Most regular credit cards add a 2–3.5% fee on every international transaction. The charges typically show up as a separate charge, appearing later than the original transaction. And unless you're comparing rates carefully on your statement, you'd never know it's there.
It’s called the forex markup – and if you’ve been using a regular credit card abroad, it’s likely you’ve been paying it on every single international transaction (and may not even know about it).
Let’s take a closer look at forex markups, and see how you can avoid these charges smartly with Scapia Co-branded Credit Cards.
Forex markup and why it matters
Every time you swipe a credit card outside India, your bank converts the amount from the local currency to rupees. Most banks charge a fee for doing this, called the forex markup.
So on a ₹1 lakh trip, that's ₹2,000 to ₹3,500 straight out of your pocket. And the more you spend – say, on your solo Europe trip or your week-long vacation in Thailand – these charges grow with it.
The traditional fix has been to either carry foreign currency or use a forex card that you’ve pre-loaded with a fixed amount in foreign currency before you leave. Better than a regular credit card, sure. But a forex card comes with its own problems: you have to preload it, manage leftover currency (and sometimes even stand to lose the money if you don’t withdraw it on time), deal with reload fees, and carry a separate card entirely.
But we have a better, smarter, and convenient way that you can work around forex mark up: An international credit card, with zero forex mark up.
A credit card with zero forex markup: What it actually means
A zero forex credit card means no fee on international transactions. You spend abroad, your bank converts at the standard network rate, and nothing extra is added. What you spend is what gets charged.
Both Scapia Co-branded Credit Cards — the Scapia Federal Credit Card (issued with Federal Bank) and the Scapia BOBCARD Credit Card (issued with BOBCARD) — work this way. They come with zero forex markup and no hidden charges on international transactions. The card also comes with zero joining fees and annual fees. Whether you're buying coffee in Bangkok, paying for a hotel in Dubai, or even paying for an online subscription on a foreign platform from your couch in Bengaluru — there's no forex fee added.
Smart Forex: Automatic currency detection in the Scapia app
Most no forex fee credit cards stop at the benefit. But Scapia takes it further with the intuitive Smart Forex. It’s a feature in the Scapia app that automatically detects when you're travelling abroad and switches your view to the local currency.
The moment you make your first transaction abroad, the app picks up your location and updates every spend to show both the local currency and INR, so you always know exactly what you're spending and what you're saving.
Here's what that looks like: land in Paris, swipe your card at a café, and the Scapia app instantly shows your spends in Euros alongside their INR equivalent. Your savings from zero forex markup are visible on every transaction.
Pro tip: Look out for the county’s flag and greeting on your digital Scapia Card on the app! It’s our own little welcome to the country you’ve landed in!
The savings with your Scapia Co-branded Credit Card is automatic. Seeing it happen, transaction by transaction, gives you real-time visibility into what you’re spending on during your vacation. It’s intuitive and delightful features like these that separates great zero forex markup credit cards from zero forex credit cards that merely check the boxes.
Forex card vs zero forex credit card: The difference
A traditional forex card and a Scapia Co-branded Credit Card aren't doing the same job. Here's how they compare:
| Traditional Forex Card | Scapia Co-branded Credit Cards for International Trascations | |
|---|---|---|
| Forex markup | 0% (only if you load the right currency) | 0% on all international transactions |
| Reload fees | Often applies | Not applicable |
| Leftover currency | Conversion loss on the way back | No leftover balance to manage |
| UPI payments | No | Yes, you can pay with the RuPay card in select countries including Bhutan, France, Nepal, UAE, Mauritius, and Singapore. |
| Annual fee | Varies | Zero joining fees and Zero annual fees |
A forex card solves one problem. Scapia Co-branded Credit Cards solve that problem and a few others at the same time.
One card for everything – in India and abroad!
The Scapia Federal Credit Card comes with two cards on one account: a Visa card for international and offline spending, and a RuPay card for UPI payments on credit in India – it’s one credit limit with one monthly statement.
So when your statement arrives on your billing date, you won’t find yourself juggling a domestic card, a forex card, and a travel rewards card on your eligible domestic spends. Everything, from your morning Swiggy order to a weekend in Phuket, will show in one statement.
Note: International transactions don't earn you rewards in the form of Scapia Coins. Rewards apply to eligible domestic spends and travel booked on the Scapia app.
Built for how Young India travels
It's not one big annual trip anymore. It's a Dubai long weekend, a Bali work-cation, a quick hop to Colombo because the flights were cheap on a Tuesday.
Frequent, spontaneous travel is exactly where forex charges stack up the worst — because you're spending across more trips, not one big planned one. The best credit card for international travel for this kind of traveller isn't just about the international rate. It's about a card that works at home and abroad without requiring you to manage a separate travel setup every time you leave the country.
That's what the Scapia Co-branded Credit Cards are built for.
In short:
- Zero forex markup on all international transactions — no hidden charges
- 10% rewards back in Scapia Coins on eligible domestic spends on Visa Cards, and 5% on eligible spends on RuPay Cards;
- 20% rewards in the form of Scapia Coins on travel-related items booked on the Scapia app (however, forex transactions don’t fetch you rewards).
- No need for a separate forex card: Visa for international, RuPay for UPI – all spends reflect in one statement
- Zero joining fees and Zero annual fees
- Coins redeem directly for flights, hotels, trains, buses, visa applications, group trips, and shopping on the Scapia app
If you're looking for the best zero forex credit card in India — one that works everywhere you go without surprise charges — this is it.
Get your Scapia Co-branded Credit Card now!
