Credit Cards are becoming popular among Indians and the credit card industry witnessed significant growth in the last 5 years just because of the betterment of banking facilities in India. Here, you will see Best Credit Card For Beginners that only requires a basic salary and minimum documents for approval.
Often beginners are in a dilemma when it comes to choosing a perfect credit card for themselves. It is because of the myth that credit cards will keep you under the debt of high-interest rates for a long time.
The most common mistake done by a beginner while purchasing a credit card is, they fall into the trap of reward points and cashback and later they find themselves empty pocket. This post will provide you the Best 5 credit card that is a perfect buy for beginners.
ICICI Platinum Chip Credit Card
We have put ICICI Bank Platinum Chip Credit Card in the first position and it is the best value for money credit cards for beginners with a low budget. This credit card comes in VISA and MasterCard variant and is powered by Payback points.
Payback is a reward programme that is collaborated with the ICICI Bank to boost up their reward points with exciting offers given by Payback partner brands. Check out the details below.
Features
- Use payback points for redemption against vouchers and gifts.
- For every 100 rupees spent on retail, the cardholder will get 2 payback points.
- Similarly, on 100 rupees spending for insurance renewal and utility bill payment will give 1 payback point.
- 1% fuel surcharge waiver across HPCL Fuel stations only.
- Exclusive benefits of VISA and Mastercard offers.
- Contactless payments and fraud protection.
Eligibility
- Indian citizens can apply only.
- The applicant must be 23 years old or above.
- Good Credit History.
Joining and Renewal Fees
- Joining Charges- Free
- Annual/Renewal Charges-Free
- Add-on Cards- Free
Pros and Cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| 1. Free of the cost credit card. | 1. It has limited features and benefits. |
| 2. Powered with both Visa and Mastercard network. | 2. Fuel surcharge waiver is applicable only to HPCL fuel pumps. |
HDFC Bank MoneyBack Credit Card
The second credit card in this list is HDFC MoneyBack Credit Card that is widely popular among the HDFC and Non-HDFC account holders. This is a multipurpose credit card and considered as best because of its reward points and cashback features. Check out all the details below.
Features
HDFC MoneyBack Credit Card is a multipurpose credit card and its key features have been discussed below.
- One reward point is equal to 0.20 rupees.
- When you spent 150 rupees offline you will get 2 reward points. Similarly, 4 reward points will be accrued when the same amount is spent online.
- It comes with zero liability cover and fraud protection.
- Additionally, it offers a 1% fuel surcharge waiver on a minimum transaction of 400 rupees.
- Moreover, it has a contactless payment feature to ensure smarter and faster payments.
Eligibility
The eligibility criteria are slightly different for both the Salaried and Self-Employed individuals. Please check the details below.
Salaried Person
- The applicant’s minimum age must be 21 years and maximum of 60 years.
- He or she required to have a monthly salary of 25,000 rupees or above.
Self-Employed Person
- The applicant’s age must be 21 years to 65 years.
- His or Her yearly income should be around 6 lakh rupees.
Joining And Annual Fees
Both the joining and annual fees are affordable and can easily be paid off by those who possess a minimum salary of 25K INR per month.
- Joining Fees- 500+GST
- Renewal/Annual Fees-500+GST
Pros And Cons
As it has all the best features in this class but still there are some pros and cons that have been discussed below.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| 1. Provide Fuel Surcharge waiver across all the petrol pumps. | 1. No reward points or cashback on utility bill payments. |
| 2. Accelerated 2x reward points when shopping online. | 2. To earn 2 reward points you need to spend 150 rupees that are slightly high when compared to other credit cards in a similar price range. |
SBI Simply Save Credit Card
State Bank of India(SBI) is one of the largest and trusted banks that was founded in 1955. It has over 50 variants of credit cards for the fulfillment of the desires of their customers. Their most popular credit card for a beginner is SBI Simply Save Credit Card for which all the details have been provided below.
Features
- The value of 1 reward point is 0.25 rupees.
- Get 10x accelerated reward points on the spending of every 100 rupees on food, entertainment, movies, and grocery purchasing.
- Get 1 reward point on spending every 100 rupees on other categories.
- 1% fuel surcharge waiver on all the petrol pumps in India.
- Contactless payment features to avoid card skimming and other frauds.
- Cash Advance facility.
Eligibility
- Only Indian citizens can apply.
- The age of the applicant must be 21 years or above.
- He or she must possess a salary of 18,000 rupees per month.
- The applicant should not be a defaulter in the past.
Joining And Annual Fees
- Joining Fees- 499+Tax
- Annual/Renewal Fee-499+Tax/ Reversed if you spend 1 lakh in a calendar year.
Axis Bank MyZone Credit Card
Another best credit card for the beginner is Axis Bank My Zone Credit Card that is best for those who love to spend on air travel, movies, and online shopping. The joining fee is slightly on the higher side from the above-mentioned credit card but still, it is considered as best for beginners.
Features
- Provides exciting benefits in the entertainment category.
- Bonus Reward Points.
- Complimentary Airport Lounge access.
- Get 25% cashback on movie tickets.
- Amazing deals and discounts on online shopping.
Eligibility
- Both the Indian and Non-Resident Indians can apply.
- The minimum and maximum age to apply is 18 years and 70 years respectively.
- Good credit history is a must.
Joining and Renewal Fees
- Joining Charges- 500 rupees and can be waived off if you spend 5,000 in the first 45 days.
- Annual Charges- Free for 1st year and 500 rupees from the second year.
Pros and Cons
Given below are some advantages and disadvantages of Axis My Zone Credit Card.
| Advantages | Disadvantages |
|---|---|
| 1. Best for beginners to get cashback and reward points in the entertainment category. | 1. Not for those who are looking for reward points in daily needs products. |
| 2. Airport Lounge Access in this price range. | 2. No fuel surcharge waiver when other credit cards offer the same in this price range. |
Amazon Pay Credit Card
ICICI Bank and Amazon together collaborated and launched Amazon Pay Icici Credit Card so that the cardholders will enjoy the benefits from both Amazon and Icici Bank. The users will get the benefits in the form of an Amazon Pay balance and that can be redeemed later for shopping on Amazon.in
Features
- 5% and 3% of cashback for Prime and Non-prime members respectively on shopping on Amazon.in.
- 1% of cashback on all the other transactions like offline or utility bill payments.
- Discounts on dining by swiping the card on ICICI culinary treats program partner restaurants.
- Fuel Surcharge Waiver.
Benefits
- Free of the cost credit card with having no joining and renewal fees.
- Unlimited earnings.
- No expiration date of rewards.
- All the earning are redeemable on Amazon.in for shopping products of different categories.
Joining and Annual Fee
- Joining Fee- Free
- Annual/Renewal Fee- Free
Pros and Cons
Though it is an awesome credit card to get benefits across multiple categories still there are some advantages and downsides of this credit card which we will discuss below.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| 1. Best for those who do frequent shopping on Amazon and enrolled themselves in Prime membership. | 1. It is available in selected cities only hence it is limited to a few audience. |
| 2. Cashback can be earned by Non-Prime members and on utility bill payments categories. | 2. Cashback can be earned in the form of Amazon Pay Balance only and is redeemed only for shopping. |