Standard Chartered EaseMyTrip Credit Card: Discount on Flights & Hotels

*Each benefit can be availed only once per month. Coupon code to be used to avail the above offers- EMTSCB

Compared to the existing cards in the category- ICICI MMT and Yatra SBI Card- this card offers better benefits both in terms of the type of benefit offered and the rate of discount.

ICICI MakeMyTrip Cards offer benefits in the form of reward points (My Cash), which can be redeemed on the MakeMyTrip platform to save on travel bookings. While the users can earn substantial rewards with regular usage and each My Cash is worth Re. 1, the earning rate stands low, and, as a result, the overall value-back is not that impressive.

On the other hand, Yatra SBI Card shares more similarities with the EaseMyTrip Card as it works on the discount plus reward points model. However, the discount on this card is subject to a minimum transaction value. For example, users can get Rs. 1,000 off on domestic flight bookings, but only on a minimum transaction of Rs. 5,000.

Standard Chartered EaseMyTrip Credit Card offers direct discount to users without any condition related to the minimum transaction value. Moreover, primary and supplementary cardholders can both avail the benefits individually. Users can avail one discount per month per card per category. This means if you use the card to avail discount on domestic flight bookings, you cannot use the same benefit again in the same month. However, you can still avail the discount on international flights, domestic hotels, and international hotel bookings.

• 10 rewards on every Rs. 100 spent at standalone airline/hotel websites, apps or outlets, except any travel aggregators
• 2 reward points per Rs. 100 spent on other categories
• Redeem rewards at a value of 2 Reward Points = Re. 0.50 through the Standard Chartered 360 rewards portal

The rewards program is also focused on making it a true-blue travel card. Even if you do not make bookings via EaseMyTrip and choose an airline or hotel website to make the booking, you will get accelerated rewards. However, the base rate of the card stands low at 2 points for every Rs. 100 spent.

• 1 complimentary domestic lounge visit per quarter
• 2 complimentary international lounge visits per year through Priority Pass

Offering complimentary domestic and international lounge access for an entry-level card that comes with just a fee of Rs. 350 is quite a good benefit. Although the frequency of international visits might be a bit lower for frequent international travellers, it’s suitable for an entry-level card, as many entry-level cards with a similar annual fee don’t offer such benefits.

As it is a co-branded card, the first thing to consider is your loyalty to EaseMyTrip. If you have had a great experience on the site and prefer it over other travel portals, then you must consider getting this card. Since it comes with a fairly low annual fee of Rs. 350 and reverses the fee on total spends of Rs. 50,000, maintaining this card will also be easier on your pocket.

If you take a look at the benefits offered on this card, the value-back is higher in comparison to other similar cards. Moreover, there is no minimum transaction limit to be reached in order to avail the discounts, so cardholders can get the benefit on all travel bookings- big or small. As the discount can be applied over and above any other offer that is available on the platform, the actual savings can be substantial. The card also gives extra reward points on other travel spends like airline or hotel booking via the standalone website of the said airline/hotel (except those on travel portals), it holds great overall value for frequent travellers.

On the flip side, if flight tickets make a major part of your travel spends, you can also consider credit cards that give air miles or co-branded flight benefits, if you prefer a particular carrier.