Best Credit Cards for Online Shopping

There are certain points that you should consider when you apply for online shopping credit cards. A card that meets all these requirements can be a very good online shopping credit card.

Cashback on your purchase

Cashback is the simplest form of benefit a credit card can offer. You spend money and you get real value back, instead of earning rewards and later redeeming them for cash, vouchers or other items.

Discount at Partner Stores

There is a favourite store for each and every person from where he/she likes to shop too often. If you shop at an e-commerce portal a lot, you should definitely go for a credit card that provides maximum benefits where you shop the most.

Milestone Gift Vouchers

Many card providers provide gift vouchers on reaching a definite milestone. If you spend much, you can aim for these vouchers and get a chance to buy products using these vouchers.

Bonus Points on Online Purchases

In order to promote online shopping, many card companies offer bonus points on online purchases. You can earn up to 10X reward points which can be redeemed for gifts, vouchers, recharges, statement credits, etc.

Additional Rewards and Benefits

Many credit card companies provide additional rewards and benefits on some portals. If you shop at these portals, you get additional discounts. For example, you get additional discount on BookMyShow when you spend a specific amount every month.

1. Flipkart Axis Bank Credit Card

Axis Bank’s Flipkart credit card is best suited for cashback, especially for individuals who are Flipkart loyalists. This is also one of the best cashback credit cards in India offering 1.5% flat cashback on all your spends which is the second-highest flat cashback rate in the market after Axis Bank Ace Card that offers 2% cashback. You will get up to 5% cashback on Flipkart, Myntra and 2GUD and 4% on Flipkart’s partner merchants like MakeMyTrip, Uber, Goibibo and PVR.  Despite being an entry-level card, the set of benefits on this card surpass its annual fee by a wide margin.

The best part of it is that the array of partner merchants of Flipkart is quite sensible and lets you save on fashion (Myntra), travel (MMT and Goibibo), fitness(Cure.fit), movies (PVR) and shopping(Flipkart). So, for someone looking for benefits across varied categories, Flipkart Axis Card should be one of the top choices. While the high cashback rate is limited to these websites, 1.5% flat cashback on all other expenses still makes a reasonable balance.

Key Features and Benefits

• 5% cashback on Flipkart, Myntra, & 2GUD
• 4% cashback on Cure.fit, Goibibo, MakeMyTrip, PVR, UBER
• 1.5% cashback on other categories
• Rs. 2,900 worth of joining and activation benefits from Flipkart, MakeMyTrip, Goibibo, Gaana, and Myntra
• 4 complimentary domestic lounge visits every year
• Up to 20% discount at 4,000+ partner restaurants including KFC, TGIF, Berco’s, etc.
• 1% fuel surcharge waiver for transactions worth Rs. 400 to Rs. 4,000

Read Our Review: Flipkart Axis Bank Credit Card Review

2. Amazon Pay ICICI Credit Card

If you’re planning to get this card, you should also buy Amazon Prime membership as Prime members get 2% higher cashback on Amazon purchases. Also, you earn a cashback of 2% at 100+ Amazon Pay partner merchants when you use Amazon Pay as your payment method. All other transactions give you 1% cashback.

Amazon Pay ICICI Card is certainly one of the best online shopping credit cards in India. This is because Amazon itself is one of the most popular platforms and deals in wide-ranging items from furniture and electronics to stationery and groceries. Whatever you need, you can find everything on Amazon and if you use this credit card, you will get generously rewarded. The cashback rate on Amazon Card, however, stands low at 1% as compared to Flipkart Axis Bank Credit Card. It is true that the card makes more sense if you use Amazon for most of your online shopping needs but being lifetime free, having it in your wallet does not harm.

Key Features and Benefits

• Lifetime Free Credit Card
• 5% cashback for PRIME Customers when they shop at Amazon
• 3% cashback for Non-PRIME Members for Amazon Spends
• 2% cashback on 100+ partner merchants of Amazon
• 1% cashback on all other transactions
• 15% discount at partner restaurants of ICICI Bank
• 1% fuel surcharge waiver across all petrol pump

Read Our Review: Amazon Pay ICICI Bank Credit Card Review

3. HSBC Cashback Credit Card

HSBC Cashback Credit Card offers unlimited cashback on all your purchases. The card lets you earn cashback without worrying about reaching a minimum spending level which makes it one of the best cashback credit cards in India. 

The card lets you earn 1.5% cashback on all your online spends and 1% cashback on all other purchases. Furthermore, you get a sign-up bonus worth approximately Rs. 2,250—comprising an Rs. 2,000 clear trip voucher for domestic flights and an Rs. 250 Swiggy food delivery voucher. The card also offers a 20% discount on Swiggy and 5% off of Amazon purchases.  The bigger spending you make, the more cashback you will get. This card is best suited for someone who prefers a simple cashback model over a reward points model and does not want to limit the spending to a particular platform like Amazon or Flipkart.

Key Features and Benefits

• 20% off on Swiggy orders above Rs. 400
• 5% discount on Amazon spends of Rs. 1,000 or above
• 1.5% cashback on all online spend (excluding the transfer of funds to online wallets) and 1% on all other spends*
•  Rs. 500 Amazon Voucher on making spending Rs. 500 or more at a time within 30 days of card activation
• No maximum cap on cashback
•  Up to 15% discount when dining at partner restaurants in major cities

Read Our Review: HSBC Cashback Credit Card Review

4. HDFC Milennia Credit Card

HDFC Millennia Credit Card is specially designed to cater to the needs of millennials who love to shop online and would like to get rewarded for their spends. The card offers up to 5% cashback for online transactions and 1% cashback on all offline spends. It comes with an annual fee of Rs. 1,000 which might be a bit tight on your pocket. However, when compared with the exclusive benefits that it offers, the fee is justified if you are a person who regularly shops online.  

The card is best suited for the people who are loyal customers of Flipkart and Amazon. But since other online spends also give you 2.5% cashback, it is not such a bad choice if you would like to extend your shopping horizon beyond Amazon and Flipkart. However, to get the cashback benefit on any of these categories, you would have to meet the minimum transaction limit, which is quite a disappointment. Cards with a lower fee like Axis Ace and Axis Flipkart offer direct unlimited cashback without any minimum spend condition. Hence, you should get HDFC Millennia only if you are sure of spending big as only then will you be able to make the most of it.

Key Features and Benefits

• 1,000 Cash Points (Reward Points) on payment of the membership fee
• Rs. 1,000 gift voucher on spending at least Rs. 1 lakh in each calendar quarter
• 5% Cashback on Shopping via Amazon and Flipkart, Flight & Hotel bookings on shopping via PayZapp and SmartBuy
• 2.5% cashback on all online purchases
• 1% cashback on all offline spends and Wallet reloads
•  8 complimentary domestic lounge access per calendar year (2 in a quarter)

Read Our Review: HDFC Bank Millennia Credit Card Review

5. Axis Bank Ace Credit Card

Axis Bank Ace Credit Card is one of the best cashback credit cards in India. It offers the highest cashback of 2% across all transactions along with up to 5% cashback on bill payments, DTH, and mobile recharges via Google Pay and 4% on Swiggy, Zomato & Ola. The card is available at an annual fee of Rs. 499 and is ideal for people looking for simple benefits and high cashback rates. 

However, if you are loyal to a particular brand like Amazon, Flipkart or Paytm, getting their co-branded credit cards would be advisable. For example, Amazon Pay ICICI credit card offers 5% cashback on all purchases on Amazon to PRIME customers and 3% to non-prime customers. Similarly, Flipkart Axis Bank Credit Card gives 5% cashback on Flipkart, Myntra and 2GUD along with 4% cashback at select partners such as MakeMyTrip, Goibibo and Uber. In a nutshell, if you are looking for a credit card with low fee and better non-travel rewards, this card might be the right choice for you.

Key Features and Benefits

• 5% cashback on every bill payment, DTH recharge, and mobile recharge initiated via Google Pay
• 4% cashback on Swiggy, Ola, and Zomato
• 2% cashback on all other spends
• No upper limit or maximum cashback earned
• 4 complimentary domestic lounge visits in a year
• Up to 20% off at 4,000+ participating restaurants 
• 1% fuel surcharge waiver across all fuel stations 

6. American Express SmartEarn Credit Card

American Express Smart Earn Credit Card is the only entry-level card by American Express, designed for millennials who want to earn reward points on every spending. An ideal card for beginners, this comes with a basic annual fee of Rs. 495 where you can earn extra reward points on online transactions, cab rides and online food payments, etc. 

This card would be the ideal choice for those who are frequent users of Flipkart and Uber as it offers 10X rewards points on these brands. SmartEarn would also be a decent choice for people who frequently use Amazon, Swiggy and BookMyShow etc. as the card offers 5X reward points on these. This rewards rate is quite generous for a low-annual fee credit card. Also, you get ‘Membership Rewards’ which may be better than other bank’s reward points in terms of redemption flexibility and choices. So, if you have always wanted an American Express Credit Card and prefer shopping online, you should apply for this one right away.

Key Features and Benefits

• 10X reward points* for every ₹50 spent on Flipkart & Uber, capped at 500 MR points per month each
•  5X reward points* for every ₹50 spent on Amazon, Myntra/Jabong, Grofers, Swiggy, BigBazaar, More, PVR, Reliance Fresh, Dmart, BookMyShow, capped at 250 rewards points per month
• 1 Reward point for every Rs. 50 spent across all categories 
• Cashback of Rs. 500 on spending* Rs. 10,000 in the first 90 days of card issuance
•  0% convenience fee at HPCL pumps for transactions under Rs. 25,000

7. SBI SimplyCLICK Credit Card

SBI SimplyCLICK Card is one of the most used credit cards in the market because of easy eligibility and low annual fee. The card offers 10X Reward Points on online shopping with exclusive partners such as Amazon, BookMyShow, Cleartrip, Lenskart, Netmeds, UrbanClap, etc. All other online spending gives you1.25% back. This means for an Rs. 10,000 purchase on Amazon, you get 1,000 reward points which are redeemable for gift vouchers from Amazon or Cleartrip. One of the main drawbacks of the card is that its reward redemption avenues are very limited. So, if you are satisfied with Amazon/Cleartrip vouchers and do most of your shopping online, then this card is the right pick for you. 

Key Features and Benefits

• Gift Voucher worth Rs. 500 from Amazon as welcome gift
• 10 reward points per Rs. 100 on online purchases made on Amazon, BookMyShow, Cleartrip, Netmeds, Lenskart and UrbanClap
• 5 rewards per Rs. 100 on other online spends
• 1 reward point per Rs. 100 spent on other categories
• Cleartrip e-voucher worth Rs. 2,000 on reaching spend milestones of Rs. 1 Lakh and Rs. 2 Lakh
• 1% fuel surcharge waiver for each transaction between Rs. 500 and Rs. 3,000

Read Our Review: SBI SimplyCLICK Credit Card Review

8. HDFC MoneyBack Credit Card

Available at an annual fee of Rs. 500, the benefits offered on this card are quite satisfactory. It is one of the most popular cards among first-time users. You get extra reward points on online spends. There are no conditions on the type of online transactions- you may order food online or make purchases on an online shopping website or even pay your utility bills, all online transactions will give you 2X rewards.  2 reward points per Rs.150 are offered on all other retail spends. These points can be redeemed for cashback but the conversion rate stands too low at 20 paise for every point.

Though HDFC Moneyback is a good entry-level credit card, it does not offer exclusive benefits on any particular online shopping category/brand. The extra rewards on online spends will benefit you but if you are serious about saving big with certain online shopping brands or getting higher cashback, cards like Amazon Pay ICICI Card and Axis Ace could be a better choice. 

Key Features and Benefits

• 500 Reward Points as a welcome gift
• 2X Reward Points for every Rs. 150 on Online spends
• 2 Reward Points for every Rs. 150 on Retail spends
• Accumulated Rewards can be converted into Cashback (100 points = Rs. 20)
• Gift voucher worth Rs. 500 on making retail purchases of Rs. 50,000 or above every quarter
• Fuel surcharge waiver of 1% on transactions above Rs. 400

Read Our Review: HDFC MoneyBack Credit Card Review

9. Standard Chartered DigiSmart Credit Card

Standard Chartered DigiSmart credit card comes with a monthly fee of Rs.49. It is an all-in-one credit card specifically designed to suit the needs of people who do most of the shopping online. The card offers multiple benefits on shopping, travel, dining, movies and grocery purchases in the form of direct discount with popular brands like Ola, Myntra, Grofers, INOX, Zomato and Yatra.

In our opinion, you should only go for this card if you are a loyalist of the above-mentioned brands. This is because DigiSmart does not even offer flat-rate rewards on other spends which is quite disappointing. If you find the perfect mix of your favourite brands in DigiSmart, this could be the best online shopping credit card for you. For a card with limited benefits, the minimum income requirement of Rs. 50,000 also seems a little too much.

Key Features and Benefits

• 20% off on Myntra
• 10% off on grocery shopping from Grofers
• 10% discount on Zomato with a maximum discount of Rs.150
• BOGO offer on movie tickets at INOX
• Up to 25% off on travel bookings via Yatra
• 15% cashback on Ola rides with maximum cashback of Rs.600

Read Our Review: Standard Chartered DigiSmart Credit Card Review

10. Axis Bank NEO Credit Card

 Axis Neo credit card is best suited for people who love to shop online and enjoy the other entertainment benefits with it. The welcome benefits with Axis Neo are quite impressive. The card gives vouchers on online shopping and movies too. 

The card is the best option offered for individuals who prefer to shop on Myntra. The card offers a scheme called the “power of 10”, in which cardholders receive a 10% discount on Myntra, Akbar Travels, BookMyShow movie tickets and mobile recharges. However the card offers a below-average  rewards rate of 0.10% (2 points per Rs. 200 spent; 5 eDGE point = 1 InterMile = Rs. 0.51) on all spending categories. Therefore, this is a decent card for discounts in certain categories or retailers, especially Myntra but not for overall online shopping benefit.

Key Features and Benefits

• Amazon gift voucher worth Rs.250 on your first transaction and a welcome gift voucher from BookMyShow worth Rs.300
• 10% off on movie tickets
• Myntra gift voucher of up to Rs.500 plus 10% off every time you shop at Myntra
• 10% off on Akbar Travels, 10% cashback on mobile recharges done via FreeCharge
• 2 reward points on every Rs.200 spent 

Read Our Review: Axis Bank NEO Credit Card Review

With such offers and benefits on each credit card, it can get tough while choosing the best credit card for online shopping in 2021. You should, therefore, analyse your spends and choose the card that suits your needs the best.