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Credit CardsComparisons

Amex Platinum Reserve Credit Card vs Scapia Federal Credit Card

A head-to-head comparison of Amex Platinum Reserve Credit Card and Scapia Federal Credit Card across fees, rewards, and spending categories to help you decide which card suits your wallet better.

TravelCard A

Amex Platinum Reserve Credit Card

Domestic Premium Travel

Annual Fee
₹10,000
Reward Rate
1 MR per ₹50 (~0.8-1% via airline/hotel transfers) + Hotel privileges
Apply Now Read full review →
TravelCard B

Scapia Federal Credit Card

Backpackers & Globetrotters

Annual Fee
Lifetime Free
Reward Rate
Zero Forex + ~2% effective value (10 Scapia Coins per ₹100)
Apply Now Read full review →

Feature comparison

FeatureAmex PlatinumScapia Federal
Annual Fee₹10,000 + GST (First-year & subsequent)Lifetime Free
Reward Rate1 MR per ₹50 (~0.8-1% via airline/hotel transfers) + Hotel privilegesZero Forex + ~2% effective value (10 Scapia Coins per ₹100)
Best ForDomestic Premium TravelBackpackers & Globetrotters
First-Card Friendly
Lounge Access
Zero Forex Markup

Spending category coverage

Which categories does each card reward?

CategoryAmex PlatinumScapia Federal
Domestic travel
International travel
UPI payments
Airport lounge access
Zero forex markup

Quick verdict

Choose Amex Platinum Reserve Credit Card if:

  • You spend heavily on domestic travel
  • You spend heavily on airport lounge access

Choose Scapia Federal Credit Card if:

  • Lower annual fee (₹Nil vs ₹10,000)
  • You spend heavily on international travel
  • You spend heavily on upi payments
  • You spend heavily on zero forex markup
  • This is your first credit card

Full pros & cons

Amex Platinum Reserve Credit Card

What's good
  • Privileged rates and benefits at Taj, SeleQtions, and Vivanta Hotels
  • Complimentary domestic airport lounge access across India
  • Preferred Hotels & Resorts global access
  • Membership Rewards points earning with airline partner transfer options
Watch out for
  • ₹10,000 + GST annual fee with no spend-based waiver
  • Amex acceptance still limited at smaller offline merchants in India
  • Domestic-focused — fewer international travel benefits than Platinum Charge

Scapia Federal Credit Card

What's good
  • 0% Forex Markup on all international transactions
  • Dual setup: Visa for global travel, RuPay for 5% rewards on UPI/offline spends of ₹500+
  • Book flights and hotels entirely with Scapia coins directly in the app
Watch out for
  • Lounge access requires ₹20,000 combined spend in the previous month (doubled from ₹10,000 in February 2026)
  • Scapia Coins cannot be converted to statement cash
  • No rewards on utility bill payments (electricity, mobile, broadband, gas) and insurance premiums (effective February 2026)