best credit cards for all your various needs

the indian credit card market is slated to grow at a cagr of 25% for the forecast period 2020-2025. clearly, indians are not shy about displaying their love for the financial instrument.

with multiple types of credit cards available in the country, it can be overwhelming to choose just one. 

however, as a smart consumer, you should know that your spending patterns and requirements play a crucial role in determining the credit card that is best for you. 

a credit card in tune with your needs leads you to a pool of savings, discounts, cashbacks, rewards, and more. with this in mind, let’s take a look at our list of best credit cards for all your needs:

best credit cards for shopping and lifestyle

sbi card prime

if you're a shopaholic, sbi card prime is the credit card for you. let's see what the card has to offer:

joining fee

₹2,999/-

annual fee

₹ 2,999/- (waived off on annual spends exceeding ₹3 lakhs)

minimum income

₹ 32,000/-

incentives and advantages

• welcome e-gift voucher worth ₹3,000/- from bata or hush puppies, shopper’s stop, pantaloons, and yatra.com.
• 20 and 15 reward points for every ₹100 spent on utility bill payments and bigbasket, respectively.
• 10 reward points for every ₹100 spent on groceries, dining, and movies.
• cardholders receive 20 reward points for every ₹100 spent on their birthday.
• four and eight complimentary airport lounge access for international and domestic travellers, respectively.
• club vistara silver membership, trident privilege, mastercard/visa privilege, and american express privilege.

american express membership rewards

the best thing about shopping with a credit card is the rewards and bonus points. here's what american express membership rewards has in store for you:

joining fee

₹1,000/-

annual fee

₹4,500/- (100% waived off for spends > ₹1,50,000; 50% waived off for spends > ₹90,000)

minimum income

₹40,000/-

incentives and advantages

• welcome gift of 4,000 bonus membership reward points.
• 1,000 bonus membership reward points for using the card four times in a month (purchase value exceeding ₹1,000)
• attractive discounts up to 20% for select restaurants.
• 1 reward point for every ₹50 spent (except on fuel, utilities, insurance, or cash transaction)

best credit cards for travel and hospitality

citi premiermiles credit card

you aren't truly ready to travel until you carry the citi premiermiles credit card with you. find out why:

joining fee

₹3,000/-

annual fee

₹3,000/-

minimum income

₹25,000/-

incentives and advantages

• welcome gift of 10,000 miles against your first transaction of ₹1,000 or more.
• 10 miles for every ₹100 transacted with featured partners, hotels, or airlines. 4 miles per ₹100 on normal spends.
• instant redemption on websites like yatra.com, goibibo, and indigo.
• airport lounge access with business facilities and light snacks.
• complimentary insurance coverage of ₹1 crore for air accidents.

standard chartered emirates world

be it business or pleasure - standard chartered emirates world is a credit card that can make your trips a whole lot better. here's a snapshot of the card's features:

joining fee

₹3,000/-

annual fee

₹3,000/-

minimum income

₹1,00,000/-

incentives and advantages

• welcome gift of 4,000 skywards miles with 27,500 skyward miles redeemable against a return ticket to dubai.
• 6 skywards miles per ₹150 spent on emirates, 3 skywards miles per ₹150 on other spends.
• 5% cashback for duty-free shopping (with an upper limit of ₹1,000 per month).
• complimentary insurance coverage of ₹1 crore for overseas accidents, baggage loss, and flight delays.

best credit cards for the budget conscious

hdfc moneyback

struggling to find a credit card that increases your savings rather than eats into it? hdfc moneyback is the answer. here's why:

joining fee

₹500/-

annual fee

₹500/- (waived off for spends > ₹20,000 within 90 days)

minimum income

₹13,500/-

incentives and advantages

• 2 reward points for every ₹150 spent with 2x reward points for online transactions.
• contactless payments for transactions worth less than ₹2,000.
• 100 reward points amount to ₹20 as cashback.
• gift vouchers worth ₹500 for spends of ₹50,000 and above in every quarter.

hsbc visa platinum

if you want a credit card with no joining or annual fees, then consider getting hsbc visa platinum. here are some other features of the card:

joining fee

₹0

annual fee

₹0

minimum income

₹40,000/-

incentives and advantages

• introductory benefits of cashback or amazon vouchers or bookmyshow vouchers for various spends.
• 2 reward points for every ₹150 spent.
• zero liability for lost or stolen cards with global emergency card replacement service within three days.
• an accelerated reward of 5x reward points on purchases following an annual spend of ₹4,00,000 or more.

best credit cards for fuel

indian oil citi platinum 

when it comes to fuel costs, a credit card like indian oil citi platinum can fetch you big savings and rewards. find out how: 

joining fee

₹0

annual fee

₹1,000/- (waived off for annual spends exceeding ₹30,000)

minimum income

₹25,000/-

incentives and advantages

• 4 turbo points for every ₹150 spent on indian oil outlets or featured partners, 2 turbo points per ₹150 spent at grocery stores, and 1 turbo point per ₹150 on regular spends.
• 1 turbo point equals ₹1 on fuel redemption and ₹0.30 on other benefits.
• 1% fuel surcharge waiver.
• discount up to 15% while dining in at partner restaurants.

sbi bpcl

need a credit card that rewards you for fuelling up? sbi bpcl is the way to go. here’s why.

joining fee

₹499/-

annual fee

₹499/-

minimum income

₹20,000/-

incentives and advantages

• welcome gift of 2,000 activation bonus reward points worth ₹500.
• 13x reward points amounting to 4.25 value-back for purchases at bharat petroleum fuel stations.
• 1% fuel surcharge waiver for spends equal to or more than ₹4,000/-
• 5x reward points per ₹100 spent on groceries, dining out, departmental stores, and movies.

best elite credit cards

icici sapphiro visa

if luxurious living is your cup of tea, icici sapphiro visa is the perfect match for you. here's a rundown of its features:

joining fee

₹6,500/-

annual fee

₹3,500/- (waived off for spends greater than ₹6,00,000 in the previous year)

minimum income

₹80,000/-

incentives and advantages

• travel and shopping vouchers worth ₹10,000/- as a welcome gift.
• complimentary lounge access (4 domestic and 2 international).
• concierge services to make hotel reservations, book movie tickets, and share gifting ideas.
• 6 payback points for every ₹100 spent internationally, 3 payback points for every ₹100 spent domestically (except on fuel).

hdfc diners club black

the best way to live an elite lifestyle is to sign up for hdfc diners club black. let's walk through the card's incentives:

joining fee

₹10,000/-

annual fee

₹10,000/- (waived for spends over ₹5,00,000/- in a year)

minimum income

₹1,75,000/-

incentives and advantages

• unlimited airport lounge access for domestic and international travellers.
• complimentary annual membership for zomato gold, club marriott, amazon prime, makemytrip, and forbes.
• six complimentary golf games per quarter at the finest golf courses across the world.
• 5 reward points for every retail spend of ₹150 with 10x reward points on partner brands and 2x for weekend dining.

conclusion

whether you believe in retail therapy or living life king size is your poison, we have listed out some of the best credit card options that will cater to your varying tastes. 

pick one or more to match up your spending patterns, and catch up on life.