India's premium credit cards, explained.
Which one you can get, which one to get next, and how to squeeze it. HDFC, Axis, Amex, ICICI and SBI ladders, verified against the banks' own pages every month.
The guides people actually use.
Hierarchies, head-to-heads and fee breakdowns for India's premium cards.
HDFC Credit Card Hierarchy: All Ten Cards in Tier Order
Every HDFC Bank credit card we track, from Swiggy and Millennia to Diners Club Black Metal and Infinia, in one ranked table with fees, base earn rates, lounge access and the income you need for each tier.
Axis Bank Credit Card Hierarchy: All Eleven Cards Ranked
Every Axis Bank credit card we track, from ACE and Flipkart to Magnus, Olympus, Reserve and the Burgundy cards, in one tier table with fees, EDGE earn rates, lounge access and income bars, plus the 2024 to 2026 devaluations that changed the order.
Amex Credit Card Fees in India: Every Card, Every Charge
Joining fees, annual fees, GST totals, waiver rules and renewal bonuses for all four American Express cards issued in India, in one table, with the spend at which each one pays for itself.
ICICI Credit Card Hierarchy: All Eight Cards in Tier Order
Every ICICI Bank credit card we track, from Amazon Pay and Platinum Chip to Sapphiro, Emeralde, Times Black and Emeralde Private Metal, in one tier table with fees after GST, earn rates at ₹0.25 a point, lounge access and income bars.
SBI Credit Card Hierarchy: All Seven Cards in Tier Order
Every SBI Card product we track, from SimplyCLICK and Cashback to PRIME, ELITE, the Air India and BPCL co-brands and Aurum, in one tier table with fees after GST, real earn rates, lounge access and the income you need for each.
Axis Olympus vs Magnus vs Atlas: Which Travel Card Wins
Axis Bank's three travel cards side by side: fees after GST, EDGE Miles against EDGE Reward Points, transfer ratios, lounge access and the spend at which each one breaks even.
What changed on the cards we track.
Fee changes, devaluations and corrections from our monthly check against each bank's own page.
- 17 Sep 2026 American Express Gold Card Welcome bonus corrected from 5,000 to 4,000 Membership Rewards Points per the official product page; product page URL moved from /en-in/ to /in/
- 17 Sep 2026 AU Small Finance Bank ixigo Credit Card Fees recorded as lifetime free (joining ₹0, annual ₹0) per AU KFS v1.8; purchase APR corrected from 3.49% to 3.75% per month; late-payment charge aligned to 15% of TAD (min ₹10, max ₹1,300)
- 17 Sep 2026 Axis Bank Magnus International lounge guest visits corrected from 8 to 4 per year (Axis revised this w.e.f. 20 Apr 2024; product page confirms). Fee ₹12,500 + taxes, ₹25L waiver, 2% forex, 12/35 EDGE points per ₹200 tiers, 5X Travel EDGE and ₹12,500 welcome voucher all re-verified.
- 17 Sep 2026 BOB Financial Eterna Credit Card Joining/first-year fee now ₹0 w.e.f. 1 Sep 2026 (limited period offer; the lifetime-free-till-Mar-2026 promo lapsed); welcome FITPASS PRO membership now worth ₹48,000 on ₹10,000 in 30 days (cards from 1 Aug 2026); 5X caps recorded at 5,000 RP per cycle. Annual ₹2,499 waived at ₹2.5L, 15 RP per ₹100 on dining/travel/international/online, 3 RP base at ₹0.25, 2% forex, unlimited domestic lounges and the 10,000/20,000-point milestones re-verified.
- 17 Sep 2026 Canara Bank RuPay Select Credit Card Base earn corrected from 8 points per ₹200 (1.0%) to 2 points per ₹100 at ₹0.25 each (0.5%) per the product page; forex markup 3.5% to up to 3%; revolving interest 2.1% to 2.5% p.m. (30% APR); card replacement ₹300; ₹300 inactivity fee below ₹1 lakh annual turnover recorded. Lifetime free, 2 domestic lounge visits per quarter and 2 international per year re-verified.
- 17 Sep 2026 EazyDiner IndusInd Bank Platinum Credit Card Reward rate corrected to 2 RP per ₹100 at ₹0.20 per point (0.4%; the file had 1.0%), 0.7 RP per ₹100 on insurance/rent/utility/government, nothing on fuel; the weekend-dining 4X entry is not on the product page and was removed; milestone corrected to 2,000 RP on ₹30,000 every 90 days (was ₹40,000), dining spends excluded; welcome is 500 EazyPoints. Lifetime free re-verified; product URL updated to the Platinum-specific page.
Three steps to a confident pick.
Start from a bank you already have a relationship with, or a goal like rewards or lounge access.
Every card shows its first-year net value, rewards-by-category breakdown, and fee-waiver thresholds — with the working visible.
No paid placement. We link to the issuer's official application page, in the order our score says.
Top-scored cards this month.
Ranked by first-year net value for the default persona. Same score used across the site.
Best for heavy travelers.
Ranked against a ₹2L/mo travel-heavy profile. Transfer partners, lounge, forex markup all weighted up.
Best for cashback seekers.
Ranked against a ₹30k/mo online-heavy no-fee profile. Rewards, online share, telecom all weighted up.
Pick a goal, see the cards.
Credit cards with the highest reward rates on everyday spend.
Explore Lounge accessCards with complimentary domestic and international airport lounge visits.
Explore Low feeCards with zero or minimal annual fees, with rewards that still pay off.
Explore ForexLow forex markup for international spend and travel.
ExploreEvery bank we cover.
21 banks. Full directory of bank hubs.
Common questions about PerkPilot.
PerkPilot explains India's premium credit cards: which one you can get, which one to get next, and how to squeeze it. Every number comes from the bank's own page and is re-verified monthly.
Last verified April 2026. Sources: Official issuer websites, CardExpert, PaisaBazaar, CardInsider, BankBazaar. Next scheduled review: Monthly verification.