Best Credit Cards in India 2021

Axis Bank Ace Credit Card is the best credit card in India for cashback as it comes with the highest universal cashback rate of 2%. If you are not sure about the categories where you spend the most, a cashback credit card would be the right choice for you. Here are the top features of Axis Ace Credit Card.

Joining Fee: Rs. 499 (Reversed on spending Rs. 10,000 in the first 45 days)
Renewal Fee: Rs. 499 (Reversed on spending Rs. 2 Lakh or more in the preceding year)
Minimum Income: Communicated at the time of sourcing

• 5% cashback on bill payments and mobile recharges through Google Pay
• 4% cashback on Swiggy, Zomato and Ola
• 2% cashback on all other spends
• No maximum limit on the cashback earned
• 5% cashback on Big Basket and Grofers (Valid till 31^st December)
• 4 complimentary lounge visits every calendar year
• 1% fuel surcharge waiver for transactions between Rs. 400 and Rs. 4,000; maximum waiver of Rs. 500 in a month

This card is not available on Paisabazaar Platform. Visit Axis Bank’s official website to apply for this card online.

When it comes to co-branded benefits, Amazon Pay ICICI Card is one of the best credit cards in India. If you shop at Amazon frequently, you can save big on all your Amazon spends in the form of cashback. Apart from Amazon purchases, you get cashback on other spends as well. The best thing about this credit card is that you get all these benefits free of cost as there is no joining fee or renewal fee on this card. Below-mentioned are the details of this credit card:

Annual Fee: Nil
Renewal Fee: Nil

• 5% cashback on all purchases at Amazon for Amazon Prime customers in addition to existing offers
• 3% cashback on all purchases for Non-prime customers
• 2% cashback on purchases at Amazon partners and gift card purchases
• 2% Reward Points on recharges, bill payments, etc.
• 1% cashback on all other purchases
• 1% fuel surcharge waiver on all petrol pumps across India
• 1 Reward Point = 1 Rupee
• No cost EMI on all purchases above Rs. 3,000 for 3 or 6 months
• Additional cashback for Prime as well as non-Prime members as Amazon Pay balance
• Reward points are automatically converted into Amazon Pay balance and credited to the Amazon account as Amazon Pay balance

This card is not available on Paisabazaar Platform.

If you are looking for a credit card that offers something for every category, HDFC Regalia should be your first choice. Offering wide-ranging benefits on dining, travel and shopping, this is possibly the best HDFC credit card, especially if you are looking for all-round benefits. Let us find out more about HDFC Regalia credit card:

Annual Fee: Rs. 2,500 + GST
Renewal Fee: Rs.  2,500 + GST (waived off on spending Rs. 3 Lakh in the previous calendar year)
Minimum Income Required: Rs. 70,000 per month

• Dinout Passport Membership on spending Rs. 75,000 every calendar quarter
• 12 complimentary domestic airport lounge access every calendar year
• Up to 12 international lounge access every year for self and add-on member under Priority Pass Membership that can be activated on doing 4 retail transactions
• 24×7 travel concierge service for booking, travel, late-night deliveries, etc.
• Priority dining facility under Good Food Trail dining program at top restaurants across the country
• 4 Reward Points every Rs. 150 spent on all retail spends including utility bills, insurance, education, rent, etc.
• 10,000 Reward Points on spending Rs. 5 Lakh on the card and additional 5,000 points on reaching the milestone spends of Rs. 8 Lakh
• 1% fuel surcharge waiver on all transactions between Rs. 400 and Rs. 5,000 at all petrol pumps in the country
• Rewards redemption on flight and hotel booking, vouchers, gifts and products, etc. with 70% redemption of ticket fare for flight and hotel
• Air accidental death cover of Rs. 1 crore
• Emergency overseas hospitalization cover of up to Rs. 15 Lakh

If you are concerned about the rising fuel costs and are on an active lookout for ways to save on it, then BPCL SBI Octane Credit Card is what you should consider. This is one of the best SBI credit cards for fuel and features in the top 10 credit cards in 2021. Here are some of its benefits:

Annual Fee: Rs. 1,499 + GST
Renewal Fee: Rs. 1,499 + GST (waived off on annual spends of 2 lakh or more)
Minimum Income Required: Communicated at the time of sourcing

• Get 7.25% value-back i..e. 25x reward points on fuel purchases on BPCL petrol pumps
• 25 reward points on every Rs.100 spent at BPCL Fuel, Lubricants & Bharat Gas website and application
• 10 reward points on every Rs.100 spent at groceries, department stores, movie tickets, and dining
• Maximum 2500 reward points can be accumulated per billing cycle
• Get 6000 bonus reward points worth Rs. 1500 on payment of joining fee
• With a minimum annual spend of Rs. 3 lakhs, customers can get an e-gift voucher worth Rs.2000 on select merchants
• 4 complimentary visits per calendar year to domestic VISA lounges in India (Maximum 1 visit allowed per quarter)

Other Fuel Credit Card you can consider: Citibank IndianOil Platinum Credit Card

If you want to make maximum benefit out of your online spends then SimplyCLICK SBI Card is one of the best cards that you can opt for. It gives you up to 10X reward points along with discount offers on your online spends, which makes it most suitable for shopaholics.

Annual Fee: Rs. 499 + GST
Renewal Fee: Rs. 499 + GST
Minimum Income Required: Rs. 20,000 per month

• Get Rs. 500 gift voucher as the welcome gift
• Earn 1 Reward Point on every Rs. 100 spent on the card
• Get 5X Rewards on all online spends and 10X Rewards on making online spends with exclusive partners of SBI Card
• Enjoy 1% fuel surcharge waiver on fuel transactions worth Rs. 500 to Rs. 3,000 subject to a maximum waiver of Rs. 100 per billing cycle
• Spend Rs. 1 Lakh in a year and get the annual fee of Rs. 499 reversed
• Take benefit of the contactless feature and make payment by just waving the card in front of a POS terminal

Those who don’t mind shelling some money on their credit card fee in exchange for exclusive travel benefits like air miles on every spend, lounge access, discounts and other travel deals can apply for Citi PremierMiles Credit Card which is one of the top travel credit cards in India.

Annual Fee: Rs. 3,000 + GST
Renewal Fee: Rs. 3,000 + GST
Minimum Income Required: Rs. 25,000 per month

• Spend Rs. 1,000 or more within 60 days of card issuance and get 10,000 Bonus Miles
• Get additional 3,000 Miles on card renewal
• Earn 4 Miles for every Rs. 100 spent across all categories
• 8 Miles for Rs.100 spent at Amazon India, Flipkart and Myntra (Offer valid from 15 Feb 2021 to 15 Aug 2021)
• Earn 10 Miles for every Rs. 100 on transactions made with any airline in the world
• The accumulated air miles never expire
• Get complimentary access to airport lounges in India and across the globe
• Transfer Miles to the Frequent Flyer Programs of different airline partners in 2:1 ratio

Possibly the best SBI Credit Card in the premium category, SBI Card Elite is a perfect companion to your elite lifestyle as it comes with exclusive shopping vouchers from some premium brands as welcome gift along with movie tickets benefit, accelerated reward points, complimentary lounge visits, club Vistara membership and more. Some benefits of this top credit card for 2020 are as follows:

Annual Fee: Rs. 4,999 + GST
Renewal Fee: Rs. 4,999 + GST
Minimum Income Required: Rs. 60,000 per month

• Get welcome e-gift voucher worth Rs. 5,000 from Yatra, Bata/Hush Puppies, Pantaloons, Shoppers Stop and Marks & Spencer
• Get free movie ticket worth Rs. 6,000 in a year in the form of Rs. 250 vouchers in a month
• On reaching annual spends of Rs. 3 Lakh and 4 Lakh, get 10,000 bonus reward points
• Earn 2 Reward Points per Rs. 100 on all categories except fuel
• Accelerate your reward earnings 5 times when using the credit card for grocery, dining and departmental store purchases
• Get access to over 1,000 airport lounges across the globe with a complimentary Priority Pass Membership
• Get 6 complimentary international airport lounge visits in a year subject to maximum 2 visits per quarter and 2 complimentary domestic lounge visits
• Enjoy complimentary Club Vistara Membership

Read SBI Elite Credit Card Latest Review

YES FIRST Preferred Credit Card is a premium card well-suited to the needs of frequent travellers and shoppers. The card also offers generous rewards with every purchase which can later be redeemed to get vouchers, merchandise or Intermiles. Here are some key highlights of this YES Bank credit card:

Annual Fee: Rs. 2,499
Renewal Fee: Rs. 2,499
Minimum Income Required: Rs. 1,50,000 per month

• Welcome gift of 10,000 reward points on making the first purchase within 90 days of card activation
• Get renewal benefit of 7,500 reward points every year on the payment of renewal fee
• Earn 8 reward points per Rs. 200 across all categories
• Earn 2X rewards on Travel Agencies & Tour Operators, Domestic Airlines and Dining
• Redeem rewards to buy products from an exclusive catalogue or to book flight/hotel/movie tickets from YES Bank’s dedicated website (1 Reward Point = Re. 0.25)
• Covert reward points into Intermiles in 4:1 ratio
• Get exclusive golf benefits under Mastercard World Golf Programme; get waiver of 3 green fees at select golf courses and 1 complimentary lesson per month
• Enjoy complimentary Priority Pass Membership along with 4 free visits in a year
• Avail dedicated concierge service and automobile assistance via YES ASSIST
• Enjoy a preferential foreign exchange markup fee of 1.75% only
• Enjoy 25% off on movie ticket booked through BookMyShow
• Get complimentary insurance covers including life cover, medical insurance and credit shield cover

If you are a frequent shopper and like to make purchases every now and then, you should get a shopping credit card that gives you back in the form of cashback. HSBC Cashback credit card is one such card that offers cashback on all your purchases. Let us have a look at some of the features of this credit card:

Joining Fee:  Nil
Renewal Fee: Rs. 750 + GST (Waived off on spending Rs. 1 Lakh in the previous year)
Minimum Income Required: Rs. 4,00,000 per annum

• 2 domestic or international airport lounge access or 2 airport meal vouchers worth Rs. 400 each and Swiggy voucher of Rs. 250 as welcome benefits
• 1.5% cashback on all online spends except wallet transactions
• 1% cashback on all other spends
• Zero joining fee
• Cashback is also applicable on EMIs (Equated Monthly Instalments)
• Up to 15% discount on dining at partner restaurants
• Option to pay credit card dues in EMIs on balance transfer, Cash-on-EMI, Loan-on-phone, etc.
• Partner offers from time to time on Big Basket, Amazon Pantry, MakeMyTrip, etc.
• Zero lost card liability, emergency card replacement, global card access, cash advance, etc.

Standard Chartered Super Value Titanium credit card is designed especially for those who like to get something in return every time they use their credit card. You get cashback and rewards on all spends. This is one of those cards that offer cashback on fuel spends as well. Let us talk more about this card below:

Annual Fee: Rs. 750 + GST
Renewal Fee: Rs. 750 + GST
Minimum Income Required: Rs. 55,000 per month

• 5% cashback on fuel spends, phone recharges and utility bill payments
• 1 Reward point on every Rs. 150 spent across all other categores
• Complimentary Priority Pass Membership
• Offers and discounts on shopping, travel booking, dining, etc. under Standard Chartered Good Life programme
• Standard Chartered 360° Rewards Program for rewards redemption
• Credit card balance transfer up to Rs. 5 Lakh from other cards at lower interest rate
• Lifetime free add-on credit cards for family (spouse, children above 18 years of age, siblings and parents)

When you start your search for the best credit card in India, you will come across multiple top credit cards with different types of features. With so many options at hand, it is easy to get confused.

You should always look for a credit card that matches your spending habits. Broadly, there are 5 steps to choosing the best credit card for you. These steps are:

• Know the purpose of getting a credit card

You must identify the need for you to get a credit card. Majorly, there are three reasons why people would need a credit card- to build credit from scratch, to get a higher credit limit to be able to make bigger purchases and to avail offers across various spending categories. The best credit card for you would be the one that matches your need.

• Understand your eligibility for credit cards

Once you clearly know why you want a credit card, you should then understand your own credit profile and which credit cards you may be eligible for. For example, you may want a credit card that offers exciting travel benefits but your income may be low for the card. So, you must ensure that the card you apply for has good chances of approval. At Paisabazaar, you get credit card suggestions based on your credit profile and income. Click here to start the search for the right credit card.

• Shortlist Credit Cards

Based on your eligibility, you can shortlist a few credit cards. This will narrow down your search for the right card. To shortlist the cards, you can ask yourself some basic questions like whether you can afford its annual fee or whether it matches your core needs.

• Pick one that offers the best value

From the shortlisted credit cards, pick one that offers you the highest value overall. Take a futuristic approach here. Ask yourself whether you would like to use this card 5 years down the line. See if the bank offers an option to upgrade to another card later.

• Choose how to apply

You can either directly apply through the bank’s website or through a third party website. With the latter, you get the option of comparing the cards from different banks to find the best credit card for you.

Which bank credit card is the best in India?

Some of the most popular banks offering credit cards in India are HDFC, SBI Card, ICICI, Amex, Axis, Citibank, Standard Chartered Bank and Kotak Mahindra Bank. However, the best credit card for you would be the one that matches your needs. To make your search easier for you, we have listed some of the best and most popular cards in India above. Jump to credit card list.

Which credit card is best for online shopping in India?

Some of the best credit cards for online shopping in India are SBI Simply Click Credit Card, HDFC Moneyback Credit Card, Axis Bank Neo Credit Card and ICICI Amazon Credit Card.

Do all best credit cards in India charge high annual fee?

No. There are some credit cards with best offers in India that are either free for lifetime or charge a minimal annual fee. A few examples include HDFC Moneyback, HSBC Platinum, ICICI Amazon Pay Credit Card and Citi Cashback Credit Card.

Which credit card in India has the best rewards program?

Almost all credit cards in India offer reward points with every purchase. But some credit cards offer higher reward points with certain purchases and they have multiple redemption options. Click here to read about the best rewards credit cards in India.

Which credit card in India is best for travel?

A lot of banks offer travel credit cards in India with benefits like complimentary airport lounge access, air tickets, extra rewards, air miles and more. Some good travel credit cards are HDFC Regalia Credit Card, Axis Bank Vistara Credit Card, Citi PremierMiles Credit Card and American Express Platinum Travel Credit Card. Click here to read about the best travel credit cards in India.