→Go to the List of Best Premium Credit Cards in India

Almost all major banks in India have at least one premium credit card in their list, targeted at the High Net-worth Individuals (HNIs). They reach out to their affluent clientele to offer these cards along with very high credit limit. Premium credit cards are packed with huge benefits across categories but they also charge high annual fee for it. So, before we go on and talk about the top premium credit cards in India, here are the 3 most important things to know about a premium credit card.

3 Most Important Facts about Premium Credit Cards

1. Not everyone will qualify for Premium Credit Cards
2. They usually carry a very high annual fee (Rs. 10,000 to Rs. 20,000), sometimes even beyond Rs. 50,000
3. Unlike regular cards, premium credit cards come with exclusive benefits

Top 7 Premium Credit Cards in India

The list below shows the best premium credit cards in India from different banks.

Credit CardAnnual FeePremium Highlight
Citi Prestige Credit CardRs. 20,000Rs. 10,000 Welcome Vouchers from Taj Group or ITC Hotels
HDFC Diners Club Black Credit CardRs. 10,000Membership to Amazon Prime, Zomato Gold, Club Marriott and more
ICICI Emeralde Credit CardRs. 12,000Discount across Lifestyle Services such as Gym and Spa
American Express® Platinum CardRs. 60,000Vouchers from Taj, SeleQtions and Vivanta Hotels worth Rs. 45,000
Standard Chartered Bank Ultimate Credit CardRs. 5,0005% cashback on duty-free spends
Axis Bank Reserve Credit CardRs. 30,000Welcome Gift of Luxury Dining Experience in a Chauffeur-driven car
IndusInd Bank Pinnacle Credit CardRs. 25,000*Luxury Welcome Gifts from Oberoi Hotels, Montblac, Vero Moda & more
Citi Prestige Credit Card
HDFC Diners Club Black Credit Card
ICICI Emeralde Credit Card
American Express® Platinum Card
Standard Chartered Bank Ultimate Credit Card
Axis Bank Reserve Credit Card
IndusInd Bank Pinnacle Credit Card

Citi Prestige Credit Card

BEST PICK FOR : Lounge Access and Hotel Membership

ANNUAL FEE : Rs. 20,000 + Taxes

Citi Prestige Credit Card is focused on offering better travel and lifestyle experiences to its users. Some of its premium features are given below:

  • 10,000 Bonus Miles and Vouchers worth Rs. 10,000 from Taj Group or ITC Hotels as welcome gift
  • Unlimited lounge access across the globe with a free Priority Pass Membership
  • 1 Night complimentary stay on booking 4 nights stay at any hotel worldwide
  • complimentary InnerCircle Silver membership and Taj Epicure Plus Plan Membership
  • 4 complimentary golf rounds and lessons at select golf clubs in India
  • Earn rewards and redeem them against branded merchandise and premium gadgets
  • Air Accident Cover of up to Rs. 5 Crore, lost card protection cover of 10 Lakh and Overseas Medical Insurance Cover of USD 50,000

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Similar Cards from Non-Premium Category

SBI PRIME Credit Card

SBI Card PrimeAnnual Fee: Rs. 2,999

American Express® Platinum Travel Card

Annual Fee: Rs. 5,000

Club Vistara Silver Membership

Taj Experience Gift Card as Milestone Benefit

Trident Privilege Red Tier Membership

Priority Pass Membership

Related Read: Best Credit Cards for Airport Lounge Access

HDFC Diners Club Black Credit Card

BEST PICK FOR : Rewards and Air Miles

ANNUAL FEE : Rs. 10,000 + Taxes

HDFC Diners Club Black Credit Card is also counted among the best air mile credit cards in the high-fee category. Its premium benefits are:

  • Earn 5 Reward Points per Rs. 150 for all spends
  • Convert rewards into air miles in 1:1 ratio and use on SmartBUY to book tickets
  • Transfer rewards to air miles of British Airways Executive Club (Avios), InterMiles, Singapore Airlines (KrisFlyer Miles) or Club Vistara
  • Complimentary annual membership to Amazon Prime, Zomato Gold, Club Marriott, MMT Double Black, Forbes and Times Prime
  • Low foreign currency markup fee of 1.99%
  • Unlimited lounge access across 1,000+ airport lounges
  • 6 complimentary golf games per quarter
  • Air Accident Cover of up to Rs. 2 Crore, lost card protection cover of 9 Lakh and Overseas Medical Insurance Cover of Rs. 50 Lakh

Read More

Similar Cards from Non-Premium Category

Citi PremierMiles Credit Card

Annual Fee: Rs. 3,000

RBL Bank World Safari Credit Card

RBL World Safari Credit CardAnnual Fee: Rs. 3,000

10 Miles per Rs. 100 spent on airline transactions*First credit card in India with 0% Foreign Exchange Markup Fee
Transfer Miles to 14 Airlines and Hotel Partners5 Travel Points per Rs. 100 for travel spends

ICICI Emeralde Credit Card

BEST PICK FOR : Lifestyle Benefits

ANNUAL FEE : Rs. 12,000 + Taxes

This is a comparatively new launch in ICICI’s premium cards category and comes with a unique fee plan choice of Rs. 1,000 per month or Rs. 12,000 annually. The card also comes in two variants- Mastercard and American Express. Key highlights of this card are given below:

  • Avail up to Rs. 750 off under the ‘Buy One Get One’ offer on BookMyShow; this offer can be availed 4 times in a month
  • Earn 4 PAYBACK Points per Rs. 100 for all retail expenses except fuel, utilities and insurance
  • 50% discount on Annual Membership fee of Gold’s Gym and a free diet consultation
  • 15% off on all services at O2 Spa and 20% off on gold making charges at Joyalukkas on the American Express variant of ICICI Emeralde
  • Get 1 complimentary golf round on spending Rs. 50,000; enjoy this benefit 4 times a month
  • Low foreign exchange markup fee of 1.5%

Read More

Similar Cards from Non-Premium Category

SBI Card ELITE

SBI Elite Credit CardAnnual Fee: Rs. 4,999		HDFC Diners Club Privilege

Annual Fee: Rs. 2,500

Movie tickets worth Rs. 6,000 every yearDiscounts at leading spas, salons, gyms etc.
Priority Pass and Club Vistara Silver Membership2 free golf games per quarter

American Express® Platinum Card

BEST PICK FOR : Travel and Hotel Benefits

ANNUAL FEE : Rs. 60,000 + Taxes

The Platinum Card from American Express® is a charge card and comes with no preset credit limit. It welcomes the user to a world of Platinum Privileges such as:

  • Welcome gift of 1,00,000 Bonus MR Points or Taj, SeleQtions and Vivanta Hotels worth Rs. 45,000
  • Complimentary upgrade on Etihad Airlines from select business class to first class
  • 25% off at Taj, SeleQtions and Vivanta Hotels & 50% off on suites at Oberoi Hotels & Resorts
  • Access to 1,200+ best in class airport lounges across the globe
  • Earn never-expiring Membership Reward Points with 3X Rewards on International Spends
  • Travel Insurance, Overseas Medical Insurance, Purchase Protection and Wallet Protection

Read More

Similar Cards from Non-Premium Category

Axis Vistara Signature Credit Card

Annual Fee: Rs. 5,000

American Express Platinum Reserve Credit Card

Annual Fee: Rs. 10,000

Complimentary Premium Economy Ticket from Vistara AirlinesPrivileges at Taj Hotel Palaces Resorts Safaris, Oberoi Hotels and Resorts and Preferred Hotel Group
Earn Club Vistara Points and redeem them for Ticket UpgradeComplimentary access to American Express Lounges in India

Standard Chartered Bank Ultimate Credit Card

BEST PICK FOR : Cashback

ANNUAL FEE : Rs. 5,000 + Taxes

Standard Chartered Ultimate Credit Card is among the few premium credit cards in India that are designed around cashback feature. Here are the details of this card:

  • Low foreign currency mark-up of 2% on international spends
  • 5% cashback on duty-free spends
  • Complimentary Priority Pass Membership giving access to 1,000+ 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

Read More

Similar Cards from Non-Premium Category

Amazon Pay ICICI Bank Credit Card

Amazon Pay ICICI Credit CardAnnual Fee: Nil

Standard Chartered Manhattan Platinum Card

Standard Chartered Manhattan PlatinumAnnual Fee: Rs. 999

5% cashback on Amazon for PRIME Users5% cashback on Big Bazaar, Reliance Fresh and more
3% cashback on Amazon for non-PRIME Users20% cashback on Uber rides

Also Read: Best Cashback Credit Cards in India

Axis Bank Reserve Credit Card

BEST PICK FOR : Dining and Movies

ANNUAL FEE : Rs. 30,000 + Taxes

This is truly a luxury credit card from Axis Bank as it offers some of the most premium benefits as shown below:

  • Enjoy a Luxury Dining Experience as welcome gift; arrive in a chauffeur driven luxury car
  • Get complimentary Tata CLiQ voucher worth Rs. 10,000
  • Handcrafted membership to Club Marriott
  • Complimentary Club Vistara Gold Membership
  • Unlimited lounge access through Priority Pass Membership
  • Unlimited complimentary rounds of golf at the finest golf clubs in India
  • Enjoy 50% cashback on all movie tickets booked through BookMyShow

Read More

Similar Cards from Non-Premium Category

ICICI Bank Rubyx Credit Card

Annual Fee: Rs. 2,000

HDFC Regalia Credit Card

HDFC Regalia Credit CardAnnual Fee: Rs. 2,500

Shopping and Travel Vouchers worth Rs. 5,000 as welcome benefitComplimentary Zomato Gold Membership for one year
Get 2 free movie tickets per month on BookMyShowPriority Pass Membership

IndusInd Bank Pinnacle Credit Card

BEST PICK FOR : Premium Concierge Assistance

JOINING FEE : Rs. 25,000 + Taxes

IndusInd Bank has a number of premium credit cards in its list, Pinnacle being one of them. On most of the card, IndusInd has tried to give wide-ranging benefits from travel to shopping to rewards. Here are the details of IndusInd Pinnacle Credit Card:

  • Luxury Welcome Gifts from Oberoi Hotels, Montblac, Vero Moda, Titan, Woodland and more
  • Enjoy complimentary golf games and lessons at leading golf clubs of India
  • Avail the ‘Buy One Get One’ offer on BookMyShow, thrice a month
  • Get 2 complimentary visits per quarter to international lounge through Priority Pass
  • 24×7 Concierge Service for Travel, Hotel, Flight, Entertainment and other assistance
  • Be eligible for IndusInd Bank’s Auto Assist Service
  • Complimentary Air Accident Cover of up to Rs. 25 Lakh and Lost Card Liability Cover

Read More

Similar Cards from Non-Premium Category

Air India SBI Signature Credit Card

Air India SBI CardAnnual Fee: Rs. 4,999

ICICI Sapphiro Credit Card

Annual Fee: Rs. 3,500

Priority Pass Membership and Air India Frequent Flyer ProgramDreamfolks DragonPass Membership
Get up to 1 Lakh Bonus Reward Points in a yeari-Assist Concierge Service for Travel, Hotel, Movies and Car Rental

Common Questions about Premium Credit Cards

What makes a credit card premium?
Are premium credit cards worth the high annual fee?
Who should get a premium credit card?
Do premium credit cards come with high credit limit?
What should be kept in mind before getting a premium credit card?
What makes a credit card premium?

By definition, a premium credit card would be one that charges a high annual fee and in lieu of that offers exclusive benefits across multiple categories. These benefits cannot be availed with a normal credit card. Some common benefits of premium credit cards include:

  • Membership to a premium lounge access program
  • Benefits on international travel
  • Access to premium golf courses in India and abroad
  • High-value insurance cover such as air accident cover, overseas hospitalization cover, etc.
  • Exclusive concierge service for air ticket booking, hotel booking, roadside assistance, flower and gift delivery, etc.
Are premium credit cards worth the high annual fee?

The cost of any credit card would be justified only if you make the most of its benefits. So, if you choose the card accordingly, the high annual fee should not be a problem.

Let us understand this with the help of an example.

The most important benefit of a premium credit card would be the membership of exclusive programs. If you enroll for these programs otherwise, then you may have to pay a really high amount. But the card offers you such subscription for free along with several other benefits. For example, a Priority Pass Membership costs $99 but with most of the premium credit cards, it comes complimentary.

Who should get a premium credit card?

A premium credit card would be well-suited for someone who:

  • Wishes to enjoy exclusive privileges on his credit card
  • Does not mind paying a high annual fee if the benefits make up to it
  • Travels a lot for business/leisure and would like to save on the expenses
  • Would like to save on the overall expenses of an international trip
  • Wants secure travel with complimentary insurance covers
  • Would prefer seats at exclusive shows or invitation only programs
Do premium credit cards come with high credit limit?

As mentioned above, premium credit cards are offered to people with high income. And the credit limit is directly related to the user’s income and the limits on his previous credit cards. Card issuers also check the repayment behavior of the user but the income would be the first thing that they consider. So, through this relation, we could say that the limit on premium credit cards would be higher than usual.

What should be kept in mind before getting a premium credit card?

From what it looks, premium credit cards are quite beneficial but you must keep a few things in mind before applying for a premium card-

  • The fees on premium credit card can be massive so you should be sure whether you are ready to pay that amount every year.
  • Being eligible for a card does not mean that you must get one. Having a premium credit card and not using it will be a bad deal as you would have to pay the annual fee but would not avail of any privileges.
  • Read about the benefits on your existing cards and compare those with the privileges that the premium card offers and then decide whether it is a good idea to get one.
  • Credit score is also a major consideration by the banks so you should work on improving the same before applying.

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