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Top 10 Credit Cards in India 2022
When it comes to credit cards, every individual has a different purpose and to fulfil that, you need to choose a card that suits you the most. There are credit cards best to pay your bills, others for a nice bargain on a shopping website. With the right choice, you can save money on your transactions.To help you find the best card for your requirements, we have put together a list of the top 10 best credit cards in India.
Axis Bank ACE Credit Card
Joining Fee
INR 499+ 18% GST,
no annual fee if you spend INR 10,000 within 45 days of card issuance.
Annual Fee
INR 499+ 18% GST,annual fee waived on an annual spend of more than INR 2,00,000.
Welcome Benefit
INR 500 cashback
on spending INR 10,000 in the first 90 days.
Why We Picked It
This card gives a 5% cash back on the payment of bills through Google Pay and the best part is that there is no upper limit or lower limit to it.ગુજરાત સરકાર ની મોટી જાહેરાત CLICK HERE
You also get a scratch card while using Google Pay where you can win some extra cash. There is a 4% cash back again without any caps on Ola, Zomato, Swiggy, and 2% cash back on any other payment that you make with this card.
The credit card annual fee is quite low in comparison to the facilities it is providing. The only card similar to this one is the Standard Chartered Super Value Card, which is a little more expensive and at the same time has a double sided cap to it. So, in our opinion Ace gives you more than the value for your money.
20% off in partner restaurants.
Free lounge visits.
No fuel surcharge.
You will have to spend INR 10,000 in the first 90 days to get a welcome cash back.
Interest rate on EMIs differ from case to case.
5% cashback on bill payments like, electricity, gas, DTH, mobile recharges etc.
4% on online food and mobility aggregators including Swiggy, Zomato and Ola.
2% on other expenses.
No upper limit on cash back.
Lounge Visits:
Four complimentary domestic airport lounge visits at select domestic airports in a year.
Fuel Surcharge:
Fuel surcharge is a card transaction charge on fuel purchases; this surcharge is passed on to the customer and not to the fuel station as the latter gets 100% of the price.
1% fuel surcharge waiver for all petrol stations across India.
Transactions should be between INR 400 to INR 4,000.
To the maximum benefit of INR 500.
Goods and Services Tax (GST) charges on fuel are not refunded.
No cash back earned on fuel transactions.
Converting the purchase to EMIs:
Transactions of more than INR 2500 can be converted to EMIs.
EMIs are calculated at an interest rate of 1.0% or 1.08% or 1.25% or 1.5% or 2% (based on the offer) per month on monthly-reducing balance.
Joining Fee
INR 500 + 18% GST
Annual Fee
INR 500 + 18% GST
(No annual fee on spending INR 200,000 in a year)
on your first transaction using the card.
20% discount on food from partner restaurants.
Fuel surcharge charges waiver available.
Four airport lounge visits in one calendar year in India.
The remission amount on annual fees is a little high.
1.5% cash back on other than their partners is low.
You may find some of the welcome benefits to be irrelevant.
20% off up to INR 500 on The Phy Life.
20% off up to INR 500 on Plum Goodness.
Cash Back:
5% cash back on Flipkart 2GUD (Flipkart’s local feature that brings popular offline retailers and shopping malls online for its customers in India) and Myntra.
4% cashback on preferred merchants including PVR, Swiggy, Uber, cure.fit.
1.5% cash back on all other categories.
Dinning:
20% discount on food from partner restaurants.
Convert Purchase to EMI:
Transactions of more than INR 2500 can be converted to EMIs.
Joining Fee
INR 499
+taxes
Annual Fee
INR 499
+taxes (this fee nullifies on a spend of INR 10,0000)
Welcome Benefit
Get Amazon.in gift card
worth INR 500 on joining.
No hidden charges or complexities can be considered good for beginners.
On any kind of shopping online you can get pay back points worth INR 1.50 on a spend of INR 100.
You get an Amazon voucher worth INR 500 on joining, which covers the fee.
You can transfer outstanding balances from other cards and pay a cheaper rate of interest.
PAYBACK is not concentrated on offline shopping as one gets payback points worth 0.25 paisa.
e-wallet loading transactions done on any partner brand website or app identified under MCCs 6540 and 6541 (on best effort basis) will not accrue Reward Points.
Utility bill payments done using SimplyCLICK SBI Card on SBI Card website or mobile app will not accrue 5X Reward Points (only one Reward Point).
The card is not available for use in all cities of India. You will have to check with the bank if the services of this card are available in your city or town.
10X Reward Points on online spends with exclusive online partners including Amazon, Apollo 24X7, BookMyShow, Cleartrip, Dineout, Lenskart, Netmeds.
5X rewards on all other online spends. Earn 1 reward point per INR 100 on all other spends (1 Reward Point is equivalent to INR 25 paise).
Check the terms and conditions like the following are applicable:
A) 10X Reward Points are applicable only when payment is done in INR (Indian Rupee) using SimplyCLICK SBI Card.
B) e-Wallet loading transactions done using SimplyCLICK SBI Card on any partner brand website/app identified under MCCs 6540 and 6541 (on best effort basis) will not accrue Reward Points.
C) Utility Bill Payments done using SimplyCLICK SBI Card on SBI Card website/ mobile app will not accrue 5X Reward Points.
D) Redeem your Reward Points against e-Gift Vouchers from the SimplyCLICK Partners.
Add-on Card:
This facility is also available for family members.
Fuel Surcharge:
1% fuel surcharge waiver on transactions between 500 and 3,000; up to 100 per statement cycle.
Extra Points:
E-voucher of INR 2,000 on annual online spends of INR 1 lakh.
Converting the Purchase to EMIs:
Flexipay as SBI calls it is available for a purchase of INR 2,500 or more.
Add-on Card:
Add-on cards for your parents, spouse, children or siblings above the age of 18.
Eligibility:
The age of the person applying should be between 18-60 years. For a salaried person the income should be INR 20,000 per month and for self-employed it is INR 30,000 per month.
Joining Fee
Nil
Annual Fee
Nil
Welcome Benefit
500 bonus reward points on spending INR 5,000
in the first 45 days of card issuance.
90% of the amount of your credit limit can be withdrawn by a processing fee of INR 300 per INR 10,000.
INR 10,000 without any interest for 48 days.
You get a cover of INR 50,000 against fraudulent usage.
Surcharge waiver fuel and railway tickets.
Redeeming the Reward Points is a bit complex.
Other Features
Interest Free Cash Withdrawal:
90% of the amount of your credit limit can be withdrawn by a processing fee of INR 300 per INR 10,000 without any interest for 48 days.
Fuel Surcharge Waiver:
1% across all petrol pumps for transactions between INR 500 and INR 3000 to the maximum amount of INR 3,500 a year.
Railway Surcharge Waiver:
1.8% for transactions on the Indian railways website (irctc.co.in) and 2.5% Indian railway booking counters to the maximum of INR 500 per year.
Balance Transfer:
Processing fee of INR 349 per INR 10,000 and a continued interest-free period on fresh retail purchases.
Add-on Card:
Add-on cards also get the same benefits. Spending limit can be set by the primary user.
Joining Fee
Nil
Annual Fee
INR 495
+18% GST, nil annual fee on spending INR 40,000 and above in the previous year.
Welcome Benefit
A cashback of INR 500 on spending INR 10,000
within 90 days of its issuance.
This is the cheapest Amex card and the features are more or less the same as the other good cards that we have covered in this range. The most appealing factor is this card has a zero lost card liability.
There is a yearly interest of 14% per annum if you convert your purchase to EMIs.
Emergency card replacement.
Overall Reward Point percentage is good.
Just one reward point on fuel, insurance, utilities, cash transactions and EMI conversion at point of sale.
Other Features
Reward Points:
10X membership rewards
Transact on Flipkart, Amazon and Uber and get 10X rewards for every INR 50 spent.
5X membership rewards
On Paytm Wallet, Swiggy, BookMyShow, PVR, Myntra, Jabong, Grofers, Big Bazaar and get 5X rewards for every INR 50 spent.
1 membership Reward Points for every INR 50 spent except for spends on fuel, insurance, utilities, cash transactions and EMIs’ conversion at point of sale.
Other Benefits:
Zero lost card liability: Liability is nil if it is reported within three working days to the company. If the fraud is reported beyond three working days, the maximum liability of the customer will be limited to INR 1,000.
Emergency card replacement.
Amazon vouchers worth INR 500 upon reaching the spend milestones of INR 1.20 lakh, INR 1.80 lakh, and INR 2.40 lakh in a card membership year.
You can convert your purchase into EMIs at an interest rate of 14% per annum and zero foreclosure charges.
It is currently issued to residents of Delhi and NCR, Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai, Pune, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Indore, Coimbatore, Chandigarh, Ahmedabad, Surat, Vadodara, Lucknow, Ludhiana, Nagpur, Nasik, Trivandrum and Mysore, subject to condition.
Joining Fee
Nil
Annual Fee
Nil
Welcome Benefit
None
The long list of periodic offers with its partners like EaseMyTrip, Croma, Tata Cliq, Samsung, Flipkart, Grofers, etc, make it really unique.
A lot of special online offers are available for its users.
Fuel surcharge waiver is only available at HPCL pumps.
1 PAYBACK point on every INR 100 spent on utilities and insurance categories is a bit low.
Other Features
Reward Points:
PAYBACK is a multi-brand reward program. It has partnered with some of the prominent brands in India.
Earn 2 PAYBACK points on every INR 100 spent for all retail purchases except fuel.
Your points are redeemable for attractive products through PAYBACK, a multi-partner coalition loyalty program.
Get 1 PAYBACK point on every INR 100 spent on utilities and insurance categories.
Fuel Surcharge Waiver:
1% fuel surcharge waiver can be availed on fuel transactions of maximum INR 4,000 at HPCL pumps when your credit card is swiped on ICICI merchant services’ swipe machines.
Eligibility:
You need a valid fixed deposit with ICICI Bank; the minimum deposit amount should be a minimum of INR 20,000 for the time period of 180 days or more.
Joining Fee
INR 10,000
+18% GST
Annual Fee
INR 10,000
+18% GST
Welcome Benefit
10,000 reward points and renewal benefit of 10,000 reward points
(applicable only after the membership fee is realized and not applicable when the fee is waived off)
The fee is on the higher side as this is a premium card, but the facilities it provides can be considered to be worthy of cost and other cards providing such facilities are far more expensive.
Emergency hospitalization cover is INR 50 lakh, which is unthinkable at this small price. Air accidental cover is INR 3 cr which is again very good. Unlimited golf privileges are another appealing factor. There’s unlimited lounge access across the globe for frequent travellers.
The downside is that the membership is by invite-only; there is no way that HDFC can make it a popular card like its other popular cards.
Credit shield cover for up to INR 9 lakh.
Unlimited complimentary golf games at leading courses across India and select courses across the world.
Unlimited airport lounge access across the globe for primary and add-on members.
Lowest markup fee of 2% on all foreign currency transactions.
Renewal benefit of 10,000 reward points will not be given if the fee is waived off.
Membership is by invite-only.
Membership fee is a bit steep.
Other Features
Complimentary Club Marriott membership for the first year.
Airport Lounge:
Unlimited airport lounge access across the globe for primary and add-on members.
Reward Points:
Complimentary Club Marriott membership for a year that offers up to 20% discounts for dining and stay across Asia–Pacific region.
Get a welcome benefit of 10,000 reward points upon fee realization.
Insurance:
Accidental air death cover worth INR 3 crore.
Emergency overseas hospitalization up to INR 50 lakh in case of emergency.
Credit shield cover for up to INR 9 lakh.
Reward Points Accrual:
Earn 5 Reward Points on every INR 150, on all retail spends including insurance, utilities, education and rent payments.
Earn up to 10 times Reward Points on your travel and shopping spends on Smartbuy.
Earn 2 times Reward Points on your dining spends at standalone restaurants.
Reward Points Redemption:
You can redeem your Reward Points on Smartbuy or Netbanking.
Reward Points can be redeemed for:
Flight and hotel bookings via Smartbuy at a value of 1 RP = INR 1
Airmiles conversion through Netbanking at a value of 1RP = 1 air mile
Products and vouchers via Netbanking or SmartBuy at a value of 1 RP = up to INR 0.50
Cash back at a value of 1 RP = INR 0.30
Additional Features:
Golf Privileges: Unlimited complimentary golf games at leading courses across India and select courses across the world. Unlimited complimentary golf coaching at select golf courses across India.
Foreign Currency Markup: Lowest markup fee of 2% on all foreign currency transactions.
Zero Lost Card liability: In the unfortunate event of losing your HDFC Bank Infinia Credit Card, and reporting it immediately to the company’s 24-hour call center, you have zero liability on any fraudulent transactions made on your credit card.
Concierge: 24X7 global personal concierge. You can customize your travel, entertainment, and business experiences with global concierge assistance.
Some of the services provided by the concierge include:
Golf booking
Itinerary planning and reservation assistance
Private dining assistance
International gift delivery
Event planning and referrals
Airport VIP service (meet-and-greet)
Eligibility:
Membership for this card is by invite-only
Joining Fee
INR 2,500
+18% GST
Annual Fee
INR 2,500
+ 18% GST; This fee is waived off if you spend more than INR 3 lakh in the first year of taking the card and renew it once again the next year.
Welcome Benefit
2500 reward points
and you get the same every time you pay the annual membership. This benefit will not be given to you if the annual fee is waved off.
Why We Picked It
The annual fee is a little expensive but you get 2500 reward points on paying the annual fee. Every reward point is equal to 50 paise so you are able to get half of the fee back as reward points.
One important aspect is the insurance cover, which is INR 1 cr in case of an accidental death in an aircraft crash if this credit card was used in booking the tickets and a cover of INR 15 lakh in case you are hospitalized while abroad. This makes for a good deal.
Pros & Cons
Insurance cover for emergency overseas hospitalization up to INR 15 lakh
Insurance on Lost card liability cover up to INR 9 lakh
Dineout Passport MembershipLounge Visits and 12 complimentary airport lounge accesses within India and six outside.
Foreign Currency Markup is just 2%
Higher net income requirement
2500 reward points that one gets on paying the annual membership is not given if the annual fee is waved off.
The Dineout Passport facility may or may not be available in the cardholder’s city.
Other Features
Dining Benefits:
Exclusive complimentary Dineout Passport Membership.
Lounge Visits:
12 complimentary airport lounge accesses within India and six outside.
Some of the airports where this facility is available include:
New Delhi Plaza Premium (w.e.f 1 Jul’18) International Departures (T3) Level 4, Terminal 3, Lounges B, International Departures, Indira Gandhi International Airport, New Delhi
New Delhi Plaza Premium Lounge Domestic Departures (T3) Mezzanine Level, Terminal 3, Domestic Departures, Indira Gandhi International Airport, New Delhi.
Mumbai Clipper Lounge International Departures (T2) International Departures T2, Mumbai
Mumbai Mumbai Airport Lounge (MALS) Domestic Departures (T2) Opp Gate no 44 and 45, after Security Check straight left from Starbucks, Domestic Departures, T2, Mumbai.
Bonus Points on Purchase:
10,000 reward points on an expenditure of INR 5 lakh and additional 5,000 reward points on INR 8 lakh of expenditure in an anniversary year.
Earn 4 reward points on every INR 150 spent (these spends should be on retail).
Additional Features:
Zero Cost Liability: In case you lose your Regalia Credit Card and you report it immediately to the company’s 24-hour call centre, you have zero liability on any fraudulent transactions made on your credit card.
Foreign Currency Markup: It is a charge by the credit card company when you make payments in a foreign currency using your card. This markup is 2%, which is comparatively low compared with other cards’ markup, which can be as high as 3.5% + GST
Revolving Credit : It is available but the interest rate may differ from case to case.
Fuel Surcharge Waiver: 1% fuel surcharge waiver at all fuel stations across India on minimum transaction of INR 400 and maximum transaction of INR 5,000.
Insurance:
Accidental air death cover: INR 1 crore
Emergency overseas hospitalization: up to INR 15 lakh
Lost card liability cover: Up to INR 9 lakh
Reward Points Accrual:
Earn 4 reward points on every INR 150 spent on all retail spends including insurance, utilities, education and rent payments.
Earn 10,000 reward points on annual spends of INR 5 lakh.
Earn additional 5,000 reward points on annual spends of INR 8 lakh.
Reward Point Redemption:
You can redeem your reward points on Smartbuy or Netbankg.
Flights and hotel bookings via Smartbuy at a value of 1 RP = INR 0.5
Airmiles conversion through Netbanking at a value of 1RP = 0.5
Air miles: These are reward points issued by credit cards on the purchase of various things which eventually can be used to buy airline tickets from affiliated airlines or any airline depending on the offer.
SmartBuy: It is a platform which displays offers of various products from different companies in partnership with HDFC Bank for HDFC customers.
Netbanking: It refers to online banking, which is an electronic payment system. Used to transferring funds to another bank account or checking the transaction statements, making payments etc.
Products and vouchers via Netbanking or SmartBuy at a value of 1 RP = up to INR 0.35
Eligibility:
For Salaried Indian national: Age between 21 years and 60 years, and a net monthly income of INR 70,000
For Self Employed Indian national: Age between 21 years and max 65 years, and a net income of INR 8.4 lakh per annum
Joining Fee
INR 1000
+18% GST
Annual Fee
INR 1000
+18% GST waived off on spends of INR 30,000 or more.
Welcome Benefit
Get 250 Turbo Points
on your first spend within 30 days of card issuance.
Why We Picked It
This card is the best card for your fuel needs and covers multiple shopping needs as well, but it can only be used at Indian Oil petrol pumps. This card is only available for a selected few districts, hence you will have to check if it is available in your area or not.
Pros & Cons
Though the card is focused on fuel, it gives points on purchase of groceries and shopping in supermarkets.
There is no expiry date for these points.
Nil annual fee on spending INR 30,000 or more.
No points are granted on purchase of oil from other dealers than Indian Oil.
Other Features
Rewards Points:
Oil: 4 turbo points per INR 150 spent and 1% fuel surcharge reversal on fuel purchase only on Indian Oil authorized dealers. Some of the authorized outlets to get discounts on fuel purchases are more or less available in every city.
Groceries and Supermarkets: 2 turbo points on spending INR 150.
Others: 1 turbo point per INR 150 on all other spends.
Redeem Points:
Redeem instantly 1 turbo point = INR 1 of free fuel.
Redeem your turbo points via SMS or Citibank online.
Evergreen Turbo Points:
Redeem whenever or keep on collecting – it’s a choice for the user as these turbo points never expire.
Eligibility:
The person should have a minimum income of INR 25,000
Joining Fee
Nil
Annual Fee
INR 500
+18% GST
Welcome Benefit
2,000 Reward Points
You will have to make a purchase within 30 days of card issuance to redeem your gifts.
Pros & Cons
Fuel surcharge waiver available.
Reward Points available on the purchase of fuel.
Reward Points system could look complex.
You can only have a maximum of 1,000 reward points in a month, unlike other cards.
Other Features
Rewards on All Purchases:
There is 1 Reward Point for every INR 100 spent on all your purchases except fuel.
10% Discount on Movies:
10% discount (up to INR 100) on movie tickets booked from BookMyShow 15 times in a year.
You can avail the offer by selecting RBL Bank 10% offer under credit card offers and discounts post movie selection on BookMyShow.
Reward Points on Fuel:
10 Reward Points for every INR 100 when you use your card for fuel; maximum 1000 reward points in a month.
Fuel Surcharge Waiver:
No surcharge between INR 500 and INR 4,000. Maximum waiver of INR 100 per month.
Eligibility:
Age 21 to 70, must have a regular source of income and should have a minimum credit score of 750.
Methodology
We analyzed up to 80 cards from top financial services companies in India on the basis of key factors such as:
Hidden Charges and Transparency: Companies that have no hidden charges and are most transparent to its customers have been evaluated.
Value for Money: Companies that provide maximum benefits have been ranked.
Ease of Access: Companies that have made their credit cards’ access convenient have been considered.
Rating:
Cash back: Half a star to credit cards providing cash backs and half a star where the system of credit is easy for the consumer to understand
Annual Fee and joining fee: Half a star to credit cards without any annual fee and half for no joining fee. Any credit card without any annual fee and joining fee will get a full star, but a joining fee of INR 500 has been considered equivalent to no annual fee.
Availability for all income groups: Half a star if the services of the credit card are available for all income groups, and another half if services extend to multiple geographies and not just major cities.
Value for welcome gifts: Half a star for welcome gifts and half a star for easy usage of those gifts. Here if the intrinsic value of the usable gift at least covers the annual fee, the credit card will get a full star.
Additional benefits: Half a star to credit cards providing additional benefits and half to the credit cards in which these additional benefits are more user-friendly. For example, if a card offers a fee waiver to a user who will spend INR 3 lakh in one year, it is unlikely all cardholders may want to spend that much in one year. This makes the feature redundant for certain cardholders.
Information provided on is for educational purposes only. Your financial situation is unique and the products and services we review may not be right for your circumstances. We do not offer financial advice, advisory or brokerage services, nor do we recommend or advise individuals or to buy or sell particular stocks or securities. Performance information may have changed since the time of publication. Past performance is not indicative of future results.
You also get a scratch card while using Google Pay where you can win some extra cash. There is a 4% cash back again without any caps on Ola, Zomato, Swiggy, and 2% cash back on any other payment that you make with this card.
The credit card annual fee is quite low in comparison to the facilities it is providing. The only card similar to this one is the Standard Chartered Super Value Card, which is a little more expensive and at the same time has a double sided cap to it. So, in our opinion Ace gives you more than the value for your money.
Pros & Cons
5% cashback on bill payments like, electricity, gas, DTH, mobile recharges, etc. There is no upper limit on cashbacks.20% off in partner restaurants.
Free lounge visits.
No fuel surcharge.
You will have to spend INR 10,000 in the first 90 days to get a welcome cash back.
Interest rate on EMIs differ from case to case.
Other Features
Cash Back:5% cashback on bill payments like, electricity, gas, DTH, mobile recharges etc.
4% on online food and mobility aggregators including Swiggy, Zomato and Ola.
2% on other expenses.
No upper limit on cash back.
Lounge Visits:
Four complimentary domestic airport lounge visits at select domestic airports in a year.
Fuel Surcharge:
Fuel surcharge is a card transaction charge on fuel purchases; this surcharge is passed on to the customer and not to the fuel station as the latter gets 100% of the price.
1% fuel surcharge waiver for all petrol stations across India.
Transactions should be between INR 400 to INR 4,000.
To the maximum benefit of INR 500.
Goods and Services Tax (GST) charges on fuel are not refunded.
No cash back earned on fuel transactions.
Converting the purchase to EMIs:
Transactions of more than INR 2500 can be converted to EMIs.
EMIs are calculated at an interest rate of 1.0% or 1.08% or 1.25% or 1.5% or 2% (based on the offer) per month on monthly-reducing balance.
Dining Offers:
20% off in more than 4,000 partner restaurants across the country.Eligibility:
Age between 18 to 70 and proof of income.Flipkart Axis Bank Credit Card
Joining Fee
INR 500 + 18% GST
Annual Fee
INR 500 + 18% GST
(No annual fee on spending INR 200,000 in a year)
Welcome Benefits
INR 500 worth Flipkart vouchers and 15% cashback up to INR 500 on Myntraon your first transaction using the card.
Why We Picked It
This card has a high number of welcome benefits and you can realize your fee for the card just by those welcome benefits. This card is not very different from Axis Bank’s ACE Card except in the number of welcome benefits. A 20% discount on dining is also great. The most appealing part is unlimited cash back.Pros & Cons
Interesting welcome benefits are available.20% discount on food from partner restaurants.
Fuel surcharge charges waiver available.
Four airport lounge visits in one calendar year in India.
The remission amount on annual fees is a little high.
1.5% cash back on other than their partners is low.
You may find some of the welcome benefits to be irrelevant.
Other Features
Get 15 months Gaana plus at a discounted price of INR 399.20% off up to INR 500 on The Phy Life.
20% off up to INR 500 on Plum Goodness.
Cash Back:
5% cash back on Flipkart 2GUD (Flipkart’s local feature that brings popular offline retailers and shopping malls online for its customers in India) and Myntra.
4% cashback on preferred merchants including PVR, Swiggy, Uber, cure.fit.
1.5% cash back on all other categories.
Lounge Visit:
Four visits in one calendar year in India. Some of the lounges include Delhi Delhi Plaza Premium Domestic T1D, T2, T3, Delhi Plaza Premium International, Karnataka Bangalore TFS Domestic and International, Maharashtra Mumbai MALS Domestic and Maharashtra Pune Bird Domestic.Fuel Charges Waiver:
1% waiver on all petrol pumps in India between INR 400 and INR 4,000, to the maximum of INR 500 only.Dinning:
20% discount on food from partner restaurants.
Convert Purchase to EMI:
Transactions of more than INR 2500 can be converted to EMIs.
Eligibility:
Age between 18 to 70 and proof of income.SimplyCLICK SBI Credit Card
Joining Fee
INR 499
+taxes
Annual Fee
INR 499
+taxes (this fee nullifies on a spend of INR 10,0000)
Welcome Benefit
Get Amazon.in gift card
worth INR 500 on joining.
Why We Picked It
Card covers more or less all the prominent shopping sites and Reward Points on shopping are also good. Utility bills can be registered once and ensure timely bill payments there after.No hidden charges or complexities can be considered good for beginners.
Pros & Cons
On shopping online from its partners it provides you points worth INR 2.50 on spending INR 100.On any kind of shopping online you can get pay back points worth INR 1.50 on a spend of INR 100.
You get an Amazon voucher worth INR 500 on joining, which covers the fee.
You can transfer outstanding balances from other cards and pay a cheaper rate of interest.
PAYBACK is not concentrated on offline shopping as one gets payback points worth 0.25 paisa.
e-wallet loading transactions done on any partner brand website or app identified under MCCs 6540 and 6541 (on best effort basis) will not accrue Reward Points.
Utility bill payments done using SimplyCLICK SBI Card on SBI Card website or mobile app will not accrue 5X Reward Points (only one Reward Point).
The card is not available for use in all cities of India. You will have to check with the bank if the services of this card are available in your city or town.
Other Features
Reward Points and Redemption of Reward Points:10X Reward Points on online spends with exclusive online partners including Amazon, Apollo 24X7, BookMyShow, Cleartrip, Dineout, Lenskart, Netmeds.
5X rewards on all other online spends. Earn 1 reward point per INR 100 on all other spends (1 Reward Point is equivalent to INR 25 paise).
Check the terms and conditions like the following are applicable:
A) 10X Reward Points are applicable only when payment is done in INR (Indian Rupee) using SimplyCLICK SBI Card.
B) e-Wallet loading transactions done using SimplyCLICK SBI Card on any partner brand website/app identified under MCCs 6540 and 6541 (on best effort basis) will not accrue Reward Points.
C) Utility Bill Payments done using SimplyCLICK SBI Card on SBI Card website/ mobile app will not accrue 5X Reward Points.
D) Redeem your Reward Points against e-Gift Vouchers from the SimplyCLICK Partners.
Add-on Card:
This facility is also available for family members.
Fuel Surcharge:
1% fuel surcharge waiver on transactions between 500 and 3,000; up to 100 per statement cycle.
Extra Points:
E-voucher of INR 2,000 on annual online spends of INR 1 lakh.
Converting the Purchase to EMIs:
Flexipay as SBI calls it is available for a purchase of INR 2,500 or more.
Easy Money:
One can get a draft or cheque according to their credit limit at the time of need (interest of 2.45%+1.5% or INR 199 , whichever is higher will be charged).Add-on Card:
Add-on cards for your parents, spouse, children or siblings above the age of 18.
Eligibility:
The age of the person applying should be between 18-60 years. For a salaried person the income should be INR 20,000 per month and for self-employed it is INR 30,000 per month.
811 #DreamDifferent Credit Card
Joining Fee
Nil
Annual Fee
Nil
Welcome Benefit
500 bonus reward points on spending INR 5,000
in the first 45 days of card issuance.
Why We Picked It
This card is completely free. There is a cover of INR 50,000 on any misdeeds done on the theft of the card and a railway surcharge waiver. There is an interest-free cash withdrawal which makes it really unique.Pros & Cons
Nil joining and annual fee.90% of the amount of your credit limit can be withdrawn by a processing fee of INR 300 per INR 10,000.
INR 10,000 without any interest for 48 days.
You get a cover of INR 50,000 against fraudulent usage.
Surcharge waiver fuel and railway tickets.
Redeeming the Reward Points is a bit complex.
Other Features
Interest Free Cash Withdrawal:
90% of the amount of your credit limit can be withdrawn by a processing fee of INR 300 per INR 10,000 without any interest for 48 days.
Cover on Theft:
In case the credit card gets stolen, you get a cover of INR 50,000 against fraudulent usage up to seven days pre-reporting.Fuel Surcharge Waiver:
1% across all petrol pumps for transactions between INR 500 and INR 3000 to the maximum amount of INR 3,500 a year.
Railway Surcharge Waiver:
1.8% for transactions on the Indian railways website (irctc.co.in) and 2.5% Indian railway booking counters to the maximum of INR 500 per year.
Balance Transfer:
Processing fee of INR 349 per INR 10,000 and a continued interest-free period on fresh retail purchases.
Add-on Card:
Add-on cards also get the same benefits. Spending limit can be set by the primary user.
Eligibility:
Age between 18 years to 75 years. The user should have a minimum-term deposit (fixed deposit) of INR 10,000 and should be a resident of India.American Express SmartEarn™ Credit Card
Joining Fee
Nil
Annual Fee
INR 495
+18% GST, nil annual fee on spending INR 40,000 and above in the previous year.
Welcome Benefit
A cashback of INR 500 on spending INR 10,000
within 90 days of its issuance.
Why We Picked It
This is the cheapest Amex card and the features are more or less the same as the other good cards that we have covered in this range. The most appealing factor is this card has a zero lost card liability.
Pros & Cons
Zero lost card liability.There is a yearly interest of 14% per annum if you convert your purchase to EMIs.
Emergency card replacement.
Overall Reward Point percentage is good.
Just one reward point on fuel, insurance, utilities, cash transactions and EMI conversion at point of sale.
Other Features
Reward Points:
10X membership rewards
Transact on Flipkart, Amazon and Uber and get 10X rewards for every INR 50 spent.
5X membership rewards
On Paytm Wallet, Swiggy, BookMyShow, PVR, Myntra, Jabong, Grofers, Big Bazaar and get 5X rewards for every INR 50 spent.
1 membership Reward Points for every INR 50 spent except for spends on fuel, insurance, utilities, cash transactions and EMIs’ conversion at point of sale.
Other Benefits:
Zero lost card liability: Liability is nil if it is reported within three working days to the company. If the fraud is reported beyond three working days, the maximum liability of the customer will be limited to INR 1,000.
Emergency card replacement.
Amazon vouchers worth INR 500 upon reaching the spend milestones of INR 1.20 lakh, INR 1.80 lakh, and INR 2.40 lakh in a card membership year.
You can convert your purchase into EMIs at an interest rate of 14% per annum and zero foreclosure charges.
Eligibility:
Individuals with personal annual income of INR 4.5 lakh and above or self-employed with a personal annual income of INR 6 lakh and above can apply for it.It is currently issued to residents of Delhi and NCR, Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai, Pune, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Indore, Coimbatore, Chandigarh, Ahmedabad, Surat, Vadodara, Lucknow, Ludhiana, Nagpur, Nasik, Trivandrum and Mysore, subject to condition.
ICICI Platinum Credit Card
Joining Fee
Nil
Annual Fee
Nil
Welcome Benefit
None
Why We Picked It
The card is free for lifetime and covers more or less all daily shopping needs. Makes for a good everyday use card.The long list of periodic offers with its partners like EaseMyTrip, Croma, Tata Cliq, Samsung, Flipkart, Grofers, etc, make it really unique.
Pros & Cons
No annual fee or joining fee.A lot of special online offers are available for its users.
Fuel surcharge waiver is only available at HPCL pumps.
1 PAYBACK point on every INR 100 spent on utilities and insurance categories is a bit low.
Other Features
Reward Points:
PAYBACK is a multi-brand reward program. It has partnered with some of the prominent brands in India.
Earn 2 PAYBACK points on every INR 100 spent for all retail purchases except fuel.
Your points are redeemable for attractive products through PAYBACK, a multi-partner coalition loyalty program.
Get 1 PAYBACK point on every INR 100 spent on utilities and insurance categories.
Fuel Surcharge Waiver:
1% fuel surcharge waiver can be availed on fuel transactions of maximum INR 4,000 at HPCL pumps when your credit card is swiped on ICICI merchant services’ swipe machines.
Eligibility:
You need a valid fixed deposit with ICICI Bank; the minimum deposit amount should be a minimum of INR 20,000 for the time period of 180 days or more.
HDFC Infinia Credit Card
Joining Fee
INR 10,000
+18% GST
Annual Fee
INR 10,000
+18% GST
Welcome Benefit
10,000 reward points and renewal benefit of 10,000 reward points
(applicable only after the membership fee is realized and not applicable when the fee is waived off)
Why We Picked It
The fee is on the higher side as this is a premium card, but the facilities it provides can be considered to be worthy of cost and other cards providing such facilities are far more expensive.
Emergency hospitalization cover is INR 50 lakh, which is unthinkable at this small price. Air accidental cover is INR 3 cr which is again very good. Unlimited golf privileges are another appealing factor. There’s unlimited lounge access across the globe for frequent travellers.
The downside is that the membership is by invite-only; there is no way that HDFC can make it a popular card like its other popular cards.
Pros & Cons
Insurance coverage of INR 50 lakh in case of emergency hospitalization overseas.Credit shield cover for up to INR 9 lakh.
Unlimited complimentary golf games at leading courses across India and select courses across the world.
Unlimited airport lounge access across the globe for primary and add-on members.
Lowest markup fee of 2% on all foreign currency transactions.
Renewal benefit of 10,000 reward points will not be given if the fee is waived off.
Membership is by invite-only.
Membership fee is a bit steep.
Other Features
Complimentary Club Marriott membership for the first year.
Airport Lounge:
Unlimited airport lounge access across the globe for primary and add-on members.
Reward Points:
Complimentary Club Marriott membership for a year that offers up to 20% discounts for dining and stay across Asia–Pacific region.
Get a welcome benefit of 10,000 reward points upon fee realization.
Insurance:
Accidental air death cover worth INR 3 crore.
Emergency overseas hospitalization up to INR 50 lakh in case of emergency.
Credit shield cover for up to INR 9 lakh.
Reward Points Accrual:
Earn 5 Reward Points on every INR 150, on all retail spends including insurance, utilities, education and rent payments.
Earn up to 10 times Reward Points on your travel and shopping spends on Smartbuy.
Earn 2 times Reward Points on your dining spends at standalone restaurants.
Reward Points Redemption:
You can redeem your Reward Points on Smartbuy or Netbanking.
Reward Points can be redeemed for:
Flight and hotel bookings via Smartbuy at a value of 1 RP = INR 1
Airmiles conversion through Netbanking at a value of 1RP = 1 air mile
Products and vouchers via Netbanking or SmartBuy at a value of 1 RP = up to INR 0.50
Cash back at a value of 1 RP = INR 0.30
Additional Features:
Golf Privileges: Unlimited complimentary golf games at leading courses across India and select courses across the world. Unlimited complimentary golf coaching at select golf courses across India.
Foreign Currency Markup: Lowest markup fee of 2% on all foreign currency transactions.
Zero Lost Card liability: In the unfortunate event of losing your HDFC Bank Infinia Credit Card, and reporting it immediately to the company’s 24-hour call center, you have zero liability on any fraudulent transactions made on your credit card.
Concierge: 24X7 global personal concierge. You can customize your travel, entertainment, and business experiences with global concierge assistance.
Some of the services provided by the concierge include:
Golf booking
Itinerary planning and reservation assistance
Private dining assistance
International gift delivery
Event planning and referrals
Airport VIP service (meet-and-greet)
Eligibility:
Membership for this card is by invite-only
HDFC Regalia Credit Card
Joining Fee
INR 2,500
+18% GST
Annual Fee
INR 2,500
+ 18% GST; This fee is waived off if you spend more than INR 3 lakh in the first year of taking the card and renew it once again the next year.
Welcome Benefit
2500 reward points
and you get the same every time you pay the annual membership. This benefit will not be given to you if the annual fee is waved off.
Why We Picked It
The annual fee is a little expensive but you get 2500 reward points on paying the annual fee. Every reward point is equal to 50 paise so you are able to get half of the fee back as reward points.
One important aspect is the insurance cover, which is INR 1 cr in case of an accidental death in an aircraft crash if this credit card was used in booking the tickets and a cover of INR 15 lakh in case you are hospitalized while abroad. This makes for a good deal.
Pros & Cons
Insurance cover for emergency overseas hospitalization up to INR 15 lakh
Insurance on Lost card liability cover up to INR 9 lakh
Dineout Passport MembershipLounge Visits and 12 complimentary airport lounge accesses within India and six outside.
Foreign Currency Markup is just 2%
Higher net income requirement
2500 reward points that one gets on paying the annual membership is not given if the annual fee is waved off.
The Dineout Passport facility may or may not be available in the cardholder’s city.
Other Features
Dining Benefits:
Exclusive complimentary Dineout Passport Membership.
Lounge Visits:
12 complimentary airport lounge accesses within India and six outside.
Some of the airports where this facility is available include:
New Delhi Plaza Premium (w.e.f 1 Jul’18) International Departures (T3) Level 4, Terminal 3, Lounges B, International Departures, Indira Gandhi International Airport, New Delhi
New Delhi Plaza Premium Lounge Domestic Departures (T3) Mezzanine Level, Terminal 3, Domestic Departures, Indira Gandhi International Airport, New Delhi.
Mumbai Clipper Lounge International Departures (T2) International Departures T2, Mumbai
Mumbai Mumbai Airport Lounge (MALS) Domestic Departures (T2) Opp Gate no 44 and 45, after Security Check straight left from Starbucks, Domestic Departures, T2, Mumbai.
Bonus Points on Purchase:
10,000 reward points on an expenditure of INR 5 lakh and additional 5,000 reward points on INR 8 lakh of expenditure in an anniversary year.
Earn 4 reward points on every INR 150 spent (these spends should be on retail).
Additional Features:
Zero Cost Liability: In case you lose your Regalia Credit Card and you report it immediately to the company’s 24-hour call centre, you have zero liability on any fraudulent transactions made on your credit card.
Foreign Currency Markup: It is a charge by the credit card company when you make payments in a foreign currency using your card. This markup is 2%, which is comparatively low compared with other cards’ markup, which can be as high as 3.5% + GST
Revolving Credit : It is available but the interest rate may differ from case to case.
Fuel Surcharge Waiver: 1% fuel surcharge waiver at all fuel stations across India on minimum transaction of INR 400 and maximum transaction of INR 5,000.
Insurance:
Accidental air death cover: INR 1 crore
Emergency overseas hospitalization: up to INR 15 lakh
Lost card liability cover: Up to INR 9 lakh
Reward Points Accrual:
Earn 4 reward points on every INR 150 spent on all retail spends including insurance, utilities, education and rent payments.
Earn 10,000 reward points on annual spends of INR 5 lakh.
Earn additional 5,000 reward points on annual spends of INR 8 lakh.
Reward Point Redemption:
You can redeem your reward points on Smartbuy or Netbankg.
Flights and hotel bookings via Smartbuy at a value of 1 RP = INR 0.5
Airmiles conversion through Netbanking at a value of 1RP = 0.5
Air miles: These are reward points issued by credit cards on the purchase of various things which eventually can be used to buy airline tickets from affiliated airlines or any airline depending on the offer.
SmartBuy: It is a platform which displays offers of various products from different companies in partnership with HDFC Bank for HDFC customers.
Netbanking: It refers to online banking, which is an electronic payment system. Used to transferring funds to another bank account or checking the transaction statements, making payments etc.
Products and vouchers via Netbanking or SmartBuy at a value of 1 RP = up to INR 0.35
Eligibility:
For Salaried Indian national: Age between 21 years and 60 years, and a net monthly income of INR 70,000
For Self Employed Indian national: Age between 21 years and max 65 years, and a net income of INR 8.4 lakh per annum
IndianOil Citi Credit Card
Joining Fee
INR 1000
+18% GST
Annual Fee
INR 1000
+18% GST waived off on spends of INR 30,000 or more.
Welcome Benefit
Get 250 Turbo Points
on your first spend within 30 days of card issuance.
Why We Picked It
This card is the best card for your fuel needs and covers multiple shopping needs as well, but it can only be used at Indian Oil petrol pumps. This card is only available for a selected few districts, hence you will have to check if it is available in your area or not.
Pros & Cons
Though the card is focused on fuel, it gives points on purchase of groceries and shopping in supermarkets.
There is no expiry date for these points.
Nil annual fee on spending INR 30,000 or more.
No points are granted on purchase of oil from other dealers than Indian Oil.
Other Features
Rewards Points:
Oil: 4 turbo points per INR 150 spent and 1% fuel surcharge reversal on fuel purchase only on Indian Oil authorized dealers. Some of the authorized outlets to get discounts on fuel purchases are more or less available in every city.
Groceries and Supermarkets: 2 turbo points on spending INR 150.
Others: 1 turbo point per INR 150 on all other spends.
Redeem Points:
Redeem instantly 1 turbo point = INR 1 of free fuel.
Redeem your turbo points via SMS or Citibank online.
Evergreen Turbo Points:
Redeem whenever or keep on collecting – it’s a choice for the user as these turbo points never expire.
Eligibility:
The person should have a minimum income of INR 25,000
RBL Bank ShopRite Credit Card
Joining Fee
Nil
Annual Fee
INR 500
+18% GST
Welcome Benefit
2,000 Reward Points
You will have to make a purchase within 30 days of card issuance to redeem your gifts.
Why We Picked It
The good part is that the Reward Points can be used for mobile recharges. 10% discount on movies is also great. There is a cap on the Reward Points but even then it’s a good deal as you get Reward Points on fuel purchase from any company of your choice, making it a unique feature.Pros & Cons
Fuel surcharge waiver available.
Reward Points available on the purchase of fuel.
Reward Points system could look complex.
You can only have a maximum of 1,000 reward points in a month, unlike other cards.
Other Features
Rewards on All Purchases:
There is 1 Reward Point for every INR 100 spent on all your purchases except fuel.
Reward Points on Grocery Spends:
20 reward points for spending INR 100 when you use your card for grocery shopping. You can earn a maximum of 1,000 reward points in a month.10% Discount on Movies:
10% discount (up to INR 100) on movie tickets booked from BookMyShow 15 times in a year.
You can avail the offer by selecting RBL Bank 10% offer under credit card offers and discounts post movie selection on BookMyShow.
Reward Points on Fuel:
10 Reward Points for every INR 100 when you use your card for fuel; maximum 1000 reward points in a month.
Fuel Surcharge Waiver:
No surcharge between INR 500 and INR 4,000. Maximum waiver of INR 100 per month.
Eligibility:
Age 21 to 70, must have a regular source of income and should have a minimum credit score of 750.
Methodology
We analyzed up to 80 cards from top financial services companies in India on the basis of key factors such as:
Hidden Charges and Transparency: Companies that have no hidden charges and are most transparent to its customers have been evaluated.
Value for Money: Companies that provide maximum benefits have been ranked.
Ease of Access: Companies that have made their credit cards’ access convenient have been considered.
Rating:
Cash back: Half a star to credit cards providing cash backs and half a star where the system of credit is easy for the consumer to understand
Annual Fee and joining fee: Half a star to credit cards without any annual fee and half for no joining fee. Any credit card without any annual fee and joining fee will get a full star, but a joining fee of INR 500 has been considered equivalent to no annual fee.
Availability for all income groups: Half a star if the services of the credit card are available for all income groups, and another half if services extend to multiple geographies and not just major cities.
Value for welcome gifts: Half a star for welcome gifts and half a star for easy usage of those gifts. Here if the intrinsic value of the usable gift at least covers the annual fee, the credit card will get a full star.
Additional benefits: Half a star to credit cards providing additional benefits and half to the credit cards in which these additional benefits are more user-friendly. For example, if a card offers a fee waiver to a user who will spend INR 3 lakh in one year, it is unlikely all cardholders may want to spend that much in one year. This makes the feature redundant for certain cardholders.
Information provided on is for educational purposes only. Your financial situation is unique and the products and services we review may not be right for your circumstances. We do not offer financial advice, advisory or brokerage services, nor do we recommend or advise individuals or to buy or sell particular stocks or securities. Performance information may have changed since the time of publication. Past performance is not indicative of future results.
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