Best Credit Cards in India

  • Credit cards are a valuable financial instrument that allows cardholders to make purchases while still having the option of paying the balance off later. A credit card has a bank-approved credit limit, and the holder is responsible for repaying the balance due on the due date agreed upon by the bank and the holder.
  • It's important to choose the best credit card, or you could miss out on a lot of rewards. You must first compare credit cards in India, have a look at the rewards, features and benefits before applying for them. Numerous banks offer the best premium credit card in India. Stay with us till the end of the blog to know more details about credit cards rewards, fees and features.

Here is a list of top credit cards in India.

Top 10 credit cards in india

Top 10 Credit Cards in India

Annual Fee

Best Suited For

Minimum Income Required

Axis Bank Ace Credit Card

Rs. 499

Cashback

Communicated at the time of sourcing

Amazon Pay ICICI Credit Card

Nil

Online Shopping & Cashback

Communicated at the time of sourcing

HDFC Regalia Credit Card

Rs. 2,500

Travel & Shopping

Rs. 70,000 p.m.

BPCL SBI Card Octane

Rs. 1,499

Fuel

Communicated at the time of sourcing

SBI SimplyCLICK Credit Card

Rs. 499

Rewards

Rs. 20,000 p.m.

Citi PremierMiles Credit Card

Rs. 3,000

Air Miles

Rs. 25,000 p.m.

SBI Card Elite

Rs. 4,999

Travel & Movies

Rs. 60,000 p.m.

YES FIRST Preferred Credit Card

Rs. 2,499

Shopping & Travel

Rs. 1,50,000 p.m.

HSBC Credit Card

Rs. 750

Online Shopping

Rs. 33,333 p.m.

Standard Chartered Titanium Credit Card

Rs. 750

Shopping & Fuel

Rs. 55,000 p.m.

Best credit cards in india 2021

Axis bank ace credit card

Features:

  • The cost of joining is Rs. 499. (Reversed on spending Rs. 10,000 in the first 45 days)

  • Fee for Renewal: Rs. 499 (Reversed on spending Rs. 2 Lakh or more in the preceding year)

  • Minimum Salary: At the time of sourcing, it was communicated.

  • Google Pay offers a 5% reward on bill payments and cellphone recharges.

  • Cashback of 4% on Swiggy, Zomato, and Ola

  • 2% cashback on all other purchases

  • There is no upper limit to the amount of cashback that can be earned.

  • Big Basket and Grofers both provide a 5% cashback (Valid till 31st December)

  • Every calendar year, you are entitled to four complimentary lounge visits.

  • For transactions between Rs. 400 and Rs. 4,000, a 1% fuel fee waiver is available; the maximum waiver per month is Rs. 500.

Amazon Pay ICICI Credit Card

Features:

  • No annual fee

  • Fee for Renewal: None

  • It is the best free credit card in India.

  • Amazon Prime members get 5% cashback on all purchases at Amazon, in addition to other discounts.

  • Non-prime users get 3% cashback on all transactions.

  • 2 percent reward on Amazon partner purchases and gift card purchases

  • Recharges, bill payments, and other transactions earn you 2% Reward Points.

  • All other purchases will earn you 1% cashback.

  • All petrol pumps in India are exempt from a 1% fuel levy.

  • 1 Reward Point equals Rs.1

  • For 3 or 6 months, there is no cost EMI on any purchases exceeding Rs. 3,000.

  • Additional payback as Amazon Pay balance for Prime and non-Prime customers.

  • Amazon Pay balance is automatically converted from reward points and credited to the Amazon account as Amazon Pay balance.

HDFC regalia credit card

Features: 

  • Annual Fee: Rs. 2,500 + GST

  • Renewal Fee: Rs.  2,500 + GST (waived off on spending Rs. 3 Lakh in the previous calendar year)

  • Minimum Income Required: Rs. 70,000 per month

  • Dinout Passport membership is available when you spend Rs. 75,000 in a calendar quarter.

  • Every calendar year, you'll get 12 free visits to domestic airport lounges.

  • Priority Pass membership includes up to 12 international lounge visits per year for self and add-on members, which can be activated after four retail transactions.

  • Booking, travel, late-night delivery, and other travel concierge services are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

  • Priority dining service at renowned restaurants across the country as part of the Good Food Trail eating programme.

  • For every Rs. 150 paid on all retail purchases, such as utility bills, insurance, education, and rent, you will receive 4 Reward Points.

  • Spending Rs. 5 lakh on the card earns you 10,000 reward points, and spending Rs. 8 lakh earns you an additional 5,000 points.

  • All transactions between Rs. 400 and Rs. 5,000 at all gas pumps in the country would be subject to a 1% fuel price waiver.

  • With 70% redemption of ticket fares for flight and hotel bookings, vouchers, gifts and products, and so on, rewards can be redeemed on flight and hotel bookings, vouchers, gifts and products, and so on.

  • Accidental death cover of Rs. 1 crore in the air.

  • Up to Rs. 15 lakh in emergency foreign hospitalisation coverage.

SBI BPCL octane credit card

Features:

  • The annual fee is Rs. 1,499 plus GST.

  • Fee for Renewal: Rs. 1,499 + GST (waived off on annual spends of 2 lakh or more)

  • Required Minimum Income: At the time of sourcing, it was communicated.

  • On fuel purchases at BPCL petrol pumps, you will receive 7.25 percent value-back, i.e. 25x reward points.

  • Every Rs.100 spent on the BPCL Fuel, Lubricants & Bharat Gas website and application earns you 25 reward points.

  • Every Rs.100 spent on groceries, department stores, movie tickets, and dining earns you 10 reward points.

  • Per billing cycle, a maximum of 2500 reward points can be accumulated.

  • On payment of the joining fee, you will receive 6000 bonus reward points worth Rs. 1500.

  • Customers can get an e-gift voucher of Rs.2000 from certain merchants with a minimum annual expenditure of Rs.3 lakhs.

  • 4 complimentary trips to domestic VISA lounges in India each calendar year (Maximum 1 visit allowed per quarter).

SBI simplyclick credit card

Features:

  • Renewal Fee: Rs. 499 + GST (Annual Fee: Rs. 499 + GST) (Annual Fee: Rs. 499 + GST) (Annual Fee: Rs. 499 + GST)

  • Monthly income of Rs. 20,000 is required.

  • As a welcome gift, you will receive Rs. 500 gift voucher.

  • For every Rs. 100 spent on the card, you'll get 1 Reward Point.

  • Get 5X Rewards on all online purchases and 10X Rewards on purchases made with SBI Card's special partners.

  • Enjoy a 1% fuel fee waiver on fuel purchases between Rs. 500 and Rs. 3,000, up to a maximum of Rs. 100 every billing cycle.

  • Spend Rs. 1 lakh in a year and get the Rs. 499 annual fee refunded.

  • Make a payment by simply waving your card in front of a POS terminal to take advantage of the contactless capability.

Standard chartered titanium credit card

Features:

  • Minimum Monthly Income: Rs. 55,000 per month 

  • Annual Fee: Rs. 750 + GST Renewal Fee: Rs. 750 + GST

  • Fuel purchases, phone recharges, and utility bill payments all earn 5% cashback.

  • Every Rs. 150 spent in all other categories earns you 1 reward point.

  • Priority Pass Membership is provided free of charge.

  • Standard Chartered Good Life programme offers significant savings on shopping, vacation booking, dining, and other activities.

  • For redemption of awards, use the Standard Chartered 360° Rewards Program.

  • Balance transfers from other credit cards up to Rs. 5 lakh are eligible for a lower interest rate.

  • Family members will receive free add-on credit cards for the rest of their lives (spouse, children above 18 years of age, siblings and parents)

Frequently asked questions

In India, which credit card is ideal for online shopping?

In India, you have a variety of credit card alternatives for purchasing. You can choose from a variety of credit cards, like the SBI SimplyClick Credit Card, Citi Cashback Card, and HSBC Visa Platinum Credit Card, to mention a few.

Which credit card is the safest in India?

In India, the majority of credit cards are secure. Some of the safe credit cards include the HSBC Visa Platinum Card and the Citi Cashback Card.

In India, which credit cards provide a rewards Programme?

The reward point system differs from one credit card to the next. Choose from the HDFC Freedom Credit Card, IndusInd Bank Platinum Card, or Citi Cashback Card, to name a few, for the best reward points.

Which credit card offers the best travel advantages in India?

In India, many credit cards come with basic travel advantages such as airport lounge access, accelerated reward points on trip bookings, and so on. Many credit cards, such as the MakeMyTrip ICICI Bank Credit Card and the HDFC Bank Regalia credit card, offer additional travel perks.

Which credit card offers the best entertainment benefits?

Several credit cards provide access to a variety of entertainment features. However, there is a collection of cards that are strictly for entertainment purposes. They provide the best benefits in terms of entertainment, as well as a few characteristics in other categories. Among the best credit cards for entertainment, costs are the Kotak PVR Gold Credit Card, HDFC Moneyback Credit Card, and Axis Bank Neo Credit Card.

What are the best credit cards that offer a variety of dining perks?

Most of the cards described above come with a set of dining privileges that you will receive while dining out. Certain credit cards also provide discounts and rebates when ordering online. Some of the credit cards that offer best-in-class dining privileges include the HDFC Bank Diners Club Credit Card and the IndusInd Bank Platinum Credit Card.

Will the access to these leading credit cards' lounges be free of charge?

With your credit card, you are entitled to a specific amount of complimentary lounge visits. However, when you've visited the lounge a specific number of times, you'll have to pay a price to use the lounge in both domestic and foreign airports. For the most part, most credit cards charge the same cost. Before using the card, you should read the terms and conditions for domestic and international lounge access.

Are there higher annual fees on top credit cards?

No, different banks offer a variety of credit cards with a variety of features for a little yearly and joining cost. The HDFC Bank Moneyback credit card, the ICICI Bank Platinum Credit Card, and others are examples of credit cards.

What is the bare minimum wage for a credit card?

The minimum wage requirement for applying for a credit card differs per bank. There are also credit cards available for first-time applicants who may not have a higher income but who may qualify for a credit card with a lesser credit limit based on the bank's evaluation of several variables.

How do you use the perks that these credit cards provide?

You can redeem your reward points by going to the bank's website and entering the number of points you have on your card. Through the bank's relationships with other businesses, reward points can be redeemed for a variety of items and services in a variety of categories. When you use a credit card, you will immediately receive benefits such as movie tickets, meals, and so on. However, it is critical to understand the terms and restrictions of the benefits provided by your card.