Premium credit cards are the ones that charge substantial annual fees but also offer exclusive benefits to the users in return. Some people also consider premium cards as status symbol as these are offered only to high-earning individuals who happen to be big spenders. Although the charges on these cards are high, those who are eligible have fair chances of scoring handsome credit limit.
Exclusive privileges may differ from one card to another but some common benefits offered on premium credit cards include complimentary airport lounge access, concierge service and travel insurance. Before we learn about the nuances of getting a premium card, let us first talk about some of the best premium credit cards in India.
| Credit Card | Annual Fee (in Rs.) | Premium Highlight |
| SBI Card ELITE | 4,999 | Priority Pass Membership and Club Vistara Silver Membership |
| American Express Platinum Reserve Credit Card | 10,000 | Privileges at Taj Hotel Palaces Resorts Safaris, Oberoi Hotels and Resorts and Preferred Hotel Group |
| SCB Ultimate Credit Card | 5,000 | Access to 20 premier golf courses in India and 150 golf courses worldwide |
| YES FIRST Preferred Credit Card | 2,500 | Exclusive concierge assistance and automobile assistance; Lowest Foreign Currency Mark-up of 1.75% |
| ICICI Bank Sapphiro Credit Card | 3,500 | DragonPass Membership and 4 complimentary rounds/ lessons of golf every month* |
| HDFC Regalia Credit Card | 2,500 | Club Vistara Silver Membership and Exclusive Dining Privileges at premium restaurants across India |
| Citi Premiermiles® Credit Card | 3,000 | Online travel partnership with brands like Goibibo, Yatra, MakeMyTrip and Indigo |
Best for Vistara Airline Privileges and Lounge Access
Available at an annual fee of Rs. 5,000, this credit card by SBI is one of the most popular premium cards in the market. It offers two complimentary movie tickets per month the benefit of which equals to Rs. 6,000 per year. Users will also get milestone benefits- 50,000 bonus points that are worth Rs. 12,500 in monetary value. Extra reward points are offered when you shop at grocery and departmental stores or use the card for dining out.
What makes it a premium credit card?
- Complimentary membership to the Priority Pass Program worth $99 that gives you access to over 1,000 airport lounges worldwide
- 2 complimentary Domestic Airport Lounge visits per quarter
- Complimentary Club Vistara Silver Membership along with 1 lounge access voucher and 1 upgrade voucher
- Trident Privilege Red Tier Membership with exclusive 1,000 points on registration
- Lowest Foreign Currency Mark-up Charge of 1.99%
- Exclusive concierge service with customized holiday package, gift delivery, movie and hotel reservations
2- American Express Platinum Reserve Credit Card
Best for Premium Hotel Stays and Travel Bookings on Makemytrip
This is also counted among the super premium credit cards in India and charges Rs. 5,000 as first-year fee and Rs. 10,000 second year onwards. It is best suited for frequent travellers as it comes with exclusive air travel benefits and hotel privileges. Card holders earn 1 membership reward point for every Rs. 50 spent and it can be accelerated up to 20 points when shopping at partner outlets.
What makes it a premium credit card?
- Benefits on booking travel package on MakeMyTrip.com
- Privileges at Taj Hotel Palaces Resorts Safaris, Oberoi Hotels and Resorts and Preferred Hotel Group
- Complimentary access to American Express Lounges in India
- Complimentary Priority Pass Membership
- Special health and wellness benefits on Fortis Healthcare, Max Healthcare and Texas Medical Concierge
- Complimentary access to leading golf courses in India
- Exciting privileges at select restaurants
- A dedicated concierge service available round the clock at your assistance
Also Read: MakeMyTrip Offers on Other Credit Cards
Best for Discounts on Fine Dine and International Travel
The best option to match your premium lifestyle, this card by Standard Chartered Bank is available at an annual fee of Rs. 5,000. It offers travel and dining privileges to the user along with best reward point value. You can earn 5 reward points for every Rs. 150 spent on the card. Accumulated reward points can be redeemed against a wide variety of merchandise and gift vouchers at an exciting rate of Re 1 for 1 Reward Point. Several other lifestyle benefits come complimentary with this credit card.
What makes it a premium credit card?
- Up to 25% discount at top 250 restaurants in the country
- Low foreign currency mark-up of 2% on international spends
- 5% cashback on duty-free spends
- Complimentary Priority Pass Membership that allows access to more than 1,000 airport lounges across the globe
- Access to 20 premier golf courses in India and 150 golf courses worldwide
- 24×7 ultimate concierge service
- Discount on Airport Fast Track Immigration Service at more than 450 destinations across the globe with 25% discount
- Up to 35% saving on international car rental with Avis and 25% with Hertz
- Complimentary air accident travel insurance worth Rs. 1 Crore
4- YES FIRST Preferred Credit Card
Best for Earning Premium Rewards and Golf Benefits
YES Bank lets you experience the world of exclusive privileges with its premium credit card- YES FIRST Preferred. This card is available at an annual fee of Rs. 2,500 and offers lavish privileges to the users on travel, lifestyle, dining, movies and more. Welcome benefit of 15,000 rewards points is offered on making the first transaction on your card within 90 days of card activation. 10,000 bonus reward points will be offered on payment of renewal fee.
What makes it a premium credit card?
- 8 Reward Points on every Rs. 100 spent on the card
- Option to redeem reward points against JP Miles (4 Reward Points = 1 JP Mile)
- Waiver of 3 Green Fees at select golf courses in India along with one complimentary golf lesson every calendar month
- Complimentary Priority Pass Membership that allows 4 lounge visits in a calendar year and 3 free domestic lounge access in a quarter
- Air accident cover of Rs. 1 Crore and medical insurance cover of Rs. 25 Lakhs for emergency hospitalization when travelling to a foreign country
- Exclusive concierge assistance and automobile assistance
- Preferential Foreign Currency Mark-up of 1.75% only
5- ICICI Bank Sapphiro Credit Card
Best for Airport Lounge Access and Golf Privileges
A good choice for frequent flyers, this premium credit card by ICICI Bank can be counted among the best airport lounge access credit cards as it offers a number of travel and lifestyle benefits to the users. It is available at an annual fee of Rs. 3,500. The powerful array of benefits on this credit card makes it a great grab.
What makes it a premium credit card?
- Shopping and travel benefits worth Rs. 10,000 as joining offer
- Complimentary membership to Dreamfolks DragonPass Lounge Access Programme allowing 2 free international lounge visits per year and 2 free domestic airport spa visits
- 4 complimentary rounds of golf every month based on the eligible spending on the card
- Buy One Get One offer on BookMyShow
- 4 complimentary domestic lounge visits per quarter under the Mastercard or Amex Lounge Access Program
- 15% discount on dining at more than 2,500 restaurants across India
- Earn up to 6 PAYBACK points per Rs. 100 spent on the card
Best for Airport Lounge Memberships and Dining
Promoted as a luxury credit card, HDFC Regalia is one of the finest offerings by the bank. It attracts an annual fee of Rs. 2,500 which is waived off on reaching annual spending limit of Rs. 3 Lakhs. With exclusive travel benefits, it is the best match for those who like to travel a lot. In addition to this, the card is highly rewarding with a range of exclusive lifestyle options.
What makes it a premium credit card?
- Complimentary access to select airport lounges through Priority Pass Membership
- Air accident insurance cover of Rs. 1 Crore
- Emergency Overseas hospitalization cover of Rs. 15 Lakhs
- Preferential foreign exchange mark-up fee of 2% on international spends
- 24×7 travel concierge service
- Convert reward points into air miles
- Exclusive Dining Privileges at premium restaurants across India
- 12 complimentary lounge access per calendar year through Regalia Visa/Master Credit Card Lounge program
- Complimentary Zomato Gold Membership for one year
7- Citi Premiermiles® Credit Card
Best for Earning Air Miles and Other Travel Benefits
This is a premium credit card by Citi Bank and comes at an annual charge of Rs. 3,000. On spending Rs. 10,000 within 60 days of card issuance, users will get 10,000 miles bonus and 3,000 miles will be offered on card renewal. The best part of earning miles on this credit card is that these miles never expire and can be redeemed against 100+ domestic and international airlines.
What makes it a premium credit card?
- 15% dining discount across participating restaurants
- 1 Frequent Flyer Air Mile for every 2 Miles you transfer on Cathay Pacific, British Airways, Thai Airways, Malaysia Airlines, Eva Air, Etihad Airways, Singapore Airlines, Qatar Airways, Turkish Airlines and Air India
- Accelerated 10 Miles per Rs. 100 when booking flight tickets and hotel stays on PremierMiles website
- Instant rewards redemption for planning holiday
- Online travel partnership with brands like Goibibo, Yatra, MakeMyTrip and Indigo
- Transfer your miles to any of the hotel & airline partners of Citi Bank
So, these are the top 7 premium credit cards which attract annual fees but make up for it in the form of exclusive privileges. As you can see, almost all of these cards offer complimentary airport lounge access and travel benefits. Reward earning and reward redemption rate is also higher in case of premium credit cards.
With such exciting offers and benefits, a premium credit card can be a great addition to your wallet, especially if you are a frequent shopper or traveller. Concierge service is the main perk of a premium card so if you are money-rich but time-poor, these cards can help a lot in relieving you of certain tasks and making your life easier.
Also Read: Top 6 Credit Cards That Offer Amazing Cashback