BOBCARD PRIME Review: Zero-Fee Card on a ₹30,000 FD, 0.4% Back

BOBCARD PRIME is a zero-fee credit card issued against a fixed deposit of ₹30,000 or more, with no income proof needed and an age limit of 18 to 85. It earns 2 points per ₹100, worth 0.4% as statement cashback, but supermarkets, fast food, rail, insurance and fuel earn nothing, and BOBCARD does not publish what share of the FD becomes your limit.

By Pankaj Pandey · Content Writer Updated 5 November 2026 Reviewed by BankCreds Financial Experts

Key facts

Joining fee: Nil
Annual fee: Nil
Base reward: 2 reward points per INR 100 on eligible categories (about 0.4% value)
Best category: Flights booked via BOBCARD SmartDeal: 8 extra points per INR 100 (T&C table; 'Extra 4X rewards')
Lounge: Domestic: None listed International: None listed
Forex markup: 3.5% of the amount
Network: RuPay

Apply on BOBCARD's site

Opens the bank's own page for this card. Approval and the credit limit are the bank's decision.

In short

A sensible zero-cost way to start a credit record for a Bank of Baroda depositor, provided you treat the 0.4% rewards as a bonus and get the credit limit confirmed at the branch before you commit the FD.

Best for

Bank of Baroda depositors with ₹30,000 or more who want a card at no yearly cost
Older applicants and others without income proof, up to age 85
Families who want up to 3 free add-on cards

Skip it if

Most of your spending is at supermarkets or fast-food outlets
You need to know your exact limit before booking the FD
You spend in foreign currency, where the markup is 3.5%

Highlights

Zero joining and annual fee on the card page
FD of ₹30,000 or more, no income proof
2 points per ₹100, cashback at ₹0.20 a point (0.4%)
500 welcome points on ₹5,000 of spends in 60 days
Age 18 to 85, up to 3 free add-ons

BOBCARD PRIME at a glance

PRIME is the secured card in BOBCARD's range. BOBCARD Limited, the card company owned by Bank of Baroda, issues it against a fixed deposit of ₹30,000 or more and marks a lien on the deposit, so your savings stand behind the card rather then your salary. The card page shows no joining fee and no annual fee, and no income proof is asked.

It is meant for people who keep money with Bank of Baroda but can't show a salary slip or ITR: a retired person (the age limit runs to 85), a homemaker, or a young adult with no credit history yet. Because BOBCARD is a non-banking finance company, it works under the RBI's parallel 2025 card Directions written for NBFCs, and not by the one of banks.

Three points decide whether PRIME suits you. The rewards are modest and patchy, 0.4% back and nothing on a long list of everyday categories. The credit limit as a share of the FD is not published at all. And BOBCARD doesn't name the network; the page's UPI reward rules suggests a RuPay card that works on UPI, but that is our reading, not the issuer's statement.

Status and recent changes

PRIME is open to applications as of 5 November 2026. We found no PRIME-only change between 2024 and 2026, but three charges BOBCARD added for its cards from 1 April 2026 do apply: 1% on education fees paid through third-party apps (up to ₹5,000 a transaction), a flat 1% on toll and bus spends of ₹5,000 or more, and 1% on railway bookings of ₹30,000 or more (up to ₹5,000). The current schedule is BOBCARD's Key Fact Statement of 17 July 2026, PRIME though has no own row in it.

RBI's September 2026 table counts 34,91,782 credit cards under Bank of Baroda, the label RBI uses for this group. The full lineup is on our BOBCARD credit cards page.

Fees on PRIME: zero to hold, not zero to use

The card page lists zero joining fee and zero annual fee, and up to 3 add-on cards are free. One caution: PRIME has no row in the fee tables of BOBCARD's Key Fact Statement or its consolidated MITC, so the card page is the only published source for the zero fee. Keep the welcome kit and first statement as a proof. With no fee there's no waiver target to chase.

GST at 18% applies on every fee, interest and charge BOBCARD levy, so each rupee of charge below really costs ₹1.18 (₹1 plus 18%).

Interest

The KFS sets 3.75% a month, 45% a year, for all BOBCARD credit cards; no lower rate for secured cards is published. Interest builds up daily on what's outstanding. Leave ₹20,000 unpaid for 30 days and it come to about ₹739.73 (₹20,000 times 45%, divided by 365, times 30), plus GST, which is a lot to pay for borrowing against money already sitting in your FD.

Late payment and cash

Late fee by statement balance: nil below ₹100; ₹100 for ₹100 to ₹500; ₹400 for ₹501 to ₹1,000; ₹750 for ₹1,001 to ₹10,000; ₹950 for ₹10,001 to ₹25,000; ₹1,100 for ₹25,001 to ₹50,000; ₹1,300 above ₹50,000.
Cash withdrawal: 2.5% or ₹500, whichever is higher, with finance charge from the day of withdrawal. Below ₹20,000 you always pays ₹500 (₹500 is 2.5% of ₹20,000).
Over-limit: 2.5% of the excess or ₹600, whichever higher.
Paying the bill in cash costs ₹250 each time and by cheque ₹100. A bounced cheque or failed auto-debit is 2% of the amount, minimum ₹500.
Card replacement ₹100, duplicate bill ₹25, charge slip retrieval ₹250. Redeeming points is free.

Category fees and forex

Rent (MCC 6513) and wallet loading carry 1% each. Utility payments of ₹50,000 or more are charged 1%, up to ₹3,000 a transaction, and fuel transactions of ₹10,000 or more 1% too. Add the three April 2026 fees and BOBCARD is charging on the very categories which it don't reward. Foreign currency spends carry a 3.5% markup, and there's no lounge access or insurance cover on PRIME.

Prime: fees and charges

Joining fee	Nil
Annual or renewal fee	Nil
Annual fee waiver	Lifetime free (zero joining and annual fees)
Add-on card fee	Nil
GST	Charged on top of the fees and charges listed
In the bank’s words	Zero joining and annual fees; up to 3 add-on cards free
Interest on unpaid balances	Up to 3.75% a month (45% a year)
Late payment fee	By statement balance: below INR 100 nil; INR 100-500 INR 100; INR 501-1,000 INR 400; INR 1,001-10,000 INR 750; INR 10,001-25,000 INR 950; INR 25,001-50,000 INR 1,100; above INR 50,000 INR 1,300
Cash withdrawal	2.5% of the withdrawn amount or INR 500, whichever is higher; finance charge from the date of withdrawal
Over-limit fee	2.5% of the amount over the sanctioned credit limit or INR 600, whichever is higher
Forex markup	3.5% of the amount
Other fees	Processing fee on rent payments (MCC 6513): 1% of transaction amount Processing fee on wallet loading (MCC 6539-6542): 1% Processing fee on utility transactions (MCC 4900) of INR 50,000 or more: 1%, maximum INR 3,000 per transaction Processing fee on fuel transactions (MCC 5172, 5541, 5542, 5983) of INR 10,000 or more: 1% (not applicable to HPCL Energie) Online education fee payments via third-party apps (Cheq, CRED, Ease My Deal, Mobikwik, NoBroker, Paytm, PhonePe, SuperPe): 1%, maximum INR 5,000 per transaction (w.e.f. 1 April 2026) Toll and bus (MCC 4784) transactions of INR 5,000 or more: flat 1% (w.e.f. 1 April 2026) Railway bookings (MCC 4112) of INR 30,000 or more: 1%, maximum INR 5,000 per transaction (w.e.f. 1 April 2026; not on IRCTC BOBCARD) Cash payment processing fee INR 250 per cash payment; cheque payment processing fee INR 100 per cheque Cheque return and auto-debit/SI bounce: 2% of payment amount, minimum INR 500 Card replacement INR 100; duplicate bill INR 25; charge slip retrieval INR 250 Reward redemption fee: no fee GST 18% on all fees, interest and charges

How PRIME rewards work, and where they don't

The base rate is 2 reward points per ₹100 on eligible spends, and transactions below ₹100 earn nothing. Points turn into cashback against your statement at ₹0.20 each once you have 1,000, so 2 points on ₹100 is ₹0.40, a 0.4% return. Redemption is free, a real plus over cards that charge ₹99 a time.

The exclusion list decide the card's value more than the earn rate. No points on fuel, rent, wallets, government, education, hospitals, insurance, charity, railways, buses and tolls, supermarkets and convenience stores, fast-food restaurants (MCC 5814), agriculture, contractors, or cleaning and laundry services. For many homes that knocks out the grocery run and the train ticket both.

UPI: core points only, no bonus.
SmartDeal: BOBCARD's terms list PRIME at 8 extra points per ₹100 on flights and 20 extra per ₹100 on hotels booked through the BOBCARD SmartDeal app or portal, worth ₹1.60 (8 times ₹0.20) and ₹4 (20 times ₹0.20) per ₹100. The same terms also say accelerated points aren't available on PRIME, so do confirm it on the booking before relying.
Welcome: 500 points, worth ₹100 (500 times ₹0.20), on ₹5,000 of spends within 60 days of issue.
Expiry: 2 years from the date earned. Points also lapse on closure, at 90 or more days overdue, or if the card lie unused for 365 days.

Three spenders, worked out

Retired depositor, ₹30,000 FD, ₹6,000 a month: ₹2,500 at the supermarket, ₹2,000 on clothes and online orders, ₹1,000 at restaurants, ₹500 on fuel. The supermarket earns nothing. ₹3,000 earns (₹2,000 plus ₹1,000), 30 lots of ₹100 at 2 points, so 60 a month and 720 a year (60 times 12). The welcome lifts year one to 1,220 points (720 plus 500); redeem 1,000 for ₹200 (1,000 times ₹0.20) and carry 220 forward (1,220 minus 1,000). The fuel fill gets a ₹5 waiver (1% of ₹500).

Young earner without salary proof, ₹1,00,000 FD, ₹25,000 a month: ₹6,000 supermarket, ₹3,000 fast food, ₹10,000 online shopping and electronics, ₹3,000 at sit-down restaurants, ₹3,000 fuel. Only ₹13,000 counts (₹10,000 plus ₹3,000), 130 lots (₹13,000 divided by 100) that gives 260 points a month and 3,120 a year (260 times 12), worth ₹624 (3,120 times ₹0.20). With the welcome points, year one is 3,620 points (3,120 plus 500) and ₹724 (₹624 plus ₹100). The fuel waiver of ₹30 a month (1% of ₹3,000) sits inside the ₹250 cycle cap. Points come on only 52% of the spend (₹13,000 of ₹25,000).

Heavy spender, ₹3,00,000 FD, ₹50,000 a month plus one ₹20,000 hotel stay a year on SmartDeal: ₹35,000 on shopping, electronics and restaurants, ₹10,000 at supermarkets, ₹5,000 on fuel. The ₹35,000 is 350 lots (₹35,000 divided by 100), 700 points a month and 8,400 a year (700 times 12), ₹1,680 (8,400 times ₹0.20). The hotel adds 400 base points (200 lots times 2) and 4,000 extra (200 lots times 20), ₹880 (4,400 times ₹0.20) if the SmartDeal table holds. Year one with the welcome: 13,300 points (8,400 plus 4,400 plus 500), ₹2,660 (₹1,680 plus ₹880 plus ₹100).

Spender	FD	Monthly spend	Points in year one	Cash value	Annual fee
Retired depositor	₹30,000	₹6,000	1,220	₹200 redeemed, 220 points carried	₹0
Young earner	₹1,00,000	₹25,000	3,620	₹724	₹0
Heavy spender	₹3,00,000	₹50,000 plus one hotel	13,300	₹2,660	₹0

With no fee every rupee is upside. The catch is that BOBCARD won't say how big a limit each of these deposits buy.

Prime: higher-reward categories

Category	Rate	Cap
Flights booked via BOBCARD SmartDeal (app/portal)	8 extra points per INR 100 (T&C table; 'Extra 4X rewards')	No cap published
Hotels booked via BOBCARD SmartDeal (app/portal)	20 extra points per INR 100 (T&C table; 'Extra 10X rewards')	No cap published

Prime: how rewards work

Earned as	BOBCARD reward points
Base rate	2 reward points per INR 100 on eligible categories. About 0.4% value back
Minimum spend rules	Transactions below INR 100 earn no points
No rewards on	Fuel (no reward points on any BOBCARD except HPCL Energie) Transactions below INR 100 Agriculture Contractors Transportation: passenger transport, railways, bus, tolls (MCC 4111, 4112, 4131, 4784, 4789) Rent (MCC 6513) Cleaning, laundry, personal services Government Education Hospitals Wallets Supermarkets, convenience and variety stores (MCC 5261, 5331, 5411, 5499) Insurance Charity Fast food restaurants (MCC 5814)
Lower rewards on	UPI transactions earn core points only and do not qualify for bonus rewards No accelerated category points on Prime
Value of a point	Cashback against card statement (minimum 1,000 points): Reward points can be redeemed as cashback @₹0.20 per reward point.
Redemption fee	No fee
Expiry	Reward points expire 2 years from the date earned; points also lapse on closure, NPA, 90+ days overdue, settlement, fraud, death, or if the card is unused for 365 days
Welcome benefits	500 reward points on spends of INR 5,000 within 60 days of issuance
Milestone benefits	None published
Lounge access	Domestic: None listed International: None listed
Fuel surcharge waiver	1% waiver on fuel transactions of INR 400 to INR 5,000; maximum INR 250 per statement cycle
Insurance cover	Not available on Prime (MITC)

Applying for PRIME against your FD

The main cardholder must be 18 to 85, add-on members above 18. No income proof is needed, salaried or self-employed, because the card rests on a fixed deposit of ₹30,000 or more with a lien. BOBCARD's page also say applicants with a delinquent CIBIL record are excluded, so an FD will not paper over a recent default.

Points to settle at the branch

The documents include a declaration from the bank marking the lien, signed by a branch employee with an EC number, with a Finacle screenshot of the lien. That point to a Bank of Baroda FD and a branch visit, though BOBCARD doesn't say outright that the FD must be with Bank of Baroda.
The limit as a percentage of the FD is not published. Ask for it in writing before you choose the deposit amount.
The card page gives no FD tenure or deposit-type rules, so ask about those too.

Documents

A recent passport-size photograph and your PAN card.
Permanent address proof: Aadhaar, voter ID, passport, driving licence or NREGA job card.
The bank's lien declaration with the Finacle screenshot.

BOBCARD's usual route is an online form with Aadhaar e-sign and Video KYC, but for PRIME the lien paperwork makes the branch the practical start. The decision rest with BOBCARD: under RBI rules only the issuer decides, agents just sell and service, and a refusal must come with reasons in writing. A person with no borrowing history usually shows as "NH" on a CRIF report, the gap this card is meant to fill; see our guide to cards without credit history. Helplines are on our Bank of Baroda customer care page.

Prime: eligibility and documents

Age (salaried)	18 to 85 years
Age (self-employed)	18 to 85 years
Income (salaried)	No income proof needed (card issued against FD)
Income (self-employed)	No income proof needed (card issued against FD)
Other conditions	Fixed deposit of INR 30,000 or more with lien; guaranteed issuance except for CIBIL-delinquent customers; add-on cardholders above 18
Documents	Recent passport-size photograph PAN card Permanent address proof (Aadhaar, Voter ID, Passport, Driving Licence, NREGA Job Card) Bank declaration of FD lien (branch, EC number, employee signature) with Finacle screenshot of the lien marking
How to apply	Online, digitally: fill the online application, e-sign using Aadhaar, then verify identity by Video KYC (per card pages). Apply links go to mycard.bobcard.tech. Bank of Baroda also offers an instant lifetime-free RuPay BOBCARD through its bob World / bob iPay app.
Card customer care	1800 2090 / 1800 1210 (24x7 toll-free); Eterna and Tiara: 1800 103 1002

These are the bank's published conditions. Meeting them does not guarantee a card: approval and the credit limit are the bank's decision.

PRIME against other FD and entry cards

Two other no-fee secured cards and BOBCARD's own unsecured entry card make useful comparisons; the numbers sit in the table below.

PRIME or ICICI Instant Platinum

Both are free. ICICI Bank Instant Platinum needs a bigger FD, ₹50,000 for at least 180 days, but it tells you the limit: 90% of the deposit, from ₹45,000 to ₹5 lakh. It earns 2 points per ₹100 too, though ICICI publish no point value and charges ₹99 plus GST to redeem. Pick ICICI if knowing the limit matters; pick PRIME if your FD is under ₹50,000 or you want free redemptions.

PRIME or IDFC FIRST WOW!

FIRST WOW! starts from a ₹20,000 FD, gives a limit of 100% of it and earns 4 points per ₹200, which IDFC FIRST values at 0.5%. Its forex markup is zero against 3.5% on PRIME, and its age limit is 80. For most people WOW! is the stronger card; PRIME wins only on free redemption, the higher age limit and keeping things with Bank of Baroda.

PRIME or BOBCARD EASY

BOBCARD EASY is unsecured, for ages 21 to 60, with a ₹500 joining fee (the card page shows ₹0 as a limited-period offer from 1 September 2026) and a ₹500 annual fee waived on ₹35,000 of yearly spends. It gives 5 points per ₹100 at departmental stores and on movies, capped at 1,000 points a cycle, and 1 point elsewhere. Move on it once you can qualify without an FD. More picks are on the credit cards hub.

Prime against similar cards

Term	BOBCARD PRIME This card	ICICI Bank Instant Platinum Credit Card	FIRST WOW! Credit Card	BOBCARD EASY
Bank	BOBCARD	ICICI Bank	IDFC FIRST Bank	BOBCARD
Joining fee	Nil	Nil	Nil	₹500 + GST
Annual fee and waiver	Nil	Nil	Nil	₹500 + GST. First-year fee waived on INR 6,000 spends in the first 60 days (else levied in the third statement); annual fee waived on INR 35,000 spends in the anniversary year
Base reward	2 reward points per INR 100 on eligible categories (about 0.4% value)	2 ICICI Bank Reward Points per ₹100 spent on all purchases except fuel...	4 Reward Points per ₹200 spent on online, offline and international spends... (about 0.5% value)	1 reward point per INR 100 on other eligible categories (about 0.2% value)
Best category	Flights booked via BOBCARD SmartDeal: 8 extra points per INR 100 (T&C table; 'Extra 4X rewards')	No higher-reward category published	Hotel bookings via 'FIRST Rewards Gallery' in the IDFC FIRST Bank app: about 2.5% value	Departmental stores and movies: about 1% value
Lounges	Domestic: None listed International: None listed	Domestic: None stated International: None stated	Domestic: None International: None	Domestic: None listed International: None listed
Forex markup	3.5% of the amount	3.5% of the amount	0% (no markup)	3.5% of the amount
Network	RuPay	Not stated by the bank	Visa	Not stated by the bank
Published minimum income	No income proof needed (card issued against FD)	No income criterion stated; secured by FD	No income proof required	Not published by the bank
Status	Taking applications	Taking applications	Taking applications	Taking applications

Frequently asked questions

Is BOBCARD PRIME really free?

The PRIME card page lists zero joining and zero annual fees, and up to 3 add-on cards are free. PRIME has no row in BOBCARD's Key Fact Statement fee table, so confirm the zero fee in your welcome kit. Usage charges still apply, such as 3.75% a month interest, late fees and 1% on rent and wallet loads, all plus 18% GST.

How much are PRIME reward points worth?

Each point is worth ₹0.20 when redeemed as cashback against your statement, with a minimum of 1,000 points and no redemption fee. At 2 points per ₹100 that is a 0.4% return on eligible spends. Supermarkets, fast food, fuel, rent, rail, insurance and several other categories earn nothing, and points expire after 2 years.

What FD do I need for BOBCARD PRIME?

You need a fixed deposit of ₹30,000 or more with a lien marked on it, and the documents include a lien declaration from the bank branch. No income proof is needed and the age limit is 18 to 85. BOBCARD does not publish what share of the FD becomes your limit, and applicants with a delinquent CIBIL record are excluded.

Does BOBCARD PRIME work on UPI?

BOBCARD does not name PRIME's network, but the card page has rules for UPI rewards, which suggests a RuPay card usable on UPI. UPI payments earn only the core 2 points per ₹100, with no bonus. Check the network printed on the card you receive before planning to pay merchants by UPI.

Can I use BOBCARD PRIME abroad?

You can, but foreign currency spends carry a 3.5% markup plus 18% GST, so a ₹10,000 bill abroad costs about ₹413 extra. PRIME has no airport lounge access and no insurance cover. If you travel often, a secured card with a lower markup, such as IDFC FIRST WOW! with zero markup, costs less.

What changed for PRIME cardholders in 2026?

From 1 April 2026 BOBCARD added three fees that apply to PRIME: 1% on education fees paid through third-party apps (up to ₹5,000 a transaction), a flat 1% on toll and bus spends of ₹5,000 or more, and 1% on railway bookings of ₹30,000 or more (up to ₹5,000). Its Key Fact Statement of 17 July 2026 lists current charges.

Sources

BOBCARD Limited: BOBCARD Product Features - Important Terms & Conditions (file dated 02-11-2026); BOBCARD Consolidated MITC; Key Fact Statement (KFS), dated 17 Jul 2026; BOBCARD PRIME; BOBCARD PRIME (expanded "Read more" text); Revision in Product Features and Charges w.e.f 1st April, 2026

Last verified: 5 November 2026

Written by Pankaj Pandey, reviewed by BankCreds Financial Experts

BankCreds does not sell cards or take applications. Fees and rewards change; the bank's own terms on the day you apply are what count, and approval is the bank's decision.