Credit cards offer you a financial flexibility as they work on a deferred payment basis, allowing you to access credit when you need it the most. There are several benefits of owning a credit card and the prominent one is you get valuable rewards on spending with the card. Banks compete with each other in terms of features and benefits offered on credit cards. As a cardholder, you can enjoy some exceptional benefits, ranging from cashback on everyday purchases to exclusive travel perks and lounge access.
To make an informed decision tailored to your lifestyle and spending habits, in this article, we will explore the top 10 credit cards available in India with unique offerings, joining fees and renewal charges.
Here are the details for the best credit cards in India for August 2024. The credit card data provided in this article is sourced from Paisabazaar.com and is subject to change. Please verify the details with the respective banks before applying.
Cashback SBI Card
This card offers 5% cashback across all online spends without any merchant restrictions. It also provides 1% cashback on all offline spends, ensuring rewards on every purchase. Additionally, there is a 1% fuel surcharge waiver, up to Rs 100 per month.
Joining Fee: Rs 999
Annual/Renewal Fee: Rs 999
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Axis Bank ACE Credit Card
Axis Bank ACE Credit Card gives 1.5% cashback on all offline and online spends. Cardholders can enjoy 4 domestic lounge accesses per year by spending Rs 50,000 or more in the previous quarter. It also offers a 1% fuel surcharge waiver across all fuel stations for transactions between Rs 400 and Rs 4,000.
Joining Fee: Rs 499
Annual/Renewal Fee: Rs 499
HDFC Regalia Gold Credit Card
This premium card comes with complimentary Club Vistara Silver and MMT Black Elite memberships. Cardholders receive a gift voucher worth Rs 2,500 on payment of the joining fee and enjoy 6 complimentary international and 12 domestic airport lounge visits annually. Additional benefits include vouchers from Marks & Spencer, Reliance Digital, Myntra, or Marriott on quarterly spends of Rs 1.5 lakh and flight vouchers worth Rs 5,000 on annual spends of Rs 5 lakh.
Joining Fee: Rs 2,500
Annual/Renewal Fee: Rs 2,500
SBI Prime Credit Card
SBI Prime Credit Card offers complimentary Trident Privilege Red Tier and Club Vistara Silver memberships. It includes e-gift vouchers worth Rs 3,000 from popular brands like Yatra and Pantaloons as welcome benefits.
Cardholders can earn a Pizza Hut gift voucher worth Rs 1,000 on quarterly spends of Rs 50,000 and a Yatra/Pantaloons voucher worth Rs 7,000 on annual spends of Rs 5 lakh. Additionally, the card provides 4 complimentary international lounge visits per year.
Joining Fee: Rs 2,999
Annual/Renewal Fee: Rs 2,999
Club Vistara IDFC FIRST Credit Card
This card offers a premium economy ticket, a class upgrade, and a 3-month EazyDiner Prime membership as a welcome bonus. It also includes a complimentary Club Vistara Silver membership and allows users to earn up to 6 CV Points for every Rs 200 spent. The card provides 2 complimentary visits to domestic lounges and spas per quarter, along with 12 complimentary golf lessons and 4 golf rounds per year.
Joining Fee: Rs 4,999
Annual/Renewal Fee: Rs 4,999
Axis Atlas Credit Card
Axis Atlas Credit Card offers 2,500 bonus EDGE Miles as a welcome benefit and allows users to earn up to 5 EDGE Miles per Rs 100 spent on travel. These miles can be redeemed at a value of 1 EDGE Mile = 2 Partner Points. The card also provides milestone benefits of up to 5,000 EDGE Miles and up to 18 complimentary domestic lounge visits annually.
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Joining Fee: Rs 5,000
Annual/Renewal Fee: Rs 5,000
HDFC Infinia Credit Card Metal Edition
This invite-only card offers 1 Reward Point (RP) equivalent to 1 Air Mile or Re 1 for travel bookings, Apple products, and Tanishq vouchers via SmartBuy. Cardholders receive Club Marriott membership and 12,500 reward points on card activation and renewal.
The card provides 5 reward points for every Rs 150 spent, including on insurance, utilities, and education, along with access to unlimited golf coaching in India and golf games worldwide. Additionally, cardholders enjoy a 2% forex mark-up fee and can book 3 nights at participating ITC hotels and pay for only 2, with a 1+1 complimentary weekend buffet.
Joining Fee: Rs 12,500
Annual/Renewal Fee: Rs 12,500
HDFC Diners Club Black Credit Card
HDFC Diners Club Black Credit Card offers up to 10X reward points on SmartBuy and 2X on weekend dining, with a redemption ratio of up to 1:1. It includes annual memberships of Club Marriott, Forbes, Amazon, Swiggy One (3 months), and MMT BLACK upon joining. The card features a low forex markup fee of 2% and renews annual complimentary memberships on Rs 8 lakh annual spends. Cardholders can also earn 2 vouchers worth Rs 500 from Ola Cabs, cult.fit Live, BookMyShow, or TataCliQ on monthly spends of Rs 80,000, along with 6 complimentary golf games per calendar quarter.
Joining Fee: Rs 10,000
Annual/Renewal Fee: Rs 10,000
BPCL SBI Card Octane
This card offers 25 reward points per Rs 100 spent on BPCL fuel, lubricants, and Bharat Gas, and 1 reward point on other transactions. Cardholders receive 6,000 reward points as a welcome bonus on fee payment, with 1 RP equivalent to Rs 0.25. The card also provides 4 complimentary visits per year to domestic VISA lounges in India and fee waivers on Rs 2 lakh annual spends, plus a Rs 2,000 e-gift voucher on Rs 3 lakh annual spends. Additionally, there’s a 1% fuel surcharge waiver, up to Rs 100 per month, on BPCL fuel spends of up to Rs 4,000.
Joining Fee: Rs 1,499
Annual/Renewal Fee: Rs 1,499
ICICI HPCL Super Saver Credit Card
ICICI HPCL Super Saver Credit Card offers Rs 100 cashback on recharge via the HP Pay app and 2,000 reward points as a joining bonus. It provides 4% cashback, up to Rs 200 per month, on HPCL spends, and a 1% fuel surcharge waiver. Additionally, cardholders can save an extra 1.5% with 6 reward points per Rs 100 spent on HPCL fuel via the HP Pay app. The card also offers 2 reward points per Rs 100 spent on other retail purchases, with 1 RP equivalent to Rs 0.25, and 1 domestic airport lounge access per quarter on spending Rs 35,000 in the previous quarter.
Joining Fee: Rs 500
Annual/Renewal Fee: Rs 500
Remember the best credit cards vary across different categories. They are best considering various benefits available across multiple categories like cashback & shopping, rewards, travel, premium, and fuel. As per your spending patterns and preferences, choosing the ‘best credit card’ may be subjective. To find the right one you must always analyze your spends and accordingly look for a better credit card if any.