Best Credit Cards for Online Shopping in India 2025

If most of your spending happens on Amazon, Flipkart, and other e-commerce sites, you need cards optimized for online rewards. Here's how to maximize returns on every click.

Key Insight: Co-branded cards (Amazon Pay ICICI, Flipkart Axis) beat general rewards cards for their specific platforms. But a smart stack covers all bases.

Top Online Shopping Cards

1. Amazon Pay ICICI - Best for Amazon Shoppers

Annual Fee: ₹0 (lifetime free)

Feature	Prime Member	Non-Prime
Amazon purchases	5% back	3% back
Amazon Pay partners	2% back	2% back
Other spending	1% back	1% back

Why It's Great:

• Zero annual fee
• Instant Amazon Pay balance credit
• Works for Amazon-owned brands (Whole Foods in future, etc.)
• No redemption hassle—just spend as credit

Ideal For: Anyone who spends ₹3L+ annually on Amazon.

ROI Example: ₹5L Amazon spend × 5% = ₹25,000 cashback (with Prime)

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2. Flipkart Axis Bank Credit Card - Best for Flipkart

Annual Fee: ₹500 (waived on ₹2L spend)

Category	Cashback
Flipkart, Myntra, Cleartrip	5%
Preferred partners (Swiggy, Uber, etc.)	4%
Other spending	1.5%

Why It's Great:

• Covers Flipkart + Myntra (fashion)
• Good base rate (1.5%) for non-Flipkart spend
• Welcome vouchers worth ₹500

Ideal For: Flipkart loyalists, especially during Big Billion Days.

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3. SBI SimplyCLICK - Best Budget E-commerce Card

Annual Fee: ₹499 (waived on ₹1L spend)

Category	Rewards
Amazon, BookMyShow, Cleartrip	10X points (2.5%)
Online spends	5X points (1.25%)
Offline	1X points

Why It's Great:

• Low fee threshold
• Good multipliers on multiple platforms
• Amazon voucher redemption available

Ideal For: Moderate online shoppers wanting broad coverage.

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4. HDFC Millennia - Best HDFC Entry for Online

Annual Fee: ₹1,000

Category	Cashback
Amazon, Flipkart, Myntra, etc.	5%
SmartBuy	2.5%
Tap and pay (under ₹2,000)	2.5%
Other	1%

Why It's Great:

• Strong online multiplier across platforms
• Entry to HDFC ecosystem for future upgrades
• Decent offline tap-to-pay benefit

Ideal For: New-to-credit users planning HDFC upgrade ladder.

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5. HDFC Regalia/Infinia + SmartBuy - Best for Heavy Spenders

Annual Fee: ₹2,500 / ₹12,500

SmartBuy Category	Multiplier
Flights	10X
Amazon vouchers	10X
Flipkart vouchers	10X
Hotels	5-10X

Why It's Great:

• Buy gift cards at 10X, then shop = 3-5% effective reward
• Stacks with Amazon/Flipkart sale discounts
• Points transferable to airlines

Strategy: Buy Amazon/Flipkart gift cards via SmartBuy before major sales.

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6. OneCard - Best Zero-Fee Modern Card

Annual Fee: ₹0

Feature	Details
Cashback	1% on online, 5X on select categories
App	Excellent controls and tracking
Metal Card	Free (premium feel)

Why It's Great:

• Zero cost to hold
• Clean app interface
• Good for tracking spending habits

Ideal For: Young professionals wanting a free, modern card.

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Category-Specific Recommendations

For Amazon Shopping

Priority	Card	Effective Return
1	Amazon Pay ICICI (Prime)	5%
2	HDFC Infinia + SmartBuy	3-3.5%
3	SBI SimplyCLICK	2.5%

For Flipkart Shopping

Priority	Card	Effective Return
1	Flipkart Axis	5%
2	HDFC Infinia + SmartBuy	3-3.5%
3	HDFC Millennia	5%

For Mixed E-commerce

Priority	Card	Strategy
1	Amazon Pay ICICI + Flipkart Axis	Platform-specific use
2	HDFC Millennia	Covers all platforms
3	SBI SimplyCLICK	Budget-friendly coverage

Sale Season Strategy

Big Sale Events (BBD, Prime Day, etc.)

1. Pre-sale (1 week before)

   • Buy gift cards via SmartBuy (if HDFC cardholder)
   • Check card offers for additional discounts
   • Ensure adequate credit limit

2. During Sale

   • Use platform-specific card (Amazon Pay for Amazon, Flipkart Axis for Flipkart)
   • Stack: Platform discount + Bank offer + Card cashback

3. Post-sale

   • Convert large purchases to no-cost EMI if available
   • Track rewards/cashback credit

Stacking Example (Prime Day)

Layer	Discount
Amazon deal price	30% off
Bank instant discount (SBI/HDFC)	10% off
Amazon Pay ICICI cashback	5% back
Total Effective Discount	~40%

EMI Benefits Comparison

Card	No-Cost EMI	Processing Fee
Amazon Pay ICICI	Yes (selected products)	Usually ₹0
Flipkart Axis	Yes (selected)	Usually ₹0
HDFC Cards	Yes (most products)	₹99-199
SBI Cards	Yes (selected)	₹99-199

Pro Tip: No-cost EMI is genuinely free if processing fee is ₹0. Check before converting.

Common Online Shopping Mistakes

1. Using wrong card for platform - 5% vs 1% matters on big purchases
2. Missing bank offers - Always check platform's payment page for card discounts
3. Ignoring SmartBuy - Gift card route gives 10X even if you'd shop Amazon anyway
4. Converting everything to EMI - Only useful for big purchases; fees eat into small ones
5. Not checking reward caps - Some cards cap monthly cashback

Smart Stack for Online Shoppers

Budget Stack (₹0 annual fees)

1. Amazon Pay ICICI - All Amazon shopping
2. Flipkart Axis - All Flipkart/Myntra (fee waived on ₹2L)
3. OneCard - Everything else

Maximizer Stack (₹3,000 annual fees)

1. Amazon Pay ICICI - Amazon
2. Flipkart Axis - Flipkart/Myntra
3. HDFC Regalia - SmartBuy gift cards + offline spend

Digital Payment Methods

UPI Credit Card Linking

Some cards now allow UPI payments:

• Axis cards via Google Pay
• HDFC cards via PayZapp
• Benefits vary; check if rewards apply

Wallet Top-ups

Generally Avoid: Loading wallets via credit card often doesn't earn rewards and may incur fees.

Exception: Promotional periods when platforms offer bonus rewards for wallet loads.

Next Steps

1. Check your shopping split - What % is Amazon vs Flipkart vs other?
2. Get platform co-brands - Both are free/low-fee
3. Add HDFC for SmartBuy - If you spend ₹5L+/year online
4. Track during sales - Stacking can yield 30-40% effective discount
5. Review annually - Spending patterns change; card stack should too

For online shopping, the co-branded cards (Amazon Pay ICICI, Flipkart Axis) are no-brainers. They're free or nearly free and give 5% on their platforms. Add a SmartBuy-enabled HDFC card for heavy spenders, and you're covered.