Best Credit Cards in India 2023 in India is Axis Bank MY ZONE Credit Card, HDFC MoneyBack Plus Credit Card, AU Bank LIT Credit Card, Cashback SBI Card, SBI SimplyCLICK Credit Card, Axis Bank ACE Credit Card, American Express SmartEarn Credit Card, IDFC FIRST Classic Credit Card

An excellent credit card should give many gratis privileges, such as access to airport lounges, golf rounds or lessons, etc., at a very low or no annual charge. But that strikes me as a really utopian notion. For card issuers, it is not financially feasible to provide such a lucrative credit card, even for a low membership fee. In order for people to choose a credit card based on their spending habits, they instead offer the finest credit cards with perks in several categories. The “best credit card” for each person will differ depending on their needs and spending habits, so no one credit card can be called “the best credit card” for everyone.We have therefore created a list of the top credit cards in India while keeping all demographic groups in mind.

It’s never a smart idea to apply for a credit card without doing your research. Prior to choosing a credit card, you should be aware of your spending patterns. People find it challenging to sort through the thousands of credit card options on the market and apply for one of the top cards. We have this post to assist you in making the greatest credit card in India selection. For more details, continue reading:

Best Entry-Level Credit Cards in India: 2023

This list is intended for new credit card users seeking for something straightforward. The optimum use for entry-level credit cards is for purchases under Rs 2 lakh. The playing cards in this part will:

• be simple to obtain approval for
• impose minimal or no yearly fees.
• reduce qualifying requirements for salaries.
• Offer incentives like cashback, statement credits, and gift cards.

The best credit cards for young professionals just starting out with credit—or even for students—come with either no annual fee or a very low one. Although these entry-level credit cards don’t offer as many perks as premium or lifestyle cards, card issuers frequently offer high reward rates on online spending (especially at a few popular e-commerce sites like Amazon, Flipkart, etc.), dining spending, and movie ticket purchases with these cards, keeping in mind their target customers. The top entry-level credit cards, in our opinion, are listed below.

1) Axis Bank MY ZONE Credit Card

You can receive savings on all everyday purchases made using the My Zone credit card from Axis Bank. On purchasing of cinema tickets, it provides cashback.

Fees & Charges

Annual Fee:1st Year: Nil, 2nd year onwards: Rs. 500.

Add-on Card Annual Fee:nil

Joining Fee:Rs. 500 Waived upon spends of Rs. 5,000 in 45 days

Eligibility Required

Criteria	Details
Occupation	Salaried or Self Employed
Nationality	Resident of India or a Non-Resident Indian
Age*	Minimum 18 years to maximum 70 years
Add-on Cardholder	Above 15 years of age

Axis Bank My Zone Credit Card Features and Benefits

Welcome benefit:When the card is initially used for online purchases, a large 100 points will be credited.

Rewards point programme:

• You receive 4 to 40 reward points for every Rs. 200 you spend using the card.
• On weekend eating expenditures at particular hotels and restaurants, you also get 10 times as many reward points.
• On weekend purchases at partner stores, you receive five times as many reward points.
• The 500+ incentives and offers mentioned in the Axis eDGE Loyalty incentives Catalogue can be purchased with the earned Axis credit card reward points.

Free lounge visits:Users of Axis My Zone Credit Cards can access participating airport lounges in India four times for free each year.

Cashback on movie bookings:You can receive a 25% discount on the entire booking account when you purchase movie tickets with the My Zone Credit Card. For bookings made with the card at the box office or online, the promotion is available every day of the week.

A secure card:The Axis Bank My Zone Credit Card is a chip card with EMV certification that is secured by both a chip and a PIN. Compared to a magnetic strip card, the embedded chip provides more secure transactions. It lessens the likelihood of fraud via counterfeiting and skimming.

Fuel surcharge waiver:For fuel purchases made at any petrol station in India, receive a 1% fuel surcharge waiver. The exemption applies to card purchases between Rs. 400 and Rs. 4,000. The maximum surcharge waiver each billing cycle is Rs. 400.

Dining privileges:In accordance with Axis Bank’s “Dining Delights” scheme, you get a least 15% discount on dining expenses at particular establishments across the nation.

Convert purchases to EMI:By getting in touch with the bank, every transaction made with the card that over Rs. 2,500 can be split up into convenient monthly payments. The sum can be paid back over terms of 6, 9, 12, 18 or 24 months.

2) HDFC MoneyBack Plus Credit Card

The HDFC MoneyBack+ Credit Card is a reward credit card that offers cardholders certain advantages in a number of different categories. On purchases made at Swiggy, Amazon, Flipkart, Big Basket, as well as Reliance Smart Super Store, cardholders can receive rewards points and cashbacks. For individuals seeking an entry-level credit card with intriguing reward points, the HDFC MoneyBack+ Credit Card may be the ideal choice.

Fees & Charges

Joining Fee:Rs.500

Annual Fee:Rs.500 (It will be waived if the cardholder spends more than Rs.50,000 per year)

Add-on Card Annual Fee:nil

Eligibility Required

Criteria	Details
Occupation	Salaried or Self Employed
Nationality	Resident of India or a Non-Resident Indian
Age*	Minimum 21years to maximum 60years
Minimum Income Required	Salaried: Rs.20,000 per month Self Employed: Rs.6 lakhs per annum as per Income Tax Returns (ITR)

HDFC MoneyBack Plus Credit Card Features and Benefits

Up to 10X Reward Points:

CashPoints are the rewards currency for this credit card. A MoneyBack+ Credit Card offers the following CashPoints for earning:

• 10X CashPoints on Reliance Smart SuperStore, BigBasket, Swiggy, Flipkart, and Amazon
• On EMI purchases made at merchant locations, get 5X CashPoints.
• Spending Rs. 150 on other categories earns you 2 CashPoints (not including petrol, wallet reloads, prepaid card top-ups, or voucher purchases).

Benefits of Milestones and Renewal

The card provides quarterly rewards based on spending. You receive a gift ticket of Rs. 500 when you spend Rs. 50,000 or more in a quarter. This has a yearly limit of Rs. 2,000 in gift cards. In addition, the Rs. 500 renewal cost is eliminated if you spend Rs. 50,000 or more in a year.

Additional Advantages of the HDFC MoneyBack+ Credit Card

Welcome Benefit:The HDFC Bank MoneyBack+ Credit Card has a 500 CashPoint activation bonus, with each CashPoint worth 0.25 rupees. You gain an advantage of about Rs. 125 as a result.

Zero Lost Card Liability:The card has a zero lost card liability clause, so even if you misplace it, you are not responsible for any fraud. Make sure, though, that you notify HDFC Bank Credit Card customer service of the loss as soon as possible.

EMI Conversion:With this credit card, you may easily split large purchases into EMIs after the fact.

Contactless Payments:

The card also allows contactless payments up to a maximum of Rs. 5,000 per transaction without inputting the credit card PIN.

Fuel Surcharge Waiver:a minimum transaction of Rs. 400 and a maximum transaction of Rs. 5,000 are exempt from the 1% fuel levy. The maximum amount of the waiver is Rs. 250 per statement cycle.

3) AU Bank LIT Credit Card

India’s first feature-customizable credit card is the AU Small Finance LIT credit card. This implies that you can select any feature you want for your card and only pay for that one feature. The AU bank has launched a very innovative and only one of its kind credit card. Every other credit card company launches many credit cards with different features and benefits. There are many credit cards in the market with different features and therefore it becomes very difficult and confusing for the customers to choose the best card to fulfil their needs from so many cards. The customer frequently ends up with multiple cards and pays multiple annual fees.

Fees & Charges

Joining Fee:NIL (LTF)

Annual Fee:NIL (LTF)

Eligibility Required

Criteria	Details
Occupation	Salaried or Self Employed
Nationality	Resident of India or a Non-Resident Indian
Age*	Minimum 21years to maximum 60years
Add-on Cardholder	Above 18 years of age

AU Bank LIT Credit Card Features and Benefits:

Reward Points:

• All local and international retail transactions conducted online earn 10X/5X reward points.
• On all POS and contactless offline local and international transactions, you can earn 10X /5X reward points.

Earn up to 5% cashback:

• Cashback of 5% three times within a 90-day period
• Receive 1 Reward Point for every Rs. 100 spent in addition to 5% cashback on retail purchases.
• Minimum retail purchases of Rs. 7,500 and a 30-day cashback cap of Rs. 500 are required.

Earn up to 2% cashback:

• Cashback of 2% three times within a 90-day period
• Take advantage of 2% cashback on retail purchases in addition to 1 reward point for every Rs. 100 spent.
• Minimum retail purchases of Rs. 10,000 and a 30-day cashback cap of Rs. 1,000 are required.

Other Benefits:

• Access to the lounge: Receive up to four gratis visits per quarter.
• Fuel Surcharge Waiver: All fuel transactions between Rs. 400 and Rs. 5,000 are exempt from the 1% fuel surcharge.
• Access fun and fitness subscriptions at Zee5, Amazon Prime, and Cult.fit.

4) Cashback SBI Card

A recently introduced credit card provided by SBI Card is the Cashback SBI Card. The card is a cashback reward card, as its name implies, and offers cash back on all purchases made with it. The card’s applicable yearly fee is Rs. 999. On all purchases made with this card—both online and off—you can get up to 5% cash back. The Cashback SBI card’s annual fee might appear a little excessive, but it can be eliminated if you spend Rs. 2 Lakh in a single year. Continue reading to learn more about the new Cashback SBI Card.

Fees & Charges

Joining Fee:Rs. 999 ( First Year FREE (till 31st March 2023)

Annual Fee:999 INR+GST

Add-on Fee:Nil

Note: Until March 31, 2023, the joining cost is temporarily waived.

Eligibility Required

Criteria	Details
Occupation	Salaried or Self Employed
Nationality	Resident of India or a Non-Resident Indian
Age*	Minimum 21years to maximum 65years
income	regular income is good

Cashback SBI Card Features and Benefits:

• For the first year, you are able to utilise all benefits at no cost. The second year onwards, however, will require you to pay an annual/renewal charge of Rs. 999, which would be waived if you spent Rs. 2 lakh the year before.
• With no restrictions on merchants, receive 5% cashback on all online transactions.
• On offline purchases and utility bill payments, receive 1% cashback. Cashback is not available on rent payments, merchant equated monthly instalments (EMIs), balance transfers, flexipay, wallet loading, encash, and cash advances.
• Get four free trips to a domestic airport lounge per year, with a cap of one trip each quarter.
• Enjoy a 1% fuel surcharge waiver at all Indian petrol stations on purchases between Rs. 500 and Rs. 3,000. The most that can be waived of a surcharge in a billing cycle is Rs. 100.
• More than 24 million merchants globally, including 3.25 lakh in India, accept the Cashback SBI Card.
• ‘Easy Bill Pay’ can be used to conveniently pay your mobile, energy, and other utility bills.
• Transfer your unpaid credit card balances from other banks to your Cashback SBI Card so you can pay them off in lower interest-rate EMIs.
• By obtaining add-on cards for your parents, spouse, kids, or siblings over the age of 18, you can extend the benefits of your card.

5) SBI SimplyCLICK Credit Card

The second-largest credit card issuer in India right now is SBI Card. For one straightforward reason, getting an SBI Card is a wise decision. During Amazon/Flipkart deals, the partner is frequently responsible for a 10% instant discount. For this reason, any person who spends online at these platforms needs an SBI credit card. The SBI SimplyCLICK credit card is the ideal one for that when it comes to online shopping.

Fees & Charges

Joining Fee:Rs. 499 (plus applicable taxes)

Annual Fee:Rs. 499 (plus applicable taxes)

Annual Fee Waiver:Spend Rs 1 Lakh in a membership year

Amazon gift card of Rs. 500 as a welcome gift after paying the membership fee

Eligibility Required

Criteria	Details
Occupation	Salaried or Self Employed
Nationality	Resident of India or a Non-Resident Indian
Age*	Minimum 21years to maximum 65years

SBI SimplyCLICK Credit Card Features and Benefits:

Welcome Benefits:After paying the annual fees, you’ll receive a 500 rupee Amazon e-voucher as part of the welcome package.

Rewards Rate:1 Reward Point every Rs. 100 spent on offline spends (reward rate is 0.25%), 10X RPs on online spends at partner merchants (BookMyShow, Apollo24x7, etc.) (reward rate is 2.5%), 5X RPs on other online spends (reward rate = 1.25%)

Reward Redemption:Reward Points (1 RP = Rs. 0.25) can be exchanged for gift cards on sbicard.com or through the SBI mobile app, as well as to settle the card’s outstanding balance.

Zero Liability Protection:If the loss is reported to the bank officials in a timely manner, the cardholders are protected against loss or theft of the card with zero liability.

Spend based Waiver:Obtain a waiver of the renewal charge after spending Rs. 1 lakh overall the previous year.

Fuel Surcharge:Fuel transactions between Rs. 500 and Rs. 3,000 are exempt from the 1% fuel fee (the maximum waiver is Rs. 100 per month).

6) Axis Bank ACE Credit Card

The Axis Bank ACE credit card, which was introduced in collaboration with Google Pay and Visa, aims to take advantage of the country’s high rate of internet adoption and rapid expansion of online payments, particularly in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak.

With this card, you receive 4% cashback at well-known retailers like Swiggy, Zomato, and Ola and 5% cashback on payments made for utilities like electricity, gas, water, and internet through the Google Pay Android app. With this credit card, Axis Bank is aiming to attract young professionals who are unfamiliar with credit but who frequently shop at these well-known retailers.

The ACE credit card gives free domestic airport lounge access, 20% off at over 4000 partner restaurants, among other bonuses in addition to the reward offerings.

Fees & Charges

Joining Fee:Rs. 499 (plus applicable taxes)

Joining fee waiver:Spend Rs 10000 within 45 days

Annual Fee:Rs. 499 (plus applicable taxes)

Annual Fee Waiver:Spend Rs 2 Lakhs in a membership year

Eligibility Required

Criteria	Details
Occupation	Salaried or Self Employed
Nationality	Resident of India or a Non-Resident Indian
Age*	Minimum 18years to maximum 70 years

Axis Bank ACE Credit Card Features and Benefits:

Unlimited cashback for every spend:You will be able to take advantage of cashback under the programme, where a specific amount of money will be credited to your credit card account after you pay your bills or complete a recharge.

Complimentary access to domestic airport lounges:

Using the Axis Bank ACE Credit Card will also grant you the benefit of up to 4 complimentary visits to domestic airport lounges within a 12-month period.

Fuel Surcharge Waiver:If you pay with your ACE Credit Card at any petrol station in India, you can save a lot with a 1% fuel surcharge waiver. The fuel price waiver is only available for transactions between Rs. 400 and Rs. 4,000, and the most benefit you may receive each month is Rs. 500.

Dining Delights:If you pay with an ACE Credit Card, you can receive up to a 20% discount on your eating expenses. This offer is valid at more than 4,000 partner restaurants across India.

Purchases can be converted to EMI:For purchases made with the ACE Credit Card that total Rs. 2,500 or more, equivalent monthly instalments (EMI) are an option.

7) American Express SmartEarn Credit Card

A credit card that uses reward points is the American Express SmartEarn card. You can earn Membership Reward Points while using your credit card to make in-store purchases, and you can earn accelerated Membership Reward Points while accessing certain websites. As far as American Express cards go, it is a respectable card for novices. If you spend more than Rs. 40,000 in a year, you can also get the yearly membership cost waived. This card is definitely something to think about if you’re a young professional who wants to carry an American Express card in your wallet for its brand value.

Fees & Charges

Joining Fee:Rs. 495 (plus applicable taxes)

Annual Fee:495 (plus applicable taxes)

Annual Fee Waiver:Annual renewal fee waived on spends of Rs. 40,000 in the previous year.

Eligibility Required

Criteria	Details
Occupation	Salaried or Self Employed
Nationality	Resident of India or a Non-Resident Indian
Age*	Minimum 18years to above
Salaried	If you work as a salaried employee, your yearly income must be at least Rs. 4.5 lakh.
self Employed	If you are self-employed, your business must have been in operation for at least a year and you must have filed an income tax return totaling at least Rs. 6 lakh the previous year.

Axis Bank ACE Credit Card Features and Benefits:

Welcome Benefits:

• On eligible purchases totaling Rs. 10,000 within the first 90 days of the card’s issuance, you’ll receive Rs. 500 in cashback as a welcome benefit.
• All purchases, with the exception of express cash transactions, cash advances, draughts, fees, and balance transfers, are eligible for reimbursement.

Milestone Benefits:On eligible expenditures of at least Rs. 40,000 in the prior card year, the annual membership fee is waived.

American Express SmartEarn Credit Card Rewards:

• With the exception of purchases of fuel, insurance, utilities, cash transactions, and EMI conversion at POS, you can earn one Membership Reward Point for every Rs. 50 you spend using this credit card.
• 10X Membership Rewards Points on both Amazon and Flipkart (a combined limit of 500 Points per month at the accelerated pace).
• 10X Membership Rewards Points for Uber rides, with a monthly cap of 500 Points.
• On Paytm wallet uploads, Swiggy, BookMyShow, Big Bazaar, PVR, Myntra, and many other retailers, you can earn 5X Membership Rewards Points (up to 250 Points each month at this rate).
• If you spend Rs. 2,500 on Amazon and Flipkart combined (500 Membership Rewards Points), Rs. 2,500 on Uber rides (500 Membership Rewards Points), and Rs. 2500 on 5X partner merchants like Paytm, Swiggy, etc. (250 Membership Rewards Points), you can earn a maximum of 1,250 Membership Rewards Points in a month at an accelerated rate.

Reward Redemption:

• The Membership Rewards Points can be used to pay credit card bills via the Cash + Points programme, buy e-vouchers from Amex’s online shopping portal, make INSTA purchases at physical stores, and on online shopping websites.
• Membership Reward Points can be transferred to various other loyalty programmes for hotels and airlines, including Asia Miles, British Airways Executive Club, Emirates, Club Vistara, Skywards, Etihad Guest, Finnair Plus, InterMiles, Qatar Privilege Club, Singapore KrisFlyer, Virgin Points, Marriott Bonovoy, and Hilton Honours.

Movie and Dining Benefits:

5X Membership Reward Points on BookMyShow and Swiggy (a maximum cap of 250 Points is applicable for the combined 5X partners).

Fuel Surcharge Waiver:

Only transactions made at HPCL gasoline stations that total more than Rs. 5,000 would be exempt from the 1% fuel levy. Fuel surcharges are applied to all transactions at stations that are not owned by HPCL.

8) IDFC FIRST Classic Credit Card

The bank also offers the IDFC FIRST Classic Credit Card, which has no annual charge, along with the IDFC First Select and IDFC First Millennia credit cards. The card is free to enrol, but it also takes into account all of its users’ needs. You are given a gift card for Rs. 500 as well as 5% cash back on your first EMI transaction as a welcome present. With this card, you receive 3 reward points for every 150 rupees spent offline and 6 reward points for every 150 rupees spent online. Even modest purchases over Rs 20,000 in a given month will earn you up to 10 Reward Points. In addition, you are awarded extra points for large purchases and all of the transactions that are completed on your birthday.

Fees & Charges

Joining Fee:Nil

Annual Fee:Nil

it is a lifetime free credit card.

Eligibility Required

Criteria	Details
Occupation	Salaried or Self Employed
Nationality	Resident of India or a Non-Resident Indian
Age*	Minimum 21years to above

IDFC FIRST Classic Credit Card Features and Benefits:

Rewards points:

• For every Rs. 150 you spend offline, you receive 3x Reward Points.
• For every Rs. 150 you spend online, you receive 6x Reward Points.
• For every Rs. 150 spent on purchases over Rs. 20,000, you receive 10x Reward Points.
• On your birthday, you receive 10x Reward Points for every Rs. 150 spend.
• Reward Points are not awarded for transactions like fuel purchases, EMI transactions, loan payments, and cash withdrawals.
• Reward Points that you accumulate using your IDFC FIRST Classic Credit Card never expire.

Rewards Redemption:

• The reward points you accumulate can be quickly redeemed at partner businesses or on online purchases.
• 1 reward point is equal to 0.25 rupees.
• For reward redemption, the IDFC FIRST Classic Credit Card levies a convenience fee of Rs. 99 plus taxes.

Travel Benefits:Each year, you are granted 16 complimentary visits to the Railway Lounge (four per quarter). Additionally, you receive free roadside assistance four times a year, valued Rs. 1399.

Movie & Dining Benefits:

• On the Paytm app, you receive a 25% discount on films (up to Rs. 100) once every month.
• Get up to 20% off your meal at one of more than 1,500 restaurants.

Insurance Benefits:

• The cardholder receives a personal accident insurance policy of Rs. 2 lakh.
• For missing cards, coverage of Rs. 25,000 is offered.

Other Benefits:

• Up to four times every year, you receive free roadside assistance worth Rs. 1,399.
• Up to 15% off is available at more than 3000 Health & Wellness locations.
• Receive more than 300 partner merchant offers annually.

Fuel Surcharge Waiver:You are exempt from the 1% gasoline levy at all Indian petrol stations. The maximum monthly surcharge waiver is limited to Rs. 200.

FAQ – Best Credit Cards in India 2023