Best Cashback Credit Card in India (2026): 10 Picks

I have used credit cards for 20 years, and for the last 8 I have not paid for a flight, hotel, forex markup or any other service fee because of how I use them. That is why I can tell you which cards suit which kind of person. If you want the best cashback credit card without juggling points, this list ranks 10 options and tells you the catch with each one.

Quick answer: which cashback card should you pick?

Short version: pick the Cashback SBI Card for general online spending and the Amazon Pay ICICI card if you want a free card or shop mostly on Amazon. For everyone else, match the card to where your money actually goes.

• SBI Cashback: no merchant list to remember.
• Amazon Pay ICICI: free forever and good on Amazon.
• Millennia: strong if your spend sits on big shopping and food brands.
• HSBC Live+: covers daily-life categories.
• Swiggy HDFC: best if Swiggy is your habit.
• Flipkart Axis: for sale-season shoppers.
• Airtel Axis: for big Airtel bills.
• HDFC UPI RuPay: a cheap add-on for UPI spending.
• IDFC FIRST Hello Cashback: a no-fuss starter to check.
• Kotak Cashback+: an alternative for online grocery and food spenders.

Not sure which one is yours? Take the 2-minute quiz and get one card matched to your spending.

How cashback cards really work

Three things decide whether a cashback card is good: the rate, the cap and the exclusions. A 10% rate sounds great until you learn it stops after ₹1,200 of cashback a month. Always do the cap maths: divide the monthly cap by the rate to see how much spend actually earns the full benefit. A ₹1,200 cap at 10% means you earn the top rate on only ₹12,000 of spending a month.

Also check how the cashback arrives. Some cards credit the statement directly. Others pay into a wallet, such as Amazon Pay balance or Swiggy Money, which is only useful if you spend there anyway.

Finally, do the fee maths. If a card charges ₹1,000 and you would earn ₹600 more than from a free card, it is not paying for itself. Spend-based fee waivers help, but only if you would spend that much anyway. Never spend extra just to chase a waiver.

The 10 best cashback credit cards

1. CASHBACK SBI Card

This is my first pick for people who shop online across many sites and do not want to track partner lists. The card gives a flat 5% on most online spends and 1% offline, credited automatically. The annual fee is ₹999 + GST (waived on ₹2 lakh annual spend). The bank's estimate is income of ₹35,000+ a month and a CIBIL of about 700. Forex markup is 3.5%.

The catch: the monthly cap and the excluded categories (such as gaming, toll and government payments) reportedly changed in April 2026, and sources differ on the cap figure. Check SBI's page before applying. See the full details for the Cashback SBI Card.

2. Amazon Pay ICICI Bank Credit Card

This is the easiest recommendation for a first card. There is no joining or annual fee, ever. You get 5% back on Amazon.in as a Prime member (3% if not), 2% at 100+ Amazon Pay partner merchants and 1% on other eligible spends. Rewards do not expire, and forex markup is a low 1.99%. Income of about ₹20,000+ a month is the estimate.

The catch: rewards come as Amazon Pay balance, and 1% elsewhere is ordinary. It shines only if Amazon is a real part of your spending. Details on the Amazon Pay ICICI card.

3. HDFC Bank Millennia Credit Card

Millennia pays 5% cashback on brands such as Amazon, Flipkart, Myntra, Swiggy, Zomato, Uber and BookMyShow, and 1% elsewhere. It also offers a quarterly ₹1,000 voucher or a lounge visit at ₹1 lakh spend. The fee is ₹1,000 + GST, waived on ₹1 lakh annual spend. Estimated income is ₹35,000+ a month.

The catch: it only works if your spend sits on those brands, and monthly caps and the brand list can change, so verify them. Read more on HDFC Millennia.

4. HSBC Live+ Credit Card

Live+ covers what shopping cards ignore: 10% cashback on dining, food delivery, grocery, shopping and utilities, capped at ₹1,200 a month, and 1.5% unlimited elsewhere. You also get 2 domestic and 1 international lounge visits a year and a 1.99% forex markup. The fee is ₹999 + GST, waived on ₹2 lakh spend. Estimated income is ₹50,000+ a month.

The catch: the ₹1,200 cap means only about ₹12,000 of monthly spend earns the top rate, and the income bar is higher than most. See the HSBC Live+ page.

5. Swiggy HDFC Bank Credit Card

If Swiggy and Instamart are a weekly habit, this card is built for you. It offers accelerated cashback on Swiggy spends, a 3-month Swiggy One welcome membership and a fuel surcharge waiver. The fee is ₹500 + GST, waived on ₹2 lakh spend. Estimated income is ₹20,000+ a month.

The catch: cashback is paid as Swiggy Money, so it only helps if you keep ordering there. Check current caps and the 5% merchant list. More on the Swiggy HDFC card.

6. Flipkart Axis Bank Credit Card

This one is for people who live on Flipkart and Myntra. It gives 7.5% cashback on Myntra (with a quarterly cap), cashback on Flipkart and other eligible merchants, and a ₹350 activation benefit. The fee is ₹500 + GST with no joining fee, waived on ₹3.5 lakh spend. Time your big purchases with sale periods.

The catch: the waiver bar is high, and the partner list and rates change, so check them. Details on the Flipkart Axis card.

7. Airtel Axis Bank Credit Card

For a home with big Airtel bills, 25% cashback on Airtel mobile, broadband and DTH is hard to beat. You also get 10% on other utilities and 10% on Swiggy and Zomato. The fee is ₹500 + GST, waived on ₹2 lakh spend.

The catch: it is a narrow card. If you are not an Airtel customer, skip it. Check caps and which bill categories qualify. Read about the Airtel Axis card.

8. HDFC Bank UPI RuPay Credit Card

A cheap card for UPI-heavy payers. It offers 3% CashPoints on groceries, dining and PayZapp, 2% on utilities and 1% elsewhere, and works on UPI as a RuPay card. The fee is just ₹99 + GST, waived on ₹25,000 spend.

The catch: it is issued only as an add-on to an existing HDFC credit card account, not as a standalone application. Rewards are CashPoints, not direct cashback. See the HDFC UPI RuPay card and our guide to the best RuPay cards for UPI.

9. IDFC FIRST Hello Cashback Credit Card

A different pick from the usual list, from a bank known for no-expiry rewards. Our data shows a fee of ₹1,000 (waived on ₹2 lakh spend), no joining fee and a 3.5% forex markup. Estimated income is ₹15,000+ a month with a CIBIL of about 600, so it is one of the more accessible options.

The catch: I could not verify the cashback rates or whether it is open to new applicants right now. Check the bank's website first. Here is the IDFC FIRST Hello Cashback page.

10. Kotak Cashback+ Credit Card

This gives variety if you already hold SBI or HDFC cards. It pays 5% cashback on online food delivery, groceries and entertainment, 3% on fuel and 0.5% unlimited elsewhere, capped at 750 points a cycle. The fee is ₹750 + GST, waived on ₹2 lakh spend. Estimated income is ₹20,000+ a month.

The catch: the 0.5% base rate is weak, so it is a category card, not a one-card-for-everything. Confirm availability on Kotak's site. See the Kotak Cashback+ page.

How to choose by how you spend

• First-time user: start with the Amazon Pay ICICI card (free), or check IDFC FIRST Hello Cashback. Students should also read our credit card for students guide.
• Salaried online shopper: Cashback SBI or HDFC Millennia.
• Amazon or Flipkart loyalist: Amazon Pay ICICI or Flipkart Axis.
• Food delivery and quick commerce: Swiggy HDFC, HSBC Live+ or Kotak Cashback+.
• Bills and UPI: Airtel Axis for Airtel bills, or the HDFC UPI RuPay add-on.
• Low-fee seeker: Amazon Pay ICICI at ₹0, then the ₹99 HDFC UPI add-on.
• Premium everyday spender: HSBC Live+ for the lounge visits and low forex, or Millennia.

Combining two cards often works best: one broad card such as SBI Cashback for general online spend, plus one specialist for your biggest category. If you want a wider view, see the best credit cards overall, or compare cards side by side.

Mistakes that eat your cashback

• Ignoring caps: once you hit the monthly limit, the extra spend earns nothing special.
• Missing exclusions: fuel, wallet loads, gaming, rent and government payments are often excluded.
• Paying interest: one month of interest wipes out months of cashback. Pay the full bill every time.
• Chasing fee waivers: do not spend more than you normally would just to save ₹1,000.
• Holding a wallet balance you never use: cashback in Swiggy Money or Amazon Pay only counts if you spend it.

FAQs

Which credit card gives the highest cashback in India?

On headline rates, the Airtel Axis card offers 25% on Airtel bills and HSBC Live+ offers 10% on several categories, but both have limits. For broad everyday spending, the Cashback SBI Card's 5% online rate is the most versatile. Always check the cap.

Which is the best lifetime-free cashback credit card?

The Amazon Pay ICICI card, with no joining or annual fee. It gives 5% on Amazon for Prime members, 2% at partner merchants and 1% elsewhere.

Is cashback better than reward points?

For most people, yes. Cashback has a clear value and needs no redemption planning. Points can be worth more if you use them well on travel, but they take effort.

Is there a cap on cashback on credit cards?

Usually yes. Most cards have a monthly or quarterly cap, such as ₹1,200 a month on HSBC Live+ or 750 points a cycle on Kotak Cashback+. Check the current cap on the bank's website.

Can I get a cashback credit card as a first-time user?

Yes, though approval depends on income and credit profile. The Amazon Pay ICICI card and IDFC FIRST Hello Cashback have lower estimated requirements. Nothing is guaranteed, so apply only for cards that fit your profile.

One note: fees, rates and caps change often, so confirm everything on the bank's website before you apply.

Next step

The best cashback credit card is the one that matches your spending, not the one with the biggest headline rate. If you would rather not work through all ten, find the card made for you in two minutes, or take the CardBuddy quiz to get a single clear recommendation.