India's travel cards, ranked and called.

HDFC Bank · ₹12,500 fee · HDFC Reward Points

Still the king — but the crown sits a little crooked in 2026.

3.3%

Axis Atlas

Axis Bank · ₹5,000 fee · Axis EDGE Miles

The purpose-built miles card — if the partner list holds.

4.0%

Axis Magnus for Burgundy

Axis Bank · ₹30,000 fee · Axis EDGE Reward Points

The one Magnus that survived — 5:4 transfers, if you can get past the velvet rope.

4.8%

ICICI Emeralde Private Metal

ICICI Bank · ₹12,499 fee · ICICI Reward Points

The quiet over-achiever — if your spend dodges the exclusions.

HDFC Diners Club Black Metal

HDFC Bank · ₹10,000 fee · HDFC Reward Points

The Infinia's twin — same engine, different badge, easier to get.

3.3%

Axis Magnus (legacy)

Axis Bank · ₹12,500 fee · Axis EDGE Reward Points

Ordinary below ₹1.5L a month. Above it, India's hardest-earning transferable points.

2.4%

BOBCARD Etihad Guest Premium

BOBCARD (Bank of Baroda) · ₹5,000 fee · Etihad Guest

The last clean pipe into Etihad Guest — 2 miles/₹100, 0% forex, milestone confetti.

HSBC Premier (Metal)

HSBC · ₹20,000 fee · HSBC Reward Points

3% on nearly everything, if you're rich enough for HSBC to say yes.

Marriott Bonvoy HDFC Bank

HDFC Bank · ₹3,000 fee · Marriott Bonvoy

A free night that pays the fee — if you actually sleep at Marriotts.

0.9%

HDFC Regalia Gold

HDFC Bank · ₹2,500 fee · HDFC Reward Points

Quietly great value for the fee — you may just have outgrown it for miles.

1.6%

IDFC FIRST Mayura

IDFC FIRST Bank · ₹5,999 fee · IDFC FIRST Reward Points

Zero forex and monster portal multipliers — inside a closed loop.

1.7%

IndusInd Tiger

IndusInd Bank · ₹0 fee · IndusInd Reward Points

A lifetime-free card that quietly became India's cheapest Maharaja Club pipe.

IDFC FIRST Ashva

IDFC FIRST Bank · ₹2,999 fee · IDFC FIRST Reward Points

The budget Mayura — metal, 1% forex and 40 lounge visits for ₹2,999.

1.3%

HSBC TravelOne

HSBC · ₹4,999 fee · HSBC Reward Points

A serious transfer hub at a small fee — earning has to happen elsewhere.

Standard Chartered Ultimate

Standard Chartered · ₹5,000 fee · StanC 360° Reward Points

The highest flat rate in the country — with a hard ceiling.

3.3%

Amex Platinum Travel

American Express · ₹5,000 fee · Amex Membership Rewards

A milestone machine — great if you hit the numbers, mediocre if you don't.

Axis Bank Reserve

Axis Bank · ₹50,000 fee · Axis EDGE Reward Points

A ₹50,000 lounge-and-status card that earns like a mid-tier.

ICICI Times Black

ICICI Bank · ₹20,000 fee · ICICI Reward Points

ICICI's experiences flagship — a lifestyle card wearing a miles costume.

YES Bank Marquee

YES Bank · ₹4,999 fee · YES Rewardz (YES CC Rewardz)

4.5% on everything online — from the bank you have to trust to pay it out.

2.3%

HDFC Diners Club Privilege

HDFC Bank · ₹1,000 fee · HDFC Reward Points

A ₹1,000 Diners with a ₹0.50 problem — the points never reach their billing.

Amex Platinum Charge

American Express · ₹66,000 fee · Amex Membership Rewards

You don't buy the Platinum for the points. You buy it for the doors it opens.

1.3%

Amex Membership Rewards Card

American Express · ₹4,500 fee · Amex Membership Rewards

The cheapest door into Amex MR — milestones do the heavy lifting.

Axis Miles & More World Select

Axis Bank · ₹4,500 fee · Lufthansa Miles & More

The heavier Miles & More variant — 3% into Lufthansa's program, if you feed it enough.

Scapia (Federal Bank)

Federal Bank · ₹0 fee · Scapia Coins

A 2% travel wallet with a 0% forex card stapled on — never confuse the coins for money.

Amex Platinum Reserve

American Express · ₹10,000 fee · Amex Membership Rewards

The ₹10,000 Amex that's really a lounge-and-vouchers card wearing a points badge.

IndusInd Avios Visa Infinite

IndusInd Bank · ₹5,000 fee · Avios (BA / Qatar / Finnair)

The only Indian card that earns Avios straight into your BA or Qatar account — no transfer, no haircut.

Tata Neu Infinity HDFC Bank

HDFC Bank · ₹1,499 fee · Tata NeuCoins

The Tata ecosystem's house card — brilliant if you live at BigBasket, ordinary if you don't.

Axis Horizon

Axis Bank · ₹3,000 fee · Axis EDGE Miles

The Citi PremierMiles successor — Atlas's little sibling at half the transfer ratio.

IDFC FIRST Private

IDFC FIRST Bank · ₹50,000 fee · IDFC FIRST Reward Points

Invite-only ₹50,000 metal: unlimited global lounges, 0% forex, 6.67% if you're a whale.

SBI Card MILES PRIME

SBI Card · ₹2,999 fee · SBI Travel Credits

The middle MILES: the same 25-partner transfer hub, ₹2,000 cheaper than ELITE.

BOBCARD Eterna

BOBCARD (Bank of Baroda) · ₹2,499 fee · BOBCARD Reward Points

3.75% online as real statement credit, unlimited lounges, and free if you sign before August.

Axis Miles & More World

Axis Bank · ₹3,500 fee · Lufthansa Miles & More

India's only pipe into Lufthansa Miles & More — award miles that never expire while you swipe.

Axis Bank SELECT

Axis Bank · ₹3,000 fee · Axis EDGE Reward Points

Twelve international Priority Pass lounges for ₹3,000 — the rewards are an afterthought.

Adani One ICICI Bank Signature

ICICI Bank · ₹5,000 fee · Adani Reward Points

Great lounges, points trapped inside an airport app.

Emirates Skywards ICICI Bank Emeralde

ICICI Bank · ₹10,000 fee · Emirates Skywards

Unlimited lounges and free Emirates status — if you actually fly the jet.

1.8%

YES Bank RESERV

YES Bank · ₹2,499 fee · YES Rewardz (YES CC Rewardz)

3% online and six international lounges — trapped in a ₹0.25 portal you can't transfer out of.

SBI Card MILES ELITE

SBI Card · ₹4,999 fee · SBI Travel Credits

SBI finally built a real miles card — the partner list is the point.

RBL Icon

RBL Bank · ₹5,000 fee · RBL Reward Points

A weekend-and-abroad points card: 5% on two capped slices, 0.5% on the rest.

RBL World Safari

RBL Bank · ₹3,000 fee · RBL Reward Points

India's original zero-forex card. The points are a rounding error.

Emirates Skywards ICICI Bank Sapphiro

ICICI Bank · ₹5,000 fee · Emirates Skywards

The Emirates card for people who don't fly Emirates enough.

1.4%

MakeMyTrip ICICI Bank

ICICI Bank · ₹999 fee · MakeMyTrip myCash

₹999 of near-zero forex and 6% back on MakeMyTrip hotels.

Kotak White Reserve

Kotak Mahindra Bank · ₹12,500 fee · Kotak White Pass

No points, no games — just spend ₹10 lakh and collect. A pure milestone machine.

0.0%

AU Ananta

AU Small Finance Bank · ₹2,000 fee · AU Reward Points

AU's flagship is a lounge pass wearing a rewards card's clothes.

IndusInd Legend

IndusInd Bank · ₹5,000 joining · IndusInd Reward Points

The lounge card whose lounges left in March 2025 — now a weekend-doubler and little else.

AU Zenith

AU Small Finance Bank · ₹7,999 fee · AU Reward Points

₹7,999 for 0.75% and a lounge stack a ₹2,999 card matches — AU's priciest, and its worst value.

Amex Gold Charge

American Express · ₹4,500 fee · Amex Membership Rewards

Six swipes a month, 1,000 bonus MR — the habit is the point.

Kotak Privy League Signature

Kotak Mahindra Bank · ₹2,500 fee · Kotak Reward Points

A free lounge pass with a banking relationship attached — just don't chase the points.

IDFC FIRST Wealth

IDFC FIRST Bank · ₹0 fee · IDFC FIRST Reward Points

A truly free Visa Infinite: 1.5% forex, points that never die, lounges on a ₹20k leash.

0.4%

SBI Card MILES

SBI Card · ₹1,499 fee · SBI Travel Credits

The ₹1,499 door to SBI's 25 transfer partners — and a 0.5% engine you'll want to leave shut.

IRCTC SBI Card Premier

SBI Card · ₹1,499 fee · IRCTC SBI Reward Points

10% back on AC train tickets — if your reward life begins and ends on irctc.co.in.

IndusInd Pinnacle World

IndusInd Bank · ₹15,000 joining · IndusInd Reward Points

A once-loaded lounge-and-golf card that March 2025 quietly hollowed out.

ICICI Sapphiro

ICICI Bank · ₹3,500 fee · ICICI Reward Points

Lifestyle perks, forgettable rewards — and now spend-gated lounges.

ICICI Bank Rubyx

ICICI Bank · ₹2,000 fee · ICICI Reward Points

Railway lounges and 0.5% points — a dated card in a modern lineup.

AU Vetta

AU Small Finance Bank · ₹2,999 fee · AU Reward Points

AU's cheapest travel seat: ₹2,999, four Priority Pass visits, and points worth a quarter of face.

Standard Chartered EaseMyTrip

Standard Chartered · ₹350 fee · Standard Chartered Rewards (EaseMyTrip)

A ₹350 EaseMyTrip discount coupon with two lounge visits stapled on — the '10X' skips EaseMyTrip itself.

OneCard Metal

OneCard (issued via partner banks) · ₹0 fee · OneCard Reward Points

A free metal card with 1% forex and nothing else — hold it for the border, not the points.

0.2%

Federal Bank Celesta

Federal Bank · ₹0 fee · Federal Bank Reward Points

A free card you hold for the two international lounge visits — never for the quarter-percent it pays back.

0.3%

AU Zenith+

AU Small Finance Bank · ₹4,999 fee · AU Reward Points

AU's low-forex lounge machine — 0.99% abroad, 32 lounge visits, a rewards rate that isn't one.

0.3%