All comparisons
Best Credit Cards in India 2026
Six popular credit cards compared across fees, rewards, lounge access, and best-use scenarios. Updated May 2026.
Quick Picks — Find Your Card
Best lifetime free
Amazon Pay ICICI
No annual fee ever, 5% back on Amazon, 2% on other online
Best cashback card
SBI Cashback Card
5% cashback on all online spends — no category restrictions
Best for travel
Axis Magnus
Unlimited lounge + 35 points/₹200 on travel bookings
Best everyday rewards
HDFC Regalia Gold
Broad acceptance, lounge access, strong milestone benefits
Best for millennials
HDFC Millennia
5% on Amazon/Flipkart/Swiggy, ₹1,000 waivable annual fee
Best milestone rewards
Amex Platinum Travel
₹7,700 + ₹11,800 vouchers at spend milestones
Feature Comparison
| Feature | HDFC Regalia | Amazon ICICI | SBI Cashback | Axis Magnus | HDFC Millennia | Amex Travel |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annual fee | ₹2,500 | Free | ₹999 | ₹12,500 | ₹1,000 | ₹5,000 |
| Fee waiver | Yes (₹4L spend) | Always free | Yes (₹2L spend) | Yes (₹25L spend) | Yes (₹1L spend) | No |
| Rewards on Amazon | Standard | 5% (Prime) | 5% (all online) | Standard | 5% | Standard |
| Airport lounge | Priority Pass | None | None | Unlimited | 8 visits/yr | 8 visits/yr |
| Fuel surcharge waiver | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes | No |
| Add-on cards | Free | Free | Free | ₹1,000/card | Free | ₹500/card |
Detailed Card Profiles
HDFC Regalia Gold
HDFC Bank
Annual fee
₹2,500 (waived at ₹4L spend)
Joining fee
₹2,500
Rewards rate
4 points / ₹150
★ Best for: Everyday spends + travel
- Priority Pass (lounge)
- Dining discounts
- Milestone benefits ₹1,500 voucher
Eligibility: Salary ₹3L+/mo or ITR ₹12L+
Apply for HDFC Amazon Pay ICICI
ICICI Bank
Annual fee
Free (lifetime)
Joining fee
Free
Rewards rate
5% on Amazon (Prime), 3% non-Prime, 2% other online, 1% offline
★ Best for: Amazon shoppers
- Lifetime free
- No minimum spend
- Auto-redemption as Amazon Pay balance
Eligibility: Salary ₹20k+/mo
Apply for Amazon SBI Cashback Card
SBI Card
Annual fee
₹999 (waived at ₹2L spend)
Joining fee
₹999
Rewards rate
5% cashback on all online
★ Best for: Online shoppers
- 1% offline cashback
- Cashback auto-credit next statement
- No rotating categories
Eligibility: Salary ₹35k+/mo
Apply for SBI Axis Magnus
Axis Bank
Annual fee
₹12,500 (waived at ₹25L spend)
Joining fee
₹12,500
Rewards rate
12 points / ₹200 base; 35 points on travel
★ Best for: High-spend travellers
- Unlimited lounge access
- Complimentary Priority Pass membership
- Concierge
- Buy-one-get-one movie tickets
Eligibility: ITR ₹18L+ or premier banking relationship
Apply for Axis HDFC Millennia
HDFC Bank
Annual fee
₹1,000 (waived at ₹1L)
Joining fee
₹1,000
Rewards rate
5% cashback on 10 popular merchants (Amazon, Flipkart, Swiggy…); 1% others
★ Best for: Millennials, multi-merchant online
- 8 airport lounge visits/year
- 10% off dining via Swiggy Dineout
- Fuel surcharge waiver
Eligibility: Salary ₹35k+/mo
Apply for HDFC Amex Platinum Travel
American Express
Annual fee
₹5,000 + GST
Joining fee
₹3,500
Rewards rate
1 MR point / ₹50; big milestone vouchers at ₹1.9L/₹4L spend
★ Best for: Travel milestone hunters
- ₹7,700 + ₹11,800 travel voucher on milestones
- Priority Pass 8 visits/yr
- Amex Travel Online bookings
Eligibility: Salary ₹6L+/yr, good credit history
Apply for Amex ⚠ Before You Apply
- •Never carry a balance — credit card interest is 36–42% annualised, wiping out all rewards
- •Foreign transaction markup (~3.5%) applies internationally — choose a low forex markup card for travel
- •Reward points expire and have minimum redemption amounts — read the fine print
- •Multiple credit applications in quick succession lower your CIBIL score via hard inquiries
- •Track spend to hit fee waiver thresholds before each card anniversary date
Disclosure:IPOpulse may earn affiliate commission via links above — at no extra cost to you. Card terms, fees, and benefits are subject to change at the issuer's discretion. Always read the MITC before applying. Approval is subject to the issuer's eligibility criteria and credit score.