Last call for a card named after an airline that no longer exists. IDFC FIRST Bank has confirmed that the Club Vistara IDFC FIRST Credit Card programme ends on 30 September 2026, and that the card will not work for any transaction from 1 October 2026.
For most holders this is less a loss than a switch. Earned Maharaja Points move to Maharaja Club, and cardholders are being offered the bank's Diamond Reserve card with no annual fee. The part that needs attention is the set of payments quietly running on the old card.
Why the Club Vistara IDFC card is closing now
The card outlived its airline. Vistara merged into Air India in November 2024, and Club Vistara was folded into Air India's Maharaja Club. Since then the co-brand has earned Maharaja Points under a name that no longer appears on a boarding pass, which left IDFC FIRST running an airline card without an airline.
The closure notice sets out what carries on after the last day. Outstanding balances and fees stay payable on their due dates. Statements continue while any EMIs run. The account keeps reporting to credit bureaus until every due is cleared, so a missed payment after closure still costs a credit score.
What happens to Maharaja Points
Points are the part most holders worry about. IDFC FIRST's notice is direct on this: Maharaja Points earned on eligible spends up to 30 September 2026 will be transferred to the linked Maharaja Club account. Points from the final statement cycle can take some days to post, so the Maharaja Club balance is worth checking in the first half of October.
Anyone holding unused vouchers or upgrades from the card should log in to Maharaja Club, note the expiry dates shown there, and plan redemptions around them. Our note on the Maharaja Club Points Fest covers how those points are best spent on Air India.
The Diamond Reserve replacement
Club Vistara cardholders are being moved to the IDFC FIRST Diamond Reserve Credit Card, issued without an annual fee. The Diamond Reserve normally costs ₹3,000 plus GST a year, waived on ₹6 lakh of annual spend, so the swap also ends the ₹4,999 plus GST fee the Club Vistara card charged.
The new card is a different animal. It carries no airline benefits. Instead it offers:
- 0% forex markup on international spends, in line with every IDFC FIRST card since September
- 2 domestic and 2 international airport lounge visits a quarter, available after spending ₹20,000 in the previous month
- 4 railway lounge visits a quarter at select stations
- reward points that do not expire
One caveat matters for travellers. From 26 October 2026, most IDFC FIRST cards stop earning reward points on international transactions, and the Diamond Reserve is not among the seven cards that keep earning. Zero markup still makes it a sensible card to carry abroad, but it will not earn on those spends. Our breakdown of IDFC FIRST's zero forex change lists the cards that keep earning overseas, including the IDFC FIRST Mayura.
Before the card goes dark
Start with payments charged to the card. Subscriptions, standing instructions and recurring payments set up on the Club Vistara card stop working at closure, and a failed insurance premium or streaming renewal is a bigger nuisance than any lost perk. The auto-debit that pays the card's own bill from a bank account is different: IDFC FIRST says it keeps running, so leave it alone until the balance is cleared.
Then check the numbers. Clear any balance you want settled before the switch, and confirm in October that the September points reached Maharaja Club. When the Diamond Reserve card arrives, activate it and move fresh recurring payments onto it.
For a holder who used the Club Vistara card mainly for its airline tie-up, the free Diamond Reserve is a reasonable second card rather than a like-for-like replacement. Holders who want flight spends to keep earning Maharaja Points will need a card built around Air India.
Sources
Frequently asked
When does the Club Vistara IDFC FIRST Credit Card stop working?
The programme ends on 30 September 2026, and the card cannot be used for any transaction from 1 October 2026. Any balance still owed on the card stays payable on its normal due date, and EMIs already running continue to appear on statements until they are completed.
What happens to Maharaja Points earned on the Club Vistara IDFC FIRST card?
IDFC FIRST Bank says Maharaja Points earned on eligible spends up to 30 September 2026 will be transferred to the Maharaja Club account linked to the card. Points from the final statement cycle may take a little time to arrive, so check the Maharaja Club balance in October.
Is the replacement IDFC FIRST Diamond Reserve card lifetime free?
Club Vistara cardholders are being offered the IDFC FIRST Diamond Reserve Credit Card without an annual fee. The card normally costs ₹3,000 plus GST a year, waived on ₹6 lakh of annual spend, and carries zero forex markup and quarterly lounge access tied to monthly spending.
Do I need to change payments linked to the Club Vistara card?
Yes, for payments charged to the card. Subscriptions, standing instructions and recurring payments set up on the Club Vistara card stop working after it closes, so move them to another card. The auto-debit that pays the card's own bill from a bank account keeps working.
Card devaluations, reward maths, and rate changes the day they land.
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