Looking for the best credit cards in India? You’re in the right place. Every year, we update our expert guide to help you find the top credit cards for your lifestyle and spending habits. With so many options available—over 100 credit cards in India—it can be hard to choose the right one.
Credit card rewards and benefits are always changing. That’s why we’ve done the research for you. Whether you want cashback, air miles, free airport lounge access, shopping discounts, or travel perks, this guide highlights the best options across every category.
We’ve grouped the best credit cards in India based on their features, rewards, and the needs they fulfill—so you can easily compare and pick the perfect card for you.
Best Credit Cards in India – No Annual Fee, Maximum Rewards
If you’re just starting out with credit cards or simply prefer not to pay annual charges, this guide is for you. We’ve handpicked some of the best credit cards in India with no annual fee—so you can enjoy the benefits of credit cards without worrying about extra costs. These cards are great for everyday use and often come with exciting rewards like cashback, discounts, and fuel savings. You don’t need to track spending just to waive a fee—these cards are truly lifetime free. Looking for more top picks? Check out our full list of the best credit cards in India with no annual fee.
Scapia Credit Card
Scapia is one of the most talked-about lifetime free credit cards right now, and for good reason. It offers great value, especially for people who travel often. The biggest highlight is the airport lounge access. With this card, you can enjoy unlimited entry to domestic airport lounges. Even if you are not a lounge person, Scapia still gives you good benefits when you shop or eat at airport outlets. You can get up to ₹1000 back on your airport spending, which is a nice bonus during your trips.
- Best For: 100% value-back on airport outlet spends, International Spends at zero forex mark-up
- Joining/Annual Fee: ₹0 (Lifetime Free)
- Reward Rate: 2% to 4%
- Reward Redemption: Travel bookings on Scapia app
- Best For: 100% value-back on airport outlet spends, International Spends at zero forex mark-up
- Domestic Airport Lounge Access: Unlimited visits
- International Airport Lounge Access: Not Available
Kiwi RuPay Card
Lifetime FreeICICI Bank Platinum Credit Card
ICICI Bank credit cards are a top choice for instant savings—whether you’re shopping online or at your favorite retail store. Many major brands partner with ICICI to offer exclusive discounts during online sales, festive seasons, and limited-time promotions. ICICI offers a wide range of cards like Platinum, Coral, and Sapphiro, with Lifetime Free (LTF) options available depending on your profile and eligibility. If you’re looking for the best credit cards in India with no annual fee, ICICI Bank is consistently a reliable option thanks to its ease of approval and regular discount tie-ups.
- Best For: Online/Offline Shopping
- Joining/Annual Fee: ₹0 (Lifetime Free)
- Reward Rate: ~0.5%
- Annual Fee Waiver: Not Applicable
- Airport Lounge Access: Not Included
- Key Benefits:
- Instant discounts on popular online and offline merchants
- Lifetime free – no hidden charges
BoB Eterna
Lifetime FreeAU Bank Xcite Credit Cards: Xcite, Xcite Ace or Xcite Ultra
AU Bank’s Xcite credit cards are lifetime free, which means you don’t have to pay any joining or annual fees. You can easily apply for these cards online, especially if you already have another credit card (through card-to-card or C2C application). Lately, AU Bank has been offering many online deals, making it a great choice for people looking for a no annual fee credit card in India.
- Best For: Online/Offline Shopping, Retail Spending
- Joining/Annual Fee: ₹0 (Lifetime Free)
- Reward Rate: Up to 3%
- Annual Fee Waiver: Not Applicable
- Airport Lounge Access: 8 complimentary visits/year (Xcite Ace & Ultra)
- Key Benefits:
- Apply easily via Card-to-Card (C2C) basis
- Xcite Ace: Excellent for cashback rewards
- Xcite Ultra: Low forex markup on international spends
- Lifetime free across all variants
Kiwi RuPay Credit Card
Kiwi is a new fintech platform that offers a virtual RuPay credit card in partnership with Yes Bank. It’s a good choice if you don’t already have a Yes Bank credit card and want something fully digital. One of the best features of Kiwi is its real cashback system – you can earn 1% to 5% cashback on your spending. If you choose the Neon subscription, you can get higher cashback (2% to 5%) when you meet monthly spend targets. This makes Kiwi a strong pick for those who want a digital RuPay credit card that works with UPI and gives real cashback instead of reward points.
- Best For: Digital payments, Real cashback rewards
- Joining and Annual Fee: Zero (Free to start)
- Reward Rate: 1% to 5% cashback (based on plan and spending)
- Annual Fee Waiver: Not Applicable
- Airport Lounge Access: Yes with Neon subscription
- Key Benefits:
- 100% digital RuPay credit card
- Earn real cashback (not reward points)
- Up to 5% cashback with Neon subscription plan
Best Credit Cards in India for Beginners – Rewards & Cashback Picks
This list is perfect if you’re new to credit cards and want something simple and easy to manage. These entry-level credit cards are best suited for yearly spending under ₹2 lakh and come with beginner-friendly benefits like:
- Easy approval process
- Zero or low annual fees
- Low income requirement
- Rewards like cashback, statement credit, or Amazon vouchers
These features make them a great starting point if you’re looking for the best credit cards in India for first-time users.
SBI Cashback Credit Card
The SBI Cashback Credit Card is one of the best options in India for frequent online shoppers. It offers 5% cashback on e-commerce purchases from platforms such as Amazon, Flipkart, Myntra, and Tata CLiQ. With most consumers shifting to online spending, this card provides excellent value by offering monthly cashback that is automatically credited to your statement within just three days of statement generation.
- Best For: Online Shopping, E-commerce Platforms
- Joining/Annual Fee: ₹999+GST
- Reward Rate: 5% on online shopping, 1% on others
- Annual Fee Waiver: Spend ₹2L in a year
- Airport Lounge Access: Not Included
- Key Benefits:
- 5% automatic cashback on Amazon, Flipkart, Myntra, and more
- Cashback is credited within 3 days of statement generation
- No need to track reward points or coupons
HSBC Live+ Credit Card
The HSBC Live+ Credit Card is a top-tier cashback option for everyday essentials. You earn flat 10% cashback on dining, food delivery, and grocery spends—including platforms like Swiggy, Zomato, and Bigbasket. For all other purchases, the card offers 1.5% unlimited cashback, making it a solid all-rounder for regular use.
- Best For: Dining, Food Delivery, Groceries
- Joining/Annual Fee: ₹999+GST
- Reward Rate: 10% on dining, food delivery & groceries; 1.5% on other spends
- Annual Fee Waiver: Spend ₹2L in a year
- Airport Lounge Access: 4 visits/year to domestic airport lounges in India
- Key Benefits:
- 10% cashback on Swiggy, Zomato, Bigbasket, and similar platforms
- 1.5% cashback on all other spends – no caps
- Cashback auto-credited to your account
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.
- Joining Fee: Rs 499+GST
- Annual Fee: Rs 499+GST
- Cashback: 1.5% to 5%
- Annual Fee Waiver: Rs 2 Lakh spend
- Best Use: 1.5% cashback on offline and online spends and 5% cashback on Google Pay bill payments
- Airport Lounge Access: 8 visits/year to airport lounges in India
- Con: 5% cashback on utility bills is limited to only Android devices
Airtel Axis Bank Credit Card
The Airtel Axis Bank credit card is a must-have for Airtel customers. We get 25% cashback on Airtel spends and 10% cashback on utility bills.
- Joining Fee: Rs 500+GST
- Annual Fee: Rs 500+GST
- Rewards: 1% to 25%
- Annual Fee Waiver: Rs 2 Lakh spend
- Best Use: Airtel spends and utility bill payments
- Rewards Redemption: Cashback
- Airport Lounge Access: 4 visits/year to airport lounges in India
- Con: None
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.
- Joining Fee: Rs 1000+GST
- Annual Fee: Rs 4500+GST
- Rewards: 1% to 8%
- Annual Fee Waiver: Rs 1.5 Lakh spend
- Best Use: Online Spends and Wallet Loads
- Rewards Redemption: 18K and 24K Gold Collection
- Airport Lounge Access: Not Available
- Con: Offline acceptance can be an issue
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.
- Joining Fee: Rs 2500+GST or FYF
- Annual Fee: Rs 2500+GST or FYF
- Rewards: 1.3% to 13.3%
- Annual Fee Waiver: Rs 3 Lakh Spend
- Rewards Redemption: SmartBuy Travel Bookings
- Airport Lounge Access: 12 visits/year to airport lounges in India and 6 visits/year to airport lounges outside India
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.
- Joining Fee: Rs 1499+GST or FYF
- Annual Fee: Rs 1499+GST or LTF
- Rewards: 1.5% to 5%
- Annual Fee Waiver: Rs 3 Lakh spend for paid cards
- Best Use: UPI, Bill Payments and Tata Neu spends
- Rewards Redemption: Tata Neu partner brands
- Airport Lounge Access: 2 visits/quarter to airport lounges in India and 1 visit/quarter to airport lounges outside India
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.
- Joining Fee: Rs 12,500+GST or FYF
- Annual Fee: Rs 12,500+GST
- Rewards: 3.3% to 33%
- Annual Fee Waiver: Rs 10 Lakh Spend
- Best Use: SmartBuy spends
- Rewards Redemption: 1:1 redemption on SmartBuy, Points transfer to airline and hotel loyalty programs
- Airport Lounge Access: Unlimited for both domestic and international airport lounges
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.
- Joining Fee: Rs 10,000+GST or FYF
- Annual Fee: Rs 10,000+GST
- Rewards: 3.3% to 33%
- Annual Fee Waiver: Rs 8 Lakh Spend
- Best Use: SmartBuy spends
- Rewards Redemption: 1:1 redemption on SmartBuy, Points transfer to airline and hotel loyalty programs
- Airport Lounge Access: Unlimited for both domestic and international airport lounges
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.
- Joining Fee: Rs 9999+GST
- Annual Fee: Rs 4999+GST
- Rewards: 1.25% to 4.5%
- Annual Fee Waiver: Rs 10 Lakh Spend
- Best Use: Retail spends
- Rewards Redemption: Flight bookings, Gift Vouchers
- Airport Lounge Access: 6 visits/quarter to airport lounges in India and unlimited visits to airport lounges outside India
Best Credit Cards in India for Travel
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.
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.
- Joining Fee: Rs 5000+GST
- Annual Fee: Rs 5000+GST
- Rewards: 1% to 10%
- Annual Fee Waiver: None
- Best Use: Travel EDGE and direct airline/hotel spends
- Rewards Redemption: Points transfer to airline and hotel loyalty programs
- Airport Lounge Access: 8 visits/year to airport lounges in India and 4 visits/year to airport lounges outside India
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.
- Joining Fee: Rs 3500+GST
- Annual Fee: Rs 5000+GST
- Rewards: Up to 8%
- Annual Fee Waiver: None
- Best Use: Retail spends
- Rewards Redemption: Taj Vouchers, Points transfer
- Airport Lounge Access: 2 visits/quarter to airport lounges in India
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.
- Joining/Annual Fee: Rs 3000+GST
- Rewards: 0.8% to 3.2%
- Annual Fee Waiver: None
- Best Use: Retail spends
- Rewards Redemption: Marriott Bonvoy Hotel Stays
- Airport Lounge Access: 12 visits/year to airport lounges in India and 12 visits/year to airport lounges outside India
IRCTC SBI Premier Credit Card
If you are a frequent train traveler, the IRCTC SBI Premier credit card is one offering you need to check out. We get 10% value back on AC bookings and up to 7.5% bonus return on milestone benefit.
- Joining Fee: Rs 1499+GST
- Annual Fee: Rs 1499+GST
- Rewards: 10% on IRCTC AC bookings
- Annual Fee Waiver: Rs 2 Lakh spend
- Best Use: IRCTC bookings
- Rewards Redemption: Points deposited to IRCTC account
- Railway Lounge Access: 8 visits/year to IRCTC railway lounges
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.
- Joining/Annual Fee: Rs 1500+GST
- Rewards: 1% to 7.5%
- Annual Fee Waiver: On Rs 2.75 Lakh spend
- Rewards Redemption: Fuel
- Airport Lounge Access: None
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.
Best Credit Cards in India: BPCL SBI Card offers the best reward for fuel spends
- Joining/Annual Fee: Rs 499+GST
- Rewards: 0.25% to 3.25%
- Annual Fee Waiver: On Rs 50,000 spend
- Rewards Redemption: Fuel/Statement Credit
- Airport Lounge Access: Not Available
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.
Best Credit Cards in India: HPCL IDFC Power+ card offers 5% savings on fuel spends
- Joining/Annual Fee: Rs 499+GST
- Rewards: 0.5% to 5%
- Annual Fee Waiver: On Rs 1.5 Lakh spend
- Rewards Redemption: Statement Credit
- Airport Lounge Access: 4 visits/year to airport lounges in India
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
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!
