The YES Essence Credit Card costs Rs 799 a year, waived if you spend Rs 1,00,000 in a year. Its base return is 0.5% (4 YES Rewardz points per Rs 200 on offline spends). The forex markup is 3%. Lounge visits in India: 1 per quarter (spend-gated). Read from the issuer's documents and an aggregator on 31 Oct 2026.
First year Rs 799 reversed on Rs 20,000 spend within one month of card set-up; renewal Rs 799 reversed on Rs 1 lakh spend in the 12 months before renewal. The page is running a limited-period lifetime-free offer, under which neither fee applies.
Rewards
Welcome benefit
Welcome vouchers worth Rs 1,000 on the first transaction within 45 days of issuance; 5,000 bonus YES Rewardz points on Rs 50,000 spend in the first 90 days.
Reward currency
YES Rewardz points
Base earn
4 YES Rewardz points per Rs 200 on offline spends
Base returnunverified
0.5%
Point valueunverified
Rs 0.25 per point on flights/hotels via YES Rewardz (points cover max 70% of invoice); about Rs 0.15 on e-gift vouchers; Rs 0.10 as statement credit
Accelerated earn
12 points per Rs 200 on online spends in fashion, beauty, travel, dining and grocery; 8 points per Rs 200 on other online shopping
Caps
Issuer page: online earn capped at 9,000 points per statement cycle. MITC: utility earn capped at 150 points per cycle; flights/hotels redemption max 1,00,000 points a month.
Spends that earn nothing
No points on rental, wallet loads, fuel, government services, marketing and advertising, insurance, educational services, railways, toll, ferry, cash withdrawals, Post Purchase EMI, Instant EMI, fees and charges (issuer page).
Points expiry
3 years from earning
Milestone benefits
10,000 bonus YES Rewardz points on annual spends of Rs 1,00,000 (cash advances, fees and EMI conversions excluded).
Reward notes
Redemption fee Rs 100 + GST per request and Rs 99 + GST convenience fee on flight bookings with points (MITC). Point values by route are from an aggregator citing the MITC; the issuer page only links to a value chart. base_return_pct left null because the rupee value of a YES Rewardz point is not stated on the issuer page (the Rs 0.25 flights/hotels figure is from an aggregator); indicative only: 2 points per Rs 100 offline x Rs 0.25 = 0.5%.
Transfers
Partnersunverified
Air India Maharaja Club
Ratiounverified
Not listed by name on Air India's YES Bank page; other YES Rewardz cards convert 10:1
Travel and perks
Domestic loungeunverified
1 per quarter (spend-gated)
International lounge
None
Lounge conditions
Needs Rs 25,000 spend in the previous calendar quarter. Guests charged.
Forex markup
3%
Fuel surcharge waiver
1% on Rs 500-4,000 transactions, cap Rs 125 per statement
Other freebies
Buy 1 Get 1 movie ticket on District (up to Rs 250 off the second ticket, once per calendar month); Rs 1,000 Myntra voucher and a health check-up in the birthday month; an offer at eligible outlets inside select malls; purchase protection plan.
Charges and eligibility
Interest per month
3.99%
Late payment fee
Outstanding up to Rs 500: nil; above Rs 500: lower of 10% of statement balance or Rs 1,350 per statement
Cash advance fee
2.5% or Rs 650, whichever is higher (from 15 Jun 2026); cash withdrawal suspended for the first 6 months; cash limit up to 30% of credit limit
Eligibility
Women's card. Age 21-60; minimum net salary Rs 30,000 a month; existing YES BANK credit cardholders not eligible.
Fine-print notes
Issuer product page read 12 Oct 2026: confirms fees, the Rs 1,000 welcome voucher, the 5,000 and 10,000 bonus points, 12/8/4 points per Rs 200, the 9,000-point online cap, the movie and birthday benefits and the Rs 30,000 salary criterion; a limited-period lifetime-free offer is running. Network changed from Visa (aggregator) to Mastercard by inference only: the page defines its accelerated categories 'as defined by Mastercard' with no mention of Visa; kept in unverified_fields. Domestic lounge access is confirmed as spend-gated but the count is not in the page text. The page does not state the forex markup, the fuel waiver terms or Air India transfer eligibility; those keep their old values. || Earlier notes: MITC v18 (file reference 05102026): rent (MCC 6513) fee is the greater of 1% or Rs 199 above Rs 1,000, max 5 rent transactions per 30 days; wallet loads above Rs 2,000 charged 1%; education via third-party apps 1% + GST; utilities 1% + GST once the month's cumulative spend crosses the card's threshold (Rs 25,000); fuel 1% + GST on a single transaction above Rs 10,000 or cumulative above Rs 25,000 a month; tolls and railways also carry 1% beyond thresholds. Overlimit Rs 550 + GST per transaction (from 1 Jun 2026). Reissue Rs 199 + GST. Dynamic currency conversion: 1% + GST on INR-billed transactions at overseas merchants. Existing YES Bank credit cardholders are reported as ineligible for a second card. Forex markup corrected after an independent check on 11 Oct 2026: the MITC row shows the markup (2.75%) and, beside it, the dynamic currency conversion charge; the first pass had recorded the second figure. 12 Oct 2026: that correction was itself wrong. The MITC prints the rate before and from 15 Jun 2026 (2.75% then 3.0%); bank pages for Reserv, Select, First Business and Prosperity Business confirm the later figure, so the later figure is restored here. Not stated on this card’s own page.
Questions
What is the annual fee of the YES Essence Credit Card?
Rs 799 a year, before GST. It is waived if you spend Rs 1,00,000 in a year.
Does the YES Essence Credit Card give airport lounge access?
Yes. In India: 1 per quarter (spend-gated). Outside India: none listed. Conditions: Needs Rs 25,000 spend in the previous calendar quarter. Guests charged.
What is the forex markup on the YES Essence Credit Card?
3% of each foreign-currency transaction, before GST.
Which spends earn no rewards on the YES Essence Credit Card?
No points on rental, wallet loads, fuel, government services, marketing and advertising, insurance, educational services, railways, toll, ferry, cash withdrawals, Post Purchase EMI, Instant EMI, fees and charges (issuer page).