best credit cards with no annual fee

6 min readJun 1, 2022

While a credit card works wonders to offer users rewards and alleviates financial anxiety, it usually needs an annual fee to keep your account status active. the concerned bank deducts the fee automatically at the sign-up anniversary.

Cardholders dislike such expenditures. However, the zero annual fee credit card bridges the gap between consumer expectations and bank offerings.
are you looking to sign up for a new credit card or are you a first-time user entering the credit market? we recommend diving into the list of the best credit cards with no annual fee available in India today.

ICICI Platinum Credit Card

Lifetime free card- no joining fee and no annual fee
Minimum 15% savings at over 2500 restaurants under the Culinary Treats program of ICICI Bank
1% fuel surcharge waiver at HPCL pumps for fuel transactions up to Rs. 4,000
2 PAYBACK Points for every Rs. 100 spent on retail transactions except for fuel
Accumulated reward points redeemable against a host of vouchers and products
Convenience and safety of contactless cards
eligibility: age 23+
Know more here

ICICI Amazon Pay Credit Card

ICICI Amazon Pay credit card is best for Amazon customers. This is a credit card with no annual fees or joining fees. Below mentioned are some features of this card:

5% cashback for Amazon Prime customers on shopping from Amazon
3% cashback for non-prime customers on shopping from Amazon
2% cashback on shopping at Amazon Pay partner merchants
1% cashback on other payments
15% discount on dining at select partner restaurants in India
Know more at here

HSBC Visa Platinum credit card

This is a zero annual fee credit card from HSBC and is loaded with numerous benefits, some of which are mentioned below:

For movie enthusiasts who can’t resist the theatre aura, the salted popcorn, and the chilly soda, BookmyShow offers vouchers worth ₹500 on ₹50,000 spent per month (₹3,000 per cardholder per year)
If you’re a shopping and networking buff, it’s expected that you’ll make at least 5 transactions in two months. in this case, the bank offers a generous 10% cashback (up to ₹2,000) on ₹10,000 and more.
Earn 2 reward points per Rs. 150 spent on the card; points valid for 3 years
Accelerated Reward Points of 5X on incremental spends above Rs. 4 Lakh every calendar year up to a maximum of 15,000.
Up to Rs. 3,000 savings yearly (1% fuel surcharge waiver)
Air miles conversion on InterMiles, British Airways and Singapore Airlines
Buy 1 movie ticket and get 1 free (up to Rs. 250) on BookMyShow once every month
Up to 15% dining off at over 1000 restaurants operating in major Indian cities
As part of their welcome process, the bank offers an Amazon voucher worth ₹500 on a transaction starting ₹500 within 30 days of card issuance.
Know more here

while it’s a bank’s job to offer the best deals to its users, the responsibility doesn’t end there. HSBC Visa Platinum takes a step ahead to protect its users on account of theft and loss of credit cards.

simply call the helpline numbers to:

report the cancellation of the card and get a new globally accepted emergency card in 3 days
get covered for misuse of the Platinum credit card for a whopping INR 3,00,000 after registering the loss

these premium benefits are available for the residents of Mumbai, New Delhi, Chennai, Pune, Noida, Hyderabad, and Gurgaon aged between 18 and 65 and earning a minimum annual income of ₹4,00,000.

IDFC First Select Credit card

This is a lifetime free credit card from IDFC First Bank. This contactless credit card offers accelerated rewards and benefits across various categories such as:

10X rewards on incremental spending above Rs. 20,000 every month
Reward Points never expire
6X Reward Points on online spends up to Rs. 20,000 every month
3X Reward Points on in-store purchases up to Rs. 20,000 every month
Buy one, get one movie ticket free up to Rs. 250 twice every month
4 complimentary airport lounge visits per quarter
4 complimentary railway lounge visits per quarter
Fuel surcharge waiver of 1% at all fuel stations in India up to Rs. 300 every month
Know more here

Axis Bank Insta Easy

the Axis Bank Insta Easy credit card is a 0 annual fee — 0 joining fee credit card for individuals having a minimum fixed deposit (FD) of ₹20,000 in Axis Bank.

let’s look at their offerings:

100% cash withdrawal permitted up to the credit limit
set your own credit limit, with the maximum touching 80% of the FD limit
1% fuel surcharge waiver on fuel transactions between ₹400-₹4,000
15% dining discounts at select restaurants
eDGE loyalty points with Axis Insta Easy credit card

in case of theft or loss, the bank replaces the card with no replacement fee. these credit card benefits and protection work best for first-time users (18+) with no credit histories.

SBI Card Unnati

Unnati, meaning progress, is what SBI promotes with their credit card offering. offering a 4-year zero annual fee, SBI has taken extra steps to make this card function as a contactless mode of payment. SBI Card Unnati has the following features:

earn 1 Reward on every ₹100 spent
1% fuel surcharge waiver allowed for transactions worth INR 500–3,000 at petrol pumps across India
spend ₹50,000 annually and earn ₹500 cashback
make any purchase above ₹2,500 using this card to unlock the opportunity of converting credit card transactions into EMI (flexipay)
the bank offers a 25-day interest-free credit period on retail purchases along with the option to withdraw cash up to 80% of the total credit limit.
Worldwide acceptance with 24 million outlets waiting for you to swipe the card.
Reward point redemption against gifts from the reward catalog

the card is issued on one eligibility: hold an FD with SBI worth ₹25,000 or more.

Kotak Fortune Gold card

primarily structured for the Indian entrepreneurial community, Kotak’s Fortune Gold credit card is a zero annual fee and interest-free cash withdrawal card, with features that are difficult to turn down. sign up for a Fortune Gold card to avail the following benefits:

cash withdrawal permitted up to 50% of the credit limit
fuel surcharge waiver for transactions between ₹500-₹3,000
4 free PVR tickets (applicable for 3 months) or ₹750 Cashback on spending ₹1,50,000 per year
on account of theft, claim insurance against ₹50,000 against misuse up to 7 days pre-reporting
outstation cheque processing fee, charge slip request, machine surcharge at ATMs — all waived
note: this card is applicable for professionals operating from Mumbai, New Delhi, Chennai, Pune, Noida, Hyderabad, Gurgaon, and Kolkata, and earning a minimum income of ₹3 lakh per year.

the primary cardholder can be anywhere between 21–65 years of age, with the secondary holder required to be above 18 years. the latter is entitled to all the benefits as the former.

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