Kotak Delight Platinum Credit Card

Kotal Delight Platinum Credit Card

Kotak Bank Visa

Joining Fee1999

Annual Fee299

Renewal Fee299

Welcome Bonus:

Lounge Access: No

Fuel Surcharge: Yes

Introduction

Picture this: you’re splitting the dinner bill at a restaurant with friends, and you pull out your credit card expecting some rewards. With most cards, you’d earn a measly 0.5-1% back. The Kotak Delight Platinum Credit Card promises something better—10% cashback on dining and entertainment. Sounds appealing, right?

But here’s where it gets tricky. To unlock that 10% cashback, you need to spend ₹10,000 outside of dining and entertainment categories in the same billing cycle. If you’re someone who regularly puts utility bills, groceries, or fuel on plastic, this condition might not bother you. But if you’re primarily looking for a dining-focused card without jumping through hoops, this might frustrate you.

Important Notice: Kotak Mahindra Bank has discontinued this card for new applications. Existing cardholders can continue using it, but fresh applicants will need to explore other options from Kotak’s current portfolio.

The Kotak Delight Platinum Credit Card is designed for middle-income professionals—salaried employees, business owners, and self-employed individuals who want targeted rewards without paying premium fees. Let’s see if it actually delivers.

Key Benefits & Features of  Kotak Delight Platinum Credit Card

Cashback Structure: The Good and The Catch

The headline benefit is straightforward: earn 10% cashback on dining and movie spends. But the execution? Not quite as simple.

Monthly Qualification Requirement To qualify for the cashback benefit, you must spend at least ₹10,000 in categories other than dining and entertainment within your billing cycle. This means your regular spending on fuel, groceries, utility bills, or shopping needs to hit that threshold first. Only then does your restaurant meal or movie ticket earn cashback.

Transaction and Monthly Caps Individual dining or movie transactions are capped at ₹4,000 for cashback eligibility. If you spend ₹4,500 at a restaurant in one go, you get zero cashback on that transaction. The maximum monthly cashback across both dining and entertainment is ₹600.

To put this in perspective: if you consistently spend ₹4,000 twice a month on eligible dining transactions after meeting the ₹10,000 base spend, you’d earn ₹800 cashback. But since there’s a ₹600 monthly cap, that’s your actual ceiling.

Where It Works (and Where It Doesn’t) Cashback applies only to standalone restaurants and entertainment outlets mapped under VISA’s Restaurant and Entertainment MCCs. This includes standalone restaurants, bars, pubs, coffee shops, pizza outlets, and movie theatres.

However, outlets inside hotels, malls, or department stores classified under different merchant codes don’t qualify. That upscale restaurant inside the Taj or the food court at your local mall? No cashback there. Food delivery through Swiggy and Zomato does work, though, as long as the merchant is correctly coded.

Fuel and Railway Surcharge Waivers Kotak Delight Platinum Credit Card

Fuel surcharge waiver applies to transactions between ₹400 and ₹4,000, typical of most Indian credit cards. No specific annual cap is mentioned for fuel transactions, though practical usage rarely makes this a major benefit.

Railway ticket bookings get a 1% surcharge waiver with an annual cap of ₹500. If you book train tickets through IRCTC regularly, you’ll save the platform fee.

Welcome Benefits of Kotak Delight Platinum Credit Card

Cardholders who apply online receive two BookMyShow vouchers worth ₹200 each as a welcome offer. That’s ₹400 value, which partially offsets the first-year fee if you actually use movie vouchers.

What’s Missing in Kotak Delight Platinum Credit Card

No airport lounge access. No reward points program. There is currently no rewards program on the Delight Platinum Card. No milestone benefits beyond the cashback structure. No insurance coverage details mentioned in official documentation.

This is a bare-bones card focused singularly on dining and entertainment cashback. Don’t expect premium perks.

Charges, Fees & What They Actually Mean of Kotak Delight Platinum Credit Card

Fee Reality Check of Kotak Delight Platinum Credit Card

The first-year cost of ₹1,999 (plus GST, totaling approximately ₹2,359) is steep for a non-premium card with limited benefits. If you’re getting ₹600 cashback monthly for 12 months, that’s ₹7,200 in potential cashback—but only if you meet the ₹10,000 spending threshold every single month and maximize the cap.

From the second year onwards, the ₹299 annual fee feels more reasonable. But here’s the frustration: there’s no fee waiver option. Many competing cards offer fee waivers on annual spending thresholds. Kotak doesn’t budge on this front.

The 4% foreign currency markup is higher than premium cards (which typically charge 3-3.5%), making this unsuitable for international use.

Eligibility & Approval Reality of Kotak Delight Platinum Credit Card

Primary cardholders must be aged 21-65 years; add-on cardholders should be 18 years or above.

The card is available only in select cities: Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Chandigarh, Chennai, Delhi (including Gurgaon and Noida), Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, and Pune. If you live outside these metros, you can’t apply.

Kotak doesn’t publicly disclose minimum income requirements, but anecdotal evidence suggests a monthly income around ₹25,000-₹30,000 should work for salaried applicants. A credit score above 750 improves approval chances significantly.

One user review noted receiving a credit limit of just ₹15,000 despite maintaining a savings account with good balance—suggesting Kotak can be conservative with initial limits, especially for first-time credit card users.

Limitations & Drawbacks of Kotak Delight Platinum Credit Card

Let’s be honest about where this card falls short.

1. The ₹10,000 Spending Hurdle Requiring ₹10,000 in non-dining/entertainment spend monthly to unlock the core benefit feels punitive. If your regular expenses don’t naturally hit this threshold, you’ll either miss out on cashback or force unnecessary spending—neither is a good outcome.

2. Transaction Caps Kill Big-Ticket Benefits The ₹4,000 per-transaction ceiling means any bill above that gets zero cashback. Celebrating an anniversary with a ₹5,000 dinner? No cashback. Hosting a family gathering with a ₹6,000 restaurant bill? Nothing. This limitation disproportionately affects the card’s target audience.

3. Merchant Code Dependency Whether you earn cashback depends entirely on how VISA categorizes the merchant. You have zero control over this. A standalone restaurant might get cashback, while the exact same restaurant inside a mall might not.

4. No Fee Waiver Path The lack of any fee waiver mechanism—even for heavy spenders—feels outdated. Competing cards routinely waive fees on ₹50,000-₹1,00,000 annual spending.

5. Discontinued for New Applications The biggest drawback right now is that you can’t even get this card anymore as a new customer, making this review primarily useful for existing cardholders wondering if they should keep it.

Comparison Kotak Delight Platinum Credit Card With Similar Credit Cards

*Conditional on ₹10,000 non-dining spending

The HDFC MoneyBack+ delivers 5% dining cashback without any spending hurdles, charges a lower joining fee, and offers fee waiver options. SBI SimplyCLICK provides 10X reward points (effectively 5% return) on partner restaurants and is widely available.

Where Kotak Delight theoretically wins: if you consistently meet the spending threshold and maximize the monthly cap, the effective return rate is higher. But that’s a lot of “ifs.”

Pros & Cons of Kotak Delight Platinum Credit Card

Overall Assessment of Kotak Delight Platinum Credit Card

The Kotak Delight Platinum Credit Card works in a very specific scenario: you’re someone who naturally spends ₹10,000+ monthly on utilities, groceries, fuel, or other necessities, AND you regularly dine out at standalone restaurants with bills under ₹4,000.

If that describes your spending pattern, the 10% cashback can add up nicely. Earning ₹400-₹600 monthly in dining cashback while paying just ₹299 annually (from Year 2) creates positive value.

But here’s the problem: that describes a narrow slice of users. Most people looking for dining rewards want simplicity—not qualifying rounds. The competition offers straightforward cashback structures without artificial hurdles.

The high first-year fee makes the value proposition even shakier. You’re essentially paying ₹2,359 upfront for the privilege of earning cashback that’s conditional on meeting spending thresholds. That’s a tough sell.

For existing cardholders, keep the card if you’re already meeting the monthly spend requirements and maxing out the cashback. But if you’re forcing spending just to unlock benefits, close it and switch to a simpler alternative.

Decide Factor: Should You Apply? (No)

Unfortunately, you can’t apply—the card is discontinued for new customers.

For existing cardholders:

Best For:

• Regular diners who consistently spend ₹10,000+ monthly on non-dining categories
• Users whose typical restaurant bills fall between ₹1,000-₹4,000
• Those who order food delivery 2-3 times weekly through properly-coded merchants
• Metro residents (since card was city-specific anyway)

Avoid If:

• Your monthly non-dining spending is below ₹10,000
• You frequently have restaurant bills exceeding ₹4,000
• You want a simple, no-strings-attached dining rewards card
• You need premium features like lounge access or travel insurance
• You prefer cards with fee waiver options

Works Best When Used Like This: Route all your routine spending—mobile recharges, utility bills, fuel, groceries—through this card to hit the ₹10,000 monthly threshold early in the billing cycle. Then use it exclusively for dining and movies for the rest of the month to maximize the ₹600 cashback cap.

How to Apply

Since this card is no longer offered to new customers, here’s what existing Kotak customers or those interested in alternatives should do:

For Existing Delight Cardholders:

1. Log in to Kotak’s NetBanking portal or mobile app
2. Track your monthly spending to ensure you meet the ₹10,000 threshold
3. Manage card settings and check statements regularly

For New Applicants:

1. Visit the official Kotak Bank website (www.kotak.com)
2. Explore currently available credit cards in Kotak’s portfolio
3. Consider alternatives like Kotak League Platinum or other active offerings
4. Submit application with PAN card, address proof, income documents
5. Typical processing time: 7-14 days for approval and delivery

Documents Generally Required:

• PAN Card
• Aadhaar Card or Passport (address proof)
• Latest salary slips (for salaried) or ITR (for self-employed)
• Bank statements (last 3 months)

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Kotak Delight Platinum a lifetime free credit card? No. The card charges ₹1,999 as joining fee in the first year and ₹299 annually from the second year onwards. There is no fee waiver option regardless of spending levels.

Are the reward points worth it? This card doesn’t have a reward points program. The sole earning mechanism is the 10% dining and entertainment cashback, subject to monthly conditions.

Does this card offer airport lounge access? No. The Delight Platinum doesn’t include complimentary airport lounge access—domestic or international. This feature is typically reserved for Kotak’s premium cards.

Can I still earn cashback if my bill is ₹5,000 at a restaurant? No. Individual transactions above ₹4,000 are not eligible for cashback at all. If your bill is ₹4,500, you get zero cashback, not even on the first ₹4,000.

What happens to my cashback if I don’t spend ₹10,000 in other categories? You don’t earn any dining or entertainment cashback for that month, period. The ₹10,000 non-dining spending is a mandatory precondition, not an optional threshold.

Is this card suitable for credit card beginners? Not ideal. The spending conditions are complex, the first-year fee is relatively high, and the lack of broader rewards makes it unsuitable for building general credit card discipline. Beginners should consider simpler, lifetime-free cards first.

Will food delivery apps like Swiggy and Zomato qualify for cashback? Generally yes, as long as the merchant is coded under Restaurant MCC by VISA. Most users report successfully earning cashback on food delivery orders, but merchant coding can occasionally vary.

Can I use this card internationally? Yes, it’s a VISA Platinum card valid worldwide. However, a 4% markup fee applies to all international transactions, making it expensive for foreign use. Use a dedicated forex card or premium credit card for international spending.

Final Verdict

The Kotak Delight Platinum Credit Card had a clever idea: reward heavy diners with industry-leading cashback rates. But the execution got too clever by half.

By gatekeeping the 10% cashback behind a ₹10,000 monthly spending hurdle and capping individual transactions at ₹4,000, Kotak created a product that’s more hassle than it’s worth for most users. The lack of fee waivers, absence of reward points, and higher-than-average foreign currency markup further diminish its appeal.

If you’re an existing cardholder who effortlessly meets the spending requirements and dines out frequently at mid-range restaurants, you might squeeze decent value from this card—especially from Year 2 onwards when the annual fee drops to ₹299.

But for everyone else, simpler dining rewards cards deliver better actual value with fewer hoops to jump through. The fact that Kotak itself discontinued this product for new customers tells you everything you need to know about its long-term viability.

If you’re researching this card because you already own it: track your actual cashback earnings over the past three months. If you’re consistently earning ₹400-₹600 monthly, keep it. If you’re averaging below ₹200-₹300, you’re paying fees for minimal benefit—time to explore better alternatives.

Disclaimer: Card features, fees, and benefits are subject to change at the issuer’s discretion. Always verify details on the official Kotak Mahindra Bank website before making any decisions regarding existing cards or exploring alternatives.

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