1. PhonePe SBI Card PURPLE
Annual fee ₹499 · Rewards up to 3% · You keep ₹2,040* a year
PhonePe SBI Card PURPLE is the low-fee variant at ₹499 a year, waived on just ₹1 lakh of spends, against ₹1,499 and ₹3 lakh for SELECT BLACK. In return it earns less: 3 points per ₹100 on PhonePe app bills and travel and 2 points on online shopping, worth ₹1 a point, with no lounge access.
- 3% on PhonePe
- 2% on online shopping
- 1% on other spends
2. DCB novio Credit Card
Annual fee Free · Rewards up to 2% · You keep ₹1,800* a year
The DCB novio Credit Card is a RuPay credit card issued by DCB Bank against a fixed deposit (FD), sold through the novio app. It has no joining or annual fee, and the credit limit is 90% of the linked deposit.
- 2% on novio UPI
- 1% on other spends
- HDFC BankHDFC Bank Pixel GoVISA
3. HDFC Bank Pixel Go Credit Card
Annual fee ₹250 · Rewards up to 5% · You keep ₹1,800* a year
The HDFC Bank Pixel Go Credit Card is a low-fee starter card. It gives 1% cashback on eligible spends with no monthly limit, and 5% on HDFC Bank SmartBuy.
- 1% on other spends
4. slice UPI Credit Card
Annual fee Free · Rewards up to 1% · You keep ₹1,800* a year
The slice UPI Credit Card is a lifetime free RuPay card from slice small finance bank that gives 1% back on most spends, by card or UPI, with no forex markup. It suits people who want a simple free card for everyday UPI payments.
- 1% on other spends
5. IDFC FIRST Hello Cashback Credit Card
Annual fee ₹1,000 · Rewards up to 3% · You keep ₹1,580* a year
The IDFC FIRST Hello Cashback Credit Card is issued against a fixed deposit from ₹10,000. It gives 3% to 5% cashback on online spends and 1% on in-store and UPI spends, with no foreign currency markup.
- 3% on online shopping
- 1% on other spends
- SBI CardSimplySAVE SBI CardVISA
6. SimplySAVE SBI Card
Annual fee ₹499 · Rewards up to 1.67% · You keep ₹1,382* a year
The SimplySAVE SBI Card gives 10 reward points per ₹150 (about 1.67% back) on dining, groceries, department stores and movies. It costs ₹499 a year, waived on ₹1 lakh of yearly spend.
- 1.67% on dining and food delivery
- 1.67% on groceries
- 0.17% on other spends
7. Apollo SBI Card
Annual fee ₹499 · Rewards up to 3% · You keep ₹1,260* a year
The Apollo SBI Card earns 3 reward points per ₹100 at Apollo pharmacies and services, and each point is worth ₹1 at Apollo. It suits families who spend regularly at Apollo, with a ₹499 fee waived on ₹1 lakh of yearly spends.
- 3% on Apollo
- 2% on dining and food delivery
- 0.5% on other spends
8. IDFC FIRST WOW! Black Credit Card
Annual fee ₹750 · Rewards up to 0.67% · You keep ₹1,082* a year
The IDFC FIRST WOW! Black Credit Card is issued against a fixed deposit from ₹20,000. It has zero foreign currency markup, reward points that never expire, and 1 domestic lounge visit a quarter.
- 0.17% on bills and utilities
- 0.67% on other spends
9. Shoppers Stop HDFC Bank Credit Card
Annual fee ₹299 · Rewards up to 3% · You keep ₹967* a year
The Shoppers Stop HDFC Bank Credit Card gives 3% back as reward points at Shoppers Stop and 1% on other spends, worth ₹1 a point on Shoppers Stop vouchers. It suits people who shop at Shoppers Stop often, for a ₹299 yearly fee.
- 3% on Shoppers Stop
- 1% on other spends
10. SimplyCLICK SBI Card
Annual fee ₹499 · Rewards up to 2.5% · You keep ₹930* a year
The SimplyCLICK SBI Card gives 10X reward points (2.5% back) at partner brands such as Myntra, BookMyShow and Cleartrip, and 5X points (1.25%) on other online spends. It costs ₹499 a year, waived on ₹1 lakh of yearly spend.
- 2.5% on Myntra, BookMyShow, Cleartrip
- 2.5% on Cleartrip
- 1.25% on online shopping
- 0.25% on other spends
11. IDFC FIRST EARN Credit Card
Annual fee ₹499 · Rewards up to 5.5% · You keep ₹900* a year
The IDFC FIRST EARN Credit Card is a virtual RuPay card issued against a fixed deposit from ₹5,000. It gives 0.5% to 1% cashback on UPI and online spends, up to ₹500 a cycle, with zero forex markup, so it suits people building a credit history.
- 0.5% on other spends
12. IDFC FIRST Classic Credit Card
Annual fee Free · Rewards up to 1.25% · You keep ₹825* a year
The IDFC FIRST Classic Credit Card is a lifetime free card with 10X Reward Points on dining, travel, international spends and spends on your birthday. The bank describes it as an option for first-time card users.
- 1.25% on dining and food delivery
- 1.25% on travel
- 0.13% on bills and utilities
- 0.38% on other spends
13. IDFC FIRST WOW! Credit Card
Annual fee Free · Rewards up to 0.5% · You keep ₹810* a year
The IDFC FIRST WOW! Credit Card is a lifetime free card issued against a fixed deposit of at least ₹20,000. It needs no income proof or credit history, and it charges no forex markup.
- 0.13% on bills and utilities
- 0.5% on other spends
14. ICICI Bank HPCL Coral Credit Card
Annual fee ₹199 · Rewards up to 2.5% · You keep ₹720* a year
The ICICI Bank HPCL Coral Credit Card is the low-fee HPCL card from ICICI Bank: ₹199 a year, waived on ₹50,000 of spends, with 2.5% cashback on HPCL fuel up to ₹100 a month. It suits a two-wheeler rider or small car owner who fills up for about ₹4,000 a month and wants a cheap card, not the bigger grocery and bill rewards of the HPCL Super Saver.
- 2.5% on HPCL pumps
- 0.25% on groceries
- 0.25% on bills and utilities
- 0.5% on other spends
15. EazyDiner IndusInd Platinum Credit Card
Annual fee Free · Rewards up to 0.4% · You keep ₹658* a year
The EazyDiner IndusInd Platinum Credit Card has no joining or annual fee. It gives 2 reward points per ₹100 on most spends and extra discounts when you pay through the EazyDiner app.
- 0.14% on bills and utilities
- 0.4% on other spends
16. BOBCARD Easy Credit Card
Annual fee ₹500 · Rewards up to 1% · You keep ₹264* a year
The BOBCARD Easy Credit Card is an entry-level rewards card with no joining fee and a ₹500 renewal fee that you can avoid by spending ₹35,000 a year. It earns 1 point per ₹100, and 5 points at department stores and on movies.
- 0.2% on other spends
17. HDFC Bank Freedom Credit Card
Annual fee ₹500 · Rewards up to 0.75% · You keep ₹135* a year
The HDFC Bank Freedom Credit Card is a low-fee card with a low income requirement. It gives 10X CashPoints at BigBasket, BookMyShow, OYO, Swiggy and Uber, and its fee is waived on spends of ₹50,000 in a year.
- 0.75% on BigBasket
- 0.75% on Swiggy
- 0.75% on OYO, Uber
- 0.75% on BookMyShow
18. Axis My Zone Credit Card
Annual fee ₹500 · Rewards up to 0.4% · You keep ₹34* a year
The Axis My Zone Credit Card suits people who want entertainment and food offers. It gives 4 EDGE Reward points per ₹200, buy one get one movie tickets on District, and ₹120 off on Swiggy.
- 0.4% on other spends
19. Kotak 811 Dream Different Credit Card
Annual fee Free · Rewards up to 2%
The Kotak 811 Dream Different Credit Card is issued against a Kotak fixed deposit, so you can get it without income proof or a credit score, with a limit of up to 90% of the FD. It has no annual fee and pays 2% cashback in any billing cycle where you spend ₹15,000, up to ₹500.
- 0% on other spends
- 2% on spends above ₹15,000 a month
- RBL BankRBL Bank PlayVISA
20. RBL Bank Play Credit Card
Annual fee ₹500 · Rewards up to 0%
The RBL Bank Play Credit Card, made with BookMyShow, gives up to ₹500 off on BookMyShow each month you spend ₹5,000. It earns no reward points, so it suits people who book movies or events every month, at a ₹500 fee that is waived on ₹1.5 lakh of yearly spends.
- 0% on other spends
21. SBI Card Unnati
Annual fee ₹499 · Rewards up to 0.25%
SBI Card Unnati is a simple starter credit card for SBI customers, including Jan Dhan account holders and people with no credit history, and it charges no fee for the first 4 years. It earns 1 reward point per ₹100, worth ₹0.25, and has a ₹499 yearly fee from the 5th year.
- 0.25% on other spends
22. Axis Bank Neo Credit Card
Annual fee ₹250 · Rewards up to 0.1%
The Axis Bank Neo Credit Card is a low-fee card built around discounts on food delivery, bills and travel bookings. It earns 1 EDGE Reward point per ₹200, so most of its value comes from these offers.
- 0.1% on other spends
Compare these cards
How to choose your first credit card
- A low or zero annual fee, or a waiver you can reach with your spending.
- What the bank needs: an income proof, a fixed deposit or nothing extra.
- Simple rewards, such as flat cashback, instead of points with rules.
- Late payment charges and the interest rate, which matter most if you miss a payment.
How we ranked these cards
We work out what each card pays on ₹15,000 a month of modest everyday spending, then take off the renewal fee with GST. We count rewards only up to each limit. Rates paid only at named brands are not counted, so a brand card can earn more if you shop there. Welcome gifts and lounge visits are left out. What a bank pays us plays no part. Your own result will differ, so try the credit card finder with your spending.
The bank alone decides approval and your credit limit.
Frequently asked questions
Can I get a credit card with no credit history?
Yes. Some banks issue cards to first-time users, often against a fixed deposit. The bank alone decides approval and your credit limit.
How does a first card help my credit score?
Paying the full bill on time every month builds your record. Missed payments and using most of your limit can lower your score.
Should I pay only the minimum amount due?
No. Interest is charged on the unpaid amount, and card interest is high. Pay the full bill whenever you can.
*Estimate only, not a promise. We work it out from the bank's published terms and the spending you enter. What you actually get depends on the bank, your transactions and any change in its terms. Fees are before GST.
Some Apply buttons are partner links. What a bank pays us never changes the order or any figure. How we make money