The Big Shift: Why Access Is No Longer Automatic
For years, complimentary airport lounge access was a key attraction for premium and even mid-tier credit cards in India. It was a simple, effective perk: just show your card, pay a nominal fee of ₹2 or ₹25 for validation, and walk into an oasis of comfort.
However, that is rapidly changing. Banks are now introducing minimum spending requirements, meaning your eligibility for lounge access in a given quarter depends on your transaction history from the previous quarter. If you don't spend enough, you no longer get in for free. This policy shift is being driven by simple economics. With the explosion in credit card usage, the number of travellers using lounges has skyrocketed. For banks, who pay a fee to lounge operators for every visit—a cost that can range from several hundred to over a thousand rupees—this has become a significant expense. By linking the benefit to spending, banks are ensuring the perk is reserved for their more active and profitable customers.
Which Banks and Cards Are Affected?
The trend has been widely adopted across India's leading financial institutions. Issuers like HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, and Axis Bank have all implemented spending-based criteria for many of their popular credit and debit cards. For example, HDFC Bank now requires a minimum quarterly spend for cards like the Regalia Gold. Similarly, Axis Bank has set a spending threshold for most of its cards to unlock domestic lounge visits, a policy that took effect in 2024. ICICI Bank has also followed suit, mandating a certain amount of spending in a calendar quarter to qualify for lounge access in the next one. Even the RuPay network has seen changes, with complimentary access being removed entirely from RuPay Platinum debit cards as of April 2026, while RuPay Select cards moved to a spend-and-get model.
Understanding the New Spending Targets
The new rules are not uniform; they vary by bank and by card. It is crucial to know the specific requirements for the cards in your wallet. For many Axis Bank credit cards, the benchmark has been set at spending ₹50,000 in the previous three-month period to gain access. For the HDFC Bank Regalia Gold Credit Card, the threshold is ₹60,000 in a calendar quarter to be eligible for domestic lounge access in the subsequent quarter. ICICI Bank has set spending targets that can range from ₹35,000 to ₹75,000 per quarter for different cards. These spending periods are typically based on calendar quarters (Jan-Mar, Apr-Jun, etc.). So, your spending between April and June, for instance, will determine your lounge eligibility between July and September. It's important to note that certain transaction types, like wallet loads or rent payments, might not count towards this minimum spend.
What This Means for You: A Strategic Approach
For cardholders accustomed to this perk, it’s time for a strategy update. The first step is to review the terms and conditions for each of your credit cards. Don't assume your access is still guaranteed. Check your bank's website or your latest statement for official communication on lounge access policy. Next, evaluate your spending patterns. If you spread your expenses across multiple cards, you may not meet the threshold on any single one. It might be more effective to consolidate your spending onto one primary card that offers the travel benefits you value most. Also, consider the card's annual fee. If lounge access was the main reason you were paying it, and you are no longer eligible, it may be time to reassess if the card is still worth keeping or if you should explore other options. For those who travel frequently, it might be worth upgrading to an ultra-premium card, as many of these (like the HDFC Infinia or ICICI Emeralde) still offer unlimited, non-conditional lounge access.
