Anúncios
The market offers many good credit cards for beginners in India. Without a doubt, this type of card is the most important decision for those who are starting out.
Finding the ideal credit card for beginners in India requires more than just comparing benefits. The first credit card is very important, as it establishes the foundation of a CIBIL Score, which is crucial for future access to loans and more advantageous forms of credit. Therefore, analyzing the fees, limits, and penalties associated with each product is as important as the promise of rewards.
This article provides a complete overview, analyzing the 10 main Entry-Level products on the market, detailing their cost structures and benefits.
By reading this guide, you will be ready to choose the credit card for beginners in India that best suits your spending style, ensuring maximum return and, most importantly, building a solid and responsible financial history.
Analysis of the 10 Best Credit Cards for Beginners in India
Below, we detail the cards that make up the list of best credit cards for beginners in India, based on their benefit structure, costs, and market focus.
Anúncios
1. SBI SimplyCLICK Credit Card
SBI Card, one of the largest Indian issuers, offers SimplyCLICK, ideal for consumers who prioritize e-commerce.
The joining and annual fee is ₹499 + Taxes, but the annual renewal fee is waived if annual spending reaches ₹1 Lakh.
The card is known for offering:
Anúncios
- 10X reward points on purchases made with popular online partners, including BookMyShow, Swiggy, and Myntra;
- 5X points on all other online spending;
- 1 point for every ₹100 spent in other categories.
You will also receive a Welcome Benefit of an Amazon India e-gift card worth ₹500, offsetting the initial joining fee. The card also grants a Cleartrip or Yatra e-voucher worth ₹2,000 upon reaching annual spending of ₹1 Lakh and again at ₹2 Lakhs.
2. Amazon Pay ICICI Bank Credit Card (Credit Cards for Beginners India)
This card is one of the most sought after for being Lifetime Free (LTF), with no joining or annual fees.
Amazon Prime members earn an unlimited 5% cashback on purchases made on Amazon India, while non-Prime members receive 3%.
You will also get 2% cashback on payments made on over 100 Amazon Pay partner websites and 1% on all other transactions.
An attractive feature is the automatic and simple redemption: cashback is automatically credited as Amazon Pay balance at the end of each billing cycle.
Moreover, based on the advantages presented, this card easily positions itself as one of the best credit cards with cashback India.
3. Axis Bank ACE Credit Card
With a joining and annual fee of ₹499 + Taxes, this card waives the annual renewal fee upon reaching spending of ₹2 Lakhs in the year.
Its focus is to generate high cashback on essential expenses: it offers 5% cashback on utility bill payments, DTH and mobile recharges made through Google Pay.
It also guarantees 4% cashback on high daily consumption platforms like Swiggy, Zomato, and Ola, and 1.5% on all other expenses.
The card includes 4 complimentary domestic lounge accesses annually, conditional on a minimum quarterly spend of ₹50,000. In addition to discounts of up to 15% at dining partners.
4. HDFC MoneyBack+ Credit Card
HDFC Bank, a prominent card issuer, offers MoneyBack+ with a joining and annual fee of ₹500 + Taxes.
As a rule, it accumulates 10X CashPoints on purchases on selected e-commerce and grocery platforms, including Flipkart, Amazon, Swiggy, Reliance Smart SuperStore, and BigBasket.
The standard accumulation is 2 CashPoints for every ₹150 spent in other categories.
The Welcome Benefit of 500 CashPoints is credited after the joining fee payment, and the card offers gift vouchers worth up to ₹2,000 in a year, subject to spending milestones. It includes an interest-free credit period of up to 50 days from the date of purchase and zero liability coverage in case of loss.
5. Federal Bank Scapia Credit Card (Credit Cards for Beginners India)
This is an LTF co-branded card, focused exclusively on digital travelers, being one of the best credit card for beginners in India with a focus on travel.
Its most significant financial differential is the 0% Forex Markup on all international spending, a rare feature in LTF products.
Furthermore, you will earn 20% in Scapia Coins (equivalent to a 4% reward rate) on travel bookings made through the Scapia app, and 10% (2% reward) on all other purchases.
Users can have unlimited access to domestic lounges, conditioned on a minimum spend of ₹10,000 per month, and Scapia Coins can be used to redeem 100% of the cost of travel bookings.
6. Cashback SBI Card
With a joining and annual fee of ₹999 + Taxes, the Cashback SBI Card has one of the highest annual fees among entry-level cards. However, it offers one of the simplest online cashback structures, achieving:
- 5% cashback on all online spending, without merchant restrictions;
- 1% cashback on all offline spending.
As a rule, cashback is limited to a maximum earning of ₹5,000 per month and is credited directly to the card account as a statement credit, facilitating the use of the benefit.
The annual fee is waived with an annual spend of ₹2 Lakhs, making card ownership free for high-volume users.
7. Flipkart Axis Bank Credit Card
In partnership with the e-commerce giant Flipkart, this card has a joining and annual fee of ₹500 + Taxes.
Its appeal lies in accelerated cashback for purchases on co-branded platforms: 5% cashback on Flipkart spending and 7.5% on Myntra (both limited to ₹4,000 per quarter).
The card also offers unlimited 4% cashback on daily partners like Swiggy, Uber, PVR, and CultFit, and 1% on all other transactions.
However, a significant point of caution is its Annual Interest Rate (Finance Charge) which can reach 55.55% per year.
8. HSBC Visa Platinum Credit Card
HSBC, with a long presence in India, offers this card as Lifetime Free (LTF).
Initially, you will be entitled to 2 reward points for every ₹150 spent in retail and accumulate 5X accelerated points on annual spending exceeding ₹4 Lakhs (limited to 15,000 accelerated points).
As a Welcome Benefit, the customer receives an Amazon voucher worth ₹250 upon completing the online application.
9. IDFC FIRST Millennia Credit Card (Credit Cards for Beginners India)
With its roots in IDFC, this card is Lifetime Free (LTF) and stands out for focusing on lifestyle rewards.
As a rule, you will be entitled to 10X reward points on Lifestyle spending and travel miles, with the advantage that reward points do not expire.
The Welcome Benefit includes a ₹500 voucher when spending ₹5,000 in the first 30 days.
An exclusive benefit is access to 4 complimentary railway lounge visits across India per quarter, something valuable for domestic train travelers.
The Forex Markup fee, at 1.99%, is better than the industry standard.
10. Axis Bank Neo Credit Card
This is an entry-level card from Axis Bank focused on digital discounts and lifestyle. Although often offered as LTF, it focuses on direct discounts rather than complex rewards.
First, it offers a discount of up to ₹120 twice a month on Zomato orders and 10% discount on purchases on BookMyShow and BlinkIt (entertainment and grocery apps).
In addition, it grants 5% discount on utility bill payments via PayTM, which makes it one of the best credit cards for beginners in India for recurring digital spending.
Comparing Credit Cards for Beginners in India
| Card | Issuer | Annual Fee (INR) | Annual Interest (APR) | Main Focus | LTF/Waiver Status | Main Benefits (CB%/RP) |
| SBI SimplyCLICK | SBI Card | ₹499 | 45% p.a. | Online Shopping | Waiver on ₹1L spend | 10X RP on selected partners |
| Amazon Pay ICICI | ICICI Bank | NIL | 42%-45.6% p.a. | Amazon E-commerce | Lifetime Free (LTF) | 5% Cashback (Prime); 2% on Pay partners |
| Axis Bank ACE | Axis Bank | ₹499 | ~45% p.a. | Utility Bills / Google Pay | Waiver on ₹2L spend | 5% Cashback on utilities; 4% on Swiggy/Zomato/Ola |
| HDFC MoneyBack+ | HDFC Bank | ₹500 | High (Variable) | E-commerce and Rewards | Waiver (spending milestones) | 10X CashPoints on Flipkart, Amazon, Swiggy, etc. |
| Federal Scapia | Federal Bank | NIL | High (Variable) | Travel and Forex | Lifetime Free (LTF) | 0% Forex Markup; 4% on Scapia travel bookings |
| Cashback SBI | SBI Card | ₹999 | 45% p.a. | General Online Cashback | Waiver on ₹2L spend | 5% unlimited Cashback on all online spending |
| Flipkart Axis | Axis Bank | ₹500 | 55.55% p.a. | Flipkart/Myntra Co-brand | Waiver on ₹2L spend | 5%-7.5% Cashback on Flipkart/Myntra; 4% on Swiggy/Uber |
| HSBC Visa Platinum | HSBC | NIL | 45% p.a. | Lifestyle and Rewards | Lifetime Free (LTF) | 5X RP on >₹4L spend; BOGO cinema |
| IDFC FIRST Millennia | IDFC FIRST Bank | NIL | Low/Variable | Lifestyle and LTF | Lifetime Free (LTF) | 10X RP; 4 Railway Lounge accesses; Cinema discount |
| Axis Bank Neo | Axis Bank | Low/Variable | ~45% p.a. | Digital Discounts | LTF (Common Offer) | Discounts on Zomato/BlinkIt/BMS; 5% Off on PayTM Utility |
Conclusion (Credit Cards for Beginners India)
The market offers exceptional options for credit cards for beginners in India, but the ideal choice comes down to aligning the product with your spending profile.
The Amazon Pay ICICI Bank Credit Card is undeniably the highest value LTF for the digital consumer focused on e-commerce. While the Axis Bank ACE Credit Card is the strongest for essential expenses like utilities and food. For travelers, the Federal Bank Scapia Credit Card stands out with its unique 0% Forex Markup feature.
The most critical conclusion for any beginner is the need for payment discipline.
Financial prosperity with a credit card in India lies in using it for recurring expenses, maintaining a low credit utilization rate, and treating the due date as an absolute deadline.
Analyze your budget, choose the card that maximizes your natural spending, and start building your financial history today.