Best Credit Cards in India for 2023
Created on 29 Mar 2022
Wraps up in 5 Min
Read by 9.4k people
Updated on 02 Jun 2023
There are 7.9 billion people in the world with 7.9 billion different sets of wants and needs. While there aren’t enough credit cards to satisfy each person’s tailored needs, there are enough to choose from that could be pretty satisfactory.
The right credit card that suits your needs the best can not only help you save some bucks but also earn rewards through those expenditures. So let’s not drag it and jump right into the list of bests for different people with different interests.
Best credit cards to consider for 2023
Below, we have curated a list of the best credit cards according to the use and needs of different individuals. Take a look at what best suits you and your financials.
The cards are based on the following categories: Best for salaried individuals, Best for beginners, Best premium credit card, Best zero annual fee credit card, Best credit card for travel, Best credit card for online shopping, and finally, Best business credit card. Let's begin then, shall we?
Best for salaried individuals
Standard Chartered Platinum Rewards card
This is probably the best credit card for people with a salary or a regular income. The minimum salary required to apply for this credit card is ₹32,500. This is an entry-level credit card that offers a lot of benefits.
Joining fee: |
₹250 + GST |
Annual fee: |
₹250 + GST |
Interest charged: |
3.75% p.m., annualized at 45% APR |
Benefits and Rewards:
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For every ₹150 spent on dining and fuel, you get 5x reward points. And for any other category, you get 1x reward points.
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After the card gets issued, if you transact with it in the first 90 days on dining, then you get a cashback of ₹500 which covers the cost of joining and the annual fee.
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Various offers and discounts are available for shopping, dining, travelling etc.
Best for beginners
You can build your credit score while you spend money. The reward points and cashback offers of this particular credit card will help you save money on every transaction. To be able to apply for this credit card, you would need a minimum salary of ₹25,000.
Joining fee: |
₹500 + GST |
Annual fee: |
₹500 + GST |
Interest charged: |
3.49% p.m., annualized at 40.8% APR |
Benefits and Rewards:
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For every ₹150 spent, you will receive 2 reward points. And if the transaction is done online, you will receive it twice.
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Once you have collected a minimum of 2500 reward points, you will be able to redeem the points as gifts or air miles.
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If you spend ₹5000 in a quarter, you will get an e-voucher worth ₹500.
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On every billing cycle, you will also receive a 100% fuel-surcharge waiver option up to an amount of ₹250.
Best premium credit card
HDFC Diners Club Black card
Labelled as the best international credit card, every aspect of it is premium and for high-end spenders who cannot get enough of the rewards on their spends. The credit limit of ₹4 lakhs is the first criterion that it fulfils to be a premium credit card.
Joining fee: |
₹10,000 + GST |
Annual fee: |
₹10,000 + GST |
Interest charged: |
1.99% p.m., annualized at 23.88% APR |
Benefits and Rewards:
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For every ₹150 spent, you will receive 5 reward points.
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Except for fuel, you get 3.33% on every retail expenditure that you execute.
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It has one of the lowest foreign exchange rates at 2%.
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You also get complimentary annual memberships of Club Marriott, Forbes, Amazon Prime, Zomato Pro, MMT BLACK and Times Prime.
Best zero annual fee credit card
IndusInd Bank Pioneer Legacy card
This credit card is the one that you could see on almost every e-commerce site that offers some cashback or discounts. In the category of lifetime free credit cards, it has the highest reward rate of all.
Joining fee: |
₹45,000 + GST |
Annual fee: |
Nil |
Interest charged: |
3.83% p.m., annualized at 36% APR |
Benefits and Rewards:
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For every ₹100 spent, you will receive 1 reward point on the weekdays. On weekends, you get 2 reward points.
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As an anniversary bonus, you also get 6000 reward points if your expenditure cross ₹6,00,000 in a year.
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When you buy a movie ticket, you get the other one for free. You can avail this offer three times a month.
Best credit card for travel
American Express Platinum Travel credit card
If you love to travel quite frequently, this credit card is for you. It provides with multiple milestone benefits. The more you cross the thresholds, the more rewards you get.
Joining fee: |
Nil |
Annual fee: |
1st year- ₹3,500 + GST 2nd year onwards- ₹5,000 + GST |
Interest charged: |
3.5% p.m. |
Benefits and Rewards:
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For every ₹50 spent, you will receive 1 reward point, fuel excluded.
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You will receive 10,000 reward points as a welcome gift which you can redeem for Flipkart vouchers or in Amex travel online.
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After you reach the spend threshold of ₹1.9 lakhs, you receive travel vouchers worth ₹4,500.
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You can also enjoy 8 complimentary visits to airport lounges per year.
Best credit card for online shopping
Online shopping is the new commerce and this card aids in achieving just that. You get up to 25% discount on grocery, clothes, food, travel, movie tickets, rental cabs etc. You would be eligible to apply for this card if your monthly salary is ₹50,000 or more.
Joining fee: |
Nil |
Annual fee: |
A monthly fee of ₹49, waived off on spending ₹5,000 in a month. |
Interest charged: |
3.75% p.m., annualized at 45% APR |
Benefits and Rewards:
-
This credit card is the one that does not give any reward points for expenditures. You get cashback and discounts on various e-commerce platforms.
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You will get an offer of buy one get one on movie tickets with Inox which could be used on weekends and be available to redeem twice a month.
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You can get a 10% discount on orders with Grofers with no minimum value of order value required.
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You also get 20% and 10% off on orders with Myntra and Zomato respectively.
Best business credit card
ICICI’s Business Advantage Black card
From providing cashback on recurring business expenses to offers on air travels to car rentals, this card pretty much sums up and satisfies the needs of a business comprehensively.
Joining fee: |
₹1,500 + GST |
Annual fee: |
₹1,000 + GST |
Interest charged: |
3.5% p.m., annualized at 42% APR |
Benefits and Rewards:
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This card offers cashback for transactions made through it which goes on increasing as the expenditure increases.
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However, if the card is used for international transactions, the cashback is even higher
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This card provides accidental death cover of up to ₹75 lakhs if the incident occurred when flying.
The Bottom Line
Each person has different sets of vices and virtues, so does every other thing in the world and so do credit cards. It is always wise to enquire and compare before getting one. We do not want that you to buy a credit card that does not go with your lifestyle and end up paying fees for services you ain’t even using.
Do your research before you get set to apply for one. In case you need help with anything, you could always reach out to us at support.finology.in.
Till we meet again, happy shopping!