Best Travel Credit Cards in India
A travel card is valuable only when its points match how you book and redeem. This shortlist prioritizes current issuer evidence and exposes the fee, lounge and redemption conditions that generic rankings often hide.
Cards below are ordered by modelled net annual value on the benchmark wallet below, after fees, caps and exclusions — never by affiliate payout. The benchmark wallet is ₹38,000 a month: ₹12,000 online, ₹6,000 dining, ₹8,000 grocery, ₹4,000 fuel, ₹5,000 travel, ₹3,000 utility. Your own order will differ where your spending does.
Short answer
On the benchmark wallet below (₹38,000/month), Axis Bank IndiGo Premium returns the most of the 14 issuer-verified travel credit cards CardMasters tracks: ₹12,500 a year after fees, caps and exclusions, ahead of Federal Bank Scapia and Axis Bank Cashback. That ordering is a model of one stated spending profile, not a verdict on yours: your own winner depends on what you actually spend, the cards you already hold, how you redeem, and issuer approval fit. Records checked 2026-08-25.
Source: CardMasters issuer-evidence catalogue, release 2026-08-25. Confirm final terms with the issuer.
What to check before applying
- Use a realistic redemption value, not the highest promotional transfer value.
- Confirm whether lounge access needs preceding-quarter or billing-cycle spend.
- Compare forex savings with reward exclusions on international transactions.
Axis Bank IndiGo Premium
₹5,000 + GST
2 BluChips per ₹100 on eligible spends
2.5%
RuPay, Visa
Best suited to: indigo flyers, domestic travel, travel. Recorded exclusions: government, insurance, utilities, telecom, rent, wallet load, fuel, jewellery.
Review rewards, caps, fees and issuer evidence →Federal Bank Scapia
₹0
10 Scapia Coins per ₹100 on eligible Visa spends (worth ₹2 toward Scapia travel)
0%
Visa, RuPay
Best suited to: international travel, zero forex, young traveler. Recorded exclusions: rent, fuel, wallet load, emi, intl, education, gift card, card payment.
Review rewards, caps, fees and issuer evidence →Axis Bank Cashback
₹1,000 + GST
0.75% statement cashback on eligible offline and travel spend
3.5%
Visa, Mastercard
Best suited to: cashback, online shopping, travel. Recorded exclusions: transportation, tolls, insurance, education, jewellery, precious metals, watches, government.
Review rewards, caps, fees and issuer evidence →Axis Bank IndiGo
₹799 + GST
1 IndiGo BluChip per ₹100 on eligible spends
3.5%
RuPay, Visa
Best suited to: indigo flyers, domestic travel. Recorded exclusions: government, insurance, utilities, telecom, rent, wallet load, fuel, jewellery.
Review rewards, caps, fees and issuer evidence →Axis Bank Rewards
₹1,000 + GST
2 EDGE Reward Points per ₹125 on eligible spend
3.5%
Visa, Mastercard
Best suited to: shopping, milestone spender, lounge, entry. Recorded exclusions: transportation, tolls, utility, telecom, insurance, education, government, wallet load.
Review rewards, caps, fees and issuer evidence →MakeMyTrip ICICI Bank
₹999 + GST
1 myCash per ₹100 on eligible other retail spend
0.99%
Mastercard, RuPay
Best suited to: travel, makemytrip, low forex. Recorded exclusions: rent, cash advance, late payment fee, emi, fees, balance transfer, personal loan.
Review rewards, caps, fees and issuer evidence →SBI Card ELITE
₹4,999 + GST
2 Reward Points per ₹100 on eligible spends
1.99%
Visa, Mastercard
Best suited to: movies, dining, low forex. Recorded exclusions: balance transfer, balance transfer emi, flexipay, cash advance, easy money, encash, dial a draft, atm withdrawal.
Review rewards, caps, fees and issuer evidence →slice UPI Credit Card
₹0
1% cash value at the entry redemption slab on eligible domestic spends
0%
RuPay
Best suited to: upi credit. Recorded exclusions: fuel, rent, wallet load, insurance, emi, education, government, gaming.
Review rewards, caps, fees and issuer evidence →Bank of Baroda (BOBCARD) Uni GoldX Credit Card
₹0
1% value back as Uni Coins on eligible transactions
0%
RuPay
Best suited to: rewards, lifetime free, upi credit. Recorded exclusions: fuel, rent, wallet load.
Review rewards, caps, fees and issuer evidence →Amazon Pay ICICI
₹0
1% in Amazon Pay balance
1.99%
Visa, RuPay
Best suited to: amazon, cashback, first card, lifetime free. Recorded exclusions: fuel, rent, gift cards, wallet load.
Review rewards, caps, fees and issuer evidence →Axis Bank Horizon
₹3,000 + GST
2 EDGE Miles per ₹100 on other eligible spend
3.5%
Visa Signature, Mastercard World
Best suited to: travel, flights, lounge. Recorded exclusions: fuel, rent, wallet load, insurance, utility, telecom, education, government.
Review rewards, caps, fees and issuer evidence →IndusInd Bank Tiger
₹0
1 Reward Point per ₹100 on eligible spend
1.5%
Visa
Best suited to: lifetime free, lounge, air india miles, high annual spender. Recorded exclusions: fuel.
Review rewards, caps, fees and issuer evidence →Standard Chartered EaseMyTrip
₹350 + GST
2 Reward Points per ₹100 on other retail spend (issuer values 2 points at ₹0.50)
3.5%
Visa
Best suited to: budget travel, flights hotels, low fee. Recorded exclusions: fuel, rent, wallet load.
Review rewards, caps, fees and issuer evidence →HDFC Bank Diners Club Privilege
₹1,000 + GST
4 Reward Points per ₹200 on eligible retail spend
3.5%
Diners Club
Best suited to: dining, entertainment, travel. Recorded exclusions: fuel, rent, wallet load, government, gaming, education third party, cash advance, fees.
Review rewards, caps, fees and issuer evidence →Frequently asked questions
Which is the best travel credit card in India?
On the benchmark wallet CardMasters publishes on this page (₹38,000 of monthly spend), Axis Bank IndiGo Premium returns the most across 14 issuer-verified options — ₹12,500 a year after the annual fee, monthly caps and excluded categories. The cheapest to hold is Federal Bank Scapia at ₹0 a year. Which of those matters more depends on your own spending, the cards you already hold, how you redeem and issuer approval fit. Ranking never uses affiliate payout.
How many travel credit cards does CardMasters track?
This shortlist shows 14 cards, each with a dated issuer-source check. The full CardMasters directory covers 96 active Indian credit cards.
Does affiliate commission affect this shortlist?
No. Affiliate payout is not used to select, order or value cards. A card can appear without a monetized application link, and every tracked campaign is disclosed separately.
How current is the card information?
Every card on this page has a dated issuer-source record. This catalogue release was published 2026-08-25, but credit-card terms can change after publication, so confirm final terms with the issuer.
What should I check before applying for a travel credit card?
Use a realistic redemption value, not the highest promotional transfer value. Approval, credit limit and final pricing remain at the issuer's sole discretion.