10 Best Credit Cards in India 2023

Finding the best credit card that suits your needs is not an easy task. Every credit card comes with its own benefits and shortcomings. 

However, we have shortlisted the 10 best credit cards in India for different use-cases to help you out choose the ideal one as per your needs.

The different user segments are like –

• Easy to get approved credit cards
• Shopping credit cards
• Travel & lounge access
• Fuel & utility bills
• Premium services like high rewards, luxury stays, and fine dining

Let’s understand the best credit cards in India one by one.

Easy to Get Approved Credit Cards 

#1. HDFC Millennia Credit Card

• Best for – Beginners with easy approval & up to 5% cashback facility.

If you’re new to credit cards and want a good cashback credit card, then go with the HDFC Millennia credit card because it is easy to get approved for newcomers.

The Millennia card would help you get premium HDFC Credit cards like HDFC Regalia if you use the card regularly for around 1 year. 

You also get Rs. 1000 cash points (worth Rs. 1,000) as a welcome gift with HDFC Millennia credit card but you have to pay a joining fee of Rs. 1,000. 

You can enjoy 5% cashback if used with selected partners like Amazon, BookMyShow, Zomato, Swiggy, and Tata CLiQ.

HDFC is currently offering this card as a Lifetime free (LTF) credit card if you are an old HDFC bank customer or holding any other basic credit card for the last one-year.

Reward Value

• 5% cashback on Amazon, BookMyShow, Cult.fit, Flipkart, Myntra, Zomato, Swiggy, Tata CLiQ, and Uber.
• 1% cashback on all other online or offline spending.

Best way to get max value from this credit card

Using it with selected partners like Amazon, BookMyShow, Zomato, Swiggy, and Tata CLiQ to enjoy 5% cashback.

Best Shopping Credit Cards

#2. Amazon ICICI Pay Credit Card

• Best for – Amazon prime members with 5% cashback on Amazon purchases.

If you are an Amazon Prime member or you mostly shop on Amazon, then ICICI Amazon Pay card is must for you because you get 5% cashback on your Amazon orders.

Since it’s an invite-only card, you have to wait if you get the card invitation from Amazon.

The Amazon Pay card doesn’t require a CIBIL inquiry, so if you don’t have any CIBIL score, no worries, you will get the card for sure.

You also get a welcome gift of an Amazon pay balance worth Rs. 300 despite there is no joining fee. Above all the card is again a Lifetime free one.

Reward Value

• 5% cashback on Amazon purchases for Prime members
• 3% cashback for Non-Prime members
• 2% cashback on select partner brands
• 1% cashback on all other payments except fuel

Best way to get max value from this credit card

Amazon Prime members can get the maximum value of ICICI Amazon Pay card with 5% cashback on your Amazon orders.

#3. Flipkart Axis Bank Credit Card

• Best for – a frequent Flipkart and Myntra buyer

If you like to shop on Flipkart, then go with this LTF credit card (earlier there was a Rs. 500 annual fee). You can enjoy 5% cashback on all Flipkart purchases. This co-branded credit card also offers 5% cashback on Myntra.

You also get a welcome benefit worth Rs. 1,100 as mentioned below –

• Rs. 500 worth of Flipkart vouchers
• 15% cashback up to Rs. 500 on your 1st transaction on Myntra
• 50% discount up to Rs. 100 on your 1st transaction for a new Swiggy customer

Reward Value

Cashback on Flipkart and Myntra	5%
Cashback on selected partners like Swiggy, Uber, PVR, and cure.fit	4%
Other spendings	1.5%

Best way to get max value from this credit card

Use it on Flipkart and Myntra as you get a flat 5% cashback on your expenditure.

#4. Zomato RBL Edition Classic

• Best for – people with high Zomato usage

Zomato Edition Classic credit card not only offers you discounts on food but also enables you to order free food by using its cashback points (Zomato Credits). 

1 cashback point is equivalent to 1 Rupee.

You also get complimentary Zomato Pro membership that gets renewed automatically every year.

Another thing that I liked about Edition Classic is its fast onboarding process. It took me hardly 10 mins to complete the process including the online In-person verification.

Zomato Edition Classic is currently an LTF credit card with a joining fee of Rs. 500, you get 500 Zomato points as a welcome gift.

Reward Value

Food Spends (Delivery)	5%
Dining Spendings (In Restaurant)	5%
Birthday Spendings	10%
Online spendings (Other than Zomato)	1.5%
Offline spends (Other than Zomato)	1%

Milestone reward

• Rs. 2000 on spending Rs. 2 lakh per year

Best way to get max value from this credit card

Dine-in at preferred partner restaurants to get additional discount (up to 40%) along with 5% Zomato cashback

Best Credit Cards for Travel & Lounge Access

#5. HDFC Regalia Credit Card

• Best for – International travelers to enjoy free lounge access and a low forex markup fee.

You can go for an HDFC Regalia credit card if you frequently travel by air because you get complimentary lounge access both domestic & international. 

You can also share the international lounge access limit to family members with the facility to share Priority Pass to add-on cards. 

Complimentary lounge access details –

• 6 international lounges access per year
• 12 international lounges access per year

You get a low forex markup fee of 2% on international spending.

HDFC Regalia has a joining/renewal fee of Rs. 2500 and you get 2500 Reward Points as a welcome gift after the first transaction. Regarding the renewal fee, you can get it waived off on spending Rs. 3 lakh per annum.

Reward Value

• 4 Reward Points for every Rs. 150 on retail spending.
• 2500 Reward Points as a welcome gift

Redemption Value

• 1 Reward Point (RP) = Rs. 0.50 (if you redeem on the Regalia portal)
• 1 RP = 0.5 for redemption as flight booking (air mile), hotel booking
• 1 RP = 0.2 as statement credit

Milestone Benefits

• Earn 10,000 RPs on spending Rs. 5,00,000 per year
• Earn 15,000 RPs (10K+5K) on spending Rs. 8,00,000 per year

Best way to get max value from this credit card

Using it for flight booking and international lounge access during international travel.

#6. SBI IRCTC Premier Credit Card

• Best for – Regular train & air traveler

If you frequently travel by train, then go with the SBI IRCTC Premier credit card. Because you can easily save up to 10% on your train tickets and redeem them back for your other travel bookings. 

You also get 5% cashback as reward points on a flight booking through the IRCTC portal and there’s no capping on the flight ticket value.

You also get 8 complimentary railway lounge access per year (Maximum 2 per quarter), however, the number of railway lounges is less at present.

Regular train travelers can get the maximum out of this SBI credit card with a 10% reward point rate on train ticket booking through IRCTC.

Reward Value

IRCTC Train Bookings (AC1, AC2. AC3, and AC CC)	10% as reward points
IRCTC Flight Bookings	5% as reward points (no capping)
Dining and Utility spendings	3 reward points
Other spends	1 reward points

1 Reward point for every Rs. 125 and 1 Reward point is equivalent to Rs.1.

Milestone Benefits

• Earn 2,500 RPs on annual travel spends of Rs. 50,000
• Earn 5,000 RPs on annual travel spends of Rs. 1,00,000
• Annual Fee waiver on spendings Rs. 2 Lakhs per year

Best way to get max value from this credit card

Booking train & flight tickets through IRCTC portal as you get 10% reward points on train booking and 5% reward points on flight booking.

Best Credit Cards for Fuel & Utility Bills

#7. Standard Chartered Super Value Titanium Credit Card

• Best for – 5% cashback on fuel & utility payments

SC Super Value Titanium is an ideal deal if you are looking for a credit card for fuel and utility payments. 

You get 5% cashback on fuel spending as well as utility payments like telephone bills, electricity bills, or gas bookings. 

SC SVT credit card comes with a joining fee of Rs. 750 and you get 100% cashback up to Rs 1,500 on fuel transactions in the first 90 days.

The credit card also has an Rs. 750 per year renewal fee but you can get it lifetime free by talking to customer service. 

Reward Value

• 5% cashback on fuel transactions, utility bills payments, and telephone bills
• Other spending = 1 reward point on every Rs 150 spent
• 1 Reward Point = Rs. 0.25

Best way to get max value from this credit card

Swiping credit card for fuel and utility payments as you get 5% cashback on both.

Best Premium Credit Cards

#8. HDFC Infinia Credit Card

• Best for – Unlimited lounge access & high reward ratio

If you are looking for a single premium credit card to take care of all your spending, then HDFC Infinia could be the one.

You get 10X rewards, unlimited lounge access, unlimited complimentary golf game rounds, and many other benefits like a 2% forex markup fee.

You get a reward rate of 3.3% on your regular spending which is commendable.

But being ultra-premium, it’s an invite-only credit card and you have an ITR of Rs. 45 lakh per annum to get eligible for it.

Infinia comes with a joining fee and renewal fee of Rs. 10K but it provides you more benefits in return if your credit card usage is very high.

Reward Value

• 5 reward points for every 150.rs spent anywhere except fuel and wallets
• 10 reward points (2x) for spending on dining
• 10x reward points with preferred partners like MMT, Cleartrip, Yatra

Best way to get max value from this credit card

Using it with preferred partners such as Make my trip, Clear trip, Yatra to get 50 reward points for every Rs. 150 spent.

#9. Standard Chartered Ultimate

• Best for – Cashback on duty-free shops at airports along with 3.3% ROE on spending

Just like HDFC Infinia, Standard Chartered Ultimate credit card also comes with a superb 3.3% reward rate but at half price of Rs. 5,000 joining fee. You get reward points on spending anywhere. 

You should have a high monthly income of Rs. 2 lakh to get eligible for SC Ultimate card.

You also get complimentary domestic and international lounges to access mentioned below –

• 16 domestic airport lounge access per annum (4 every quarter).
• You get 1 complimentary international lounge access per month

Reward Value

• 6,000 reward points as a welcome benefit
• 5 reward points for every Rs. 150 spent
• 5% cash back on purchases from duty-free stores at airports (Max. Rs. 1,000 per month)
• 1 reward point = Re. 1

Best way to get max value from this credit card

Use it anywhere to get reward points

#10. Axis Reserve Credit Card

• Best for – Premium services like luxury hotel stays, airport transfers, and golf sessions

Axis Reserve is one of the costliest credit cards that has a joining and renewal fee of Rs. 50,000. You get 50,000 reward points as a welcome gift.

You can enjoy the premium benefits like luxury airport transfers, airport meet & greet service, unlimited lounge access, Bookmyshow offer, luxury hotel stays, and 50 rounds of golf sessions.

Reward Value

Reward Points	Reward Rate
15 RPs on every Rs. 200 spent (Domestic)	1.5%
30 RPs (2x) on every Rs. 200 spent (Domestic)	3%
Forex markup fee	1.77%

Best way to get max value from this credit card

Playing Golf or frequently using airport transport, meet & greet as well as luxury hotel stay offers.

Conclusion

You can go with HDFC Millenia credit card if you are new to credit cards and want an easy-to-get approved credit card with up to 5% cashback benefits.

If you are a foodie, then Zomato Edition Classic is an ideal choice for you because you will not only get a Zomato Pro membership but also up to 10% cashback on your spending.

If you are looking for a premium credit card, go with HDFC Regalia, you can enjoy a better reward-point value of 5 RPs every Rs. 150 spent, along with complimentary lounge access.