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Federal BankAn ideal credit card has a high reward rate and offers complimentary benefits like access to airport lounges, golf rounds/lessons, etc., at a very low or zero membership fee. But that sounds like a very utopian idea. It’s not monetarily feasible for card issuers to offer such a rewarding credit card that comes at a nominal membership fee. Therefore, they offer the best credit cards, offering benefits in different categories so that individuals may choose a credit card based on their spending habits. No single credit card can be termed “the best credit card“ for everyone, but it can vary based on individual requirements and spending behaviour. Therefore, keeping all the segments of people in mind, we have created a list of the best credit cards in India.
Applying for a credit card without good research is never a good idea. You should understand your spending habits first and choose a card that fits you best. With thousands of credit card options available in the market, it becomes difficult for people to filter out the best cards and apply for one of them. We are here with this article to help you choose the best credit cards in India. Keep reading for further information:
List of Best Credit Cards in India 2023
Once you have figured out which category of credit card you would fulfil your needs the best, you need to filter out the best credit cards in the category you are looking for. We have made the task simpler for you. We have curated a list of best credit cards in India 2023 from each category currently available in the market.
Top Credit Cards Under Different Categories
Before you apply for a credit card, you need to ask yourself what kind of benefits you are expecting from your new credit card? Are you signing up for the credit card so that you may save on your daily spends or are you a frequent flyer and want to earn some extra AirMiles and make your travel experience more comfortable with complimentary airport lounge access? It is really important that you have an answer to these questions in your mind since as mentioned earlier, different categories of credit cards are targeted towards different niches of customers. We have listed out the best credit cards in India on the basis of different categories as follows:
Entry Level Credit Cards:
The entry level credit cards are the best option for new to credit young professionals (or even students) and come with either zero or a very low membership fee. Although these credit cards do not offer many add-on benefits that premium or lifestyle cards do, keeping their target customers in mind, card issuers many times offer a high reward rate on online spends (particularly at select popular e-commerce websites like Amazon, Flipkart, etc.), dining spends and movie ticket purchases with these entry-level credit cards. Following, in our opinion, are the best credit cards in the entry-level segment.
Fees
Joining Fee
Rs. 500+GST
Renewal Fee
Rs. 500 + GST
Best Suited For
Movies
Reward Type
Reward Points
Welcome Benefits
Free SonyLiv annual subscription worth Rs. 999.
Card Details +
Axis Bank My Zone Credit Card is one of the popular Entry-Level Credit cards available in the market. The card is issued with an annual fee of Rs. 500 and welcomes you with a Complimentary SonyLiv Premium annual subscription. With this card, cardholders can earn up to 4 EDGE Points for every Rs 200 spent. Apart from this, the card offers great benefits in dining as well as in Entertainment. Despite having a nominal annual fee, the Myzone credit card offers complimentary access to domestic airport lounges. Following are the detailed features of the card:
- Complimentary SonyLiv Premium annual subscription as a welcome benefit.
- 4 EDGE Points per Rs. 200 spent.
- 1 complimentary access to domestic airport lounges every quarter.
- Up to 20% off on dining with Axis Dining Delights.
- 40% discount on Swiggy up to Rs. 120.
Fees
Joining Fee
Rs. 500 (plus applicable taxes)
Renewal Fee
Rs. 500 (plus applicable taxes)
Best Suited For
Shopping
Reward Type
Reward Points
Welcome Benefits
500 CashPoints
Card Details +
AxisThe MoneyBack Plus credit card is the better version of the MoneyBack credit card and comes at a joining fee of Rs. 500. The cards offers a decent reward rate of 20 CashPoints per Rs. 150 spent with the cad. Mainly, the card offers cashback but you can also get gift vouchers worth Rs. 2000 on achieving certain spend-based milestones. MoneyBack Plus credit card offers 15% discount on more than 2000 top restaurants along with a fuel surcharge waiver, annual fee waiver, and other privileges. Also, you can redeem your reward points against card statement balance, Airmiles, product and vouchers, etc. Here are the features and benefits of this card:
- Welcome bonus of 500 CashPoints
- 2 CashPoints per Rs. 150 spent and 5x CashPoints on EMI transactions
- 20 CashPoints per Rs. 150 spent on Amazon, Reliance Smart Store, Swiggy, BigBasket, and other partner brands
- Rs. 500 worth gift vouchers on spending Rs. 50,000 or more per quarter
- Up to 15% discount at more than 2000 top restaurants across India
- Annual fee waiver on spending Rs. 50,000 or more in the card anniversary year
- 1% fuel surcharge waiver
Fees
Joining Fee
Nil
Renewal Fee
Nil
Best Suited For
Movies
Reward Type
Reward Points
Welcome Benefits
NIL
Card Details +
The LIT credit card by AU Bank is the country’s first customizable credit card and the cardholder can select features and benefits based on his needs. You do not have to search for multiple credit cards that suits your requirements as you can transform the LIT credit card into what you need. Just log into the AU 0101 application, select the features you want in your card, and pay for the next 90 days. Other than great cashback on specific categories, you get 1 Reward point per Rs.100 spent along with 10x or 5x bonus reward points on your chosen feature categories. Let’s know more about the benefits offered by this card:
- First customizable credit card of our country
- Log into the AU 0101 app and chose the features you want for the next 90 days on the card
- Free 3-month membership of Amazon Prime, Cult.fit, and Zee5
- 1 Reward point per Rs. 100 spent with the card
- 5x or 10x accelerated reward points on offline as well as online transactions
- 1% fuel surcharge waiver on spends between Rs. 400 and Rs. 5000
- 2% and 5% cashback on achieving spend-based milestone on retail
- 5% cashback on grocery, travel, and dining spends
- 4 complimentary domestic lounge access every quarter
Fees
Joining Fee
Rs. 999 + GST
Renewal Fee
Rs. 999 + GST
Best Suited For
Shopping
Reward Type
Reward Points
Welcome Benefits
NA
Card Details +
Cashback SBI Card is a newly introduced cashback credit card that offers up to 5% cash back on your spends. Along with a decent cashback rate, the card also offers complimentary domestic lounge access, which makes it a suitable lifestyle card for those who look for decent benefits with affordable membership charges. The renewal fee of the card is Rs. 999 which can be waived on spending Rs, 2,00,000 in a year. Following are some key benefits provided with the Cashback SBI Card:
- 5% cash back on every online transaction.
- 1% cashback on offline transactions and utility bill payments.
- 4 complimentary domestic lounge access in a year.
- 1% fuel surcharge waiver.
- Spend-based waiver of the renewal fee.
Fees
Joining Fee
Rs. 499 + GST
Renewal Fee
Rs. 499 + GST
Best Suited For
Shopping
Reward Type
Reward Points
Welcome Benefits
Get an Amazon e-voucher worth Rs. 500 as welcome benefits after paying the annual fees.
Card Details +
With a nominal membership fee of Rs. 499 per annum, SBI SimplyCLICK Credit Card is definitely one of the best entry-level credit cards by SBI Card and offers a fairly high reward rate at partner e-commerce portals like Amazon, Cleartrip, BookMyShow, Lenskart, UrbanClap, etc. Some of the salient features of SBI Simply Click Credit Card are as under-
- Milestone benefits like complimentary e-vouchers and annual fee reversal on achieving the stipulated spend-based milestones.
- 10X Reward Points on online shopping from partner merchants including Amazon, BookMyShow, Cleartrip, etc.
- 5X Reward Points on all other online spendings except fuel.
- 1 Reward Point for every offline spends of Rs. 100.
Given its high reward rate on online spends, the SBI SimplyCLICK Credit Card is a popular entry-level credit card in India, particularly popular amongst new to credit millennials and first-time cardholders. If you’re fond of online shopping, especially at the aforementioned partner merchants, this SimplyCLICK Card by SBI Cards can be a really good pick for you.
Fees
Joining Fee
Rs. 499 + taxes
Renewal Fee
Rs. 499 + taxes
Best Suited For
Shopping
Reward Type
Reward Points
Welcome Benefits
N/A
Card Details +
Axis Bank ACE credit Card is a very attractive entry-level offering by Axis Bank. The card has an annual membership fee of Rs. 495 and is best suited for utility bill payments and recharges as it offers a high reward rate of 5% on bill payments and recharges via Google Pay. Following are the salient features of the card include-
- 5% cashback on bill payments (internet, gas, electricity, etc.) and mobile/DTH recharge via Google Pay.
- 4% cashback on Swiggy, Zomato and Ola and 2% cashback on all other online and offline spends with the card.
- 4 complimentary domestic airport lounge visits every year at select airports in India.
- Enjoy up to 20% discount on all dining bills made at partner restaurants with the bank’s Dining Delights program.
Fees
Joining Fee
Rs. 495 + GST
Renewal Fee
Rs. 495 + GST
Best Suited For
Shopping
Reward Type
Reward Points
Welcome Benefits
Direct cashback of Rs. 500 on spends of Rs. 10,000 or more within the first 90 days of card issuance.
Card Details +
SmartEarn Credit Card by American Express is a basic entry-level offering by the card issuer. The card comes with a membership fee of just Rs. 495 per annum and is best suited for shopping. While the card offers 1 Membership Rewards Point for every Rs. 50 spent, cardholders can earn up to 10X Membership Rewards Points on spends at partner merchants which include big names like Amazon, Flipkart, Paytm, Uber, Swiggy, Paytm, etc. Key features of AmEx SmartEarn Credit Card are as under-
- 1 Membership Rewards Point per Rs. 50 you spend using the card except for spends on fuel, insurance, utilities, cash transactions and EMI conversions.
- 10X Membership Rewards Points on spends on Amazon, Flipkart and Uber.
- 5X Membership Rewards Points on Myntra, Paytm Wallet, Swiggy PVR Cinemas, BookMyShow, Grofers, Big Bazaar and many other partner merchants.
- Renewal fee waiver on spends of minimum Rs. 40,000 in the previous year.
Fees
Joining Fee
Nil
Renewal Fee
Nil
Best Suited For
Travel
Reward Type
Reward Points
Welcome Benefits
Get a welcome gift voucher worth Rs. 500 on spending Rs. 15,000 or more within the first 90 days. Also, get 5% cashback on the value of your first EMI transaction done inside 90 days of card generation.
Card Details +
IDFC First Classic Credit Card is another great option in the entry-level segment. The best part is, the card comes with a zero membership fee. Some of the main features of the First Classic Credit Card as summarised as under-
- Get Gift voucher worth Rs. 500 on achieving a spend target of Rs. 15,000 within 90 days of card issuance.
- 3 Reward Points per Rs, 100 on offline purchases, 6 Reward Points per Rs. 100 on online purchases, 10 Reward Points per Rs. 100 on all spends above Rs. 20,000 and 10 Reward Points for every Rs. 100 spent on your birthday.
- 4 complimentary railway lounge access per quarter.
- 25% discount on movie ticket purchases.
- Complimentary Road Side assistance service.
With all these aforementioned benefits, IDFC First Classic Credit Card gives a neck-to-neck competition to other credit cards by big players like HDFC, ICICI and SBI Card in the entry-level segment.
Shopping Credit Cards:
Shopping credit cards, as you can guess, are best suited for retail shopping. Most of these shopping credit cards are actually entry-level credit cards that earn you a high reward rate on shopping at certain online/offline merchants. Many of these shopping credit cards are co-branded cards launched by card issuers in collaboration with partner merchants. The Amazon Pay Credit Card by ICICI and the Flipkart Credit Card by Axis Bank are the most popular shopping credit cards in India. Since most of the shopping credit cards are entry-level credit cards, they are either lifetime free (like the Amazon Pay ICICI Bank Credit Card) or come with a minimal annual fee. Following, in our opinion are the best credit cards in India for shopping currently available in the market.
Fees
Joining Fee
Rs. 500+GST
Renewal Fee
Rs. 500+GST
Best Suited For
Shopping
Reward Type
Reward Points
Welcome Benefits
Introductory benefits worth Rs. 1,100 on card issuance.
Card Details +
This co-branded offering by Axis Bank in collaboration with Flipkart gives tough competition to the Amazon Pay ICICI Bank credit card. The Card offers a high reward rate on Flipkart, Myntra and other partner merchants including Swiggy, Uber, PVR, etc. Earlier, Flipkart Axis Bank Credit Card was offered on the MasterCard platform, now, since MasterCard is not allowed to onboard new customers, Axis Bank is issuing this card on the Visa network. Following are some of the key features of the Flipkart Axis Bank Credit Card-
- Earn a cashback of 5% for all purchases on Flipkart and Myntra.
- The card earns you a 4% cashback on preferred merchants including Swiggy, Uber, PVR and cure.fit.
- Earn 1.5% cashback on every other online and offline spends with the card.
- You also get 4 complimentary domestic airport lounge access with the card as a travel benefit.
Fees
Joining Fee
Nil
Renewal Fee
Nil
Best Suited For
Shopping
Reward Type
Reward Points
Welcome Benefits
NA
Card Details +
AmazonPay ICICI Bank Credit Card is a popular shopping credit card in India. It is a lifetime free credit card launched by ICICI Bank in collaboration with Amazon India. The card rewards you with cashback which is automatically credited as Amazon Pay balance to your Amazon Pay wallet at the end of each month. The reward rate and other features of the card are as under-
- 5% cashback on shopping from Amazon for Amazon Prime members.
- 3% cashback on shopping from Amazon for all non-Prime members.
- 2% cashback on payments made to over 100 Amazon Pay partner merchants.
- 1% cashback on every other categories of transactions made with the card.
Apart from these cashback benefits, you also get dining benefits with a minimum 15% discount at partner restaurants under the bank’s Culinary Treats Program. This card is comparable with the Flipkart Axis Bank Credit Card (see below) which can be a better pick if you prefer Flipkart over Amazon for online shopping.
Fees
Joining Fee
Rs. 500
Renewal Fee
Rs. 500
Best Suited For
Shopping
Reward Type
Cashback
Welcome Benefits
Myntra voucher worth Rs. 500 on making 1 transaction above Rs. 500 inside 30 days of card issuance
Card Details +
Myntra is the top fashion E-Commerce portal in India and the newly launched Myntra Kotak credit card is the perfect credit card for loyal Myntra customers and fashionistas. This co-branded card comes with a Rs. 500 Myntra voucher and Myntra Insider membership as a welcome benefit. You get 7.5% instant discount on all Myntra spends and 1.25% cashback on other spends. The card even offers many other privileges including complimentary lounge access, spend-based fee waivers, milestone benefits, etc.
- Rs. 500 worth Myntra voucher on a transaction of Rs. 500 or more within 30 days of getting the card
- 7.5% discount on all your Myntra spends, capped at maximum Rs. 750 per transaction
- 5% cashback on partner brands Swiggy, PVR, Urban Company, etc.
- Complimentary Myntra Insider membership
- 1 complimentary domestic lounge access per quarter
- 2 complimentary PVR tickets worths Rs. 250 as milestone benefits
- Renewal fee waiver on spending Rs. 2 Lakhs in the card anniversary year
- 1% fuel surcharge waiver
Fees
Joining Fee
Rs 1,000 + GST
Renewal Fee
Rs 4,500 + GST
Best Suited For
Shopping
Reward Type
Reward Points
Welcome Benefits
Welcome benefit of 4,000 Bonus Membership RPs can be availed on settling the joining fee of Rs. 1,000 and spending of Rs 15,000 within the first 90 days of the card issuance.
Card Details +
The AmEx Membership Rewards Credit Card comes with a nominal joining fee of Rs. 1,000, however the renewal l fee of this card is Rs. 4,500. With a welcome bonus of 4,000 Membership Rewards, the card offers a decent reward rate. The cardholders can earn 1 MR on every Rs. 50 spend using this card and these rewards are redeemable against various premium vouchers and products. The following are some of the key features of this card:
- 4,000 membership rewards as a welcome benefit
- 1 membership reward on every spend of Rs. 50.
- The earned Reward are redeemable against vouchers from popular brands, such as Amazon, Tanishq, Taj, etc.
- Get up to 2,000 bonus membership rewards every year on achieving the spend milestone.
- Spend-based waiver of the renewal fee.
Lifestyle Credit Cards:
These credit cards fall in the sub-premium category. These cards do not offer as many add-on benefits as the ones in the super-premium category do, but still offer pretty good reward rates on almost all spend categories- instead of offering a very high reward rate on a particular spend category, lifestyle credit cards offer decent reward rates on almost all spend categories. These cards are targeted towards individuals in the middle to high-income group. Here are some of the best credit cards in India in the lifestyle category.
Fees
Joining Fee
Rs. 3,000 + GST
Renewal Fee
Rs. 3,000 + GST
Best Suited For
Travel
Reward Type
Reward Points
Welcome Benefits
Get 10,000 EDGE REWARD POINTS on your first transaction of Rs. 2000
Card Details +
Axis Bank Select Credit Card is a mid-level offering by Axis Bank. The membership fee of this card is Rs. 3,000 per annum. The credit card offers a host of benefits on all categories of spends-
- Rs. 2,000 worth of Amazon voucher on making the first transaction within 90 days of card issuance as a welcome benefit.
- 8 complimentary access to domestic airport lounges per year (max 2 per quarter) and 6 complimentary international lounge access under the Priority Pass membership.
- Enjoy 6 complimentary rounds of golf games every year and 3 additional rounds on the expenditure of Rs. 3 lakh or above in a year.
- Personal air accident cover worth of Rs. 2.5 crore and many other travel-related insurance benefits.
- Discount vouchers at partner brands on achieving the stipulated spends based milestones.
All the aforementioned benefits and privileges make the Select Credit Card by Axis Bank a very attractive choice in the sub-premium category.
Fees
Joining Fee
Rs. 1,500
Nil (for priority banking customers)
Renewal Fee
Rs. 1,500
Nil (for priority banking customers)
Best Suited For
Shopping
Reward Type
Reward Points
Welcome Benefits
12,500 EDGE REWARD Points on payment of joining fee & 6,250 EDGE REWARD Points for priority banking customers.
Card Details +
The Privilege credit card by Axis Bank offers unmatched shopping, travel, and overall lifestyle experience to the cardholders. Priority banking customers get this card for free while others need to pay Rs. 1500 as joining fees. The card offers a welcome benefit of 12,500 EDGE reward points and you can redeem these points for multi-brand vouchers worth Rs. 5000. With the card, you get access to dining as well as travel benefits like complimentary lounge access, dining discounts, etc. Let’s take a detailed look at the benefits of this card:
- Welcome benefit of 12,500 EDGE reward points
- 10 EDGE reward points per Rs. 200 spent with the card
- Up to 20% off on dining via the Dining Delights Program
- Complimentary domestic lounge access
- Renewal fee waiver on achieving the spending milestone
- 3000 EDGE reward points upon card renewal
- 1% fuel surcharge waiver
- Insurance privileges across different categories
Fees
Joining Fee
Nil
Renewal Fee
Nil
Best Suited For
Travel
Reward Type
Reward Points
Welcome Benefits
Vouchers worth Rs. 500 on spends of Rs. 15,000 within 90 days of card issuance. Also, get a 5% cashback on EMI transactions (up to Rs. 1,000) within 30 days of card issuance.
Card Details +
A quite popular and premium lifestyle card issued by IDFC First Bank, the Select has a diverse range of benefits and features for cardholders. You receive Rs. 500 worth welcome voucher on spending Rs. 15,000 or more along with a 5% cashback on EMI transactions. The card offers up to 10x reward points on regular spends and you can redeem your rewards against a variety of choices. Other benefits include complimentary lounge access, fuel surcharge waiver, insurance privileges, movie ticket offers, and more. Read on for detailed features and benefits of the card:
- Rs. 500 worth gift vouchers and 5% cashback on EMI transactions
- 10x reward points per Rs. 125 spent on transactions above Rs. 25,000
- 10x reward points per Rs. 125 spent on your birthday
- 6x reward points per Rs. 125 spent online and 3x rewards per Rs. 125 spent offline
- Complimentary airport and railway lounge access
- Personal accident cover of Rs. 5,00,000 and air accident cover of Rs. 1 Crore
- 1% fuel surcharge waiver and low forex markup fee
Fees
Joining Fee
Rs. 2500 plus taxes
Renewal Fee
Rs. 2500 plus taxes
Best Suited For
Shopping
Reward Type
Reward Points
Welcome Benefits
Welcome benefit of complimentary MMT Black Elite and Club Vistara Silver Tier membership on spending over Rs. 1 Lakh inside 90 days of getting the card issued
Card Details +
The HDFC Bank Regalia Gold credit card is the newest addition to the Regalia range of credit cards, and it is packed with some of the best lifestyle and travel benefits for the cardholders. The card has a Rs. 2500 joining fee and comes with a complimentary Club Vistara Silver Tier and MMT Black Elite membership. You can earn 4 reward points per Rs. 150 spent with the card and 20 reward points per Rs. 150 spent at partner brands Myntra, Marks and Spencer’s, Reliance Digital, etc. To redeem reward points, you also get access to the Exclusive Gold Catalog apart from other choices. Even the forex markup fee on the credit card is 2%, which is lower than the standard rate.
- Complimentary MMT Black Elite and Club Vistara Silver Tier membership on spends of Rs. 1 Lakh or above within 90 days of card issuance
- Rs. 1500 worth vouchers from M&S, Marriott, Reliance Digital, Myntra, etc.
- Rs. 5000 worth complimentary flight tickets on spends of Rs. 7.5 Lakhs or more in the year
- 4 RPs per Rs. 150 spent and 5x reward points on partner brands
- 12 complimentary domestic lounge access and 6 complimentary international lounge access via Priority Pass
- 1% fuel surcharge waiver and renewal fee waiver
- Low forex markup fee of 2%
Fees
Joining Fee
Rs. 2,999 + GST
Renewal Fee
Rs. 2,999 + GST
Best Suited For
Travel
Reward Type
Reward Points
Welcome Benefits
Gift voucher (worth Rs. 3,000) from any of these brands, Yatra, Aditya Birla Fashion, Bata/Hush Puppies, Shoppers Stop, and Pantaloons.
Card Details +
It is a mid-level credit card by SBI Card. This card also comes with many benefits and privileges-
- Travel benefits include complimentary Club Vistara Silver tier membership and Trident Privilege membership.
- (Limited) domestic as well as international airport lounge access.
- Complimentary rounds of golf and golf lessons every month.
- Insurance benefits include a cover of Rs. 50 Lakh in case of an air accident and fraud liability cover worth up to Rs 1 lac.
This credit card is best suited for someone looking for a card with a decent reward rate that offers benefits across various spends categories including travel, movies, dining, reward points, gift vouchers, etc. Although it is not a super premium credit card, it does offer fairly good rewards and benefits.
Fees
Joining Fee
Rs. 2,499 + GST
Renewal Fee
Rs. 2,499 + GST
Best Suited For
Shopping
Reward Type
Reward Points
Welcome Benefits
6-month FitPass Pro membership worth Rs. 15,000 and 10,000 bonus reward points.
Card Details +
The BOB Eterna Credit Card is another very attractive option in the lifestyle category as you get quite a high reward rate- up to 15 Reward Points for every Rs. 100 spent (1 Reward Point = Rs. 0.25). The card comes with an annual fee of Rs. 2,499 and offers a host of lifestyle benefits including-
- Travel-related benefits like accelerated Reward Points on travel spends, personal air accident cover worth Rs. 1 crore, lower foreign currency mark-up (2% of the transaction amount), unlimited complimentary domestic airport lounge access under the MasterCard domestic lounge program.
- Complimentary rounds/lessons of golf at some of the most premium golf destinations across India.
- Multiple milestone benefits including spends based membership fee waiver.
- Movie and dining discounts and deals including Buy 1 Get 1 offer on Paytm movies, culinary desks at MasterCard Priceless special, etc.
All these benefits make the BOB Eterna Credit Card a perfect card for those looking for a lifestyle or sub-premium credit card that offers benefits across all categories of spends.
Fees
Joining Fee
Rs. 1,000 (plus taxes)
Renewal Fee
Rs. 1,000 (plus taxes).
Best Suited For
Shopping
Reward Type
Reward Points
Welcome Benefits
1,000 CashPoints as a Welcome Benefit.
Card Details +
As the name suggests, HDFC Millennia Credit Card is tailored for the needs of the millennials – the generation that loves shopping online. It is a cashback credit card and best suited for young professionals for whom online shopping accounts for a substantial portion of their total monthly spending. Keeping the card’s target customers in mind, HDFC offers the following benefits with the card-
- You get 1,000 CashPoints as a welcome gift on the realization of the joining fee.
- The card offers you a cashback of 5% on partner websites including Amazon, Flipkart and BigBasket (max cap of Rs. 1,000 for the first 6 months and Rs. 750 thereafter) and 2.5% cashback on all other online spends (max cap of R. 750), subject to a minimum transaction amount of Rs. 2,000.
- You also get 5% cashback (up to Rs. 1,000) on flight/hotel bookings via SmartBuy/PayZapp, subject to a minimum transaction amount of Rs. 2,000.
- The card earns you 1% cashback ( up to Rs. 750) on offline spends. Minimum transaction size of Rs. 100 is required to avail of this cashback.
Super Premium Credit Cards:
Super-premium credit cards are those credit cards that not only offer a high reward rate, but also offer a plethora of value-added privileges like complimentary lounge access at airports (usually unlimited at both domestic and international airports), a comprehensive insurance plan, a lower mark-up on foreign currency transactions, attractive travel and dining benefits and many more. These credit cards have a high joining/annual fee, which usually can be waived off on achieving the stipulated spend milestones. Super-premium credit cards are targeted towards high net-worth individuals and are either invite-only or have strict eligibility criteria. Following, in our opinion, are the best premium credit cards available in India.
Fees
Joining Fee
Rs. 12,500 plus GST
Renewal Fee
Rs. 12,500 plus GST
Best Suited For
Movies
Reward Type
Reward Points
Welcome Benefits
Choose a gift voucher worth Rs. 12,500 from any one of Luxe, Yatra, or Postcard Hotels
Card Details +
Axis Bank Magnus Credit Card is a premium offering by the bank. The card offers a plethora of premium privileges and benefits, particularly travel benefits. Some of the benefits that come bundled with the Axis Bank Magnus Credit Card are as under-
- Accelerated (2X) EDGE REWARDS Points on travel portals like MakeMyTrip, Yatra, Goibibo, etc.
- Travel benefits include unlimited complimentary domestic airport lounge access and 8 complimentary access to international lounges every year, discounts at Oberoi hotels and a 24×7 hotel concierge service.
- Discounts on movie and event tickets on BookMyShow and dining bills at partner restaurants across the country.
- Travel-related insurance benefits including a personal air accident cover worth Rs. 4.5 crore.
- A 24×7 medical concierge service.
Fees
Joining Fee
Rs. 60,000 + GST
Renewal Fee
Rs. 60,000 + GST
Best Suited For
Travel
Reward Type
Reward Points
Welcome Benefits
SeleQtions, Taj, and Vivanta Hotels’ vouchers worth Rs. 45,000.
Card Details +
It is the most premium credit card by American Express and comes with a hefty membership fee of Rs. 60,000 every year. It is an American Express Charge Card, i.e. there is no fixed pre-decided credit limit (the limit keeps changing based on the cardholder’s financial behaviour). The card offers you every possible benefits that one can expect from a super premium credit card-
- Bonus Membership Rewards Points and vouchers from some of the most premium hotel chains like Taj, SeleQtions, etc.
- Unlimited complimentary domestic and international airport lounge access along with complimentary Priority Pass membership.
- 3x reward points on all international spends.
- 50% discount at over 1,800 premium restaurants across India.
All these aforementioned premium benefits and privileges make American Express Platinum Credit Card one of the best choices in the super-premium category. The AmEx Platinum Credit Card probably has the highest membership fee in the Indian credit card market. The benefits that it offers, to a degree, do justify the high membership fee. Even though the membership fee is high, but in the last 1 year, American Express has come up with various 100% cashback offers, which offset the fee paid. You might still want to compare the benefits of the American Express Platinum Card with those of HDFC Infinia and ICICI Emeralde credit cards.
Fees
Joining Fee
Rs. 12,500 + applicable taxes
Renewal Fee
Rs. 12,500 + applicable taxes
Best Suited For
Travel
Reward Type
Reward Points
Welcome Benefits
Welcome bonus of 12,500 Reward Points and complimentary Club Marriott membership for the first year offering 20% discounts on dining and stay in the Asia-Pacific region.
Card Details +
It is the most premium credit card by HDFC Bank, and perhaps the most popular credit card in India in the premium segment. The card comes with a annual fee of Rs. 12,500 per year, however, the benefits that the Infinia card offers justify the high membership fee. Some of the important features of the Infinia Credit Card are as under-
- Higher reward rate (5 points for every Rs. 150 spent) and value of each reward point being Re. 1 when redeemed for travel-related spends like flight bookings and hotel reservations. You can also earn up to 33.3% points via HDFC Bank signature Smartbuy offer which is the best in the industry.
- Travel benefits like lower foreign currency mark-up charges, complimentary Club Marriott membership and unlimited complimentary domestic and international airport lounge access with Priority Pass membership.
- Insurance benefits including a personal air accident cover worth Rs. 3 crore (applicable only in case of loss of life), medical emergency cover worth Rs. 50 lakh, etc.
Considering the aforementioned benefits that HDFC Infinia Metal Edition Credit Card comes bundled with, it is definitely one of the best credit cards made in the super-premium category. If you wish to enjoy best-in-class lifestyle privileges, you must have a look at this offering by HDFC.
Fees
Joining Fee
Rs. 5,000
Renewal Fee
Rs. 5,000
Best Suited For
Travel
Reward Type
Reward Points
Welcome Benefits
6,000 Rewards redeemable for shopping vouchers or charity spends under the Standard Chartered 360° rewards program.
Card Details +
The Standard Chartered Ultimate Credit Card is a premium offering by the bank. You need to pay an annual fee of Rs. 5,000 every year. The features and benefits that the card comes bundled with are summarised as under-
- 6,000 bonus reward points as a joining benefit.
- 5 reward points for every Rs. 150 spent with the card and 5% cashback on all duty-free purchases at airports. The best part of this card is that you get reward points on utility payments, wallet loading etc, so it’s virtually 3.3% rewards on everything.
- 24×7 concierge service for travel/dining assistance, golf course assistance/referral, art/cultural event bookings, etc.
- Travel-related insurance benefits include a personal air accident cover worth Rs. 1 crore (applicable in case of loss of life in an air accident).
Fees
Joining Fee
Rs. 1,000 + Taxes for monthly plan, Rs. 12,000 + taxes for annual plan
Renewal Fee
Rs. 1,000 (plus applicable taxes) for monthly plan, Rs. 12,000 (plus applicable taxes) for annual plan
Best Suited For
Movies
Reward Type
Reward Points
Welcome Benefits
N/A
Card Details +
The Emeralde Credit Card offered by ICICI Bank is a super-premium card by the bank. It is in direct competition with HDFC’s Infinia card. Being a credit card from the super-premium category, it offers a plethora of best in class privileges-
- Lower foreign currency mark-up fee (1.5% of the transaction amount) and interest rate (1.99%) and zero cash withdrawal and late payment fee.
- Unlimited domestic and international airport lounge access via Dreanfolks Lounge Access Program membership. Besides lounge access, you also get Spa benefits at various airports in India which is a unique feature.
- 4 complimentary movie tickets every month with a value up to Rs 750 each.
- Credit Shield insurance worth Rs. 50,000, personal air accident cover worth Rs. 3 crore and many other air travel-related insurance benefits (as illustrated later in the article).
Emeralde Credit Card by ICICI Bank is yet another very good option for HNIs (High Net-worth Individuals) who do not want to compromise with their lifestyle needs. One unique feature that makes this card stand out from most other credit cards in the market is that it allows you to choose between monthly and annual membership plans. The membership fee of the Emeralde Credit Card is Rs. 1,000 per month or Rs. 12,000 per annum.
Fees
Joining Fee
Rs. 4,999 + GST
Renewal Fee
Rs. 4,999 + GST
Best Suited For
Movies
Reward Type
Reward Points
Welcome Benefits
E-vouchers worth Rs. 5,000 from any one of the brands, including Yatra, Aditya Birla Fashion, Hush Puppies/Bata, Pantaloons, and Shoppers Stop.
Card Details +
Elite Credit Card is a premium credit card offered by SBI Card. Being a premium offering, it comes loaded with a plethora of top-of-the-line privileges and benefits-
- Complimentary Club Vistara Silver tier membership and one class upgrade voucher and complimentary membership of Trident Privilege Red Tier.
- (Limited) domestic and international airport lounge access.
- Complimentary rounds of golf and golf lessons and discounts on golf games at top golf destinations in the country.
- Complimentary movie tickets. No more buy 1, get 1 free stuff. You get 2 tickets up to Rs 250 each free (just need to pay convenience fees)
If you’re looking for a premium credit card from a PSU card issuer, then this one by SBI Card is certainly an option worth considering.
Fees
Joining Fee
Rs. 10,000 (plus applicable taxes)
Renewal Fee
Rs. 10,000 (plus applicable taxes)
Best Suited For
Travel
Reward Type
Reward Points
Welcome Benefits
Get complimentary annual membership of Forbes, Club Marriott, Times Prime, MMT Black, Amazon Prime, and Swiggy One (3 Months) on spending Rs. 1,50,000 or more in the first 90 days of card issuance
Card Details +
It is the second most premium offering by HDFC bank. It also comes with an annual fee of Rs. 10,000 per annum and offers various premium benefits and privileges-
- Complimentary annual membership of subscription services like Zomato Gold, Amazon Prime, Times Prime, etc. as a welcome benefit. These memberships are renewed on the expenditure of a minimum of Rs. 8 lakh in a card anniversary year.
- The Smartbuy offer which we discussed in HDFC Infinia Credit Card is also applicable for HDFC Diners Black, so you can earn upto 33.3% reward points.
- Unlimited complimentary international and domestic airport lounge access.
- Insurance benefits like air accidental death cover worth Rs. 2 crores, overseas emergency hospitalization cover worth Rs. 50 lakh, credit liability cover worth Rs. 9 lakh, travel baggage delay cover worth Rs. 55,000.
- A lower foreign currency mark-up fee of 1.9% of the transaction amount.
All these benefits make the Diners Club Black Credit Card by HDFC Bank another very attractive option for HNIs (high net-worth individuals). If you’re looking for a premium HDFC Credit Card, you can not go wrong with either of Infinia and Diners Club Black Credit Cards.
Travel Credit Cards:
If you are someone fond of travelling and frequently visit domestic or foreign destinations for leisure or on business trips, travel credit cards is the category you should be looking for. These cards usually earn AirMiles as Rewards, or the Reward Points earned on travel credit cards are transferable to partner airlines’ frequent flyer programs. Premium travel cards also offer additional travel benefits like complimentary night stays at hotels and complimentary membership of hotel loyalty programs. Many card issuers out there offer co-branded travel cards in collaboration with an airline. Such credit cards provide special benefits on flying via partner airlines. Following, in our opinion, are the best credit cards in India in the travel category currently offered by the various card issuers in the Indian credit card market.
Fees
Joining Fee
Rs. 10,000 + GST
Renewal Fee
Rs. 10,000 + GST
Best Suited For
Travel
Reward Type
Reward Points
Welcome Benefits
1 Complimentary Business Class ticket voucher
Card Details +
The card is a premium travel credit card by Axis Bank in collaboration with Air Vistara and is among the top credit cards in travel category. You earn Club Vistara Points on all spends via the Vistara Infinite credit card which can be redeemed on the Air Vistara portal for booking Vistara air tickets, class upgrades, award flights, etc. Apart from the CV Points, you also get the following travel benefits with Vistara Infinite credit card-
- Club Vistara Gold Membership and one complimentary business class ticket voucher as a welcome benefit (business class ticket voucher every year once the card membership is renewed).
- Bonus CV Points or complimentary business class tickets on achieving the stipulated spend-based milestones.
- Travel-related insurance benefits including a personal air accident cover worth Rs. 2.5 crore (applicable in case of loss of life), purchase cover worth Rs. 1 lakh, USD 300 cover against loss of travel documents or delay in check-in luggage and USD 500 cover in case of loss of check-in luggage.
- 2 complimentary domestic lounge access per quarter across India.
Fees
Joining Fee
Rs. 4999 plus taxes
Renewal Fee
Rs. 4999 plus taxes
Best Suited For
Travel
Reward Type
Reward Points
Welcome Benefits
Complimentary class upgrade voucher and 1 premium economy flight ticket voucher for Air Vistara
Card Details +
The IDFC First Bank and Air Vistara have partnered together to launch their co-branded travel card, the Club Vistara IDFC First Credit Card. This mid-range travel card charges an annual fee of Rs. 4999 plus taxes from the cardholder and has many exclusive perks and privileges for Vistara flights. You get many travel benefits with the card like complimentary Premium Economy flight tickets, class upgrade vouchers, complimentary lounge access, and more. You get CV Points as rewards for your spends with the card, along with CFAR trip cancellation cover, and other insurance privileges.
- Complimentary Premium Economy flight ticket, Class Upgrade voucher, and Club Vistara Silver Tier membership as welcome benefit
- Up to 6000 bonus CV Points as activation bonus
- Get a maximum of 5 Premium Economy flight tickets on reaching target spend milestone
- Get up to 6 CV points per Rs. 200 spent with the card
- Complimentary domestic as well as international lounge access
- Complimentary golf rounds and golf lessons per year
- Forex markup fee of 2.99% of the transaction amount
Fees
Joining Fee
Rs. 2,500
Renewal Fee
Rs. 2,500
Best Suited For
Travel
Reward Type
Reward Points
Welcome Benefits
In the form of welcome benefits, the cardholders will get one complimentary air ticket, Accor hotels’ dining and stay vouchers, and a complimentary 6E prime add-on.
Card Details +
6E Rewards XL – IndiGo Kotak Bank Credit Card is a sub-premium co-branded travel credit card offered by the Kotak Mahindra Bank. The card is similar to HDFC IndiGo – 6E Rewards XL Credit Card in terms of the benefits and rewards that it offers. 6E Rewards XL – IndiGo Kotak Mahindra Credit Card comes with an annual fee of Rs. 2,500. Some of the main features of 6E Rewards XL – IndiGo Kotak Credit Card are-
- You get welcome benefits worth over Rs. 10,000 with 6E Rewards XL – IndiGo Kotak Bank Credit Card including a free air ticket, free 6E Prime Add-on, Accor hotels stay and dining vouchers and a Budweiser 0.0 gift voucher.
- The card offfers Reward Points as IndiGo 6E Rewards- 20% on spends at IndiGo featured partners, 6% on IndiGo spends, 3% on dining, entertainment and grocery spends and 2% on other categories of spends.
- Apart from the regular reward rate, you are also entitled to value-added benefits like complimentary domestic airport lounge access (8 per annum- max 2 per quarter), Rs. 150 discount on convenience fee on IndiGo spends.
Go IndiGo is the country’s largest airline, therefore, this credit card fall under the category best credit cards for domestic frequent flyers.
Fees
Joining Fee
Rs. 4,999 (plus applicable taxes)
Renewal Fee
Rs. 4,999 (plus applicable taxes)
Best Suited For
Travel
Reward Type
Reward Points
Welcome Benefits
You will get 20,000 reward points in the form of a welcome benefit.
Card Details +
Air India SBI Signature credit card is the most premium variant of the SBI Platinum Card. It comes with an yearly fee of Rs. 4,999 per annum and offers you the following travel benefits-
- Complimentary membership to the Air India frequent flyer program.
- You earn accelerated Reward Points on spends on Air India flight bookings (reward rate much higher in comparison with the Air India SBI Platinum credit card).
- Convert Reward Points earned into Air India AirMiles.
- 8 complimentary access to domestic airport lounges every year (max 2 visits per quarter).
If you’re looking for a slightly more premium Air India credit card, then this card can be the card best choice for you as it gives you a fairly high reward rate on Air India bookings.
Fees
Joining Fee
Rs. 1,499
Renewal Fee
Rs. 1,499
Best Suited For
Travel
Reward Type
Reward Points
Welcome Benefits
1,500 Reward Points
Card Details +
The IRCTC SBI Card Premier is one of the few IRCTC travel credit cards currently available in the credit card market. Since SBI Card offers this credit card in collaboration with IRCTC, you get many railway benefits with this credit card. Some of them are listed below-
- 10% value back on rail ticket bookings via the IRCTC app/website transferred to the cardholder’s IRCTC loyalty account.
- Transaction charges waived off on rail/air tickets booked from the IRCTC app/website.
- Accommodation at 5,000 plus hotels covering 350 cities across India.
- 8 complimentary railway lounge access every year (max 2 per quarter).
- Complimentary rail and air accident cover worth Rs. 10 lakh and Rs. 50 lakh respectively.
- Reward Points earned on the card are redeemable on the IRCTC app/website if the card is linked with your IRCTC account.
Fees
Joining Fee
Rs. 3,500 + GST
Renewal Fee
Rs. 5,000 + GST
Best Suited For
Travel
Reward Type
Reward Points
Welcome Benefits
10,000 Membership Rewards Points
Card Details +
The Platinum Travel Credit Card is a premium travel credit card offered by American Express which comes loaded with a tons of travel benefits. The travel benefits that come bundled with the American Express Platinum Travel Credit Card are as under-
- 4 complimentary domestic airport lounge access annually (one per quarter) and complimentary membership of the Priority Pass lounge access program.
- Vouchers from leading hotel chains like the Taj, SeleQtions, Vivanta hotels as milestone benefits.
Apart from these travel benefits, you get up to a 20% discount on dining bills at American Express partner restaurants. You also get a discount of 10% on purchasing One Plus devices from the official One Plus website.
Check Best Travel Credit Cards in India 2023
Fuel Credit Cards:
While most other credit cards do not earn any Reward Points on spends at filling stations, fuel credit cards earn you extra Reward Points on fuel purchases. In many cases, the rate of redemption of Reward Points earned on a fuel credit card is also higher against fuel purchases (i.e. the monetary value of Reward Points is higher on redemption against fuel purchases). These credit cards can be suitable for you if you commute daily for long hours on your own vehicle and fuel spending accounts for a substantial portion of the total spending on your credit card. Following are three of the best credit cards in India that give you extra benefits on fuel spends.
Fees
Joining Fee
Rs. 499 + GST
Renewal Fee
Rs. 499 + GST
Best Suited For
Fuel
Reward Type
Reward Points
Welcome Benefits
Up to Rs. 500 cash back on your 1st HPCL fuel transaction above Rs. 500 and up to 5% cashback (up to Rs. 1,000 capped) on the transaction value of the first EMI.
Card Details +
The first co-branded credit card by IDFC First Bank in partnership with HPCL, the FIRST Power+ credit card allows you to save almost Rs. 18,500 per year which can earn you almost 175 litres of free fuel. The card has a joining fee of Rs. 499 but you get it a zero joining fee until 30th April 2023 as an introductory offer. Apart from welcome benefits worth Rs. 1650, you get complimentary domestic lounge access, up to 25% discount on movie tickets, roadside assistance, etc. Let’s read about the features and benefits of this card in detail:
- Up to 6.5% savings on fuel spends
- 4% savings on LPG and HPCL fuel spends, 1.5% savings on payment through HP Pay App, and 1% fuel surcharge waiver
- 5% savings on grocery and utility bills
- 5% savings as reward points on IDFC FASTag recharge
- 3x reward points on other retail spends
- Up to Rs. 500 cashback on on 1st HPCL transaction above Rs. 500 or more
- Up to Rs. 150 discount on Swiggy orders on orders above Rs. 500
- Up to Rs. 500 off on ZoomCars rental
- Up to 25% discount on movie tickets and 505 discount on international and domestic car rentals
Fees
Joining Fee
Rs. 449 plus taxes
Renewal Fee
Rs. 449 plus taxes
Best Suited For
Fuel
Reward Type
Reward Points
Welcome Benefits
Get 1000 Reward Points on spending Rs. 500 or more within 30 days of getting the card
Card Details +
Kotak Mahindra and IndianOil recently launched their co-branded fuel credit card offering great fuel benefits along with other benefits. Cardholders get rewarded whenever they refuel at any of the 34,000 IndianOil outlets across India along with dining, grocery, and other benefits. You also earn Reward points on spends that can be redeemed for cashback, free fuel, and products on Kotak Rewards portal. You can get up to 60 litres of free fuel per year with this card. Here are the features and benefits of this card:
- Welcome benefit of 1000 Reward points on spending Rs. 500 or more within a month of card issuance.
- 12 Reward points per Rs. 150 spent on grocery and dining, and 24 Reward points per Rs. 150 spent on IndianOil outlets
- 3 Reward points per Rs. 150 spent on everything else
- Annual fee waiver on spending Rs. 50,000 or more in the card anniversary year
- 1% fuel surcharge waiver and personal accident insurance cover worth Rs. 2 Lakhs
- RuPay contactless transactions up to Rs. 5000
Fees
Joining Fee
Rs. 499 + GST
Renewal Fee
Rs. 499 + GST
Best Suited For
Fuel
Reward Type
Reward Points
Welcome Benefits
2,000 Activation Bonus Reward Points worth Rs. 500 on payment of joining fee (credited after 20 days of the payment of joining fee).
Card Details +
This is another entry-level fuel credit card by SBI Card in collaboration with Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL). You get the following benefits with BPCL SBI Credit Card-
- Enjoy welcome benefit of 2,000 Reward Points with the BPCL SBI Credit Card.
- The card earns you 1 Reward Point per Rs. 100 spent. You get a 5x reward rate on departmental stores, groceries and movie spends and a 13x reward rate at BPCL filling stations.
- 1% fuel surcharge waiver.
BPCL SBI Credit Card can be a very good option in the entry-level fuel cards category. This card gives a direct competition to the ICICI HPCL Super Saver Credit Card.
Fees
Joining Fee
Rs. 500 (plus GST)
Renewal Fee
Rs. 500 (plus GST)
Best Suited For
Fuel
Reward Type
Reward Points
Welcome Benefits
2,000 bonus Reward Points on paying the membership fee within 2 months and spending at least Rs. 5,000 within the first 45 days of card issuance; Rs. 100 cashback on HP Pay app on the first fuel purchase of Rs. 1,000 or more.
Card Details +
It is the latest co-branded fuel credit card launched by the ICICI Bank in July in partnership with Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) and Visa. The unique feature of this credit card is, although it is a fuel credit card, cardholders can get accelerated reward points on many other categories of spends as well.
- The card earns you 4% cashback and also a 1% fuel surcharge waiver on fuel transactions at all HPCL filling stations across India (a net value back of 5%).
- You get 5 PAYBACK Points per Rs. 100 on all utility and departmental store purchases with the card and 2 PAYBACK Points per Rs. 100 on all other online/offline spends.
- You also get (limited) complimentary domestic airport lounge access with this credit card.
- As it is a fuel credit card, ICICI Bank also provides you with a 24×7 Road Assistance Service (RAS) including onsite vehicle repair, over-the-phone assistance, replacement/locked or lost keys, flat tire support, etc.
Given all these benefits, the recently launched ICICI HPCL Super Saver Credit Card seems to be one of the most attractive offerings not only amongst fuel credit cards but also in the entry-level segment in general, as with this credit card, you get a higher reward rate not just on fuel spends, but across many other categories of spends as well.
Fees
Joining Fee
Rs. 750 plus applicable taxes
Nil (for premium banking customers)
Renewal Fee
Rs. 750 plus applicable taxes
Nil (for premium banking customers)
Best Suited For
Fuel
Reward Type
Reward Points
Welcome Benefits
Up to 1,500 cashback on fuel transactions within the first three months.
Card Details +
It is an entry-level shopping credit card by Standard Chartered Bank. The unique feature of this card is that it rewards you both in terms of cashback as well as reward points depending upon the category of transaction. You earn a cashback of 5% on fuel purchases and utility bill payments and 1 reward point on all other categories of spends. As a welcome benefit, you get a 100% surcharge waiver on fuel purchases (up to Rs. 1,500) in the first 90 days of card activation. Some of the main features of Standard Chartered Super Value Titanium Credit Card are as under-
- 100% cashback on fuel purchases within 90 days of card issuance as a welcome benefit.
- 5% cashback on fuel purchases, and phone and other utility bill payments.
- 1 Reward Point for every Rs. 100 spent on all other categories.
- Premium banking customers are entitled to complimentary membership of the Priority Pass lounge access Program.
Check Best Fuel Credit Cards in India 2023
Movie and Dining Credit Cards:
Many credit card issuers offer certain credit cards that earn additional Reward Points or offer exclusive discounts and deals on movie or dining spends. Some movie credit cards entitle you to free movie tickets every month, while dining credit cards offer exclusive discounts on dining bills at partner restaurants or on ordering food online via services like Zomato and Swiggy. Here are two of the best dining/movie credit cards currently available in the Indian credit card market.
Fees
Joining Fee
Rs. 500
Renewal Fee
Rs. 500
Best Suited For
Dining
Reward Type
Cashback
Welcome Benefits
Complimentary 3-month Swiggy One membership upon card activation
Card Details +
HDFC Bank and Swiggy partnered to launch the co-branded Swiggy HDFC Bank credit card that comes at a joining fee of Rs. 500 plus taxes. This is the first time that Swiggy has entered the credit card space and the card is perfect for regular Swiggy customers and people who frequently order food online or dineout. You get a complimentary 3-month Swiggy One membership, up to 10% cashback across Swiggy spends, and can save around 6.8% annually. The following are the features and benefits of the card –
- Complimentary 3-month Swiggy membership as a welcome benefit
- 10% cashback across the Swiggy website or app on Food, Dineout, Instamart, and Genie
- 5% cashback on online spends at partner brands
- 1% cashback on spends elsewhere with the card
- Renewal fee waiver on spending Rs. 2 Lakhs or more with the card
Fees
Joining Fee
Rs. 1,999
Renewal Fee
Rs. 1,999
Best Suited For
Dining
Reward Type
Reward Points
Welcome Benefits
2,000 bonus RPs and complimentary membership of EazyDiner Prime.
Card Details +
The EazyDiner Indusind Bank Credit Card is a co-branded credit card offered by IndusInd Bank in partnership with EazyDiner. The card carries an annual fee of Rs. 1,999 and welcomes you with 2,000 Eazy Points. Cardholders also get Complimentary EazyDiner Prime annual membership which is renewed every year on the payment of the renewal fee. Though the card is meant to provide great benefits in Dining, with this card, one can also enjoy other benefits like complimentary access to domestic lounges, complimentary movie tickets, and much more. Following are the features of this card:
- Earn Up to 10 Reward Points for spends made with the card.
- Complimentary EazyDiner Prime annual membership.
- 2 complimentary access to domestic lounges per quarter.
- Up to 50% extra discount on dining spends.
Fees
Joining Fee
Rs. 500
Renewal Fee
Rs. 500
Best Suited For
Movies
Reward Type
Reward Points
Welcome Benefits
Get a discount of up to Rs. 500 on movie/non-movie ticket bookings via BookMyShow on making at least one transactions using the RBL Play Credit Card within the first 30 days.
Card Details +
The BookMyShow RBL Bank PLAY Credit Card is a co-branded credit card issued by RBL Bank in collaboration with BookMyShow. The card is exclusively designed to provide cardholders with great Entertainment benefits. As a welcome benefit, the cardholders can claim a discount of Rs. 500 on movies/events/sports/streaming or other ticket bookings on BookMyShow. Following are the important features of the credit card:
- Discount of up to Rs. 100 on food & beverages when booking movie tickets.
- 2 complimentary tickets worth up to Rs. 250 each every month based on spends.
- 1% fuel surcharge waiver.
Fees
Joining Fee
Nil
Renewal Fee
Rs. 999
Best Suited For
Movies
Reward Type
Reward Points
Welcome Benefits
NA
Card Details +
If you’re a movie buff, there can not be a better credit card choice than the PVR Kotak Platinum Credit Card. You don’t have to pay any joining fee for this card, however a renewal fee of Rs. 999 per annum which is payable second year onwards. Some of the key features of the PVR Kotak Platinum Credit Card as under-
- 2 PVR tickets every monthly on crossing the monthly spends threshold of Rs. 10,000.
- 15% cashback on food and beverage purchases at PVR and 5% cashback on PVR movie tickets.
- Complimentary insurance cover worth Rs. 75,000 against fraudulent use of the card.
Best Credit Cards in India – Fees and Benefits
| Credit Cards | Joining Fees | Benefits |
| Best Entry Level Credit Cards | ||
| Axis Bank My Zone Credit Card | Rs. 500 plus taxes | Complimentary annual subscription of Sony LIV as welcome benefit 4 RPs per Rs. 200 spent |
| HDFC Bank MoneyBack Plus Credit Card | Rs. 500 plus taxes | 2 CashPoints per Rs. 150 spent on retail, 5x CashPoints on EMI spends at select merchants 10x CashPoints on partner brands |
| AU Bank LIT Credit Card | Nil | Customizable credit card Complimentary 3-month membership to Amazon Prime, Zee5, Cult.fit 5x or 10x accelerated reward points on online and offline spends |
| Cashback SBI Credit Card | Rs. 999 plus taxes | 5% cashback on online spends and 1% cashback on offline spends Spend-based renewal fee waiver |
| SBI SimplyCLICK Credit Card | Rs. 499 plus taxes | 10x RPs on online shopping from Amazon, Cleartrip, BookMyShow, and other partner merchants 5x RPs on other online spends except fuel 1 RP on offline spends of Rs. 100 |
| Axis Bank ACE Credit Card | Rs. 499 plus taxes | 5% cashback on utility bill, and mobile/DTH payments via Google Pay 4% cashback on Ola, Zomato, Swiggy, and 2% cashback on other offline/online spends |
| American Express SmartEarn Credit Card | Rs. 495 plus taxes | Rs. 500 cashback on spending Rs. 10,000 within 90 days of card issuance 10x MR Points on Uber, Amazon, Flipkart, and 5x MR Points on Paytm Wallet, Myntra, PVR Cinemas, BookMyShow, etc. |
| IDFC First Classic Credit Card | Nil | 6 RPs per Rs. 100 spent online, 3 RPs per Rs. 100 spent offline, and 10 RPs per Rs. 100 on spends above Rs. 20,000 4 complimentary railway lounge access per quarter |
| Best Shopping Credit Cards | ||
| Flipkart Axis Bank Credit Card | Rs. 500 plus taxes | 5% cashback on Myntra and Flipkart spends, 4% cashback on partner brand spends, and 1.5% cashback on other spends 4 complimentary domestic lounge access with the card |
| Amazon Pay ICICI Bank Credit Card | Nil | Rs. 1500 worth benefits and 3-month Amazon Prime membership 5% cashback on Amazon spends for Prime members, and 3% cashback on non-Prime members |
| Myntra Kotak Credit Card | Rs. 500 plus taxes | 7.5% discount on Myntra spends, 5% cashback on partner brand spends, and 1.5% cashback elsewhere Complimentary Myntra Insider membership |
| American Express Membership Rewards Credit Card | Rs. 1000 plus taxes | 4000 Membership RPs as a welcome benefit 1 MR Point per Rs. 50 spent and 2000 bonus RPs on reaching the target spend milestone |
| Best Lifestyle Credit Cards | ||
| Axis Bank SELECT Credit Card | Rs. 3000 plus taxes | 20 RPs per Rs. 200 spent on retail, and 10 RPs on spends elsewhere 8 complimentary domestic lounge access per year, and 6 complimentary international lounge access per year |
| Axis Bank Privilege Credit Card | Rs. 1500 plus taxes | 12,500 RPs as welcome benefit and 3000 RPs on card renewal 10 RPs per Rs. 200 spent with the card |
| IDFC First Select Credit Card | Nil | 10x RPs per Rs. 125 on transactions above Rs. 25,000, and 6x RPs per Rs. 125 spent online, and 3x RPs per Rs. 125 spent offline Complimentary airport and railway lounge access |
| HDFC Bank Regalia Gold Credit Card | Rs. 2500 plus taxes | Complimentary MMT Black Elite and Club Vistara Silver tier membership 20 RPs per Rs. 150 spent on Myntra, Reliance Digital, Nykaa, and 4 RPs per Rs. 150 spent on retail, utility bills, education, etc. |
| SBI Prime Credit Card | Rs. 2999 plus taxes | Club Vistara Silver tier and Trident Privilege membership |
| Bank of Baroda Eterna Credit Card | Rs. 2499 plus taxes | 10,000 bonus reward points and 6-month FitPass Pro membership Unlimited complimentary domestic lounge access and 2% forex markup fee |
| HDFC Bank Millennia Credit Card | Rs. 1000 plus taxes | 1000 CashpPoints as welcome benefit 5% cashback on Amazon, BigBasket, and Flipkart, and 2.5% cashback on other spends |
| Best Super Premium Credit Cards | ||
| Axis Bank Magnus Credit Card | Rs. 10,000 plus taxes | Free domestic flight ticket or Tata Cliq voucher worth Rs. 10,000 12 RPs per Rs. 200 spent and 5x RPs on spends via Travel Edge |
| American Express Platinum Credit Card | Rs. 60,000 plus taxes | Rs. 45,000 worth vouchers by Vivanta, taj, and SeleQtions Unlimited complimentary domestic and international lounge access |
| HDFC Bank INFINIA Credit Card | Rs. 12,500 plus taxes | 12,500 RPs as welcome benefit and complimentary Club Marriott membership for 1 year 5 RPs per Rs. 150 spent with the card and up to 10x RPs on the SmartBuy platform |
| Standard Chartered Ultimate Credit Card | Rs. 5000 plus taxes | 6000 RPs redeemable against vouchers under the Standard Chartered 360 Rewards program 5 RPs per Rs. 150 spent, and 5% cashback on duty-free purchases at airports |
| ICICI Bank Emeralde Credit Card | Rs. 1000 plus taxes monthly or Rs. 12,000 plus taxes annually | 4 RPs per Rs. 100 spent with the card, and 1 RP on utility bills and insurance Low interest rate of 1.99% and low forex markup fee of 1.5% of the transaction amount |
| SBI ELITE Credit Card | Rs. 4999 plus taxes | Rs. 5000 worth vouchers from Aditya Birla, Bata, Hush Puppies, Shoppers Stop, and Pantaloons as welcome benefit Complimentary Club Vistara Silver Tier membership and complimentary golf rounds |
| HDFC Bank Diners Club Black Credit Card | Rs. 10,000 plus taxes | Complimentary membership to Forbes, Times Prime, MMT Black, Amazon Prime, Club Marriot on spending Rs. 1.5 Lakhs or more within 90 days of card issuance Complimentary unlimited domestic and international airport lounge access |
| Best Travel Credit Cards | ||
| Axis Bank Vistara Infinite Credit Card | Rs. 10,000 plus taxes | Complimentary Business Class ticket and CV Gold membership as welcome benefit Up to 6 CV Points per Rs. 200 spent with the ard |
| Club Vistara IDFC First Credit Card | Rs. 4999 plus taxes | Complimentary Premium Economy flight ticket, Class Upgrade voucher, and CV Silver Tier membership as welcome benefit Up to 6 CV Points per Rs. 200 spent with the card |
| 6E Rewards XL – Indigo Kotak Bank Credit Card | Rs. 2500 plus taxes | Complimentary air ticket, 6E Prime add-on, Accor hotels voucher, and Budweiser voucher as welcome benefit 20% as RPs on spends made at Indigo partners, 6% on Indigo spends, and 3% on dining, grocery, and entertainment spends |
| Air India SBI Signature Credit Card | Rs. 4999 plus taxes | Complimentary membership to the Air India Flying Returns program 30 RPs per Rs. 100 spent on flight tickets booked for self, and 10 RPs per Rs. 100 spent on tickets booked for others at airindia.in |
| IRCTC SBI Card Premier | Rs. 1499 plus taxes | 10% value back on train ticket bookings through IRCTC website or app 8 complimentary railway lounge access, max 2 per quarter |
| American Express Platinum Travel Credit Card | Rs. 3500 plus taxes | 10,000 Membership Reward Points as welcome benefit 4 complimentary domestic lounge access, max 1 per quarter |
| Best Fuel Credit Cards | ||
| IDFC HPCL First Power Plus Credit Card | Rs. 500 plus taxes | Rs. 500 cashback on the 1st HPCL transaction with the card Up to 6.5% savings on fuel spends, 5% savings on grocery and utility bills, and 3x RPs on other retail spends |
| Indian Oil Kotak Credit Card | Rs. 449 plus taxes | 1000 RPs as welcome benefit on spending Rs. 500 within one month of card issuance 12 RPs per Rs. 150 spent on dining and grocery, and 24 RPs per Rs. 150 spent on Indian Oil outlets |
| BPCL SBI Credit Card | Rs. 499 plus taxes | 2000 RPs as a welcome benefit 1 RP per Rs. 100 spent, 5x RPs on departmental store, movie, and groceries spends, and 13x RPs at BPCL fuel outlets |
| ICICI Bank Super Saver | Rs. 500 plus taxes | 4% cashback and 1% fuel surcharge waiver at HPCL fuel outlets across India 5 PAYBACK Points per Rs. 100 spent on departmental store and utility bill spends, and 2 RPs on other spends |
| Standard Chartered Super Value Titanium Credit Card | Rs. 750 plus taxes | 100% cashback on fuel spends done within 90 days of card issuance 5% cashback on fuel spends, phone, and utility bills, and 1 RP per Rs. 100 spent elsewhere |
| Best Movie and Dining Credit Cards | ||
| Swiggy HDFC Bank Credit Card | Rs. 500 plus taxes | Complimentary 3-month Swiggy One membership as welcome benefit 10% cashback across the Swiggy website and mobile app |
| EazyDiner IndusInd Bank Credit Card | Rs. 1999 plus taxes | Complimentary EazyDiner Prime annual membership Up to 10 RPs for your spends made with the card |
| BookMyShow RBL Bank Play Credit Card | Rs. 500 plus taxes | Rs. 100 discount on food and beverages on booking movie tickets 2 complimentary movie tickets worth Rs. 250 based on monthly spends |
| PVR Kotak Platinum Credit Card | Nil | 2 PVR movie tickets per month on monthly spends of Rs. 10,000 or more 15% cashback on food and beverages at PVR Cinemas, and 5% cashback on PVR movie tickets |
How to compare and choose the best credit card?
You must have a certain set of criteria in your mind before applying for a new credit card. The criteria may be different for different individuals depending upon their needs, income, financial habits, and most importantly, the reason for applying for the card. For example, if you are searching for a credit card that can save you on travel spends, you will give more importance to travel-related benefits like AirMiles, membership of frequent flyer programs, or complimentary air tickets. You might also consider complimentary lounge access at airports if you are also concerned about making your travel experience a pleasurable one, while other benefits like discounts on dining bills or complimentary golf games might not matter to you that much.
Here we are going to list some of the key points that cardholders must keep in mind when they apply for best credit cards. You must not only look at the benefits and features that a card offers but also the annual fee, interest rate, fee waiver condition (if any), and any other hidden charges. This is how you can compare best credit cards in India and choose one for yourself.
Reward Type
This is the very first and the most obvious thing to look for when applying for a new credit card. You must know whether a credit card earns you cashback (which is later adjusted against your card’s statement balance) or rewards you with Reward Points. In the latter case, another point that becomes very important is Reward Points redemption.
Reward Points
If the credit card you are considering rewards on spends in form of Reward Points, apart from the rate of earning reward points, you must look for an answer to the following questions regarding Reward Points-
- What are the various channels that the card issuer offers for the redemption of Reward Points earned on the card? For example, some credit cards allow redemption of Reward Points against purchases of products/vouchers from a specific catalogue of products and shopping vouchers only, while some other credit cards also allow redemption of Reward Points against AirMiles on partner airlines’ frequent flyer programs. In some cases, you are also allowed to use the Reward Points just as cashback, which means Reward Points can also be redeemed for a certain monetary value which is adjusted against the card’s statement balance at the end of the statement cycle.
- What is the monetary value of the Reward Points? Reward Points almost always carry a certain monetary value, for example, the PAYBACK Points (earned on ICICI Bank Credit Cards) carry a monetary value of Rs. 0.25, and therefore can be redeemed only at that rate for purchasing products/vouchers from the PAYBACK catalogue. For example. 4,000 PAYBACK Points can be redeemed for purchasing a product worth Rs. 1,000 from the PAYBACK’s catalogue of products. The monetary values of Reward Points are sometimes different for different methods of redemption. As an example, the Reward Points earned on HDFC Infinia and Diners Club Black Credit Cards carry a monetary value of Re. 1/Point for redemption against flight or hotel bookings, while the value of 1 Reward Point is Rs. 0.50 and Rs. 0.30 for redemption against product catalogue and cashback (adjustment against the card’s statement balance) respectively.
- Is there a max cap applicable on the number of Reward Points that can be earned in a given statement cycle? For many credit cards, there is a fixed upper limit on the number of Reward Points that can be earned in a given statement cycle. Sometimes, there is no max cap on the Reward Points in general (i.e., on Reward Points earned on normal spends), but there is a max capping on the number of Reward Points that can be earned through a specific channel. For example, on HDFC Infinia Credit Card, maximum of 15,000 Reward Points can only be earned on purchases made via SamrtBuy.
- What is the validity of Reward Points? While in some cases, Reward Points have a lifetime validity (for example Reward Points earned on IDFC Credit Cards), in most cases Reward Points come with an expiry date. For example, the PAYBACK Points earned on ICICI Credit cards are valid for of 3 years from the date of accrual and expire thereafter.
Cashback
The cashback earned on cashback-based credit cards is usually automatically adjusted against the due balance on the card at the end of the statement cycle. Sometimes there is a minimum requirement of cashback acquired before it can be adjusted against the balance due on the card. As a prospect cardholder, you must be aware of any such limit (if any) on the card you are considering.
Annual Fee
The annual membership fee is another very important parameter to look for in a credit card. Many credit cards are free for a lifetime, while some premium credit cards are issued with an annual fee as high as over Rs. 50,000 per annum, for example, the annual fee of the American Express Platinum Credit Card is Rs. 60,000 per year.
Rather than looking for a card which is lifetime free or a card with a lesser annual fee, what you should consider instead is whether the benefits that a card offers outweigh its annual fee and by what margin. For example, if you are a high net-worth individual who spends a substantial amount (let’s say upwards of Rs. 1 lac) every month, you will most probably be better off with a premium or super-premium credit card instead of an entry-level lifetime free credit card. This is because, apart from offering a better reward rate and more value-added benefits, many super-premium cards reward you with a milestone benefit equivalent to or even more in value than the annual membership fee of the card- this benefit can be in form of Reward Points, renewal fee waiver or in some other form (like complimentary flight ticket(s) or complimentary membership of certain subscription services, etc.).
Welcome Benefits
Many credit cards offer certain additional benefits to the cardholder on joining the card membership. These additional benefits are known as welcome benefits or joining benefits. These welcome benefits can be in form of Bonus Reward Points/cashback, complimentary membership of loyalty program(s) and/or subscription-based services, complimentary flight ticket(s), or in some other form. In most cases, the cardholder is entitled to the welcome benefits only on realization of the joining fee (first year’s annual fee) of the card (i.e. welcome benefits are not applicable if the joining fee is waived off). Also, welcome benefits usually compensate for the card’s joining fee, i.e. the monetary value of the welcome benefits that the card offers is equivalent to the joining fee of the card in most cases.
Milestone Benefits
Many credit cards reward you on achieving a certain spend-based milestone, i.e. on spending a certain minimum amount with the card within a given time period which may be one statement cycle, calendar quarter or calendar year (or any other time period specified by the card issuer.). Any milestone benefit that a card offers shall be beneficial for you only if you are actually able to achieve the stipulated milestone. You must evaluate your spends in order to understand the utility of the milestone benefits that the card offers.
Additional Benefits
Many credit cards (in fact all credit cards in the mid to premium and super-premium segment) offer some additional privileges like complimentary lounge access at airports/railway stations, discounted rates on dining or movie tickets, concierge service, etc. on top of the regular Reward Ponts/cashback benefit.
Before making your mind about a particular credit card, it is important to know whether it offers any additional benefits, and if yes, what is the utility of the benefit for you. For example, if you frequently fly overseas, a value-added benefit like complimentary lounge stays at international airports might be important for you, while you might completely ignore another value-added benefit like a BOGO offer on movie tickets.
Interest Rate
Although it is always advisable that you clear all your credit card dues in full before the payment due date so that you do not have to pay any interest at all on your credit card spends, still, sometimes you might find yourself in a situation of financial crunch so that you are unable to clear your dues on time. This is when the credit card’s interest rate becomes important. The lower the interest rate, the better it is. Some card issues use terms like Finance Charges or APR (Annual Percentage Rate) instead of Interest Rate. So, you must be careful while going through the terms and conditions of the card.
Forex Mark-Up Fee
International transactions made with credit cards attract a mark-up fee known as foreign currency mark-up fee or forex mark-up fee. Industry-standard is to charge a 3.5% on the transacted amount as forex mark-up fee on international transactions, however some credit cards in the premium and super-premium category charge a lower foreign mark-up fee on international transactions. For someone who plans to frequently use the card for international transactions a lower foreign mark-up fee becomes an important feature.
If you keep the aforementioned points in mind, you can never go wrong in choosing the right credit card for yourself as per your needs. One thing that you must make sure is that the monetary value of all the benefits combined that you are getting with your credit card in a membership year (consider only those benefits that you will actually be availing of) outweigh the annual membership fee your credit card– the greater the difference, the more rewarding the card is for you.
Bottom Line:
Choosing the best credit card in India can be a daunting task unless you are very clear about your spending needs. But, if that is not the case, you must first evaluate your spending habit. For that, you should determine what portion of your credit card bill do the various categories of spends account for. This data will make the choice of the best credit card easier for you. It’ll obviously be better to go for a card that gives you maximum benefit on your favourite spends category.
Now, you may utilize our list of best credit cards in India in different categories and choose the best-suited credit card for yourself and apply for the same on our website- Card Insider allows you to compare the various credit cards available in India, you can also read detailed credit card reviews and apply for the one that suits your needs the best.
FAQs:
No credit card can be labeled as “the best” for everyone. The best card for you depends upon your financial habits and your needs at the end of the day. People who love traveling will find the travel cards best and those who are shopping lovers will like to go for a card with the best shopping benefits. Another factor that may affect your decision while choosing the best credit card is the annual fee associated with it. People having a high annual income generally want a super-premium card having a high annual fee and exclusive benefits and on the other hand, people having a low or average income want to get a low annual fee card offering a decent reward rate along with the benefits. So, this is how different people have different choices and hence no single credit card is best for everyone.
Two of the best credit cards for online shopping are: Amazon Pay ICICI Bank Credit Card & Flipkart Axis Bank Credit Card. If are someone who shop very often through Amazon, you should go with the Amazon Pay ICICI Card (which is lifetime free) and if you are loyal to Flipkart, you must choose Flipkart Axis Bank Credit Card (haing an annual fee of Rs. 500).
For beginners, secured credit cards, and annual fee credit cards can be considered the best. Following is the list of some best cards for beginners:
- SBI Unnati Credit Card.
- Kotak 811 #DreamDifferent Credit Card.
- Flipkart Axis Bank Credit Card.
- ICICI Coral Credit Card.
- Amazon Pay ICICI Credit Card.
Generally, students don’t have a credit score and hence it becomes difficult for them to get a credit card to fulfill their requirements. Keeping this in mind, some major card issuers offer separate credit cards for students. These are the two best credit cards for students in India:
- SBI Student Plus Advantage Credit Card
- HDFC Bank ForexPlus Card
There are lots of credit cards with the good reward programs in India, out of which, some of the most popular ones are as follows:
- Axis Bank Magnus Credit Card.
- HDFC Bank Diners Club Credit Card.
- SBI SimplyClick Credit Card.
- IDFC First Select Credit Card.
- Citi Rewards Credit Card.
- AmEx SmartEarn Credit Card.
Many major card issuers offer several credit cards that earn you Airmiles. Following are a few best of them:
- Emirates Skywards ICICI Bank Sapphiro Credit Card.
- Intermiles HDFC Bank Signature Credit Card.
- Intermiles ICICI Bank Sapphiro Credit Card.
- Citibank PremierMiles Credit Card
If you want a credit card with entertainment benefits in India, you can choose one of the following cards that offer exclusive movie and entertainment benefits:
- ICICI Bank Sapphiro Credit Card
- PVR Kotak Gold & Platinum Credit Cards.
- Axis Bank Magnus Credit Card.
- RBL Popcorn Credit Card.
The minimum age requirements can be different for different credit cards. Some card issuers like SBI Card, Axis Bank, etc, have set the minimum age at 18 years, while for other banks/card issuers, such as the HDFC Bank, the minimum age of 21 years is required to apply for a credit card is or it can even be 23 years for some of them. However, if you are above 18 years, you can get a supplementary (add-on) card from any of the major card issuers in the country.
If you are someone with no credit history, you can build your credit profile using secured credit cards (cards that are issued against a fixed deposit) like SBI Unnati Credit Card, ICICI Coral Credit Card, Flipkart Axis Bank Credit Card, etc. Another thing you can do is to apply f0r add-on credit card under the primary account of your parents, siblings, or spouse.
HDFC Bank is the largest credit card issuer in the country. HDFC credit cards also offer many exclusive discounts and benefits on their SmartBuy portal. So, you may definitely consider HDFC credit cards. However, rather than narrowing your search to a particular card issuer, it’s better to look for a credit card that is the best suited for your needs.
Lifestyle credit cards also offer a decent reward rate on almost all spends categories like shopping, movies and dining. Although the reward rate of these cards is not as high as that of Super Premium cards, they are a great choice if you want a generic credit card that doesn’t come with a very high membership fee. HDFC Regalia and ICICI Sapphiro are the most popular credit cards in lifestyle.
Find the perfect credit card in India by comparing the most rewarding options in one place!
1 Comment
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