-Currency Platinum — Most Currencies
- 3. ICICI Travel Card — Best for ICICI Customers
- 4. Axis Multi-Currency — Best for Buying Online
- 5. BookMyForex — Best for Rate Lock
- 6. IDFC FIRST Multi-Currency — Best for IDFC Customers
- Head-to-head comparison
- Zero-forex credit card alternative
The 6 best forex cards in India 2026
1
Niyo Global
| Type | International Visa debit card (not a prepaid forex card) |
|---|---|
| Markup | 0% on Visa rates |
| ATM abroad | About ₹423–₹425 + GST per withdrawal |
Niyo Global is a debit card linked to a savings account with DCB Bank or SBM Bank, so there is nothing to pre-load: you pay at the Visa rate with no markup. International ATM withdrawals are expensive, so pay by card and carry little cash.
Best for: Frequent or unplanned trips where you don’t want to lock money into a currency in advance. Full review: read the review.
2
HDFC Multi-Currency Platinum
| Issuance | ₹500 + GST; reload ₹75 + GST per currency |
|---|---|
| Currencies | 22 |
| Markup | None in a loaded currency, 2% cross-currency |
The widest currency range among bank forex cards. Spending in a currency you have loaded carries no markup; spending in any other currency costs 2%. ATM withdrawals cost USD 2 or equivalent.
Best for: Multi-country trips where you can load the currencies you need before you go. Full review: read the review.
3
ICICI Bank Travel Card
| Issuance | Multi-Currency: no issuance fee (Coral ₹499, Sapphiro ₹2,999 variants) |
|---|---|
| Currencies | 15 |
| Markup | None in a loaded currency, 3.5% cross-currency (0% on Sapphiro) |
ICICI’s range includes a free Multi-Currency card and paid Coral and Sapphiro variants with no annual fee. The Sapphiro variant waives the cross-currency fee.
Best for: ICICI customers, and anyone who wants a no-issuance-fee bank forex card. Full review: read the review.
4
Axis Multi-Currency Forex Card
| Issuance | ₹300, nil if you apply online; reload ₹100 per currency, nil online |
|---|---|
| Currencies | 16 |
| Markup | 3.5% cross-currency; ATM USD 2.25 |
Free to issue and reload when bought online, with 16 currencies. Spend in loaded currencies to avoid the 3.5% cross-currency fee.
Best for: Travellers comfortable buying and reloading online. Full review: read the review.
5
BookMyForex Forex Card
| Issuance | No issuance, reload, refund or inactivity fee (₹100–₹300 service charge per new card order) |
|---|---|
| Currencies | 14 (co-branded with YES Bank) |
| Markup | 3.5% cross-currency; “zero markup” only under conditions |
Low ongoing costs, but the advertised zero markup applies only under specific conditions, so check the rate before each load. ATM withdrawals cost USD 2.
Best for: Travellers who compare live rates and want no reload fees. Full review: read the review.
6
IDFC FIRST Multi-Currency Forex Card
| Issuance | No issuance, load or reload charges |
|---|---|
| Currencies | 14 |
| Extras | Travel insurance up to ₹45 lakh, free replacement card |
The cheapest bank forex card to run, with no issuance, load or reload fees and travel insurance cover included.
Best for: Budget travellers and students loading money for a planned trip. Full review: read the review.
Head-to-head comparison
| Card | Type | Issuance | Markup | ATM abroad |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Niyo Global | Debit card | ₹0 | 0% (Visa rate) | About ₹425 + GST |
| HDFC Multi-Currency | Prepaid, 22 currencies | ₹500 + GST | 0% loaded / 2% cross | USD 2 |
| ICICI Travel Card | Prepaid, 15 currencies | ₹0 (Multi-Currency) | 0% loaded / 3.5% cross | Check terms |
| Axis Multi-Currency | Prepaid, 16 currencies | ₹0 online (₹300 offline) | 0% loaded / 3.5% cross | USD 2.25 |
| BookMyForex | Prepaid, 14 currencies | ₹100–₹300 service charge | Conditional / 3.5% cross | USD 2 |
| IDFC FIRST Multi-Currency | Prepaid, 14 currencies | ₹0 | 0% loaded | Check terms |
The zero-forex credit card alternative
Several credit cards now charge 0% forex markup, which can beat a forex card because there is nothing to pre-load and some still earn rewards abroad:
- Scapia Federal Bank: lifetime free, 0% forex, and the Visa card earns 10% Scapia Coins (about 2%) on foreign spends.
- IDFC FIRST WOW!: lifetime free against an FD of ₹20,000 or more, 0% forex and 4 points per ₹200 including international spends.
- IDFC FIRST Wealth and Millennia: lifetime free with 0% forex, but no points on international spends from 26 October 2026.
See all zero-forex credit cards. A practical setup: a zero-forex card for spends abroad, plus your regular rewards card for flights and hotels paid in rupees.
Verdict
For no-fuss spending abroad without pre-loading, Niyo Global (0% markup at the Visa rate) or a zero-forex credit card is usually cheapest, but withdraw cash sparingly. If you prefer a prepaid card, IDFC FIRST’s Multi-Currency card has no issuance or reload fees, Axis is free when bought online, and HDFC’s 22-currency card suits multi-country trips despite its ₹500 issuance fee. Always load the currencies you will spend in, since cross-currency spends cost 2–3.5%.
Checked October 2026 against each provider’s fee schedule.
