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Co-branded credit cards are the ones that are launched in collaboration with well-known brands and offer extra benefits when users avail the products or services of the associated brands. It started as a rage in the US when banks started launching cards in association with airline brands and hotel chains; lifestyle and departmental stores soon followed the suit. Co-branded credit cards in India are mostly launched in association with airlines, lifestyle and fuel brands.

Also Read: 10 Best Credit Cards in India

List of Best Co-branded Credit Cards in India

Credit CardOffers best benefits withAnnual FeeCo-branded Benefit
Amazon Pay ICICI Bank Credit CardAmazonNilUp to 5% cashback on Amazon*
Flipkart Axis Bank Credit CardFlipkart Rs. 500Up to 5% cashback for Flipkart and Myntra
Yatra SBI CardYatraRs. 499Discount on flight and hotel booking with Yatra.com*
MMT ICICI Bank Signature Credit CardMakeMyTripRs. 2,500Complimentary MMT DOUBLEBLACK and MMTBLACK membership*
Axis Bank Vistara Signature Credit CardVistara AirlinesRs. 3,000Club Vistara Silver Membership and exclusive discount*
Lifestyle Home Centre SBI Card SELECTLifestyle and Home CentreRs. 1,49910 Reward Points per Rs. 100 spent at Lifestyle, Home Centre & other stores
IndianOil Citi Platinum Credit CardIndianOilRs. 1,000Up to 71 Liters of free fuel in a year at IndianOil Stations*
BPCL SBI Octane CardBPCL Petrol PumpsRs. 1,49925 reward points on every Rs. 100 spent at BPCL petrol pumps
InterMiles HDFC Bank Diners Club CardInterMilesRs. 5,00016 InterMiles on every Rs. 150 spent on flight and hotel bookings on Intermiles
IRCTC SBI Card PremierIRCTCRs. 1,49910% value back on AC1, AC2, AC3, AC CC as reward points for booking tickets on IRCTC 
Amazon Pay ICICI Bank Credit Card
Flipkart Axis Bank Credit Card
Yatra SBI Card
MMT ICICI Bank Signature Credit Card
Axis Bank Vistara Signature Credit Card
Lifestyle Home Centre SBI Card SELECT
IndianOil Citi® Platinum Credit Card
BPCL SBI Octane Credit Card
InterMiles HDFC Bank Diners Club Credit Card
IRCTC SBI Card Premier

Amazon Pay ICICI Bank Credit Card

Best suited for Online Shopping

Annual Fee: NIL
Key Features:

Co-branded Features with Amazon.inOther Features
5% cashback for Amazon PRIME customers1% cashback on all other purchases
3% cashback for Non-PRIME customers1% fuel surcharge waived off
2% cashback for payments made to Amazon Pay partner merchants15% discount at partner restaurants
–No joining or annual fee

Suggested Read: Best Credit Cards in India for Online Shopping

Should you get this card?

If you primarily use Amazon for online shopping, this card is an excellent pick for you as the cashback rates are the highest for your purchases on Amazon. Also, the cashback earned is added to your Amazon Pay Balance which you can use only via Amazon. If you are an Amazon Prime member, the rewards get even better. 5% cashback on all purchases can be availed by Prime members and 3% cashback by non-prime members. Besides, a minimal cashback of 1% is provided across all other spends.

Other than that, this card does not offer any benefits on travel, entertainment, or any other category apart from shopping. It is not suitable for international usage because of the high Foreign Exchange markup fee (3.5%). So, if you are an Amazon loyalist, you can consider this card. Otherwise, you may look for other cashback credit cards to avail of multi-faceted privileges. 

Read Full Review of Amazon Pay ICICI Bank Credit Card

Flipkart Axis Bank Credit Card

Best suited for Online Shopping 

Annual Fee: Rs. 500
Key Features:

Co-branded Features with FlipkartOther Features
5% cashback for Flipkart and Myntra1.5% cashback on other categories
Rs. 2,900 worth of joining and activation benefits from Flipkart, Gaana, Plum Goodness, The Phy Life and Myntra4 complimentary domestic lounge visits every year
4% cashback Cure.fit, Swiggy, PVR, Tata Sky, Cleartrip, Tata 1mg and Uber1% fuel surcharge waiver for transactions worth Rs. 400 to Rs. 4,000
–Up to 20% discount at 4,000+ partner restaurants including KFC, TGIF, Berco’s, etc.

Should you get this card?

Flipkart Axis Bank Credit Card can be a great cashback companion for you, especially if you are a Flipkart loyalist. This is also one of India’s best cashback credit cards, promising 1.5% flat cashback on all your transactions, which is the second-highest flat cashback rate on the market after the 2% cashback provided by Axis Bank Ace Card.

On Flipkart and Myntra, you can get up to 5% cashback and 4% on affiliate merchants including Cure.fit, Swiggy, PVR and Uber. The benefits on this card, despite being an entry-level card, surpasses the annual fee of Rs. 500 by a large margin. This helps you to save on fashion, travel, health & wellness, movies and shopping. So, Flipkart Axis Card should be one of the top picks for those looking for advantages across varied categories.

Yatra SBI Card

Best suited for Overall Travel Benefits

Annual Fee: Rs. 499
Key Features:

Co-branded Features with YatraOther Features
Yatra vouchers worth Rs. 8,250 as joining benefit1 reward point for every Rs. 100 spent
Rs. 1000 off on domestic flight booking of minimum Rs. 5,0006X rewards on groceries, dining, movies, entertainment, international and departmental store spending
Rs. 4000 off on international flight bookings of minimum Rs. 40,0001% fuel surcharge waiver up to Rs. 100 monthly
20% discount on domestic hotel booking on minimum transaction of Rs. 3,000–
Complimentary Air Accident Cover of Rs. 50 Lakh when booking flight ticket through Yatra.com–

Suggested Read: Best Travel Credit Cards in India

Should you get this card?

Yatra SBI Credit Card is a decent pick for individuals who travel within India and tend to stay at hotels, as it offers Rs. 1000 off on domestic flight booking and domestic hotel bookings, the cardholder is entitled to receive 6 annual discounts of 20%. You will also get Rs. 4,000 off on international flight bookings with a minimum transaction of Rs. 40,000.

The card also provides rewards at a rate of 1.5% on groceries, shopping, dining, entertainment and international purchases. Accumulated reward points can be redeemed to get Yatra Discount Vouchers (1 Reward Point= Rs. 0.25). For all of these categories, this rate is not the highest. And, a low reward rate of 0.25% (1 point for every Rs. 100 spent) makes it a not-so-worth-it option for shopping. This card is not suitable for individuals who wish to receive benefits in multiple categories. However, those who wish to get travel benefits for a low annual fee can consider this card.

Read More about Yatra SBI Credit Card

MMT ICICI Bank Signature Credit Card

Best suited for Travel.

Annual Fee: Rs. 2,500
Key Features:

Co-branded Features with MakeMyTripOther Features
Complimentary enrolment to MMTBLACK Exclusive ProgramLemon Tree Hotel Vouchers worth Rs. 2,500
Rs. 2,500 MakeMyTrip holiday voucher as welcome benefit Exclusive MMT cab benefits
MMT MyCash instead of regular reward points | 1 MyCash = Rs.1Airtel International Roaming Pack free for 10 days
2.5 MyCash per Rs. 200 for domestic spends and 1.5 MyCash per Rs. 200 for international spendsFree Visa lounge access twice in a quarter
4 MyCash per Rs. 200 for hotel or holiday booking on MakeMyTrip1 complimentary railway lounge access in a quarter
2 MyCash per Rs. 200 for flight booking on MakeMyTripComplimentary Dreamfolks membership card

Should you get this card?

If your purpose remains to travel within India and internationally and you prefer making your bookings via MakeMyTrip, this card could be a good choice. Though the default rewards rate on ICICI MMT Signature Credit Card is 1%, which is not enticing, the card provides exclusive rewards on MakeMyTrip bookings. Many features, such as airport and railway lounge access, are covered by the card.

The points you earn with MyCash, however, remain limited to travel and hotel bookings only. In comparison to other travel cards in the same fee range, the reward rate is good and also comes with the Milestone Privileges. So, if your use is mainly for airport/railway lounge access and you are looking for good deals on hotel bookings, the ICICI MakeMyTrip Signature credit card is recommended for you. 

Read More

Axis Bank Vistara Signature Credit Card

Best suited for Air Travel

Annual Fee: Rs. 3,000
Key Features:

Co-branded Features with Vistara AirlinesOther Features
Complimentary Club Vistara Silver MembershipComplimentary domestic lounge visits
Complimentary Premium Economy Ticket as a welcome giftAir accident cover of up to Rs. 2.5 Crore
4 CV Points per Rs. 200 spentPurchase Protection Cover of up to Rs. 1 Lakh
Redeem CV Points for flights or ticket upgradesConvert transactions above Rs. 2,500 into EMIs
1 Premium Economy Ticket each on spending Rs. 1.5 Lakh, 3 Lakh, 4 Lakh and 9 Lakh3 complimentary golf games in India

Should you get this card?

Axis Bank Vistara Signature Credit Card is suitable for those who are frequent travellers and use Vistara Airlines for air travel. It gives up to a 4.5% reward rate as complimentary tickets which is an excellent deal. Besides, you can also enjoy Club Vistara Silver Membership & travel insurance protection, discounted golf access and more. As far as rewards are concerned, Vistara Signature card outplays Vistara Platinum credit card.

You should get this card if you primarily choose to travel via Vistara airlines. If you are someone who prefers booking flights according to their prices and discounts and not loyal to any particular airline, you should consider other travel credit cards.

Lifestyle Home Centre SBI Card SELECT

Best credit card for Online & Retail Shopping at Home Centre and Lifestyle Stores.

Annual Fee: Rs. 1,499
Key Features:

Co-branded FeaturesOther Features
10 Reward Points per Rs. 100 spent at Lifestyle, Max, Home Centre and SPAR1% Waiver on fuel surcharge
Reward Points converted into Landmark Rewards where 1 Landmark Reward Point is worth 2.4 SBI Card Reward Point or Re. 0.606,000 bonus reward points equivalent to Rs. 1,500 on payment of the renewal fee
6000 bonus reward points equivalent to Rs. 1500Milestone benefits up to Rs. 8,600 worth of Reward Points

Should you get this card?

Lifestyle Home Centre SBI Card SELECT variant is best suited for those who frequently shop online or in-stores at Lifestyle, Max, Home Centre, and SPAR. This card gives you 10 Reward Points per Rs. 100 spent at Landmark online and retail stores; and 4 Reward Points = Rupee 1. So, you get a 2.5% return on your spendings which is not bad.

The joining fee of Rs.1500 is reversed in the form of 6000 bonus reward points equivalent to Rs.1500 on payment of the joining fee. However, if you wish to avail of better rewards in different categories, you can consider other shopping credit cards in India.

Read more about Lifestyle Home Centre SBI Credit Card

IndianOil Citi® Platinum Credit Card

Best suited for Fuel purchases.

Annual Fee: Rs. 1,000
Key Features:

Co-branded Features with Indian OilOther Features
4 Turbo Points for every Rs. 150 spent on fuel2 Turbo Points on Rs. 150 at grocery and supermarkets
1% fuel surcharge waiver across Indian Oil stations1 Turbo Point per Rs. 150 on all other spends
Up to 71 litres of free petrol per year by making use of the excellent rewards programRedeem the rewards for air miles, cashback or merchandise from the catalogue
Redeem reward points directly at Indian Oil Fuel StationsExclusive concierge service
Turbo Point = Re. 1 of fuel | Earned Turbo Points never expireAnnual fee of Rs. 1,000 waived off on spending Rs. 30,000

Should you get this card?

This card stood as one of the best fuel cards in the market for a long time because of its high reward rate. It gives 4 Turbo Points for Rs. 150 spent on fuel spends and 1% fuel surcharge waiver. You also get 2 Turbo Points per Rs. 150 spent on groceries and supermarkets and 1 Turbo Point on all other spends.

Turbo Points can be redeemed to get free fuel where 1 Point = Re. 1. This means if you spend Rs. 5,000 on fuel at Indian Oil pumps and Rs. 5,000 on groceries, you will earn about 200 points which can give you a direct discount of Rs. 200 at IOC pumps on redemption. You should consider this card if your fuel purchases are high and you are primarily an IOC customer. 

Read more about Citibank Indian Oil Platinum Credit Card

BPCL SBI Octane Credit Card

Best suited for Fuel Transactions

Annual Fee: Rs. 1,499
Key Features:

Co-branded Features with BPCLOther Features
25 reward points on every Rs. 100 spent at BPCL petrol pumps1 reward point per Rs. 100 for non-fuel retail purchases
6.25% + 1% fuel surcharge waiver on every transaction up to Rs. 4000Multi-faceted reward points across dining, movies, groceries, and departmental stores
1% fuel surcharge waiver across all BPCL petrol pumps in India up to a maximum of Rs. 100 every statement cycle6,000 bonus rewards as joining benefit

Should you get this card?

SBI BPCL Octane Credit card is a decent option for those who have just started with credit cards and are looking forward to fetching good value back on fuel transactions. Especially for those who buy fuel at BPCL pumps, this card can give good benefits.

Since fuel benefit is offered in the form of extra rewards, the more you spend on fuel, the more value-back you will get. However, on non-fuel retail spends, you get 0.25% value-back which is a below-average reward rate. You should consider this card if your fuel expenditure makes up a considerable portion of your overall monthly expenses. You can also view other Fuel Credit Cards in India to look at some more feasible options.

Read More

InterMiles HDFC Bank Diners Club Credit Card

Best suited for Travel and Lifestyle
Annual Fee: Rs. 5,000
Key Features:

Co-branded Features with InterMilesOther Features
InterMiles Gold  membership for the first yearRs. 2000  flight discount coupons for the first year
10,000 InterMiles upon spending Rs. 20,000 within first thirty daysRs. 3000  hotel discount coupons for the first year
15,000 InterMiles on total retail spends of Rs. 1,50,000 and above (within first ninety days)8 InterMiles on spending Rs. 150  on retail spends
16 InterMiles on every Rs. 150 spent on flight and hotel bookings on IntermilesUnlimited golf games at leading courses in India and select golf courses in the world
10% discount on Etihad Airways Business Class tickets                                 Unlimited airport lounge access to 1000+ lounges across India and worldwide
5% discount on Economy class tickets booked on IntermilesComplimentary dine out passport membership with up to 40% off on dining at selected restaurants
 2.5X bonus InterMiles for Etihad Airways tickets booked on IntermilesInsurance cover: Air accident insurance cover worth Rs. 2 Crore, emergency overseas hospitalization of Rs. 50 Lakh and credit liability cover of Rs. 9 Lakh


Should you get this card?

Intermiles HDFC Diners club credit card is a good option to earn rewards while you travel. The card is a good choice if you frequently travel via airlines. However, the card has extended benefits on Etihad Airways, yet the benefits are more inclined towards airline and hotel bookings on Intermiles. Also, though you earn Intermiles on every purchase, you can use them only to book flight tickets and not convert them to cash.

Intermiles HDFC Diners Club can be counted as a premium card with an average annual fee in its category, with premium benefits such as high air accident insurance cover, overseas hospitalization, and dine-out membership along with unlimited access to selected golf courses and airport lounges. If you travel to international destinations frequently then this card can be a good pick for you.

Read More about InterMiles HDFC Bank Diners Club Credit Card

IRCTC SBI Card Premier

Best suited for Railway Ticket Bookings
Annual Fee: Rs. 1,499

Key Features:

Co-branded Features with IRCTCOther Features
10% value back on AC1, AC2, AC3, AC CC as reward points for booking tickets on IRCTC portal and app* 1500 reward points on payment of first annual fee  
Saving of 1% transaction charges on railway ticket bookings on IRCTC portal 3 reward points on spending Rs. 125  on dining and standing instructions on utility spends
Saving of 1.8% transaction charges on airline ticket bookings on IRCTC portalMilestone benefits:  2,500 Reward Points on annual travel spends of Rs. 50,000, 5,000 Reward Points on annual travel spends of Rs. 1,00,000 
8 complimentary railway lounge access in a year at selected lounges in India – subject to a maximum of 2 per quarterInsurance Cover: Rail accident insurance of Rs. 10 Lakhs, Air accident insurance of Rs. 50 Lakhs and fraud liability cover of Rs. 1 Lakh
1% fuel surcharge waiver across all petrol pumps in India, subject to transactions of Rs. 500 – Rs. 4,000


*Note: App benefits are limited to android only.

Should you get this card?
IRCTC SBI Card Premier is one of the very few credit cards that provide the benefit of railway travel. The other cards in this category are IRCTC SBI Platinum Card and MMT ICICI Bank Signature Credit Card. The benefits of the IRCTC SBI Platinum card are limited in comparison to the premier version, whereas the MMT ICICI Bank Signature Credit Card provides the benefit of only lounge access and not on ticket bookings. Therefore, all in all, IRCTC SBI Card Premier is a go-to card if you are looking for exclusive benefits on railway bookings.

Apart from railways, the card saves you from transaction charges on booking airline tickets on the IRCTC platform and provides complimentary air accident insurance cover. Thus, IRCTC is a good credit card to save more, if you frequently travel via trains and can spend up to Rs. 2 lakh a year on railway travel in a calendar year.

Know more about IRCTC SBI Card Premier

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