Best Credit Cards in India: Top Options for 2024

Each year, we curate a list of the best credit cards in India for various purposes. As credit cards continue to evolve, their rewards and benefits often change, making it challenging to stay up-to-date unless you regularly monitor a few key cards. With over 100 credit card options available to Indian consumers, it can be overwhelming to find the best ones. So, which credit cards provide the most rewards and benefits for your spending habits? We’ve got you covered with a selection of the top credit cards in India. Whether you’re looking for cashback, air miles, lounge access, or even complimentary vacations, there’s a card tailored to your needs.

The best credit cards in India can be categorized based on the benefits they offer, the type of rewards they provide, and the specific needs they fulfil. Here are the main types of credit cards that stand out:

Best Credit Cards in India with No Annual Fee

If you’re new to credit cards or prefer cards with no annual fee, this list is perfect for you. These credit cards allow you to spend freely without the hassle of annual fee waivers. For more options on the best credit cards in India with no annual fee, be sure to check out our dedicated article.

ICICI Bank Platinum Credit Card

Whether it’s an online sale or an in-store purchase, many retailers offer instant discounts on ICICI Bank credit cards. You can choose from a range of ICICI Bank credit cards, from Platinum to Coral or even Sapphiro, with Lifetime Free (LTF) options, depending on your eligibility. If you are looking for the best credit cards in India for lifetime free category, you will always find ICICI Bank cards in that.

AU Bank Xcite Credit Cards: Xcite, Xcite Ace or Xcite Ultra

AU Bank’s Xcite credit cards are available with no annual fee for life and can be easily applied for online on a C2C basis. Recently, AU Bank has been highly active with its online offers, making it a great choice to get an LTF AU Bank credit card.

Best Credit Cards in India for Rewards & Cashback: Entry-Level

This list is perfect for those who are new to credit cards and seeking a straightforward option. Entry-level credit cards are ideal for annual spends of under Rs 2 Lakh. The credit cards in this category offer the following features:

• Easy approval
• Low or zero annual fee
• Low salary requirements for eligibility
• Rewards such as cashback, statement credit or Amazon gift vouchers

SBI Cashback Credit Card

The SBI Cashback Credit Card is one of the top choices in India for online shopping. It offers 5% cashback on e-commerce purchases from platforms like Amazon, Flipkart, Myntra, Tata CLiQ, and more. If a significant portion of your spending is online (which is increasingly common), this card provides an effortless 5% cashback every month, directly credited to your statement within 3 days of statement generation. For this reason, we highly recommend the SBI Cashback Credit Card.

HSBC Live+ Credit Card

The HSBC Live+ Credit Card is a new addition to our list of the best credit cards in India for 2024. Recently relaunched with updated rewards, it stands out as a top choice in the cashback category. The card offers 10% cashback on dining, food delivery, and grocery purchases, so spending on platforms like Swiggy, Zomato, Bigbasket, and more gives you an instant 10% value back. For other purchases, you’ll earn 1.5% cashback, making it a great option for everyday spending.

Axis Bank Ace Credit Card

With online spending covered, it’s time to find a credit card that offers cashback on offline purchases. The Axis Bank Ace Credit Card remains one of the best options for this. It provides 1.5% unlimited cashback on offline purchases and 5% cashback on utility bill payments made via Google Pay. However, the downside is that Google Pay bill payments are not available for iOS users, so they miss out on the 5% cashback. If you already have the HSBC Cashback card, there’s no need for the Axis Bank Ace unless you specifically need it for bill payments.

Amex Membership Rewards Credit Card

The Amex MRCC is an entry-level credit card that offers rewards comparable to some premium cards. You can earn 1000 bonus MR points for each of the first four transactions of Rs 1500 and for spending Rs 20,000 each month. With the Gold Collection redemption, the reward rate ranges from 5% to 8%. To unlock milestone benefits, one option is to purchase Amazon Pay gift vouchers through the Amex Reward Multiplier.

Best Credit Cards in India: Premium Segment

This list includes cards that offer reward points along with additional lifestyle benefits. These cards provide greater value than entry-level options and are ideal for those with annual spends over Rs 4 Lakhs. The cards in this segment offer the following features:

• Higher salary eligibility criteria (preferably > Rs 6 Lakhs per annum)
• Higher fee that may not have a waiver criteria
• Lifestyle benefits with better rewards than entry-level credit cards

HDFC Bank Regalia Gold Credit Card

Regalia Gold is the latest offering from HDFC Bank, serving as an upgrade to the Regalia and Diners Club Privilege cards, with enhanced milestone benefits. While the base reward rate may appear modest, HDFC Bank provides SmartBuy and other spending offers that can significantly boost the return. Consider getting the Regalia Gold, especially if it’s available with Lifetime Free (LTF) benefits, and keep it for a potential upgrade to one of HDFC’s super-premium credit cards in the future.

Tata Neu Infinity HDFC Bank Credit Card

The Tata Neu Infinity HDFC Bank Credit Card is an often overlooked option but offers great value. While the RuPay variant is well-known for its UPI benefits, it offers much more. You can earn up to 10% NeuCoins and even more through various promotional offers available on the Tata Neu app.

Best Credit Cards in India: Super Premium Segment

These are the cards that many aspire to have, but only a few qualify for due to their strict eligibility criteria. Super-premium credit cards provide a wide range of benefits, often exceeding expectations. The cards in this segment offer:

• The salary should be high (preferably > Rs 15 Lakhs per annum)
• Annual spending should be close to Rs 10 Lakhs

HDFC Bank Infinia Credit Card

The HDFC Bank Infinia stands in a class of its own among super-premium credit cards. With 3.3% base rewards, up to 33% SmartBuy rewards, and a host of other offers, Infinia continues to maintain its top position. Until the highly anticipated Infinia Reserve/Galaxia is launched, the Infinia remains an excellent choice.

HDFC Bank Diners Club Black Credit Card

Diners Club Black is HDFC Bank’s second offering in the super-premium segment. On par with the Infinia, it has slight differences in rewards and redemption. The recent relaunch in a metal form introduced updated milestone benefits and a higher SmartBuy cap, bringing it even closer to the Infinia in terms of value.

Yes Bank Marquee Credit Card

For the first time, we’re featuring a Yes Bank credit card in our list of the best credit cards in India. The Yes Bank Marquee Credit Card offers a return of 1.25% to 4.5% on spends. The reward points can be redeemed for flight bookings or redeemed for gift vouchers. Additionally, the Marquee card comes with an excellent Buy More, Save More (BMS) BOGO offer and unlimited access to international airport lounges.

Best Credit Cards in India for Travel

Axis Bank Atlas Credit Card

Despite listing Axis Atlas in the ‘Travel’ list, it truly belongs alongside cards like the Infinia and DCB. With an annual fee of Rs 5,000+GST, the Atlas offers excellent value for your spending. Plus, it’s easier to qualify for compared to other cards on the super-premium list.

The cards we’ve covered so far are all-purpose options, ideal for both earning and redeeming points. The redemption value varies depending on your choice—whether it’s for travel, gift vouchers, or cashback. In addition to these, we also have travel credit cards that provide enhanced value when rewards are redeemed for flights or hotel bookings.

Amex Platinum Travel Credit Card

Milestone benefits and Taj vouchers are key features of the Amex Platinum Travel Credit Card. If Taj vouchers aren’t particularly useful to you, there are other valuable options available. You can earn at least 48,000 MR points annually, including both regular and milestone points. These points can be transferred to Marriott Bonvoy or one of the airline travel partners as AirMiles.

Marriott Bonvoy HDFC Bank Credit Card

This is the first Marriott Bonvoy co-branded credit card in India. While the reward rate is low, this card is still a good bet just for the joining and renewal benefits. We get Bonvoy Silver Elite status with 10 night credits that help in reaching higher statuses like Gold/Platinum. The second benefit against the fee is a FNA credit worth up to 15K points.

Best Credit Cards in India: Fuel

IndianOil RBL Bank XTRA Credit Card

The new IndianOil RBL Bank XTRA credit card is our top choice for IOCL fuel spends. It will give you 7.5% value back on IOCL fuel spends of up to Rs 13,333 in a statement cycle. The IOCL Axis Premium card also offers fuel surcharge waiver.

BPCL SBI Credit Card

The BPCL SBI credit card is a good option for getting 3%+ return on fuel spends. We can meet the annual fee waiver with only fuel spends getting an overall reward rate of 3.25% plus a 1% fuel surcharge waiver. You can also explore the BPCL SBI Octane credit card for a higher fuel return. But that comes with a higher annual fee too.

IDFC First Bank HPCL Power+ Credit Card

IDFC First Bank HPCL Power+ Credit Card is the best option for HPCL fuel spends. It has a low annual fee of Rs 499+GST and offers 4% rewards for HPCL fuel spends. It also offers 5% for utilities & grocery spends. The card is available on the RuPay payment network and can be used for UPI spends too.

How to Choose the Best Credit Card in India?

Evaluate Your Spending Habits

While getting a credit card is easy, it’s important to review your spending habits before applying. Each card comes with a different annual fee waiver, and unless you meet the required spending threshold, you’ll have to pay the annual fee. To maximize the benefits of any card, ensure you’re receiving a strong reward rate, even if you need to pay the fee.

Another crucial factor is your spending habits and preferred categories. Every credit card has limits on rewards or may not offer rewards in certain categories. For instance, if you frequently spend on fuel, opt for a fuel credit card. Similarly, if you spend a lot on insurance, avoid cards that don’t offer rewards for such purchases.

Understand Interest Rates and Fees

Another important factor to consider is the fees associated with the credit card. While the joining and annual fees are clear, there are other charges to be aware of. For instance, if you’re unable to pay your full balance, you’ll incur an interest rate, which can exceed 30% annually. Be sure to check the APR (Annual Percentage Rate) for the card you’re interested in.

Additionally, watch out for fees such as card replacement charges and foreign exchange markup fees. If you frequently make international purchases, it’s a good idea to choose a credit card with a low forex markup fee.

Look for Additional Perks and Benefits

Credit cards offer more than just rewards; they provide a range of lifestyle benefits such as airport lounge access, golf lessons/games, movie and dining discounts, concierge services, and more. When choosing a credit card, consider these additional perks along with the reward rate.

Conclusion

Recap of the best credit cards in India

Segment	Credit Card	Annual Fee
Entry-Level	Axis Bank Ace Credit Card	₹ 499+GST
Entry-Level	SBI Cashback Credit Card	₹ 999+GST
Entry-Level	HSBC Cashback Credit Card	₹ 999+GST
Entry-Level	Amex Membership Rewards Credit Card	₹ 1500+GST
Premium	Tata Neu Infinity HDFC Bank Credit Card	₹ 1499+GST
Premium	HDFC Bank Regalia Gold Credit Card	₹ 2500+GST
Super-Premium	Yes Bank Marquee Credit Card	₹ 4999+GST
Super-Premium	HDFC Bank Diners Club Black Credit Card	₹ 10,000+GST
Super-Premium	HDFC Bank Infinia Credit Card	₹ 12,500+GST
Travel	Axis Bank Atlas Credit Card	₹ 5000+GST
Travel	Marriott Bonvoy HDFC Bank Credit Card	₹ 3000+GST
Travel	Amex Platinum Travel Credit Card	₹ 5000+GST
Travel	Marriott Bonvoy HDFC Bank Credit Card	₹ 3000+GST
Fuel	IndianOil RBL Bank XTRA Credit Card	₹ 1500+GST
Fuel	BPCL SBI Credit Card	₹ 499+GST
Fuel	IDFC First Bank HPCL Power+ Credit Card	₹ 499+GST

This is the list of the best credit cards in India that we think are worth checking out and applying for across all banks and credit cards. The decision to get a card depends on what you intend to use the rewards for and whether the card will help you do that. So, do check the redemption options to see if you are getting a good value out of your spending. The next thing to check would be the annual fee. The card should offer a good return on spending including the annual fee (if not waived).

Hope this list helps you in getting a card that gives you a rewarding experience. 🙂

Any other card you think should be a part of this best credit cards in India list? Do comment and let us know!

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