Best Credit Cards Under ₹1,000 Annual Fee in India
A small annual fee is easy to justify when the recurring rewards clear it. This shortlist covers cards with a low recorded fee and a spend-based waiver where one exists.
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), HSBC Live+ returns the most of the 14 issuer-verified low annual fee cards CardMasters tracks: ₹15,060 a year after fees, caps and exclusions, ahead of Swiggy HDFC and HDFC Bank Swiggy BLCK. 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
- Add GST to the published fee before comparing it with your expected rewards.
- Check whether the waiver spend threshold is realistic for you.
- Confirm the reward cap, which often limits value long before the fee matters.
HSBC Live+
₹999 + GST
1.5% in Cashback
3.5%
Visa
Best suited to: dining, grocery, food delivery, cashback. Recorded exclusions: fuel, rent, wallet load, emi, insurance, utilities.
Review rewards, caps, fees and issuer evidence →Swiggy HDFC
₹500 + GST
1% statement cashback on eligible other-category spend
3.5%
Mastercard
Best suited to: food delivery, online shopping, young professional. Recorded exclusions: fuel, rent, jewellery, government, wallet load, gift card, cash advance.
Review rewards, caps, fees and issuer evidence →HDFC Bank Swiggy BLCK
₹1,000 + GST
1% in Cashback
3.5%
Mastercard
Best suited to: food delivery, swiggy, cashback. Recorded exclusions: fuel, rent, wallet load, government, gaming, education, jewellery, emi.
Review rewards, caps, fees and issuer evidence →Yes Bank POP-CLUB Credit Card
₹399 + GST
2 POPcoins per ₹100 on eligible non-online retail spend
3.5%
RuPay
Best suited to: online shopping, upi credit, first card. Recorded exclusions: fuel, rent, wallet load, utility, government, marketing advertising, cash advance, fees.
Review rewards, caps, fees and issuer evidence →Cashback SBI Card
₹999 + GST
1% cashback on eligible offline point-of-sale spend
3.5%
Visa, RuPay
Best suited to: online shopping, cashback, first card. Recorded exclusions: fuel, rent, wallet load, utility, insurance, school, jewellery, railways.
Review rewards, caps, fees and issuer evidence →HDFC Bank Millennia
₹1,000
1% in CashPoints
3.5%
Visa, Mastercard
Best suited to: online shopping, first card, young professional. Recorded exclusions: fuel, rent, wallet load, emi, government.
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 ACE
₹499
1.5% in Cashback
3.5%
Visa
Best suited to: bills utilities, cashback, flat rate. Recorded exclusions: fuel, rent, wallet load, emi, utility, telecom, education, government.
Review rewards, caps, fees and issuer evidence →Paytm HDFC Bank Credit Card
₹500 + GST
1% CashPoints on eligible retail spend, capped at ₹1,000/month
3.5%
Visa
Best suited to: paytm ecosystem, bills utilities, first card. Recorded exclusions: fuel, rent, wallet load, emi, government, education, gaming.
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 →SimplyCLICK SBI Card
₹499 + GST
1 Reward Point per ₹100 on eligible spends
3.5%
Visa, Mastercard, RuPay
Best suited to: online shopping, first card, low fee. Recorded exclusions: fuel, rent, wallet load, government, digital gaming, cash advance.
Review rewards, caps, fees and issuer evidence →HDFC Bank PIXEL Go
₹250 + GST
1% PIXEL CashPoints on eligible transactions
Not recorded
Visa, RuPay
Best suited to: cashback, digital native, first card. Recorded exclusions: fuel, rent, wallet load, emi, government, cash advance, fees.
Review rewards, caps, fees and issuer evidence →Frequently asked questions
Which is the best low annual fee card in India?
On the benchmark wallet CardMasters publishes on this page (₹38,000 of monthly spend), HSBC Live+ returns the most across 14 issuer-verified options — ₹15,060 a year after the annual fee, monthly caps and excluded categories. The cheapest to hold is HDFC Bank PIXEL Go at ₹250 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 low annual fee 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 low annual fee card?
Add GST to the published fee before comparing it with your expected rewards. Approval, credit limit and final pricing remain at the issuer's sole discretion.