25 Best Credit Cards in India for 2024 [Detailed Reviews]

By | February 16, 2024
Best Credit Cards in India 2024

Looking for the best credit card in India for 2024 to suit your needs? You’re at the right place. Whether you need cashback, lounge access, complimentary hotel stays or business/first class tickets, you can find everything here.

I’ve analysed 200+ credit cards in India across various banks and compiled a list of best credit cards for 2024 based on various user segments.

With about 10+ active credit cards in my wallet, below list covers most of the cards that I personally use and even more.

Entry Level Credit Cards

  • Suggested income: 5 Lakhs+
  • Suggested spend: 1 Lakhs+

Entry-Level credit cards, also called as credit cards for beginners are those cards that are targeted at first-time credit card users.

SBI Cashback Card

SBI Cashback Credit Card

This is the new HOT pick of the year for entry-level cardholders as 5% Cashback on online spends is lucrative even after the recent devaluation. With a pretty good max cap of 5,000 INR a month, it equates to 1L monthly spends.

apply now

Axis Ace

Axis Ace Credit Card
  • Reward Rate: 2% – 5% (as cashback to card)
  • Apply Now

Axis Bank ACE credit card is one of the highly rewarding entry-level credit card with flat 2% cashback as statement credit.

But the downside is that it can only be applied online if you’ve a pre-approved offer for the same and it’s not available through other application channels.

Amex MRCC

Amex Membership Rewards Credit Card

American Express Membership Rewards Credit Card (MRCC) is the best way to get into the world of Amex. If you use this card just to get the 2000 MR bonus points monthly, you can easily get a return of 6% on spends.

Apart from that, you will also get access to the amazing Amex Offers (merchant offers & spend linked offers) which are quite good most of the time.

ICICI Amazon Pay

ICICI Amazon Pay Credit Card
  • Best for: 5% return on Amazon spends
  • Apply from Amazon App

If you shop frequently on Amazon and if you’re an Amazon Prime customer, you cannot afford to miss this wonderful card as it’s anyway a lifetime free credit card.

Premium Credit Cards

  • Suggested income range: 12 Lakhs+
  • Suggested spend range: 6 Lakhs+

Premium credit cards comes into picture when your lifestyle has pinch of luxury factor to it. It comes with more travel benefits like domestic and international lounge access, better reward rate, etc.

HDFC Regalia Gold

HDFC Regalia Gold Credit Card

The most important benefit of this card apart from rewards & merchant offers is the ability to get Priority Pass for all family members, which shares the complimentary lounge access limit with the primary card.

For those who can’t get HDFC Super Premium credit cards, this is a wonderful alternative especially for lounge access.

apply now

Amex Gold Charge

American Express Gold Charge Card

If you’re looking for a higher credit limit but unable to get it via any other credit card, this is the one for you.

On top of that, You also get rewards on fuel/utility spends unlike most other credit cards in the segment. This is best used along with Amex MRCC to speed up the 24K gold redemption.

Yes First Reserv

Yesbank Reserv Credit Card design

Yesbank’s rebranded Reserv Credit Card (previously called as Yes First Exclusive) is a pretty good product when it’s coupled with the subscription plan that gives 3X/5X rewards on select categories depending.

HDFC Tata Neu Infinity Rupay

HDFC Tata Neu Infinity Rupay Credit Card
  • Best for: UPI Spends & utility payments
  • Apply Now (Review coming soon)

If you’re looking for a single UPI Credit Card, HDFC Bank Tata Neu Infinity Rupay Credit Card is the one that you need.

It not only gives decent rewards on UPI spends, but also offers lucrative 5% return on utility bills. On top of that, you also get targeted offers from Tata Neu, like the recent promo where a good discount was offered on booking your car with Tata Motors.

IDFC First Wealth

IDFC First Wealth Credit Card Review

If your monthly spends are higher, you shouldn’t be missing this, especially if you prefer non-travel benefits like cashback to credit card stmt or amazon/flipkart vouchers as redemption option.

And the airport lounge access is the additional advantage, the spend requirement of which has been recently added and also removed.

Travel Credit Cards

When your life has good amount of travel, that’s when you need to have these exclusive Travel credit cards.

Travel & airline credit cards are designed in such a way that you get travel vouchers/points/miles instead of cashback.

Axis Atlas

Axis Atlas Credit Card

Axis Bank Atlas Credit Card not only comes with an amazing reward rate on regular spends but also helps you enjoy airport meet & greet and luxury airport transfer services.

Accelerated rewards on Airlines & hotel spends are definitely useful for some. It’s a hot pick for 2024 because of it’s lucrative reward rate but may go through a devaluation anytime.

Amex Platinum Travel

american express platinum travel credit card

American Express Platinum Travel card is the best travel credit card in the country, hands down! It retains it’s name and fame for alomost a decade now. 

I personally enjoy using this card as it helps me to stay at one unique Taj property every year by using the complimentary Taj Vouchers that comes with it.

HDFC Marriott Bonvoy

HDFC Marriott Credit Card

While HDFC Bank’s Marriott Bonvoy Credit Card has poor reward rate on ongoing spends, it stands good for its incredible welcome and renewal benefits which can easily fetch twice or thrice the value of the joining fee.

RBL World Safari

RBL World Safari Credit Card

RBL World Safari Credit Card is a hidden gem for frequent travellers as it not only offers the compete 1 Year international travel insurance but also comes with a 0% markup fee on international spends.

This solves the need for most international travellers without needing to get super premium credit cards or other forex cards for that matter.

Airline Credit Cards

If you’re a frequent traveller, you might also need to get one or more of the best Airline Credit cards. Airmiles/Airlines credit cards makes sense if you fly frequently with the specific airline. Here are some of the best:

Vistara Infinite

Axis Vistara Infinite Credit Card Review

This best airline credit card in the country continues to give wonderful returns even after many years of it’s existence.

It’s a must have credit card for those who frequently fly Vistara because of it’s gold tier benefits (1st year only) and for those who love business class experience, as it gives 1 complimentary business class ticket on every ~2.5L spends.

If you’re already holding 3 Axis cards, you may go for the IndusInd Vistara Explorer Credit Card that has similar benefits with slightly higher spend requirement.

IDFC Vistara

IDFC Vistara Credit Card
  • Best for: Flying Vistara Premium Economy
  • Apply Now (Review coming soon)

If you don’t fancy a Business Class flight or don’t find sufficient availability, then IDFC Vistara Credit Card may help you with complimentary Premium Economy Tickets on credit card spends.

If you’re okay with not-so-great customer support, you may as well go with the SBI Vistara Prime Credit Card that has similar features.

SBI Air India Signature

SBI Air India Signature Credit Card

If your travel involves flying Air India for whatever reason, you shouldn’t be skipping this credit card. It demands high spends, but rewards very well on most type of spends.

Also, with the change in ownership and merging of airlines I’m hoping things with Air India to get better in 2024 and beyond.

IndusInd Tiger Card

IndusInd Bank Tiger Credit Card Review

While it’s technically not an airline credit card, the earn rate of CV points on the card is much higher than any other airline cards, thanks to the accelerated earn rate on crossing >5L spend in a year.

Super Premium Credit Cards

  • Suggested income range: 20 Lakhs+
  • Suggested spend range: 10 Lakhs+

Super premium credit cards are those that comes with higher reward rate, higher credit limit, unlimited lounge access, better card linked benefits & many more perks that you would need to enjoy a luxury lifestyle.

Axis Magnus for Burgundy

axis magnus credit card
  • Best for: Airport meet & greet services, miles transfer
  • Read Review & Apply: Axis Magnus Review

Axis Magnus for Burgundy is the upgraded version of the previous “Magnus” with the ability to transfer points at 5:4 to the airline/hotel partners.

It also gives you new airport experiences with their complimentary airpot meet & greet service, which is useful for many.

If your spends are over 2 or 3 Lakhs a month even for few months in a year, this is perhaps the ONLY card you would ever need.

HDFC Infinia

HDFC Infinia Credit Card
  • Best for: 5X Rewards with decent reward rate on regular spends
  • Updated Review coming soon

Infinia is everyone’s dream for ages without an exception. If you are looking for a single credit card for all your spends beyond Axis Magnus, then Infinia will serve the need.

If you couldn’t get Infinia, Diners Black (pvc) is equally good with same reward rate, only the capping on accelerated rewards is lower.

HDFC Diners Black Metal

HDFC Diners Black Metal Credit Card
  • Best for: 5X Rewards with quarterly milestone benefit
  • Review coming soon

The primary difference from the old Diners Black (pvc) is the metal form factor along with higher smartbuy capping and the additional quarterly milestone benefit which is useful for regular high spenders.

Only downside though is the lower acceptance of Diners cards in India compared to Visa/MasterCard, which means you have to keep a backup card handy.

ICICI Emeralde Private

ICICI Emeralde Private Credit Card
  • Best for: Welcome benefit & decent ongoing rewards
  • Review coming soon

ICICI Bank’s Emeralde Private Credit Card is perhaps the first ever credit card in the ICICI bank’s history to carry a good reward rate of 3% on regular spends.

This card can only be applied as an upgrade at the moment and not everyone is eligible for the same. Upgrade request usually goes through for existing Sapphiro/Emeralde credit card holders with higher credit limit.

Yes Bank Marquee

Yes Bank Marquee Credit Card Review

Yesbank’s newly launched Marquee Credit Card is a pretty good Super Premium Credit Card especially if your spends are largely focused online as it gives you 4.5% reward rate on online spends.

But the downside is, Yes Bank doesn’t have the ability to transfer points to international airlines/hotels. So if you’re not into airmiles and looking for only vanilla rewards, Yes Bank Marquee Credit Card can do wonders for you.

Ultra Premium / UHNI Cards

The ultra premium credit cards are generally different from other type of cards because these cards not only gives rewards but also intend to give you returns via card benefits.

Some of the benefits include: hotel privileges, concierge, meet & greet, airport transfer, first class upgrades, premium support, etc.

Amex Platinum

Most of the Amex Plat cardholders that I know have it for the Marriott Bonvoy Gold membership benefit which is quite useful in India.

Other than the tangible benefits, their “Do Anything” platinum concierge is worth it for those who have the lifestyle to make use of it.

The expensive metal card makes sense if you know how to get equivalent value out of the joining fee. The newly introduced luxury redemption options are quite useful for that matter.

Axis Burgundy Private

  • Best for: Very high spends, miles transfer
  • Review coming soon

If your spends are very high for Magnus and can hold a relationship of 5Cr with Axis Bank, then Axis Burgundy Private is the option.

While it requires high NRV with bank, the rewards and benefits that comes with it for very high spenders are phenomenal.

HSBC Premier

HSBC premier Mastercard Credit Card Design

HSBC Premier Credit Card with it’s upgraded features and benefits is certainly useful for those who prefer to enjoy rewards on all kinds of spends.

While it’s primarily a good card for existing HSBC Premier customers with medium spends, one should consider Magnus for Burgundy if the spends are high.

Choosing the right Card

Choosing the best credit card in 2024 is lot simpler than how it used to be in the past, thanks to all the aggressive credit card offers around.

#1 If you’re new to the game and have relatively low annual spends (<5L) with significant online spends, get the SBI Cashback Credit Card and you’re done.

#2 If you spend >15L a year, get Axis Atlas along with one or two more cards that would suit your lifestyle.

#3 If you spend over >30L a year, you likely need Axis Magnus for Burgundy along with HDFC Infinia among others.

FAQ’s

Which is the best credit card in India for 2024?

Calculate your annual spend and choose the cards from the list above. The best card varies from one person to another.

How many Credit Cards can I have?

As many as you need. Start with 2 cards if you’re new to the system and increase the count gradually based on your spends. 5 cards is sufficient for most.

Which Credit Card has best customer service?

Amex is known for their premium customer support. You may also enjoy a similar treatment with any bank, as long as you take their super-premium cards.

Which Bank’s Credit Card is best in India?

HDFC Bank is the market leader and has very good merchant offers as well. So start with HDFC and add others as per your requirement. Consider having one Amex card for a mix.

Which is the best fuel credit card?

You may use Amex Gold Charge Card as mentioned above. Or just load your ICICI Fastag using Amazon Pay balance and enjoy 5%-15% on fuel depending on the cards you hold.

Bottomline

After few years of making short lists, now the list has got bigger just as it used to be before, thanks to the devaluation of Magnus.

The list will be updated from time to time to keep it relevant. So feel free to bookmark the page for quicker access.

What’s your thoughts about the above list of best credit cards for 2024? Feel free to share your opinion in the comments below. We shall amend the list if required.

Author: Siddharth

Helping Indians to choose right credit cards, pick right offers and enjoy luxury vacations for less. Day & night exploring the spiritual reality of our human existence.

92 thoughts on “25 Best Credit Cards in India for 2024 [Detailed Reviews]

  1. Ashutosh

    Can you please elaborate on upgrade process for emeralde private?
    What limit is required for upgrade?

    Reply
    1. Siddharth Post author

      Preferably ~10L on Sapphirro/Emeralde. Upgrades from lower end cards may not work even if limit is like 15L, as I did see one such case recently.

      Reply
      1. Vinay

        I’ve around 10+L limit on my existing ICICI Emeralde but I’m not getting upgrade reflecting on my imobile app. Have 4 CC’s with them.

        Reply
  2. Ayush

    Thanks Sid. Great post as usual. My thoughts on two card:

    I do not see HSBC Premier a good fit that too in UHNI Cards even for someone with HSBC Premier relationship as the effective reward rate is just 1.5% (not everyone wants Apple voucher).

    I think Citi Prestige needs to be in the list even with the uncertainty about Axis replacement card as this gives no-nonsense 4% miles earning opportunity (8% on international spent), overseas medical insurance of USD 50,000 and unlimited use of priority pass in domestic lounges as well. The annual fee is well compensated by miles and Taj/ITCvoucher.

    Reply
  3. Abhi

    What’s unique this year is almost every bank has something to offer in for one or the other segment, last year was dominated by Axis and Amex. Noticeable dropouts are Idfc wealth and Axis Reserve, while SCU is less super premium than it used to be.

    Reply
    1. Siddharth Post author

      Yeah and will likely remove SCU and add IDFC Wealth in sometime.

      Reply
      1. Abhi

        Thanks for adding Idfc wealth. It stands out for being LTF and providing spa access as well as railway lounges.

        Reply
  4. Sagar V S

    Hai Siddarth,
    I am a biggest fan of ur blog for the genuine and crisp review. I will be grateful if your reply me back.
    I am currently using non metal version of HDFC Infina credit card and being offered paid metal upgrade. Is it wise to deny the upgrade or better to upgrade please suggest.

    Reply
    1. Siddharth Post author

      Thanks for the kind words.

      Upgrades are usually FYF and I don’t see a reason to pay for it unless you’re looking for upcoming Infinia Reserve, as metal with good spends may get quicker access to it.

      Reply
      1. Prashant Gupta

        nice list. But really looking forward to a good premium card with good reward structure. The market as of now has matured no major shaker card in the market now.

        Reply
      2. Deva

        We are like mr.bean waitiiiiiiiiiiiing on the road (for infinia reserve) 😛

        Reply
  5. Pranab

    Hi Sid,
    Like to add some insights on ICICI Emeralde Private Metal Card.
    I’ve LTF Sapphiro. Few months ago, I could see pre-approved ‘Paid’ Emeralde PVC on iMobile, obviously gave it a pass.
    In Nov last year, came to know about the Private metal card. Contacted ‘Wealth Management’ customer care and response from them to contact RM. But since (both of my HDFC &) ICICI RMs are useless (the least I can term them), again contacted customer care and surprisingly this time got it approved (paid).

    Reply
    1. Siddharth Post author

      That’s interesting. May I know when it was approved by the support? As the functionality was not enabled a month ago.

      Reply
      1. Pranab

        It was approved in mid Dec (probably 18th).
        Initially support staff mentioned, I can’t assure you but I can try for it. Surprisingly 2 days later, I got it approved.

        Reply
        1. Siddharth Post author

          Nice, so then it seems anyone can raise this SR, just like they do at the branch and it’s probably upto the backend to decide. Nice info.

          Reply
    2. Anubhav

      Hi Pranab. Even I am getting the Paid Upgrade offer for Emerald PVC. I have two CCs with ICICI. Was your limit above 10L with your existing CCs with ICICI. ?
      And since I don’t have any other Banking Relationship with ICICI can you suggest a better way for Emerald Private Upgrade.?

      Reply
      1. Pranab

        Hi Anubhav,
        Yes, my existing limit is above 10L.
        I’ve 19 years of Salary account (Wealth management) with ICICI. But don’t think that helped me to get the card. Only plus I’ve got is getting the support executive directly (without any IVR or queue).
        IMO, the most important part is to get connected with a good support executive.
        The first one and also my RM expressed his/her inability (rather my ineligibility) but the second one (after approx 10 days) got me the card. You can try the same.

        Reply
  6. Ankur S

    Great card list. International airlines cards need to up their game. I guess no point in getting ethiad, emirates or qatar/ba card as rewards are low on ongoing basis.

    Reply
  7. Sudip

    Hi Sid,

    Does HDFC still gives good merchant offers in 2024 other than official Apple store purchase?

    Nowadays I’ve hardly found HDFC giving discounts also if someone is buying Apple products they’re available at lesser price at both Amazon/ Flipkart.

    Last big billion sale, SBI/ ICICI/ Kotak lead the way and no where HDFC was found.

    Thanks

    Reply
    1. Siddharth Post author

      I actually meant the Apple offer with that line, I’ll update the same shortly.

      Reply
  8. RK

    Superb list as always !

    Can you please elaborate on “load your ICICI Fastag using Amazon Pay balance and enjoy 5%-15% on fuel depending on the cards you hold.”
    Does it work with ICICI fastag only and if it’s same or different from Amazon ICICI fastag ?
    How does it work ? you mean purchase gift card, add in amazon pay and then recharge fastag.

    Reply
  9. Mahesh S. Panicker

    Hi Sid, have been looking forward to this for a while.
    The Infinia has regained the top card in India spot I guess. Magnus B isn’t the easiest to get and after Axis’ hit job on the regular card, think the 2 HDFC cards are back on top… SC Ultimate is not worth considering a super premium card in my view. The lounge access isn’t extraordinary, nor are the other benefits. What makes it worse is the absolutely godawful reward redemption options. That SCB Reward portal has to be the most pathetic such portal in the world. Have been receiving Ultimate offers on my Super Value Titanium, the Titanium with the little cashback it gives on fuel and bill pay, is a much better card. The only cards worth it from the SCB lineup would be the SC Smart and Titanium.
    Bit surprised to see none of the AU cards in there, the AU Zenith is in reality, a far better card than the SC Ultimate.
    Noticed the IDFC cards don’t even make it to the entry level options, yes, ICICI AmazonPay has to be the king there along with SBI Cashback, but the IDFC Wealth/Select, and even Flipkkart Axis, despite recent devaluation, can earn a place there.

    Reply
    1. Siddharth Post author

      Alright, so I’ve removed SC Ultimate and added IDFC Wealth.

      AU LIT card probably is good in entry-level but given that their issuance is limited, we couldn’t suggest it as a mainstream card for now.

      Any USP you see with Au Zenith?

      Reply
      1. balaji

        Well said Mahesh . My thoughts exact and thanks Sid for updating.
        After lots of thought I got IDFC Wealth CC, few weeks ago and seeing it in your list makes me proud of my decision. Currently for non-premium cards, IDFC Wealth is the only one which rewards edu fee.

        Reply
      2. Mahesh S. Panicker

        Zenith gives one of the best in the market return on offline dining. Useful as every restaurant isn’t covered by Eazydiner/Dineout/Zomato Gold. The card also has a fairly decent lounge access program, the list of exclusions when it comes to rewards are minimal. Decent returns on Zomato/ Swiggy/grocery in general. For high spenders, there is the Accor membership as well. Miles better than Ultimate. SC Ultimate, India’s best no-nonsense card for the longest time, is now missing the No.

        Reply
        1. Abhi

          For 75K pm spend, Zenith Plus gives 1500 RP plus 1000 bonus, so combined value is 3.33% . Whereas Zenith gives 5% on dining but it’s 2.5% and 1.25% on other categories. Quarterly milestone is another 0.5% but still doesn’t add upto 3.33% . Railway lounge is there with Zenith, while Zenith Plus gives Airport meet & greet.
          One can ignore Epicure benefit on both, and annual fee is not an issue either. Overall felt Zenith Plus has a slight edge.

          Reply
  10. Yudhishthir Sharma

    Hey Siddharth,

    I also wanted to know more about your comment regarding “load your ICICI fastag using Amazon pay balance and enjoy 5%-15% on fuel”.
    I’m unable to establish any connection between the fastag and savings/cash back on fuel, unless of course there’s a feature I’m not aware of.

    Could you please elaborate on that point and explain clearly what you meant??
    Also, I wanted to know if you have a recommendation in terms of getting a credit card for fuel. I only go to Indian Oil petrol pumps and have tried getting the Citibank card, but got denied because of the location I’m in (the pincode is blacklisted I guess).

    Really appreciate what you do man and thanks in advance.

    Reply
    1. Shivi

      You can use your Fastag for fuel payments at certain fuel pumps.

      Reply
  11. Sudip

    Hi Sid,

    I think SC smart deserves to be in the list, with its 2% cashback on all spends (including insurance, rent, tax payment etc) except fuel, card user need not remember it while using it. Your thoughts?

    Reply
    1. Siddharth Post author

      Getting the card is the problem for most. But good to know that they’re still giving points on all spends while they don’t on Ultimate.

      Reply
      1. Sudip

        Another card which I find interesting is HSBC cashback card for its 10% cashback on dining and grocery spends and 1.5% cashback on other spend.

        Reply
    2. Rohit Bahl

      Hi Sudip,
      I must correct you, StanC Smart CC doesn’t give RP’s on Rental payments anymore instead they have started charging 1% additional fee on such payments. I have this card and recently got LE from 2.64L to 7.92L, such a big leap. With this limit, is it worth to take StanC Ultimate with the limited redemption options it has?
      @Siddharth- What’s your take on this?

      Reply
      1. Sudip

        Hi Rohit,

        Agree with you however even post charges you can get .82% reward rate on rental payments.

        Reply
      2. balaji

        Hi Rohit,
        I couldn’t find what categories it rewards 2%. Will it reward for edu fee, taxes, govt. services ?

        Reply
        1. Rohit Bahl

          Hi Balaji,
          SC Smart CC gives 2% upto Rs. 1000/- on all Online spends, there is no category excluded. But Rental transactions will attract 1% processing fee + GST.
          Offline spends will give 1% upto Rs. 500/-

          Reply
  12. Deepak Bhat

    I guess you missed the bracket of 5L to 15L while recommending the best cards… Can you update this please?

    Also, how to make use of Amazon pay for rewards? Loading up the wallet from Atlas gives edge miles?

    Reply
  13. TUSHAR

    Great article, Sid.
    I have one query, though. Is it advisable to upgrade a LTF HDFC DCB (PVC) to ‘paid’ Infinia (FYF)?

    Reply
    1. Ankur S

      Mostly yes. But also if –
      1)smartbuy per day limit causing an hindrance
      2)you use your card at stores and diners not supported at your places
      3)you travel outside india and diners has poor acceptance

      Reply
    2. Praveen Katiyar

      Certainly with eyes closed.

      But this is how I look at it. You can answer the following questions for your answer:
      1. Do you often exhaust your smartbuy 3x/5x/10x limit on DCB ?
      2. Do you ever face acceptance issues for DCB?
      3. Can you meet the spend limits for a fee waiver?
      Many of the DCB users (few I know personally) would love to get this option.

      Do let us know what you chose.

      Reply
      1. Ankit B

        I mainly found that 5x v/s 3x benefit on Vouchers for Infinia and the fact that they have higher monthly capping at 15K v/s 7.5K for DCB base version, Infinia paid is a good proposition. For most high spenders, anyway the annual fees will get waived off due to annual threshold being reached. Worst case, HDFC will anyway give you equivalent points for the annual fees.

        Net net Infinia upgrade is ALWAYS worth it, especially given it’s a Visa card.

        Reply
  14. Mayank

    Can somone please suggest which card in the above list give reward points for payment of Income Tax?

    Reply
    1. vadakkus

      Your best bet would be Axis Atlas. Amex Gold, SBI Air India Signature and ICICI Amazon Pay cards also give rewards on govt transactions. Choose as per what your goal for redemption is: Miles or Amazon vouchers.

      Reply
    2. balaji

      IDFC Wealth CC 1.5% for the first 30K of the billing cycle, later 2.5%.
      I payed advance tax recently and did receive.

      Reply
  15. Praveen Katiyar

    Dear Sid,
    As usual a great post. One that most of us wait and keep looking for, all year round.
    This opens my eyes to upgrading my strategy for my bouquet of cards.
    How is your experience, (if any) of moving from Citi cards to Axis cards? Are they doing it now?

    Reply
    1. Siddharth Post author

      I never have a Citi card to experience this but from what I hear, it is not happening yet.

      Reply
  16. Chinmoy

    Neucard is not that great as far Utility bill payments are concerned. It has max cap of 25K for a bill payment transaction. Insurance premium less than 25K only will enjoy 5%. However the Rupay varient of the card is best since it gives 1.5% cashback on UPI transaction.

    Reply
    1. Siddharth Post author

      Not that I’m aware of. First I see many having trouble in getting ACE. 🙂

      Reply
      1. Rohit Bahl

        Hi Sid,
        Its true. When ACE was introduced, every other person was interested in getting that card. When I applied for that card, bank person told me due to mad rush for this card, bank is very selective in giving the approval. As it was a game changer that time. But now, with many conditions in place, this card is not so good. But yes, much better than SBI Cashback at least it has transparency in giving cashback per transaction. ACE & LTF, no ways. Not until further devaluation.

        Reply
  17. Avinash b

    Hi Sid,

    I have been trying to get wealth card upgrade for more than 1 year now. IDFC is neither increasing my limit nor upgrading my card.

    Any tips to get my IDFC SELECT card upgraded to WEALTH card.

    Reply
  18. Ravishankar Iyer

    Thanks Sid. Wanted to check if any good alternative to Axis Magnus for flight reward points. The booking system on Travel Edge portal is extremely slow and cumbersome.

    Reply
  19. Satendra Sharma

    Best as always. 🙂

    I am wondering why Axis Airtel, HDFC Swiggy, IndusInd Eazydiner couldn’t fit in the list of 25 best credit cards 🤔

    Reply
  20. Ashutosh

    Hi Sid

    If considering a card for milestone benefits with a spend of ~10L/annum of government transaction/tax payments and rent, which of the below is recommended:
    a) SBI Air India
    b) SBI Vistara Prime
    c) IDFC Club Vistara

    Reply
    1. ka

      Does sbi vistara prime give point for rent spends? And does it consider rent spends for annual spends calculation?

      Reply
  21. Shaivali

    I want to apply for INDUSIND tiger cc but indus ind site has no option for selecting this card .
    Bajaj says I can apply only only through indus ind
    Pl guide

    Reply
  22. Vasisht D

    Hi Siddharth
    I currently have a HDFC Infinia and Axis Reserve. Does it make sense to switch the Axis Reserve for Amex Platinum? I have a lot of international use also.

    Reply
  23. manas

    Holding Amex Plat Travel recently got a offer to Upgrade to Platinum Travel Reserve card doesn’t seem useful as long as utilities/fuel are not covered for points plus half the places i have shopped/dined at have rejected amex that too in Mumbai due to high seller/business charges would have hit 4lp bonus milestone easily. wondering if renewing this card will be worth it,did get my milestone bonus of 1.9 that too because i paid college fees with it but beyond that idk how useful.

    Reply
  24. Sekar

    Any Mid range variant card for paying rents without any additional charges and also suggest me some sites to pay. Currently I’m paying via CRED which is charging me 1% as service charge and apart from that the cards I’m holding (HDFC regalia, ICICI Amazon pay, SBI) are no longer providing any benefits for paying. I would appreciate if anyone could suggest me for one card for utility payments with some benefits in either reward points or cashback.
    Even it is in premium segment cards are also fine.. I’m ready to explore!

    Reply
    1. balaji

      Rent – forget it . Even milestones are not considered now.
      Bills – Axis ACE 5% upto 500 INR. later 2% .

      Reply
    2. AAJ

      You may also explore wallet rewarding cards like Kotak White or others (used Emeralde Private earlier, now they stopped rewarding Wallet loads from 5th Feb I guess), load PayZapp and pay via no broker where you won’t end up rent surcharge, however no broker charges their fee

      Reply
  25. Rudra Chowdhury

    Hello Sid,
    Excellent article and thanks for providing all the details. I recently revamped my CC portfolio and your article certainly helped a lot.

    Based on this, I current have a 5 card strategy

    1) ICICI Amazon Pay LTF
    2) ICICI Sapphiro Master Card LTF
    3) ICICI Sapphiro Amex LTF
    4) HDFC INFINIA
    5) IDFC Wealth LTF

    So planning to use (4) as primary, (5) for backup on large spends, (2) and (3) for Festive offers in each network from ICICI and (1) for large >20K spends on Amazon.

    Please share your thoughts and suggest if any additional cards could be useful.

    Thanks,
    Rudra Chowdhury

    Reply
  26. harissssssssss

    Hello Sid,

    As usual amazing post with updated card variants, their details & respective conditions.
    I would like you to take some time and start giving reviews for best debit cards as well.
    To start with – AU ROYALE Banking visa signature DC, HSBC Savings account DC etc has unmatched advantages like a decent CC.
    Hoping to see the DC vs CC debates as well.

    Reply
  27. DwingR

    I am a simple man with simple needs.

    What is the one card that will help me most with free movie tickets and good dining offers? I have PVR and Cinepolis near my place and use both BMS as well as Paytm movies. For dining out, I use Easydiner/Zomato/Swiggy.

    Helps if the recommended card is lifetime free 🙂

    Thanks in advance.

    Reply
  28. Sudip

    Hi Sid,

    Amex gold collection is revised from today and its mostly a devaluation for people who are into amazon/ flipkart vouchers, etc. Croma is removed, reliance digital voucher is added.

    Can you update the same in your AmEx MRCC review.

    Thanks.

    Reply
  29. Anand Sivaraman

    Reward points on Grocery via HDFC Gyftr now restricted. Only ₹1,500/- each worth Big basket and Blinkit vouchers can now be purchased in a calendar month, as per pop-up while trying to add more to cart. This seems to have happened from 1st March as I recently purchased 5k worth vouchers in February. Huge devaluation of sorts as points restricted to ~300 in this category.

    Reply
  30. Ankit

    Is there any card which still provide any benefits on Rental payments?

    Reply
  31. kartikay sharma

    Any thoughts on using credit card to pay down payment of house/flat. I have come across deals where we can directly pay the builder say dlf or godrej the initial 10% amount of the flat via credit card. Hence, such transactions can be 10 lakh worth easily. Which set of credit do you think can be used to make best use of it? Say like doing 2L worth transactions from say 5 different cards?
    I have amex mrcc, tata neu infinity, idfc select, SBI cashback, ICICI Amazon, hdfc regalia, hsbc platinum, kotak myntra

    Reply
  32. Sravan

    Hi Sidharth,
    Great article but I can see that there are no cards on AU bank present. I believe AU Ixigo card is also a great card for international spends as it offers zero forex markup. And it is being offered LTF right now, which makes it a better pick than RBL world safari card.

    Reply
    1. Siddharth Post author

      AU is still not issued in many cities is a concern, will probably add AU cards to list by mid 2024.

      Reply
  33. Rajesh kumar J

    Thanks for good Article. I’m holding Axis Magus Credit for couple of years.
    Magnus Monthly milestone benefit 25,000 points on 1L spend (per calendar month) discontinued from 1st Sep 2023. After changes, i feel the card is not useful.
    Can you suggest some good premium credit card like Magnus.
    I’m not frequent traveller. The reward points i like to redeem as gift voucher or cash. FYI – I’m also holding HDFC Diners Black Credit card (Non Metal)

    Reply
    1. balaji

      Most of the premium cards are targeted for travel categories. The reward rate when redeemed against GVs will not be as good as in travel category. Magnus was good till it lasted as it gave about ~9% against AGVs.

      Now, if you are not a frequent traveler SBI CashBack is good enough. You can try to upgrade HDFC DCB to Infinia by mailing to grievance addressal. Even with Inifina if you buy AGVs and redeem against AGVs via SmartBuy, your effective rate is just 6.9%. And you can buy a max of 20K AGVs per month.

      Reply
  34. Praveen Kumar

    Hi Siddharth, any card for government transactions (advance tax) from which we can benefit after paying the gateway transaction charges?

    Reply
  35. Rohit Bahl

    Hi Sid,
    Is HDFC bank working on a credit card in collaboration with Apple? Is it true?

    Reply
  36. Anujay Singh

    Axis murder*d the Magnus and finally buried the reserve!

    Reply
  37. Mahesh Kumar Karumuri

    Just received Mails from axis bank, Devaluation on both ACE and Airtel Cards

    Update regarding your Axis Bank ACE Credit Card

    While you continue to make the most of your Axis Bank ACE Credit Card, we would like to update you regarding a few changes to the features on your Credit Card, effective 20th April 2024:

    Unlimited cashback on all eligible spends other than transactions on Google Pay or preferred partners has been revised from 2% to 1.5%.

    Utility spends on any other platforms except Google Pay will not be eligible for cashback.

    Update regarding your AIRTEL AXIS BANK Credit Card

    While you continue to make the most of your AIRTEL AXIS BANK Credit Card, we would like to update you regarding a few changes to the features on your Credit Card, with effect from 20th April 2024:

    The maximum cashback on Airtel Mobile, Broadband, Wi-Fi and DTH bill payments via Airtel Thanks App in a statement cycle has been revised from Rs. 300 to Rs. 250.

    The maximum cashback on other utility payments such as gas, electricity, etc., via Airtel Thanks App in a statement cycle has been revised from Rs. 300 to Rs. 250.
    Utility spends on any other platform except Airtel Thanks app will not be eligible for cashback.

    For Both Cards :

    Effective 1st May 2024, access to domestic airport lounges will be based on a minimum eligible spend of Rs. 50,000 in the previous 3 calendar months. In the case of a newly issued card, the minimum spend criteria is waived for the month of card issuance as well as for the following 3 calendar months. For more details, please click here.

    Reply
  38. Ravi

    Need suggestions.
    Considering the devaluation with Axis ace card, please suggest the next best card specially for offline transactions. (with preferably non-travel benefits)
    Faced problems with MRCC at many places, Amazon icici and sbi cashback has only 1% points for offline transactions.
    Any good paid card with similar benefits may also work.

    Also, is there any way to get the axis card fees waived off or get a better card ?

    Reply
    1. Rahul Lakshmanan

      I would suggest you take a look at HSBC cashback credit card. It offers good benefits if your top spends revolve around grocery shopping and Dining

      Reply

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