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18 spend categories · 18 dedicated guides
The right credit card depends on what you spend on. Co-branded cards beat unisex cards for concentrated single-platform spending (Amazon, Flipkart, Swiggy). For split spending, flexible cashback cards win. Pick your dominant spend category below — each guide shows the math, not just a listicle.
Amazon Pay ICICI is the default for ₹15-30K/month Amazon spends — 5% back as Amazon Pay balance, no upper cap, no annual fee.
Axis Bank Flipkart is the co-branded default — 5% cashback on Flipkart + 4% on partner brands (Cleartrip, 2GUD, Myntra Flipkart Plus).
HDFC Swiggy gives 10% cashback up to ₹1,500/month on Swiggy. Axis ACE returns 4% on Swiggy + Zomato. SBI Card Pulse 5% on dining.
Axis ACE (4% on Uber via Google Pay), SBI Card Pulse (5% on transport), HDFC Millennia (5% on top merchants). Best for ₹3-8K/month cab spends.
IRCTC SBI Platinum is the dedicated co-branded card — 1% surcharge waiver + 5x reward on IRCTC. RBL IRCTC for moderate-frequency users.
Federal Scapia (0% forex, prepaid) saves you 3.5% markup on USD-denominated cloud bills. HDFC Infinia Metal also has 0% forex.
Federal Scapia (0% forex prepaid) is the default — pay ChatGPT Plus, GitHub, Cursor, Linear, Notion at face value without 3.5% forex markup.
HDFC Diners Club Black at 5x via SmartBuy + Axis Atlas's 4x on MMT make domestic-travel-heavy users earn ₹10K+/year.
SBI BPCL Octane (7.25% value), IndianOil HDFC Bank (5%), and BPCL SBI (4.25%) lead — plus 1% fuel surcharge waiver across all major fuel-bonus cards.
Federal Scapia (0% forex prepaid) or HDFC Infinia Metal (0% forex credit) — eliminate the 3-3.5% forex markup on Amazon US / Etsy / AliExpress.
HDFC Infinia Metal (0% forex + Marriott Gold + 8 lounges), Amex Platinum Travel (₹1cr insurance + airport meet-greet), Axis Atlas (Vistara transfers).
Tax payments via CC carry 1% convenience fee on Income Tax e-filing portal. HDFC Infinia, Axis Magnus, SBI Aurum recover this via reward rates.
CRED RentPay and NoBroker Pay both charge 1-2% convenience fee. Pay only if your card's reward rate exceeds the fee + you pay the full statement.
Axis ACE returns 5% on Google Pay bill payments (electricity, mobile, DTH) up to ₹500/mo. SBI SimplySAVE 5x reward on utility bill payments.
HDFC MoneyBack+ Senior (2x on groceries), SBI SimplySAVE (5x reward on dining+groceries), Axis ACE (4% via Gpay) for ₹8-15K/mo grocery spend.
SBI Card Pulse (5% on dining), HDFC Diners Club Black (4 reward points per ₹150), Amex Platinum (5x via Fine Hotels + Resorts program) for restaurant spend.
HDFC Millennia (5% on top 10 sites incl. Amazon + Flipkart + Myntra) and SBI Cashback (5% on all online up to ₹5K/mo) win for split online spend.
Schools/colleges that accept CC charge 1% convenience fee. HDFC Infinia / SBI Aurum reward rates ≥ 1% net you positive ROI on annual ₹50K-5L fees.
If your spending splits across many platforms, unisex cards (HDFC Millennia, SBI Cashback, Axis ACE) usually beat co-branded options. See our multi-platform online shopping guide.