Kotak Royale Signature Credit Card

Overview

The Kotak Royale Signature Credit Card is a Visa Signature tier product from Kotak Mahindra Bank, positioned for mid-level spenders who value travel and dining rewards. Currently discontinued for new applications, the card remains active for existing holders. It carries a ₹999 annual fee (plus GST) that gets waived with just ₹1 lakh in annual retail spending, making it essentially free for most regular users.Reward point earnings follow a two-tier structure. Accelerated categories including hotels, restaurants, travel agencies, airlines, and international transactions earn 4 reward points per ₹150 spent. All other eligible purchases earn 2 reward points per ₹150. From June 2025, reward points will no longer be earned on wallet loads, fuel, rent, and online gaming transactions, with caps introduced on education (₹70,000 per cycle), utility (₹50,000 per cycle), and government spends (₹40,000 per cycle).The milestone program provides strong annual bonuses: 10,000 reward points when you cross ₹4 lakh in spending or 30,000 reward points at ₹8 lakh, calculated on each anniversary year. Domestic airport lounge access includes 2 free visits per quarter at DreamFolks lounges across India, though from June 2025, quarterly spending of ₹75,000 or more will be required to unlock lounge access for the following quarter.Additional perks include a 1% fuel surcharge waiver on transactions between ₹500 and ₹5,000, capped at ₹3,500 per anniversary year. Railway bookings also get a surcharge waiver of 1.8% on IRCTC and 2.5% at booking counters, up to ₹500 per year. Add-on cards are available with all the same benefits as the primary card, and cardholders can set individual spending limits for each add-on.

Pros

↑Annual fee of ₹999 waived at just ₹1 lakh yearly spend, making it practically free for regular users
↑Milestone bonuses of 10,000 to 30,000 reward points provide up to ₹7,500 in annual value at higher spend tiers
↑8 domestic airport lounge visits per year with 2 free visits every quarter at DreamFolks lounges

Cons

↓No international lounge access or Priority Pass, limiting value for frequent international travelers
↓Base reward rate of 2 RP per ₹150 (roughly 0.33% effective value) falls below many competing mid-tier cards
↓Discontinued for new applications, so only existing cardholders can continue using these benefits

Key Highlights

Welcome Offer
Currently discontinued for new applicants
No longer available for new applications
Existing cardholders retain all benefits
Contact Kotak for upgrade or alternative options
Card benefits continue until renewal

Reward Rate
4 RP per ₹150 on travel and dining
Accelerated: Hotels, Restaurants, Airlines, Travel Agencies, International Spends
Base: 2 RP per ₹150 on other eligible categories
From June 2025: No RP on wallet loads, fuel, rent, gaming
Caps on education (₹70K), utility (₹50K), government (₹40K) per cycle

Minimum Salary
₹50,000/month (salaried)
Salaried: ₹50,000/month (₹6 lakh/year)
Self-employed: ₹12 lakh/year
Age: 21 to 65 years
Visa Signature card network

Joining Fee
₹999 + GST
Joining fee: ₹999
Plus 18% GST
One-time fee at card issuance

Annual Fee
₹999 + GST (waived at ₹1L spend)
Annual fee: ₹999 + GST
Waived on ₹1,00,000 annual retail spending
Charged each anniversary year
Easy to waive with regular monthly spending

Why Choose?
Up to 30,000 bonus RP on milestones
10,000 bonus RP on ₹4,00,000 annual spend
30,000 bonus RP on ₹8,00,000 annual spend
Calculated on anniversary year
2 domestic lounge visits per quarter included

Key Benefits

Dining

★2.5

▼

Accelerated 4 RP per ₹150 at restaurants (part of accelerated categories)
Hotels also earn accelerated reward points
No specific dining discount partnerships mentioned
Better RP earning than base rate for dining out

Fuel

★4.0

▼

1% surcharge waiver on fuel transactions between ₹500 and ₹5,000
Maximum waiver: ₹3,500 per anniversary year (~₹292/month)
Applies at all fuel outlets across India
Effective from June 2025 with revised terms
Fuel spend does not earn reward points from June 2025

Lifestyle

★2.0

▼

Domestic airport lounge access with meals, Wi-Fi, and comfortable seating
Visa Signature tier benefits and global acceptance
No golf rounds, spa access, or concierge services
No entertainment or movie ticket discounts mentioned
Add-on cards share all primary card benefits

Milestone

★3.5

▼

10,000 bonus RP when annual spending crosses ₹4,00,000
30,000 bonus RP when annual spending crosses ₹8,00,000
Value: approximately ₹2,500 at ₹4L tier or ₹7,500 at ₹8L tier
Calculated on each card anniversary year
Spend on excluded categories (wallet, fuel, rent, gaming) does not count toward milestones

Reward Points

★2.5

▼

Base: 2 RP per ₹150 on eligible retail purchases (~0.33% effective value)
Accelerated: 4 RP per ₹150 on hotels, restaurants, airlines, travel agencies, international spends
From June 2025: No RP on wallet loads, fuel, rent, online gaming
Caps: education/insurance ₹70K, utility ₹50K, government ₹40K per statement cycle
Redeem via Kotak app or net banking for merchandise, vouchers, or credits

Shopping

★2.0

▼

Base 2 RP per ₹150 on shopping transactions
No shopping-specific accelerated categories
No dedicated merchant discount partnerships
International shopping earns accelerated 4 RP per ₹150

Merchant Offers

▼

Kotak app and net banking reward catalog
Redeem points for merchandise, gift vouchers, or statement credits

Travel

★2.5

▼

2 domestic airport lounge visits per quarter (up to 8/year) at DreamFolks lounges
From June 2025: requires ₹75,000 quarterly spend for next quarter's lounge access
4 RP per ₹150 on airlines, travel agencies, and international spends
Foreign currency markup: 3.5%
No international lounge access or Priority Pass

Airport Lounge Access

▼

2 complimentary visits per quarter at DreamFolks domestic lounges
Maximum 8 domestic lounge visits per year
Primary cardholder access by swiping the credit card
From June 2025: ₹75,000 quarterly spend required for next quarter access
Benefits include meals, seating, TVs, Wi-Fi, newspapers

Liability Protection

▼

Standard Visa Signature zero liability policy on unauthorized transactions
Report unauthorized transactions within 48 hours for full protection

Emi

▼

Convert eligible purchases into EMI at applicable interest rates
Available through Kotak mobile app or net banking

Detailed Information

Joining Fee	₹999 + GST
Annual Fee	₹999 + GST
Annual Fee Waiver	Waived on ₹1,00,000 annual retail spending
Monthly Percentage Rate	3.75%
Annual Percentage Rate	45%
Minimum Monthly Payment	5% of outstanding or ₹200, whichever is higher
Foreign Currency Markup	3.5%
Late Payment Charges	₹100 to ₹1,300 based on outstanding
Overlimit Charges	2.5% of overlimit amount
Cash Advance Fee	2.5% of amount (min ₹500)
Balance Transfer Fee	2% of transferred amount (min ₹250)
Fee For Supplementary Card	Free
Card Replacement Fee	₹100 to ₹200
Fee For Duplicate Statement	₹50 per statement
Fee For Cheque Bounce	₹500

Age Requirement Salaried	21-65 years
Age Requirement Self Employed	21-65 years
Minimum Annual Income Salaried	₹6.0 lakh (₹50,000/month)
Minimum Annual Income Self Employed	₹12.0 lakh/year
Minimum Credit Score	750+

Identity Proof	PAN Card (mandatory) Aadhaar Card Passport Voter ID
Address Proof	Aadhaar Card Passport Utility Bill (recent) Bank Statement
Income Proof Salaried	Latest 3 months salary slips Latest 3 months bank statement Form 16 or ITR
Income Proof Self Employed	Latest 2 years ITR Latest 6 months bank statement Business proof documents

Frequently Asked Questions

The annual fee is ₹999 plus 18% GST. It gets waived automatically when you spend ₹1,00,000 or more in retail purchases during your card anniversary year.

Spend ₹1,00,000 or more in eligible retail transactions during your card anniversary year. The waiver applies automatically, with no need to call or request it separately.

The one-time joining fee is ₹999 plus 18% GST, charged when the card is first issued to you.

You earn 4 reward points per ₹150 spent on accelerated categories like hotels, restaurants, airlines, travel agencies, and international spends. All other eligible purchases earn 2 reward points per ₹150.

Accelerated categories at 4 RP per ₹150 include hotels, restaurants, travel agencies and tour operators, package tour operators, airlines and air carriers, and all international transactions.

You earn 10,000 bonus reward points when your annual spending crosses ₹4 lakh, or 30,000 bonus points when it crosses ₹8 lakh. These milestones are calculated on each anniversary year.

You get 2 complimentary domestic airport lounge visits per quarter at DreamFolks lounges across India, totaling up to 8 visits per year.

From June 2025, you need to spend ₹75,000 or more in a calendar quarter to unlock airport lounge access in the following quarter.

No, the Kotak Royale Signature only provides domestic airport lounge access. International lounge access through Priority Pass is available on higher Kotak cards like the White Reserve.

A 1% fuel surcharge waiver applies on fuel transactions between ₹500 and ₹5,000, with a maximum waiver of ₹3,500 per anniversary year. This benefit takes effect from June 2025.

Yes, you save 1.8% surcharge on IRCTC bookings at irctc.co.in and 2.5% at Indian Railways booking counters. The maximum railway surcharge waiver is ₹500 per anniversary year.

From June 2025, wallet loads, fuel purchases, rent payments, and online skill-based gaming transactions will no longer earn reward points. These categories also will not count toward milestone benefits.

From June 2025, education and insurance spends earn points only up to ₹70,000 per statement cycle, utility spends up to ₹50,000, and government spends up to ₹40,000 per cycle.

Yes, add-on cards are available with all the same benefits as the primary card. You can set individual spending limits for each add-on and track their spends separately.

The card is currently discontinued for new applications. Existing cardholders continue to enjoy all card benefits. Contact Kotak Mahindra Bank for alternative card options.

The Kotak Royale Signature runs on the Visa Signature network, providing global acceptance at all Visa merchant locations worldwide.

International transactions carry a 3.5% foreign currency markup fee on top of the Visa exchange rate.

The monthly interest rate is 3.75% (45% annualized) on any unpaid balance carried forward after the payment due date.

The minimum amount due is 5% of the total outstanding balance or ₹200, whichever is higher. Paying only the minimum will result in interest charges on the remaining balance.

Reward points can be redeemed through the Kotak mobile app or net banking portal for merchandise, gift vouchers, or statement credits. Check the reward catalog for current redemption options and point values.

Late payment fees range from ₹100 to ₹1,300 depending on your total outstanding balance. Paying at least the minimum amount due by the due date avoids these charges.

Cash withdrawals from ATMs using this card attract a fee of 2.5% of the amount withdrawn, with a minimum charge of ₹500. Interest on cash advances starts from the withdrawal date.

Salaried individuals need a minimum monthly income of ₹50,000 (₹6 lakh annually). Self-employed applicants need a minimum annual income of ₹12 lakh.

Applicants must be between 21 and 65 years old, both for salaried and self-employed categories.

You need identity proof (PAN Card, Aadhaar, or Passport), address proof (Aadhaar, utility bill, or bank statement), and income proof (salary slips or ITR for salaried; ITR and bank statements for self-employed).