The Kotak White Reserve Credit Card has picked up a couple of solid upgrades, and both matter if you spend heavily on travel. Kotak is now offering 6 reward points per ₹100 on international spends, up from 4, and domestic airport lounge access has increased to 8 per year. For a premium card, that’s a welcome improvement rather than a cosmetic refresh.
The annual fee remains ₹10,000 + GST, with a milestone waiver available on ₹10 lakh spend. That keeps the card firmly in premium territory, so the real question is whether the upgraded earn rate and lounge access are enough to justify the fee for your spending pattern. For frequent international shoppers or travellers, the answer may well be yes.
The international-spend boost is the headline change here. Cards often look good on domestic categories but become less exciting once you start spending abroad or on foreign websites. Moving from 4 to 6 reward points per ₹100 makes White Reserve more competitive for people who regularly book flights, hotels, or overseas purchases. That’s especially useful if you prefer consolidating travel spends on one premium card.
The increase to 8 domestic airport lounge visits per year also adds practical value. Lounge access is one of those benefits that sounds nice on paper but becomes genuinely useful when you’re travelling a few times a year. If you’re the kind of cardholder who actually uses airport lounges, this bump makes the card easier to defend at renewal time.
What I like about this update is that it improves two different parts of the travel experience at once: earning and usage. The card is not just giving more points on international spends; it is also making the airport experience smoother with more lounge visits. That combination is exactly what premium cardholders want to see.
For those comparing premium cards, Kotak White Reserve now looks more interesting if your spending is travel-heavy and international in nature. The fee is still substantial, so this won’t be a fit for everyone. But if you can realistically work toward the ₹10 lakh spend waiver and make use of the lounge visits, the card has become a stronger contender.
What You Should Do: If your spending includes frequent international transactions or travel bookings, White Reserve deserves a fresh look now. Compare it against your current premium card before your next renewal and see whether the 6 reward points per ₹100 and 8 lounge visits per year are enough to justify the ₹10,000 + GST fee.