Best Credit Cards in India 2021
There are a number of credit cards in India which offer attractive benefits in the form of reward programs, cashbacks, fuel savings, insurance benefits, travel benefits, etc. Choosing the right credit card based on your lifestyle requirements will help you reap the maximum benefits from the card. Here is all the information you need about the top 10 credit cards in India based on various categories and parameters. This will help you choose the right credit card that will add more value and savings to your lifestyle.
10 Best Credit Cards in 2021:
| Credit Card | Joining Fee | Annual Fee |
|---|---|---|
| NIL | NIL | |
| NIL | NIL | |
| - | Rs.1,199 | |
| - | Rs.500 | |
| - | Rs.250 | |
| - | Rs.1,000 | |
| - | Rs.500 | |
| Rs.250 | Rs.250 | |
| Rs.499 | Rs.499 | |
| Rs.3,000 | NIL |
Best Credit Cards Based on Top Categories
| Credit Card | Best For |
|---|---|
| FinBooster: YES Bank-BankBazaar Co-branded Credit Card | Reward Points |
| Yatra SBI Credit Card | Travel, Flight Booking, Hotel Booking |
| YES Prosperity Edge Credit Card | Shopping and lifestyle |
| RBL Shoprite Credit Card | Shopping |
| Standard Chartered DigiSmart Credit Card | Online Shopping, Travel & Dining |
| IndusInd Bank Platinum Credit Card | Lifetime Free Card |
| IndianOil Citi Credit Card | Fuel |
| Axis Bank Neo Credit Card | Cashback, Hotel, Movies |
| HDFC Bank Diners ClubMiles Card | Lounge Access |
| Citi Rewards Credit Card | Rewards |
| Axis Bank Neo Credit Card | Bookings, Shopping, Movies |
| IndusInd Bank Platinum Aura Edge Credit Card | Travel, Dining, Lifestyle |
Top 10 Credit Cards in India – Features & Benefits
FinBooster: YES Bank - BankBazaar Co-branded Credit Card
Benefits of FinBooster: YES Bank - BankBazaar Co-branded Credit Card
- You get free subscription to CreditStrong - a credit fitness report.
- Earn up to 5X reward points on online dining, grocery, and apparel spends.
- Get 2 reward points for every Rs.200 swiped for other retail spends.
- 1% fuel surcharge waiver across all fuel stations.
IndusInd Bank Platinum Aura Edge Visa Credit Card
This is a lifetime free credit card with no annual or joining fees. IndusInd Bank Platinum Aura Edge Visa Credit Card offers reward points across a wide category of spends.
Benefits of IndusInd Bank Platinum Aura Edge Visa Credit Card
- Fuel savings of up to Rs.2,400 at fuel stations across the country
- Travel insurance cover for lost baggage (up to Rs.1 lakh), lost passport (up to Rs.50,000), delayed baggage (up to Rs.25,000), lost ticket and missed connection (up to Rs.25,000 each).
- Savings points can be converted to airline miles
- Savings points on dining, retail, entertainment, and various other categories
YES Prosperity Edge Credit Card
This YES Prosperity Edge Credit Card allows you to earn while you spend and you can enjoy rounds at select golf courses in India.
Benefits of YES Prosperity Edge Credit Card
- You get 15,000 as bonus reward points when your spends reach Rs.6 lakh or more in every anniversary year
- Earn 4 reward points for every Rs.200 that you spend in all categories other than ‘Select categories’ (You can check the YES Bank website for more details).
- Get 2 reward points for every Rs.200 you spend on select categories (You can check the YES Bank website for more details).
- Get 4 complimentary rounds per calendar year at select Golf courses in the country.
- You enjoy one complimentary golf lesson every calendar month at select golf courses.
RBL Bank Shoprite Credit Card
Every time you shop using this RBL Bank Shoprite Credit Card, you can earn reward points and redeem them for products on the bank's catalogue.
Benefits of RBL Bank Shoprite Credit Card
- You get 1 reward point for every Rs.100 that you spend on all your purchases except fuel.
- Get 20 reward points for every Rs.100 spent for grocery shopping
- You get 10% discount (up to Rs.100) on movie tickets purchased on BookMyShow 15 times in a year.
- You get 10 reward points for every Rs.100 spent on fuel transactions.
- You can earn a maximum of 1,000 reward points in one month.
Standard Chartered Platinum Rewards Credit Card
This Standard Chartered Platinum Rewards Credit Card helps you save money every time you dine out. You can also earn rewards on your spends
Benefits of Standard Chartered Platinum Rewards Credit Card
- Get 5x reward points for every Rs.150 that you spend at fine-dining outlets.
- Earn 5x reward points for every Rs.150 spent on fuel.
- 1x reward points for every Rs.150 spent on other categories.
Indian Oil Citi Credit Card
This fuel credit card helps you save money on fuel and, at the same time, earn rewards on all your purchases.
Benefits of Indian Oil Citi Credit Card
- With Indian Oil Citi Credit Card avail annual fee waiver on spend of Rs.30,000 p.a.
- Earn 4 Turbo Points on every Rs.150 spent on the purchase of fuel at IndianOil outlets across India.
- Fuel surcharge waiver at IndianOil outlets.
- Earn 2 Turbo Points on every Rs.150 spent at supermarkets and grocery stores.
- Earn 1 Turbo Points on every Rs.150 spent on all other purchases.
- Redeem Turbo Points for free fuel at IndianOil outlets. 1 Turbo Point is equal to free fuel worth Re.1. Points can also be redeemed at selected merchant outlets and for gift vouchers at major brands.
HDFC Freedom Credit Card
Key Highlights of HDFC Freedom Credit Card
- Enjoy 5X reward points on everything from grocery, dining, movie, railway, and taxi bookings.
- Get 25X reward points on spends made on your birthday.
- Avail 10X reward points on your SmartBUY and PayZapp purchases.
- Get a gift voucher worth Rs.1,000 when you spend Rs.90,000 in a year.
- Spend Rs.50,000+ in a year and get your renewal fee waived off.
- Enjoy an interest-free period of up to 50 days.
- Get 500 reward points as your welcome benefit.
- Get renewal bonus of 500 points when you pay your renewal fee.
Axis Bank Neo Credit Card
Moviegoers and shoppers love this Axis Bank Neo Credit Card. It offers some of the best dining, shopping, and entertainment benefits in India. Cardholders can also earn reward points on their spendings and make purchases on EMI.
Benefits of Axis Bank Neo Credit Card
- Earn 1 reward point for every Rs.200 that you spend.
- Get up to 40% off on your orders made on Zomato. The maximum discount you can get is Rs.120.
- Get 5% off on your utility bills paid via Paytm.
- Get 10% off on every movie ticket you buy via BookMyShow. Get a maximum of Rs.100 as a discount every month.
Yatra SBI Credit Card
The State Bank of India (SBI) and Yatra have partnered to offer Yatra SBI Credit Card, which is one of the best travel credit cards in India at present. Apart from offers on domestic and international travel, this card has multiple benefits in store for the cardholders.
Benefits of Yatra SBI Credit Card:
- Vouchers worth Rs.8,250 from Yatra as a welcome gift. Use the card within 30 days of availing it to get Rs.100 worth cashback.
- Spend up to Rs.1 lakh in a year to avail annual fee waiver from the second year.
- Get 6 reward points on every Rs.100 that you spend on departmental stores, dining, grocery, movies, and entertainment.
- Avail 1 point on every Rs.100 spent on other retail stores.
- Points can be redeemed for Yatra vouchers.
- Get a discount of Rs.1,000 on domestic flight bookings on Yatra. Your minimum transaction has to be Rs.5,000.
- Get a discount of Rs.4,000 on domestic flight bookings on Yatra. Your minimum transaction has to be Rs.40,000.
- Get 20% off on domestic hotels booked at Yatra. Your minimum transaction has to be Rs.3,000. The maximum discount you can get is Rs.2,000.
- Enjoy access to airport lounges in India.
- Enjoy 1% surcharge waiver on Rs.500 to Rs.3,000 worth fuel purchases.
IndusInd Bank Platinum Credit Card
This premium credit card is ideal for people who wish to live a posh life. It offers multiple lifestyle and dining benefits to the cardholders.
Benefits of IndusInd Bank Platinum Credit Card
- Earn 1.5 Reward Points on every Rs.150 that you spend using the IndusInd Bank Platinum Credit Card.
- Enjoy complimentary golf lessons and games at golf courses in India.
- Avail discounts on movie tickets when you book using this card on BookMyShow.
- Enjoy complimentary Priority Pass and get access to airport lounges in India and abroad.
- Enjoy benefits under the Travel Plus Program.
- Avail Travel Insurance cover and enjoy 24x7 concierge services. The card’s Total Protect feature will protect you from fraudulent transactions.
- Avail free air accident cover up to Rs.25 lakh.
- Avail services during an emergency through the bank’s 24x7 Auto Assist Facility.
Best Credit Cards in India for Salaried Individuals
Credit cards are perhaps one of the most utilised financial tools in the world today. These cards are similar to loans and can be availed with a swipe of the card. Ever since their inception in the 1950s, credit cards have had a significant impact on the economy.
To avail a credit card, certain eligibility criteria will have to be met. For example, the applicant must be earning a minimum annual income as defined by the credit card provider and must be an adult. Additionally, credit scores also play an important role.
Salaried individuals can avail a number of credit cards as long as they are earning a minimum annual income, as prescribed by the bank or credit card provider and have a good credit score. A number of companies in India provide salaried employees with a plethora of credit cards. Each of these cards come with different benefits and features and the eligibility criteria for each of these cards will vary.
FAQs on Best Credit Cards
- Which credit card helps to track my credit score?
The FinBooster: YES Bank - BankBazaar Co-branded Credit Card gives you access to a free real-time dashboard through which you can track your spends and credit score, thereby helping you maintain a good credit report.
- Which credit card is the best for online shopping in India?
You have a lot of options for shopping credit cards in India. Depending on your need, you can choose SBI SimplySave Credit Card, Citi Cashback Card and or HSBC Visa Platinum Credit Card, to name a few.
- Which credit card in India has rewards program?
The system of reward points varies from one credit card to another. For the best reward points you can choose the FinBooster: YES Bank - BankBazaar Co-branded Credit Card, HDFC Freedom Credit Card, IndusInd Bank Platinum Aura Edge Visa Credit Card, or Citi Cashback Card, to name a few.
- Which credit card in India offers the best travel benefits?
Many credit cards in India comes with basic travel benefits which include lounge access at the airport, accelerated reward points on travel bookings, etc. However, there are many credit cards which offer added benefits on travel such as the MakeMyTrip ICICI Bank Credit Card, HDFC Bank Regalia credit card, etc.
- Which is the best credit card for entertainment benefits?
There are several credit cards which offer a wide variety of entertainment benefits. However, there are a certain set of cards which are solely entertainment-oriented. They offer the best benefits when it comes to entertainment along with a few features across other categories as well. The Kotak PVR Gold Credit Card, HDFC Moneyback Credit Card and the Axis Bank Neo Credit Card are among the top credit cards for entertainment expenses.
- What are the best credit cards available for a wide range of dining benefits?
Most cards which are mentioned above come with a set of dining privileges which will be given to you while you are dining out. There are also certain cards which offer discounts and cashback while ordering online. The HDFC Bank Diners Club Credit Card and the IndusInd Bank Platinum Credit Card are some of the credit cards which offer best-in-class dining benefits.
- Will the lounge benefits with these top credit cards be free of cost?
There is a certain number of lounge visits allotted to you with your credit card which are free of cost. However, after exceeding the maximum number of visits, you will have to pay a certain amount as a fee to utilise the lounge in domestic and international airports. The fee generally is the same for most credit cards. It is advised that you read the terms and conditions for domestic and international lounge access before using the card.
- Do top credit cards have higher annual fees?
No, there is a range of credit cards offered by different banks which offer many benefits at a nominal annual and joining fee. Some of the credit cards are the HDFC Bank Moneyback credit card, ICICI Bank Platinum Credit Card, etc.
- What is the minimum salary required for a credit card?
The minimum salary required to apply for a credit card varies from one bank to the other. There are also credit cards offered for first-time applicants who may not have a higher income but can get a credit card with a lower credit limit depending on the various factors checked by the bank.
- How to redeem the benefits which are offered by these credit cards?
For the reward points, you can visit the website of the bank and redeem the points which have been accumulated in your card. The reward points can be redeemed to avail a wide range of products and services across various categories through the partnerships the bank has with other companies. Benefits such as movie tickets, dining, etc., will be automatically given to you once you use the credit card. However, it is important to know the terms and conditions of the benefits which are given with your card.