Kotak Mahindra Bank has given the White Reserve Credit Card a meaningful upgrade for people who spend abroad. The card now offers 6 reward points per ₹100 on international spends, up from 4, which makes foreign transactions noticeably more rewarding than before. On top of that, domestic airport lounge access has increased to 8 per year.
The fee structure remains firmly in premium territory. The card carries an annual fee of ₹10,000 + GST, but there is a milestone waiver available on ₹10 lakh spend. So while the card is not cheap, Kotak is clearly trying to make the value proposition stronger for high-spend users who travel internationally and also care about lounge access.
This is a nice improvement because international spend is one of the categories where many cards either underperform or quietly add friction through poor earn rates. Moving from 4 to 6 reward points per ₹100 is a real step up, especially for cardholders who frequently pay for travel, shopping, or subscriptions while overseas. If you are the kind of person who racks up foreign currency transactions, this card becomes much more interesting.
The increase in domestic lounge access to 8 per year also helps the card’s travel story. That makes it more useful for people who fly a few times a year and want a premium card that covers both domestic and international travel use cases. The milestone waiver on ₹10 lakh spend is still a high bar, but at least it gives heavy spenders a route to offset the fee.
What stands out here is that Kotak is not just adding a random perk — it is improving the exact areas that matter most to premium travelers. Better international rewards and more lounge visits are the kind of changes that can move a card from “interesting” to “worth considering” for the right user.
If your spending is mostly domestic and online, this may still not be the best fit. But if you travel abroad regularly, the revised earn rate makes the card much more competitive than before. In a premium segment where every point matters, this is a solid enhancement rather than a cosmetic tweak.
What You Should Do: If you spend a lot overseas, revisit Kotak White Reserve now that international earn has moved to 6 reward points per ₹100. If you can also work toward the ₹10 lakh spend milestone, the fee waiver makes the card much easier to justify.