SharpScrollINDIA
2026 Credit Card Intelligence & MITC Verified

Know the True Net Value of Your Credit Cards

Stop guessing if your credit card is worth its annual fee. Calculate your exact net profit or loss after 18% GST, forex markup, and latest 2026 airport lounge spend rules.

Unsure which credit card suits your lifestyle?

Answer 4 quick questions for a mathematically ranked top 3 card match.

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Adjust monthly spends to calculate your exact net reward profit or loss after fees and taxes.

Total Projected Annual Spend
4,69,000
15,000/mo
10,000/mo
5,000/mo
3,000/mo
4,000/mo
25,000/year
Filter Leaderboard:
#1
HDFC BANK
RuPay

TATA NEU INFINITY

•••• •••• •••• 2026

Mid-Tier

Tata Neu Infinity HDFC Bank Credit Card

RuPay / VisaHDFC Bank

India's highest earning RuPay credit card for UPI payments and 10% returns across the Tata retail ecosystem.

Estimated Net Annual Profit
+21,565(4.6%)
Annual Fee:₹1499 + GST
Fee Waiver Spend:₹3,00,000/yr
Forex Markup:2%
Lounge Access (2026):2/quarter
#2
HDFC BANK
VISA

MILLENNIA

•••• •••• •••• 2026

Mid-Tier

HDFC Bank Millennia Credit Card

Visa / Mastercard / Diners ClubHDFC Bank

India's most popular cashback card for online spenders, offering 5% direct cashback on Amazon, Flipkart, Swiggy, and Zomato.

Estimated Net Annual Profit
+14,857(3.17%)
Annual Fee:₹1000 + GST
Fee Waiver Spend:₹1,00,000/yr
Forex Markup:3.5%
Lounge Access (2026):1/quarter
#3
HDFC BANK
VISA

HDFC Infinia Metal Edition

•••• •••• •••• 2026

Super-Premium

HDFC Bank Infinia Metal Edition

Visa Infinite / Diners Club Black (Metal)HDFC Bank

India's undisputed king of super-premium cards: 3.3% base reward rate, up to 16.6% on SmartBuy travel, and unlimited global lounge access.

Estimated Net Annual Profit
+14,780(3.15%)
Annual Fee:₹12500 + GST
Fee Waiver Spend:₹10,00,000/yr
Forex Markup:2%
Lounge Access (2026):99/quarter
#4
AXIS BANK
RuPay

AIRTEL AXIS

•••• •••• •••• 2026

Entry

Airtel Axis Bank Credit Card

RuPay / Mastercard / VisaAxis Bank

The ultimate monthly recurring bill saver: 25% on Airtel services and 10% on Swiggy, Zomato, and BigBasket. Available on RuPay for UPI payments.

Estimated Net Annual Profit
+11,577(2.47%)
Annual Fee:₹500 + GST
Fee Waiver Spend:₹2,00,000/yr
Forex Markup:3.5%
Lounge Access (2026):1/quarter
#5
i
ICICI Bank
VISA

AMAZON PAY

•••• •••• •••• 2026

Entry

Amazon Pay ICICI Bank Credit Card

VisaICICI Bank

India's highest circulating lifetime-free credit card offering 5% uncapped cashback on Amazon for Prime members.

Estimated Net Annual Profit
+11,337(2.42%)
Annual Fee:Lifetime Free (₹0)
Fee Waiver Spend:No Waiver
Forex Markup:3.5%
Lounge Access (2026):None
#6
SBI Card
VISA

CASHBACK

•••• •••• •••• 2026

Mid-Tier

Cashback SBI Card

Visa / MastercardState Bank of India

The gold standard of universal online cashback: 5% flat cashback across almost all online merchants without portal restrictions.

Estimated Net Annual Profit
+10,857(2.31%)
Annual Fee:₹999 + GST
Fee Waiver Spend:₹2,00,000/yr
Forex Markup:3.5%
Lounge Access (2026):None
#7
FEDERAL BANK
VISA

SCAPIA

•••• •••• •••• 2026

Entry

Scapia Federal Bank Credit Card

Visa SignatureFederal Bank

Lifetime Free 0-Forex credit card with low ₹5,000/month spend threshold to unlock airport lounge visits.

Estimated Net Annual Profit
+9,520(2.03%)
Annual Fee:Lifetime Free (₹0)
Fee Waiver Spend:No Waiver
Forex Markup:0% (0-Forex)
Lounge Access (2026):1/quarter
#8
AXIS BANK
VISA

ACE

•••• •••• •••• 2026

Entry

Axis Bank ACE Credit Card

VisaAxis Bank

Powerful everyday utility card offering 5% cashback on Google Pay bill payments and 1.5% uncapped offline cashback.

Estimated Net Annual Profit
+9,002(1.92%)
Annual Fee:₹499 + GST
Fee Waiver Spend:₹2,00,000/yr
Forex Markup:3.5%
Lounge Access (2026):1/quarter
#9
HDFC BANK
VISA
METAL

REGALIA GOLD

•••• •••• •••• 2026

Premium

HDFC Bank Regalia Gold Credit Card

Visa / MastercardHDFC Bank

Premium travel & lifestyle card offering lower 2% forex markup and generous Priority Pass international lounge visits.

Estimated Net Annual Profit
+8,733(1.86%)
Annual Fee:₹2500 + GST
Fee Waiver Spend:₹4,00,000/yr
Forex Markup:2%
Lounge Access (2026):4/quarter
#10
SBI Card
VISA

SIMPLYCLICK

•••• •••• •••• 2026

Entry

SimplyCLICK SBI Card

Visa / MastercardState Bank of India

Accessible starter shopping card offering 10x reward points on Amazon, BookMyShow, Cleartrip, and Swiggy.

Estimated Net Annual Profit
+8,260(1.76%)
Annual Fee:₹499 + GST
Fee Waiver Spend:₹1,00,000/yr
Forex Markup:3.5%
Lounge Access (2026):None
#11
AU
SMALL FINANCE
RuPay

IXIGO AU

•••• •••• •••• 2026

Entry

ixigo AU Small Finance Bank Credit Card

RuPay / VisaAU Small Finance Bank

India's best rail and flight travel card featuring 0% forex markup, 16 railway lounges, and 8 airport lounge visits. Available on RuPay for UPI payments.

Estimated Net Annual Profit
+6,710(1.43%)
Annual Fee:₹999 + GST
Fee Waiver Spend:₹1,00,000/yr
Forex Markup:0% (0-Forex)
Lounge Access (2026):2/quarter
#12
i
ICICI Bank
RuPay

RUBYX

•••• •••• •••• 2026

Mid-Tier

ICICI Bank Rubyx Credit Card

Mastercard + American Express / RuPayICICI Bank

Dual-card power: 2 cards (Visa + Mastercard) on 1 credit limit with ₹5,000 welcome shopping vouchers and 25% BookMyShow discount.

Estimated Net Annual Profit
+5,392(1.15%)
Annual Fee:₹2000 + GST
Fee Waiver Spend:₹3,00,000/yr
Forex Markup:3.5%
Lounge Access (2026):2/quarter
#13
RBL BANK

WORLD SAFARI

•••• •••• •••• 2026

Premium

RBL Bank World Safari Credit Card

Mastercard WorldRBL Bank

The pioneer 0% forex markup card in India, saving ~4.13% on overseas trips, online foreign SaaS, and travel bookings.

Estimated Net Annual Profit
+5,065(1.08%)
Annual Fee:₹3000 + GST
Fee Waiver Spend:₹3,00,000/yr
Forex Markup:0% (0-Forex)
Lounge Access (2026):2/quarter
#14
SBI Card
VISA

SBI Card PRIME

•••• •••• •••• 2026

Premium

SBI Card PRIME

Visa / Mastercard / American ExpressState Bank of India

Premium lifestyle card packed with ₹3,000 welcome gift vouchers, 4 Priority Pass lounge visits, and 20 reward points on utility standing instructions.

Estimated Net Annual Profit
+4,852(1.03%)
Annual Fee:₹2999 + GST
Fee Waiver Spend:₹3,00,000/yr
Forex Markup:3.5%
Lounge Access (2026):2/quarter
#15
IDFC
FIRST Bank
VISA

FIRST CLASSIC

•••• •••• •••• 2026

Entry

IDFC FIRST Classic Credit Card

VisaIDFC FIRST Bank

Lifetime Free credit card with low dynamic interest rates (9%-36% APR) and reward points that never expire.

Estimated Net Annual Profit
+4,362(0.93%)
Annual Fee:Lifetime Free (₹0)
Fee Waiver Spend:No Waiver
Forex Markup:3.5%
Lounge Access (2026):1/quarter
#16
kotak
RuPay

Kotak League Platinum

•••• •••• •••• 2026

Entry

Kotak League Platinum Credit Card

RuPay / VisaKotak Mahindra Bank

Accessible starter card with low ₹50,000 annual spend waiver threshold and free PVR movie ticket milestone rewards.

Estimated Net Annual Profit
+3,892(0.83%)
Annual Fee:₹500 + GST
Fee Waiver Spend:₹50,000/yr
Forex Markup:3.5%
Lounge Access (2026):1/quarter
#17
i
ICICI Bank
RuPay

CORAL

•••• •••• •••• 2026

Entry

ICICI Bank Coral RuPay Credit Card

RuPay / Visa / MastercardICICI Bank

Accessible RuPay card linked to UPI offering 25% discount on BookMyShow and railway lounge access.

Estimated Net Annual Profit
+3,792(0.81%)
Annual Fee:₹500 + GST
Fee Waiver Spend:₹1,50,000/yr
Forex Markup:3.5%
Lounge Access (2026):1/quarter
#18
AXIS BANK
VISA

ATLAS

•••• •••• •••• 2026

Premium

Axis Bank Atlas Credit Card

Visa / MastercardAxis Bank

India's premier airline & hotel transfer card with 1:2 mile conversion ratios to Accor, Singapore Airlines, and Qatar Airways.

Estimated Net Annual Profit
+2,837(0.6%)
Annual Fee:₹5000 + GST
Fee Waiver Spend:No Waiver
Forex Markup:3.5%
Lounge Access (2026):3/quarter
#19
FEDERAL BANK
RuPay
METAL

ONECARD METAL

•••• •••• •••• 2026

Entry

OneCard Metal Credit Card

Visa Infinite / RuPay (Metal)OneCard (Federal / SBM / CSB / Indian Bank)

Lifetime Free metal card with lower 1% forex markup and automated 5x multipliers on your top 2 monthly spend categories.

Estimated Net Annual Profit
+1,411(0.3%)
Annual Fee:Lifetime Free (₹0)
Fee Waiver Spend:No Waiver
Forex Markup:1%
Lounge Access (2026):None
#20
IDFC
FIRST Bank
VISA
METAL

MAYURA METAL

•••• •••• •••• 2026

Super-Premium

IDFC FIRST Mayura Metal Credit Card

Visa Infinite (Metal)IDFC FIRST Bank

Luxury metal card designed for global jet-setters offering true 0% forex markup and 32 airport lounge & spa visits.

Estimated Net Annual Profit
-994(-0.21%)
Annual Fee:₹5999 + GST
Fee Waiver Spend:₹8,00,000/yr
Forex Markup:0% (0-Forex)
Lounge Access (2026):4/quarter

Credit Card Charges by Issuer

Joining fee, annual fee, the all-in figure with 18% GST, waiver spend and forex markup for every card an issuer has on file.

Explore Verified Credit Card Fee & Devaluation Schedules

Detailed breakdown of annual fees, waiver terms, GST, lounge access rules, and official issuer MITCs.

HDFC BANK
VISA

MILLENNIA

•••• •••• •••• 2026

Mid-Tier
HDFC BankVisa / Mastercard / Diners Club

HDFC Bank Millennia Credit Card

India's most popular cashback card for online spenders, offering 5% direct cashback on Amazon, Flipkart, Swiggy, and Zomato.

Fee: ₹1000/yrView Fees
HDFC BANK
VISA
METAL

REGALIA GOLD

•••• •••• •••• 2026

Premium
HDFC BankVisa / Mastercard

HDFC Bank Regalia Gold Credit Card

Premium travel & lifestyle card offering lower 2% forex markup and generous Priority Pass international lounge visits.

Fee: ₹2500/yrView Fees
HDFC BANK
RuPay

TATA NEU INFINITY

•••• •••• •••• 2026

Mid-Tier
HDFC BankRuPay / Visa

Tata Neu Infinity HDFC Bank Credit Card

India's highest earning RuPay credit card for UPI payments and 10% returns across the Tata retail ecosystem.

Fee: ₹1499/yrView Fees
SBI Card
VISA

CASHBACK

•••• •••• •••• 2026

Mid-Tier
State Bank of IndiaVisa / Mastercard

Cashback SBI Card

The gold standard of universal online cashback: 5% flat cashback across almost all online merchants without portal restrictions.

Fee: ₹999/yrView Fees
i
ICICI Bank
VISA

AMAZON PAY

•••• •••• •••• 2026

Entry
ICICI BankVisa

Amazon Pay ICICI Bank Credit Card

India's highest circulating lifetime-free credit card offering 5% uncapped cashback on Amazon for Prime members.

Fee: Lifetime FreeView Fees
AXIS BANK
RuPay

AIRTEL AXIS

•••• •••• •••• 2026

Entry
Axis BankRuPay / Mastercard / Visa

Airtel Axis Bank Credit Card

The ultimate monthly recurring bill saver: 25% on Airtel services and 10% on Swiggy, Zomato, and BigBasket. Available on RuPay for UPI payments.

Fee: ₹500/yrView Fees
AXIS BANK
VISA

ACE

•••• •••• •••• 2026

Entry
Axis BankVisa

Axis Bank ACE Credit Card

Powerful everyday utility card offering 5% cashback on Google Pay bill payments and 1.5% uncapped offline cashback.

Fee: ₹499/yrView Fees
IDFC
FIRST Bank
VISA
METAL

MAYURA METAL

•••• •••• •••• 2026

Super-Premium
IDFC FIRST BankVisa Infinite (Metal)

IDFC FIRST Mayura Metal Credit Card

Luxury metal card designed for global jet-setters offering true 0% forex markup and 32 airport lounge & spa visits.

Fee: ₹5999/yrView Fees
RBL BANK

WORLD SAFARI

•••• •••• •••• 2026

Premium
RBL BankMastercard World

RBL Bank World Safari Credit Card

The pioneer 0% forex markup card in India, saving ~4.13% on overseas trips, online foreign SaaS, and travel bookings.

Fee: ₹3000/yrView Fees
FEDERAL BANK
VISA

SCAPIA

•••• •••• •••• 2026

Entry
Federal BankVisa Signature

Scapia Federal Bank Credit Card

Lifetime Free 0-Forex credit card with low ₹5,000/month spend threshold to unlock airport lounge visits.

Fee: Lifetime FreeView Fees
AU
SMALL FINANCE
RuPay

IXIGO AU

•••• •••• •••• 2026

Entry
AU Small Finance BankRuPay / Visa

ixigo AU Small Finance Bank Credit Card

India's best rail and flight travel card featuring 0% forex markup, 16 railway lounges, and 8 airport lounge visits. Available on RuPay for UPI payments.

Fee: ₹999/yrView Fees
SBI Card
VISA

SIMPLYCLICK

•••• •••• •••• 2026

Entry
State Bank of IndiaVisa / Mastercard

SimplyCLICK SBI Card

Accessible starter shopping card offering 10x reward points on Amazon, BookMyShow, Cleartrip, and Swiggy.

Fee: ₹499/yrView Fees
FEDERAL BANK
RuPay
METAL

ONECARD METAL

•••• •••• •••• 2026

Entry
OneCard (Federal / SBM / CSB / Indian Bank)Visa Infinite / RuPay (Metal)

OneCard Metal Credit Card

Lifetime Free metal card with lower 1% forex markup and automated 5x multipliers on your top 2 monthly spend categories.

Fee: Lifetime FreeView Fees
IDFC
FIRST Bank
VISA

FIRST CLASSIC

•••• •••• •••• 2026

Entry
IDFC FIRST BankVisa

IDFC FIRST Classic Credit Card

Lifetime Free credit card with low dynamic interest rates (9%-36% APR) and reward points that never expire.

Fee: Lifetime FreeView Fees
SBI Card
VISA

SBI Card PRIME

•••• •••• •••• 2026

Premium
State Bank of IndiaVisa / Mastercard / American Express

SBI Card PRIME

Premium lifestyle card packed with ₹3,000 welcome gift vouchers, 4 Priority Pass lounge visits, and 20 reward points on utility standing instructions.

Fee: ₹2999/yrView Fees
i
ICICI Bank
RuPay

CORAL

•••• •••• •••• 2026

Entry
ICICI BankRuPay / Visa / Mastercard

ICICI Bank Coral RuPay Credit Card

Accessible RuPay card linked to UPI offering 25% discount on BookMyShow and railway lounge access.

Fee: ₹500/yrView Fees
AXIS BANK
VISA

ATLAS

•••• •••• •••• 2026

Premium
Axis BankVisa / Mastercard

Axis Bank Atlas Credit Card

India's premier airline & hotel transfer card with 1:2 mile conversion ratios to Accor, Singapore Airlines, and Qatar Airways.

Fee: ₹5000/yrView Fees
kotak
RuPay

Kotak League Platinum

•••• •••• •••• 2026

Entry
Kotak Mahindra BankRuPay / Visa

Kotak League Platinum Credit Card

Accessible starter card with low ₹50,000 annual spend waiver threshold and free PVR movie ticket milestone rewards.

Fee: ₹500/yrView Fees
i
ICICI Bank
RuPay

RUBYX

•••• •••• •••• 2026

Mid-Tier
ICICI BankMastercard + American Express / RuPay

ICICI Bank Rubyx Credit Card

Dual-card power: 2 cards (Visa + Mastercard) on 1 credit limit with ₹5,000 welcome shopping vouchers and 25% BookMyShow discount.

Fee: ₹2000/yrView Fees
HDFC BANK
VISA

HDFC Infinia Metal Edition

•••• •••• •••• 2026

Super-Premium
HDFC BankVisa Infinite / Diners Club Black (Metal)

HDFC Bank Infinia Metal Edition

India's undisputed king of super-premium cards: 3.3% base reward rate, up to 16.6% on SmartBuy travel, and unlimited global lounge access.

Fee: ₹12500/yrView Fees

Frequently Asked Questions on Indian Credit Card Charges

Regulatory facts, RBI directions, and fee mechanics governing credit cards in India.

Why do credit cards have negative net value?

Most cardholders focus only on reward points (e.g. 1.5%) and overlook compulsory charges. An annual fee of ₹1,000 + 18% GST costs ₹1,180. If your annual spend only yields ₹800 in points, you lose ₹380 every single year without realizing it.

What changed with Airport Lounge access in 2025 and 2026?

Major banks (HDFC, ICICI, Axis) transitioned from unconditional complimentary visits to milestone spend-linked access. For instance, HDFC Millennia and ICICI Coral now require ₹50,000 spend in the previous calendar quarter to unlock 1 lounge visit.

How does 0% Forex Markup save money?

Standard credit cards charge 3.5% foreign currency markup plus 18% GST on that fee (effective 4.13% loss). On an overseas trip or online foreign SaaS spend of ₹1,00,000, standard cards cost ₹4,130 in markup, whereas cards we hold a verified 0% markup for (IDFC FIRST Mayura Metal Credit Card, RBL Bank World Safari Credit Card, Scapia Federal Bank Credit Card, ixigo AU Small Finance Bank Credit Card) charge nothing on the conversion.