Top Picks · Updated June 2026

Best Credit Cards in India 2026 — Compared & Ranked

Independent comparison of the best Indian credit cards in 2026. Filter by category, compare fees, reward rates, lounge access, and forex markup. Updated monthly.

super premium

HDFC Bank Infinia Metal

HDFC Bank · Visa

★★★★½ 4.8/5

Annual Fee ₹12,500

Joining Fee ₹12,500

Forex 2% (effective ~2.36%)

Rewards 3.3% base (5 reward points per ₹150 = 1 RP ≈ ₹1); 10X on SmartBuy portal

Best reward rate in India for an all-round card — 3.3% effective base
Reward points transfer to Air India, Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer, InterMiles, Marriott Bonvoy, Club Vistara (via SmartBuy)
Complimentary golf rounds at select courses

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super premium

HDFC Diners Club Black

HDFC Bank · Diners Club

★★★★½ 4.6/5

Annual Fee ₹10,000

Joining Fee ₹10,000

Forex 2%

Rewards 3.3% base; 10X on SmartBuy; 5X on dining

Same 3.3% earn rate as Infinia at a lower annual fee
Annual memberships (Amazon Prime + Swiggy One + MMT Black + Times Prime) often worth more than the annual fee
Diners Club acceptance is improving but still lower than Visa/MC — have a backup card

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premium

IDFC FIRST Wealth Credit Card

IDFC FIRST Bank · Visa

★★★★½ 4.6/5

Annual Fee Free

Joining Fee Free

Forex 1.5% (best-in-class)

Rewards 3 reward points per ₹150 on online; 1.5 RP/₹150 offline; 10X on birthday; 6X on international

Only LIFETIME FREE card in India with generous lounge access
Best forex markup for a no-fee card: 1.5%
10X points on your birthday is a great perk

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super premium

ICICI Bank Emeralde Private Metal

ICICI Bank · Visa

★★★★½ 4.5/5

Annual Fee ₹12,499

Joining Fee ₹12,499

Forex 1.5% (one of the lowest in India)

Rewards 4 ICICI Reward Points per ₹100 (≈ 1% base); higher on travel bookings via ICICI

Best forex markup rate in India for a super-premium card (1.5%)
Metal card — strong tactile premium feel
Complimentary ITC Hotels, Oberoi, and Taj membership benefits via concierge

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SBI Visa

mid range

SBI Card Cashback

SBI Card · Visa

★★★★½ 4.5/5

Annual Fee ₹999

Joining Fee ₹999

Forex 3.5%

Rewards 5% cashback on all online transactions; 1% on offline

Best flat-rate online cashback card in India — 5% with NO merchant restrictions
Cashback auto-credited to card statement — no redemption needed
No cap on 5% cashback per month

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premium

HDFC Bank Regalia Gold

HDFC Bank · Visa

★★★★☆ 4.4/5

Annual Fee ₹2,500

Joining Fee ₹2,500

Forex 2%

Rewards 2% base (4 RP per ₹150); 5X on grocery and dining

Best sub-₹5K card in India for overall value
Reward points transferable to Air India, KrisFlyer, InterMiles, Club Vistara
Complimentary Swiggy One membership (3 months)

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co brand

Amazon Pay ICICI Bank Credit Card

ICICI Bank · Visa

★★★★☆ 4.3/5

Annual Fee Free

Joining Fee Free

Forex 3.5%

Rewards 5% back on Amazon (Prime members); 3% on Amazon (non-Prime); 2% on partner merchants; 1% others

India's most popular lifetime-free card — over 5 million cardholders
Cashback credited as Amazon Pay balance (instant, no minimum)
No reward expiry

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premium

Axis Bank Magnus Credit Card

Axis Bank · Visa

★★★★☆ 4.3/5

Annual Fee ₹10,000

Joining Fee ₹12,500

Forex 2%

Rewards 12 EDGE Reward Points per ₹200 on travel (EDGE Travel portal); 6 EDGE RP/₹200 on dining; 3 EDGE RP/₹200 base

EDGE Reward Points transfer to 15+ partners (Air India, British Airways Avios, Singapore Airlines, Marriott Bonvoy, Accor)
Monthly spend of ₹1.5L unlocks 20,000 bonus points — great for large spenders
Complimentary Accor Plus membership = significant hotel value

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premium

RBL Bank World Safari Credit Card

RBL Bank · Visa

★★★★☆ 4.3/5

Annual Fee ₹3,000

Joining Fee ₹3,000

Forex 0% — NO forex markup (one of the very few cards in India)

Rewards 5 Travel Points per ₹100 on travel; 2 TP/₹100 on all others; NO forex markup reward

ZERO forex markup — unique in India, saves 2–3.5% on every international transaction
Strong international lounge access (6 Priority Pass)
Travel Points transfer to airline miles

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#10

mid range

Axis Bank ACE Credit Card

Axis Bank · Visa

★★★★☆ 4.2/5

Annual Fee ₹499

Joining Fee ₹499

Forex 3.5%

Rewards 5% cashback on bill payments & recharges via Google Pay; 4% on Swiggy, Zomato, Ola; 1.5% others

Best card for utility bill payments and recharges in India — 5% cashback
Cashback auto-credited — no redemption hassle
Strong 4% on Swiggy, Zomato, and Ola

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#11

premium

Axis Bank Atlas Credit Card

Axis Bank · Visa

★★★★☆ 4.2/5

Annual Fee ₹5,000

Joining Fee ₹5,000

Forex 3.5%

Rewards 5 EDGE Miles on every ₹100 on travel; 2 EDGE Miles on all other spends

Purpose-built travel card — earn EDGE Miles specifically for airline/hotel redemption
EDGE Miles transfer to 25+ airline and hotel partners
Clear tier-based milestone structure is easy to plan around

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#12

premium

Amex Platinum Travel Credit Card

American Express India · Amex

★★★★☆ 4.2/5

Annual Fee ₹5,000

Joining Fee ₹3,500

Forex 3.5%

Rewards 5X Membership Rewards Points on Amex Travel Online; 1X on all other spends

Best card for IHCL Taj Hotels value — milestone benefits include free stays
Amex MR points transferable to IndiGo (6E Rewards), British Airways Avios, Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer, Marriott Bonvoy, Hilton Honors
IndiGo transfer ratio: 1 MR = 1 6E Reward Point; high value for domestic flights

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#13

mid range

HDFC Bank Millennia

HDFC Bank · Visa

★★★★☆ 4.1/5

Annual Fee ₹1,000

Joining Fee ₹1,000

Forex 3.5%

Rewards 5% cashback on Amazon, Flipkart, Myntra, Swiggy, Zomato, BookMyShow; 1% on other spends

Best entry-level card for online shopping
5% cashback is paid as CashPoints, redeemable against statement balance
No minimum transaction for 5% cashback (unlike some cards)

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#14

mid range

HSBC Live+ Credit Card

HSBC India · Visa

★★★★☆ 4.1/5

Annual Fee ₹999

Joining Fee ₹999

Forex 3.5%

Rewards 10% cashback on Swiggy, Zomato, Ola; 1.5% on all other spends

10% cashback on Swiggy, Zomato, and Ola is the highest rate in this category
Cashback credited directly to statement
Cap: ₹3,000/month on partner cashback (still excellent value)

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#15

premium

SBI Card ELITE

SBI Card · Visa

★★★★☆ 4/5

Annual Fee ₹4,999

Joining Fee ₹4,999

Forex 1.99% (surprisingly low for this tier)

Rewards 5X (5 RP/₹100) on dining, department stores, grocery; 2X on all others

Better forex rate than most premium cards
Welcome vouchers almost cover the annual fee
Points transferable to Vistara, Etihad, Singapore Airlines and more

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#16

entry level

SBI SimplyCLICK

SBI Card · Visa

★★★★☆ 4/5

Annual Fee ₹499

Joining Fee ₹499

Forex 3.5%

Rewards 10X RP on Amazon, BookMyShow, Cleartrip, Lenskart, Netmeds; 5X on all other online; 1X offline

Best entry-level online shopping card under ₹500
Very easy annual fee waiver at ₹1L spend
10X on Amazon makes it a strong rival to Amazon Pay ICICI for Amazon spend

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#17

premium

IndusInd Bank Legend Credit Card

IndusInd Bank · Visa

★★★★☆ 4/5

Annual Fee ₹9,999

Joining Fee ₹9,999

Forex 1.8% (one of the lowest among premium cards)

Rewards 2 reward points per ₹100 on all spends; 1.5X on international; 3X on IndusInd site travel

Best-in-class forex markup at 1.8% — ideal for international travel
Reward points transferable to IndiGo (6E Rewards) and other partners
Complimentary golf rounds

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#18

mid range

AU Bank LIT Credit Card

AU Small Finance Bank · Visa

★★★½☆ 3.9/5

Annual Fee Free

Joining Fee Free

Forex 3.5%

Rewards User selects active features: cashback OR reward points OR EMI offers — customisable monthly

India's first customisable credit card — users choose which features to activate each month
Lifetime free with no conditions
Choose from: cashback (1.5%), reward points, EMI on spends, lounge access

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#19

mid range

American Express Membership Rewards Card

American Express India · Amex

★★★½☆ 3.7/5

Annual Fee ₹4,500

Joining Fee ₹1,000

Forex 3.5%

Rewards 1 MR point per ₹50 spend; 1,000 bonus MR on 4 transactions/month of ₹1,000+

Entry point to the Amex Membership Rewards ecosystem
Monthly bonus structure rewards consistent medium spenders
MR points do not expire

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#20

mid range

Kotak League Platinum Credit Card

Kotak Mahindra Bank · Visa

★★★½☆ 3.7/5

Annual Fee ₹499

Joining Fee ₹499

Forex 3.5%

Rewards 8 reward points per ₹150 on weekends; 4 RP/₹150 on weekdays

Best weekend spender card for mid-range budget
PVR vouchers as milestone benefit — good for movie lovers
Easy annual fee waiver at just ₹50,000

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#21

mid range

Standard Chartered Smart Credit Card

Standard Chartered India · Visa

★★★½☆ 3.6/5

Annual Fee ₹499

Joining Fee Free

Forex 3.5%

Rewards 2% cashback on all online spend; 1% on offline

Simple flat-rate cashback card with no category restrictions on online spend
Very easy annual fee waiver
Cashback credited to statement monthly

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Side by side

Full comparison table

All fees include GST where applicable. Waiver conditions vary — click a card name for full details.

Card	Category	Joining	Annual	Fee Waiver	Reward Rate	Forex	Rating
HDFC Bank Infinia Metal HDFC Bank	super premium	₹12,500	₹12,500	Not waivable — complimentary on invite basis for select customers	3.3% base (5 reward points per ₹150 = 1 RP ≈ ₹1); 10X on SmartBuy portal	2% + GST (effective ~2.36%)	4.8/5
HDFC Diners Club Black HDFC Bank	super premium	₹10,000	₹10,000	Spend ₹5L/year	3.3% base; 10X on SmartBuy; 5X on dining	2% + GST	4.6/5
IDFC FIRST Wealth Credit Card IDFC FIRST Bank	premium	Free	Free	Lifetime free — no annual fee ever	3 reward points per ₹150 on online; 1.5 RP/₹150 offline; 10X on birthday; 6X on international	1.5% + GST (best-in-class)	4.6/5
ICICI Bank Emeralde Private Metal ICICI Bank	super premium	₹12,499	₹12,499	Not waivable — private banking invite only	4 ICICI Reward Points per ₹100 (≈ 1% base); higher on travel bookings via ICICI	1.5% + GST (one of the lowest in India)	4.5/5
SBI Card Cashback SBI Card	mid range	₹999	₹999	Spend ₹2L/year	5% cashback on all online transactions; 1% on offline	3.5% + GST	4.5/5
HDFC Bank Regalia Gold HDFC Bank	premium	₹2,500	₹2,500	Spend ₹3L/year to get next year free	2% base (4 RP per ₹150); 5X on grocery and dining	2% + GST	4.4/5
Amazon Pay ICICI Bank Credit Card ICICI Bank	co brand	Free	Free	Lifetime free	5% back on Amazon (Prime members); 3% on Amazon (non-Prime); 2% on partner merchants; 1% others	3.5% + GST	4.3/5
Axis Bank Magnus Credit Card Axis Bank	premium	₹12,500	₹10,000	Spend ₹15L/year	12 EDGE Reward Points per ₹200 on travel (EDGE Travel portal); 6 EDGE RP/₹200 on dining; 3 EDGE RP/₹200 base	2% + GST	4.3/5
RBL Bank World Safari Credit Card RBL Bank	premium	₹3,000	₹3,000	Spend ₹3L/year	5 Travel Points per ₹100 on travel; 2 TP/₹100 on all others; NO forex markup reward	0% — NO forex markup (one of the very few cards in India)	4.3/5
Axis Bank ACE Credit Card Axis Bank	mid range	₹499	₹499	Spend ₹2L/year	5% cashback on bill payments & recharges via Google Pay; 4% on Swiggy, Zomato, Ola; 1.5% others	3.5% + GST	4.2/5
Axis Bank Atlas Credit Card Axis Bank	premium	₹5,000	₹5,000	Spend ₹7.5L/year	5 EDGE Miles on every ₹100 on travel; 2 EDGE Miles on all other spends	3.5% + GST	4.2/5
Amex Platinum Travel Credit Card American Express India	premium	₹3,500	₹5,000	Not waivable	5X Membership Rewards Points on Amex Travel Online; 1X on all other spends	3.5% + GST	4.2/5
HDFC Bank Millennia HDFC Bank	mid range	₹1,000	₹1,000	Spend ₹1L/year	5% cashback on Amazon, Flipkart, Myntra, Swiggy, Zomato, BookMyShow; 1% on other spends	3.5% + GST	4.1/5
HSBC Live+ Credit Card HSBC India	mid range	₹999	₹999	Spend ₹2L/year	10% cashback on Swiggy, Zomato, Ola; 1.5% on all other spends	3.5% + GST	4.1/5
SBI Card ELITE SBI Card	premium	₹4,999	₹4,999	Spend ₹10L/year	5X (5 RP/₹100) on dining, department stores, grocery; 2X on all others	1.99% + GST (surprisingly low for this tier)	4/5
SBI SimplyCLICK SBI Card	entry level	₹499	₹499	Spend ₹1L/year	10X RP on Amazon, BookMyShow, Cleartrip, Lenskart, Netmeds; 5X on all other online; 1X offline	3.5% + GST	4/5
IndusInd Bank Legend Credit Card IndusInd Bank	premium	₹9,999	₹9,999	Spend ₹6L/year	2 reward points per ₹100 on all spends; 1.5X on international; 3X on IndusInd site travel	1.8% + GST (one of the lowest among premium cards)	4/5
AU Bank LIT Credit Card AU Small Finance Bank	mid range	Free	Free	Lifetime free	User selects active features: cashback OR reward points OR EMI offers — customisable monthly	3.5% + GST	3.9/5
American Express Membership Rewards Card American Express India	mid range	₹1,000	₹4,500	Not standard — available on select offers	1 MR point per ₹50 spend; 1,000 bonus MR on 4 transactions/month of ₹1,000+	3.5% + GST	3.7/5
Kotak League Platinum Credit Card Kotak Mahindra Bank	mid range	₹499	₹499	Spend ₹50,000/year	8 reward points per ₹150 on weekends; 4 RP/₹150 on weekdays	3.5% + GST	3.7/5
Standard Chartered Smart Credit Card Standard Chartered India	mid range	Free	₹499	Spend ₹1.2L/year	2% cashback on all online spend; 1% on offline	3.5% + GST	3.6/5

Editorial independence: All reviews are produced independently. We never accept payment for positive coverage. Affiliate links (where present) are clearly disclosed and do not influence ratings. Card terms change frequently — verify all details with the issuer before applying. Last full verification: June 2026.