Best credit cards for beginners in India
Entry-level cards that are easier to get and cheap to keep, ranked for a typical ₹25,000 a month.
1. HSBC Live+ Credit Card
₹999 a year + GST · about ₹15,840 a year after fees on this spending.
One of the best everyday cashback cards if you spend roughly ₹10,000–12,000 a month on food, groceries, shopping and bills, because 10% back on that alone covers the fee many times over. If most of your spending is on Amazon or Flipkart, or abroad, look elsewhere.
2. Airtel Axis Bank Credit Card
₹500 a year + GST · about ₹7,920 a year after fees on this spending.
Useful for Airtel customers who also put ₹15,000 to ₹25,000 a month of regular spending on the card, which unlocks the bill cashback. If you only want it for bills, the April 2026 caps make it far less rewarding.
3. Scapia Federal Bank Credit Card
Lifetime free · about ₹4,800 a year after fees on this spending.
A strong free card for anyone who travels, especially abroad, because it charges no forex markup and pays about 2% in travel coins on everyday spends. If you never book trips, the coins are hard to use, so a plain cashback card will suit you better.
4. HDFC Bank Millennia Credit Card
₹1,000 a year + GST · about ₹4,620 a year after fees on this spending.
A simple, low-cost cashback card for people who shop and order food online on the big Indian apps. It suits monthly online spends up to about ₹20,000; beyond that the caps bite and a card with higher caps will earn more. Skip it if you travel abroad or want lounge access.
5. Amazon Pay ICICI Bank Credit Card
Lifetime free · about ₹3,960 a year after fees on this spending.
A near-automatic pick for anyone who shops on Amazon and has Prime: it costs nothing and the 5% has no cap. If you rarely use Amazon, the 1% elsewhere and the growing list of excluded categories make it an average card.
6. Standard Chartered Smart Credit Card
₹499 a year + GST · about ₹3,840 a year after fees on this spending.
A simple, cheap card if you want a flat 2% on everything you buy online without chasing partner brands. Heavy spenders will hit the ₹1,500-a-cycle total cap, and the ₹2,500 minimum before you can redeem can be annoying.
7. ICICI Bank HPCL Super Saver Credit Card
₹500 a year + GST · about ₹3,060 a year after fees on this spending.
Suits someone who fills about ₹5,000 a month at HPCL pumps and wants a cheap card that pays for itself. The tight caps make it a poor main card for anything beyond fuel.