AU Small Finance Bank, in partnership with credit card bill payment platform CheQ, has launched a new co-branded credit card designed to reward users across bill payments, UPI transactions, and spending on popular platforms such as BigBasket, Amazon, Flipkart, and Zomato. Positioned as a rewards-focused product for modern spending habits, the card brings together a unified rewards ecosystem within the CheQ app.
The card is offered in multiple variants, including a Visa variant with an annual fee of ₹499, a RuPay variant that is lifetime free, and a premium LED-enabled version priced at ₹1,499 (currently waived for a limited period till 31st May). Notably, the CheQ AU Credit Card is being marketed as India’s first LED-enabled credit card, featuring a tap-to-pay interaction that lights up at checkout. While this feature may seem childish to a few its still innovative and attractive.
“For something people use every day, credit cards have remained largely unchanged,” said Aditya Soni, Founder and CEO of CheQ. “That’s exactly what we set out to challenge…”
Key Features
The following are some of the key features of the newly launched CheQ AU Credit Card. All rewards are accrued in the form of CheQ Points and can be seamlessly redeemed within the CheQ ecosystem.
- Up to 12% Rewards on Apple products (via Unicorn), Amazon, Flipkart, Zomato, BigBasket, CheQ Travel, and bill payments made through CheQ
- 5% Rewards on everyday spends, including food delivery, online shopping, quick commerce, and travel, equivalent to 10 CheQ Points per ₹200 spent.
- 2.5% Rewards on UPI transactions made via the RuPay variant
- 1% Rewards on all other spends
Bottom Line
While there were earlier indications that AU Small Finance Bank was preparing to launch the AU Ananta Credit Card, the bank has taken the market by surprise with the early rollout of the CheQ AU Credit Card instead. Applications for the card will open from April 28, 2026, with a detailed product page and complete feature set expected to go live on the bank’s official website closer to the launch.
While the launch of this new card is exciting, its reach may be limited. The CheQ AU Credit Card is expected to be available only to new-to-bank customers, as AU Bank currently follows a one-credit-card-per-customer policy. This restriction could act as a significant hurdle to the scale and overall success of the co-branded offering, especially among existing AU cardholders.
For those interested, some early details around the upcoming AU Bank Ananta Credit Card suggest a strong focus on premium rewards and travel benefits. Cardholders can earn up to 50,000 bonus reward points as an annual milestone benefit upon spending ₹10 lakh in a year. Additionally, the card offers a welcome benefit of 8,000 bonus reward points, credited within 30 days of activation. The card is also expected to provide up to 5X reward points on select categories, along with benefits such as 15% instant discounts, airport lounge access, milestone rewards, and a range of premium travel perks.