Your first credit card should be easy to get, cheap to keep and simple to use, because it's the card that builds your credit history. Lifetime-free and low-fee cards are ideal, since you're not forced to spend to justify a fee.
These cards are good first cards in India.
ICICI Bank · Visa
Why we picked it: Lifetime free, with simple rewards and easy approval for Amazon customers.
Axis Bank · RuPay
Why we picked it: Lifetime free RuPay card that works on UPI from day one.
The 3% cashback is capped at the 1% cashback you earn in the same cycle (minimum ₹100). Transactions under ₹100 earn nothing.
Why we picked it: Instant digital card built for UPI, lifetime free.
The 5% rate needs Kiwi Neon (₹999/yr) and ₹1.5 lakh of yearly UPI spend. Fuel, utilities, rent and some other categories earn nothing.
Federal Bank / Axis Bank / BOBCARD · Visa / RuPay
Why we picked it: Lifetime free, with no forex markup if you travel.
Lounge access requires ₹20,000 spend in the month. Coins redeem only on travel bookings in the Scapia app. International spends don't earn coins.
HDFC Bank · Mastercard
Why we picked it: Low ₹500 fee with high rewards if you order food often.
Swiggy orders need to be ₹249+ to earn 10%. Each category is capped at ₹1,500 per cycle.
American Express · Amex
Why we picked it: Cheapest way into Amex, with the fee waived at just ₹40,000 yearly spend.
10X points are capped at 500 a month across all 10X merchants. No points on fuel or utilities.
| Card | Best for | Annual fee | Headline benefit | Lounge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amazon Pay ICICI Credit Card | Amazon shoppers | Free | 5% on Amazon | None |
| super.money RuPay Credit Card | UPI cashback | Free | 3% on UPI | None |
| Kiwi RuPay Credit Card | Scan & pay with UPI | Free | 1.5% on scan & pay | None (Neon: on milestones) |
| Scapia Credit Card | Travel & zero forex | Free | 0% forex | Unlimited domestic (on ₹20k monthly spend) |
| Swiggy HDFC Bank Credit Card | Food delivery & Instamart | ₹500 | 10% on Swiggy | None |
| Amex SmartEarn™ Credit Card | Entry-level Amex | ₹495 | 10X on Flipkart & Uber | None |
Still unsure? Use the card finder to see which card earns the most on your own spends.
Lifetime-free cards from fintech partners like Kiwi and super.money, and co-branded cards like Amazon Pay ICICI, usually have the simplest eligibility.
Yes. Many first-time users start with a lifetime-free card or a card secured against a fixed deposit, then upgrade after 6–12 months of good repayment.