The RBL or Ratnakar Bank Limited was founded in 1943 and it works with the aim to become India’s Bank of Choice and build long-lasting relationships with its clients and partners. With over 400 RBL Bank branches in the country, there are more than 40 Lakh satisfied credit card customers and the number continues to grow at a healthy pace.
RBL Bank has a great range of credit cards ranging from entry-level to beginner cards. All cards provided by the bank are packed with unique privileges and benefits in order to fulfil the needs and requirements of customers.
Those who have just started working and are new to the credit scene, RBL Bank also offers several lifetime free credit cards without any joining or annual fees. These cards may not have the privileges offered by high-end offerings, but they are perfect to develop a good credit behaviour and build your credit score. In this article, we will read about RBL Bank lifetime free credit cards and some other variants that charge a low, affordable joining fee.
Table of Contents
RBL Bank Lifetime Free Credit Cards
Fees
Joining Fee
Nil
Renewal Fee
Nil
Best Suited For
Movies
Reward Type
Reward Points
Welcome Benefits
RBL Bank Credit Cards – Joining Fee Under Rs. 500
Fees
Joining Fee
Rs. 100
Renewal Fee
Rs. 100 per month
Best Suited For
Shopping
Reward Type
Reward Points
Welcome Benefits
Gift voucher worth Rs. 1,000 from Flipkart / Amazon / Croma / Myntra / Shoppers Stop.
Fees
Joining Fee
Rs. 500 (plus applicable taxes)
Renewal Fee
Rs. 500 (plus applicable taxes)
Best Suited For
Dining
Reward Type
Reward Points
Welcome Benefits
500 Edition Cash
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.
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
2,000 bonus Reward Points in the form of welcome benefits.
Fees
Joining Fee
Rs 50 + GST
Renewal Fee
Rs 50 + GST (per month)
Best Suited For
Dining
Reward Type
Reward Points
Welcome Benefits
NA
RBL Bank Credit Cards – Joining Fee Under Rs. 1000
Fees
Joining Fee
Rs. 1,000 plus applicable taxes
Renewal Fee
Rs. 1,000 plus applicable taxes
Best Suited For
Movies
Reward Type
Reward Points
Welcome Benefits
4 free movie tickets (up to Rs. 1000).
Fees
Joining Fee
Rs. 750
Renewal Fee
Rs. 750
Best Suited For
Shopping
Reward Type
Reward Points
Welcome Benefits
Bonus Reward Points of up to 3,000 points.
Fees
Joining Fee
Rs. 1,000 plus applicable taxes
Renewal Fee
Rs. 1,000 plus applicable taxes
Best Suited For
Shopping
Reward Type
Reward Points
Welcome Benefits
You get 4,000 Reward Points on making your first purchase within 30 days of card issuance.
Lifetime Free Credit Cards by RBL Bank
RBL Bank has one lifetime free credit card in its portfolio which is exclusively reserved for the Insignia Preferred members of the bank. The card offers many premium benefits for users and we will learn more about it.
RBL Bank Insignia Preferred Banking World Credit Card
The RBL Bank Insignia Preferred Banking World Credit Card is a premium offering by the bank and has many high-end benefits and privileges. The card is just for the bank’s Insignia Preferred members and you must get in touch with your relationship manager in order to apply for this credit card. With this card, you get a complimentary Priority Pass membership, dining offers, movie benefits, and an unmatched concierge service. The reward rate on the credit card is also quite decent offering 10 RPs per Rs. 100 spent on international and 5 RPs per Rs. 100 on domestic spends. Moreover, you also get access to golf sessions at top courses around the world.
- 5 reward points per Rs. 100 on domestic spends
- 10 reward points per Rs. 100 on international spends
- Complimentary Priority Pass membership offering 6 international lounge access per year
- 2 complimentary domestic lounge access per quarter with Mastercard lounge access program
- 30000 worth travel benefits on spending Rs. 8 Lakhs or more in the card anniversary year
- 500 discount on your BookMyShow movie tickets
- 24*7 concierge service for all types of bookings
- 12 complimentary golf rounds per year and 50% green fee waiver on additional rounds
- 1% fuel surcharge waiver on transactions between Rs. 500 to Rs. 4000
Currently, this is the only lifetime free credit card offered by RBL Bank. However, there are several other cards that charge a low, nominal annual fee from cardholders. Next, we will take a look at these cards.
Credit Cards with Joining Fee Under Rs. 500 by RBL Bank
Apart from the lifetime free credit card, there are many affordable credit cards by RBL Bank that charge a joining fee below Rs. 500. Let’s know more about these credit cards –
RBL Bank Cookies Credit Card
The Cookies credit card by RBL Bank is a basic entry-level offering that charges a joining and renewal fee of Rs. 100 per month. Even though it has a low membership fee, it offers many exciting benefits and rewards to the cardholders. You get a Rs. 1000 worth gift voucher as a welcome benefit with the card along with 1 reward points per Rs. 100 spent offline and 5x reward points per Rs. 100 spent online. You even get up to 10% discount on popular merchants like Zomato, Uber, Myntra, etc. and a Rs. 5000 worth gift vouchers on reaching the milestone spend.
- 1000 worth gift voucher as a welcome benefit
- 5 reward points per Rs. 100 spent with the card
- Up to 10% discount on BookMyShow movie tickets
- Up to 10% discount at Myntra, Zomato, Uber, and other popular brands
- 5000 worth gift vouchers on reaching the target spend milestone
- 1% fuel surcharge waiver and spend-based monthly fee waiver
Zomato Edition Classic Credit Card
Just like other top merchants like Flipkart, BookMyShow, Amazon, etc. food delivery merchant Zomato partnered with RBL Bank to launch the RBL Zomato Edition Classic credit card. The card is perfect for users who regularly order from Zomato and it charges a joining fee of Rs. 500 from the users. As a welcome benefit, the card offers 500 Edition Cash and a complimentary 1-year Zomato Pro membership. You can use the Edition Cash earned by you to redeem against the card statement balance or for food purchases on Zomato. Also, you earn extra Edition Cash on your Zomato spends and also on reaching certain spend milestones.
- 500 Edition Cash as welcome benefit with the card
- Complimentary 1-year Zomato Pro membership that renews every year with card renewal
- Edition Cash as reward points that can be redeemed against your statement balance or on Zomato orders
- 5 Edition Cash on every Rs. 100 spent on Zomato and Blinkit, and 1 Edition Cash per Rs. 100 spent elsewhere
- 2000 bonus Edition Cash on reaching the annual spend milestone
BookMyShow RBL Bank Play Credit Card
RBL Bank and BookMyShow partnered to launch their co-branded movie credit card, the BookMyShow RBL Bank Play credit card. The card is exclusively meant for individuals who regularly watch movies at theatres and book their tickets through the BookMyShow portal. The card has an affordable joining fee of Rs. 500 that can be waived off on reaching the spend milestone while the card is free of cost for BookMyShow Super Star members. There are no regular reward points on this credit card and you can get up to 2 movie or non-movie tickets per month on reaching the target spend.
- Up to Rs. 500 discount on movie, streams, events tickets, etc. on BookMyShow, as welcome benefit
- Get up to 2 movie or non-movie tickets per month on reaching the monthly target spend
- Get up to Rs. 100 discount on food and beverage items on movie ticket bookings through BookMyShow
- 1% fuel surcharge waiver and spend-based annual fee waiver
RBL Bank Shoprite Credit Card
The RBL Bank Shoprite credit card is the ideal choice for cardholders that want to make savings on almost all their spends. The card offers discount on BookMyShow movie ticket bookings as well as rewards on your grocery spends. Cardholders have to pay a nominal joining fee of Rs. 500 for this card and you even get 2000 bonus reward points as welcome benefit when you make your first purchase inside 30 days of card issuance. Moreover, you can earn accelerated reward points of up to 20 RPs per Rs. 100 spent on certain categories and redeem points for a host of categories. There are no travel benefits with the card but it makes up for it in other departments.
- Bonus 2000 reward points as welcome benefit
- 1 RP per Rs. 100 spent on retail and up to 20 RPs per Rs. 100 spent on groceries
- Up to 10% off on movie tickets through BookMyShow
- 1% fuel surcharge waiver and spend-based annual fee waiver
RBL Bank Monthly Treats Credit Card
The RBL Bank Monthly Treats credit card is basically for the younger generation and millennials. The card has a monthly fee of Rs. 50 for membership, which can be waived off on spending Rs. 3000 or above in the last month. The card offers 2 reward points per Rs. 100 spent with the card and you can redeem these points against a host of different options based on your choice. Upon reaching the monthly spend target, you can get 10% cashback on Swiggy, groceries, utility bill, and BookMyShow spends. There aren’t any travel or other premium offering by the card, but its rewards and benefits are exclusively focussed on the younger generation.
- 2 RPs per Rs. 100 spent online and 1 RP per Rs. 100 spent offline
- 10% cashback on groceries on reaching spends of Rs. 3000 or more per month
- 10% cashback on utility bill, Swiggy, and BookMyShow on reaching spends of Rs. 5000 or more per month
- 1% fuel surcharge waiver and spend-based annual fee waiver
Credit Cards with Joining Fee Under Rs. 1000 by RBL Bank
Apart from the cards discussed above, there are some credit cards by RBL Bank that charge somewhere between Rs. 500 to Rs. 1000 as joining and annual fees. They are not as expensive as some offerings in the premium category and you can also get the annual fee waived off on reaching the spend milestones. Let’s take a look at these credit cards.
RBL Bank Popcorn Credit Card
The RBL Bank Popcorn credit card is another offering by RBL Bank that mainly focuses on spend-based movie benefits, and charges a joining fee of Rs. 1000 from the cardholders. This card offers up to 4 BookMyShow movie tickets worth up to Rs. 1000, as a welcome benefit. In addition to this, you get 2 more free movie tickets per month on spending Rs. 5000 in the card statement cycle along with many other weekly cashback offers. Even with a Rs. 1000 membership fee, the card does not have any travel benefits which can be a turn off for potential customers.
- 4 complimentary BookMyShow movie tickets on spending Rs. 1000 as welcome benefit
- 2 complimentary movie tickets on spends of over Rs. 5000 in the card statement cycle
- Assured Rs. 25 cashback on spending Rs. 2500 or more in a week
- 1% fuel surcharge waiver on fuel transactions
RBL Bank Titanium Delight Credit Card
The RBL Bank Titanium Delight is another basic credit card by the bank and can be considered a lower variant of the Platinum Delight card. The card charges a joining fee of Rs. 750 from cardholders and allows them to make savings on almost all spend categories. You can earn around bonus 3000 reward points with the card and it even offers special mid-week offers. You can save 5% on groceries on Wednesdays, 10% on Pizza Hut and Domino’s, and a BOGO offer on movie tickets. Other than this, the card offers a 1% fuel surcharge waiver and a spend-based annual fee waiver.
- 3000 reward points as a welcome benefit
- 1 reward point per Rs. 100 spent with the card
- 5% back on your grocery spends and 10% back on Pizza Hut/Domino’s spends on Wednesdays
- Buy one get one offer on BookMyShow movie tickets on Wednesdays
- Bonus 4000 reward points on reaching the annual spend milestone
- 1% fuel surcharge waiver and spend-based renewal fee waiver
RBL Bank Platinum Delight Credit Card
The RBL Bank Platinum Delight credit card can be considered as the superior variant to the Titanium Delight credit card and it offers exciting rewards on a host of spend categories. The card charges a joining fee of Rs. 1000 from the cardholders and offers up to 4000 reward points as a welcome benefit. You get 2 reward points per Rs. 100 spent with the card and 2x reward points on your weekend spends. You can even get an annual fee waiver on the basis of your spends and a 1% fuel surcharge waiver on all transactions between Rs. 500 to Rs. 4000.
- 4000 reward points as a welcome bonus
- 2 reward points per Rs. 100 spent on weekdays
- 2x reward points per Rs. 100 spent on weekends
- Bonus reward points on reaching monthly spend milestone
- 1% fuel surcharge waiver and spend-based annual fee waiver
Benefits of RBL Bank Lifetime Free Credit Cards
No doubt, lifetime free and other low joining fee credit cards are not at par with other super-premium cards when it comes to rewards and privileges. However, these cards are perfect for millennials and young professionals. Instead of focusing on top-of-the-line privileges and exclusive services, some individuals want a decent credit card that allows them to make savings on most purchase and helps them develop a good credit history and score.
The following are the benefits of getting a lifetime free credit card by RBL Bank –
- There is no joining or annual fee charged from the cardholders for a lifetime free credit card.
- The process to apply for these credit cards is quite simple and straightforward. You can go to your nearest branch or visit their website and follow the simple application process.
- Even though lifetime free cards don’t charge any fees, they still offer a nice range of features and benefits across most categories including dining, movies, reward points, shopping, and more.
- You can redeem the reward points earned by you against various products and vouchers, against the statement balance,or transfer them to partner airline/hotel loyalty program points.
- You can do many things with lifetime free credit cards including building a nice credit profile and a nice credit score, so that you can switch over to better, premium credit cards in the near future.
How to Apply for RBL Bank Credit Cards
In order to apply for RBL Bank credit cards, you have to follow these steps –
- Visit the official RBL Bank website
- Click on Personal Banking and choose the Credit Cards option.
- Out of all the credit cards, choose the one you want and click on Read More.
- Go through all the information related to the card and click on Apply Now.
- Provide your documents and all other information to successfully complete the application.
Eligibility Criteria and Documents Required
You must meet the following eligibility criteria in order to apply for RBL Bank credit cards –
- The primary applicant must be minimum 21 years old
- The applicant must be an Indian resident or citizen
- The applicant must have a stable source of income
- The applicant must have a decent credit history and CIBIL score
You will need to provide the following documents when applying for RBL Bank credit cards –
ID Proof – Aadhar Card, PAN Card, Driver’s License, Passport, etc.
Address Proof – Aadhar Card, Rent Agreement, Ration Card, Passport, Latest Utility Bills, etc.
Income Proof – Salaried individuals need to provide the latest months’ salary slips and bank statements. Self-employed individuals need to provide their audited ITR of the previous year.
Credit Cards Comparison
We will compare the RBL Bank lifetime free card and other affordable cards in the following table –
Category | RBL Bank Insignia Preferred Banking World Credit Card | RBL Bank ShopRite Credit Card | RBL Bank Cookies Credit Card | RBL Bank Titanium Delight Credit Card |
Joining/Annual Fees | Nil | Rs. 500 plus GST | Rs. 100 per month | Rs. 750 plus GST |
Welcome Benefit | NA | Bonus 2000 reward points | Rs. 1000 worth gift voucher from Amazon, Flipkart, Shoppers Stop,or Croma | Bonus 3000 reward points |
Reward Earning | 5 RPs per Rs. 100 on domestic spends. 10 RPs per Rs. 100 on international spends. | 1 RP per Rs. 100 on retail spends 20 RPs per Rs. 100 on grocery spends | 1 RP per Rs. 100 spent offline 5 RPs per Rs. 100 spent online | 1 RP per Rs. 100 spent with the card 20 RPs per Rs. 100 spent on groceries on Wednesday 40 RPs per Rs. 100 spent on Domino’s and Pizza hut |
Reward Redemption | Reward points can be redeemed at RBL Rewards portal against e-vouchers, flight bookings, mobile recharges, etc. where 1 RP = Rs. 0.25 | Reward points can be redeemed at RBL Rewards portal against e-vouchers, flight bookings, mobile recharges, etc. where 1 RP = Rs. 0.25 | Reward points can be redeemed at RBL Rewards portal against e-vouchers, flight bookings, mobile recharges, etc. where 1 RP = Rs. 0.25 | Reward points can be redeemed at RBL Rewards portal against e-vouchers, flight bookings, mobile recharges, etc. where 1 RP = Rs. 0.25 |
Dining/Movie Benefits | Rs. 500 discount on BookMyShow movie tickets. Exclusive dining program offering personalized hospitality and priority reservations | Get 10% off on BookMyShow movie tickets, 15 times per year | 10% discount on BookMyShow movie tickets | BOGO offer on movie tickets on Wednesdays |
Travel Benefits | Complimentary domestic and international lounge access with Priority Pass | NA | NA | NA |
Spend-Based Waiver | NA | Renewal fee waiver on spending Rs. 1.5 Lakhs in the previous year | Monthly fee is waived off on spending Rs. 5000 per month | Renewal fee waiver on spending Rs. 1 Lakh in the previous year |
Bottom Line
Not everyone is a high net-worth or rich individual, and most people cannot afford to get the super-premium credit cards available in the market. Many of us are happy with mid-range lifestyle cards while for some people, who are totally new to credit, lifetime free credit cards are the best choice.
The RBL Bank has one lifetime free credit card, the Insignia Preferred Banking World Credit Card, but it is exclusively meant for the bank’s Insignia Preferred banking members. In the above article, we even talked about several RBL Bank cards that charge a nominal joining fee of up to Rs. 500 and offer various rewards and benefits across different categories.
If you are not looking for the best in-class privileges with your credit card, then these cards will be affordable and highly useful to you. You can leverage these cards for maximum benefits and get the hang of credit through them. Build a decent credit score and profile with these cards so that you can successfully move on to other premium variants in the near future.
FAQs:
Yes, the RBL Bank has one lifetime free credit card in its portfolio. The RBL Bank Insignia Preferred World Banking credit card is lifetime free and does not charge any joining or renewal fee from the cardholders. It is a premium card with exceptional features and a decent reward rate on all spends made by you with the card.
The RBL Bank Insignia Preferred World Banking credit card is lifetime free but is an exclusive offering meant only for the bank’s priority Insignia Preferred banking members. Not everyone can apply for this card, and you will need to get in touch with your bank’s relationship manager in order to apply for this card.
Yes, there are several RBL Bank credit cards that are affordable and charge a nominal joining and annual fee below Rs. 500. These include – The RBL Bank Cookies Credit Card, Zomato Edition Classic Credit Card, BookMyShow RBL Bank Play Credit Card, RBL Bank ShopRite credit card, RBL Bank Monthly Treats Credit Card, and some more.
Yes, most of the credit cards by RBL Bank that charge a joining fee offer a renewal fee waiver on reaching the target spend. These cards are not exactly lifetime free but you can save on their renewal fee by reaching the annual spend milestone.
In order to get a renewal fee waiver on RBL Bank credit cards, you need to reach the target spend amount in the previous year. Here is the target spend amount for top cards –
RBL Bank Cookies Credit Card – Monthly fee waived off on spending Rs. 5000 in the last month
RBL Bank ShopRite Credit Card – Renewal fee waived off on spending Rs. 1.5 Lakhs in the last year
RBL Bank Titanium Delight Credit Card – Renewal fee waived off on spending Rs. 1 Lakh in the last year
RBL Bank Platinum Delight Credit Card – Renewal fee waived off on spending Rs. 1.5 Lakhs in the last year