Best for · Getting a card · updated 2026-09-19
Every card scored in rupees for this use, not a hand-picked list. Numbers assume the profile stated below – set up yours to re-rank for your spend.
Best credit card for a first credit card (Sept 2026): Yes Bank Paisabazaar PaisaSave – ₹589 incl. gst, ₹3,591 net a year. Runners-up: FIRST Power+ and SimplyCLICK SBI Card. Ranked for a ₹16k/month spender getting a first card – lifetime-free or under ₹500 fee, income floor ₹3L or less.
✓ 3% on online spends (cap ₹1,000/mo) earns you about ₹2,268 a year on ₹75,600 of spend.
✓ 5% value on grocery, utilities, FASTag earns you about ₹1,830 a year on ₹36,600 of spend.
✓ 5X on all other online spends earns you about ₹788 a year on ₹63,000 of spend.
| # | Card | Score | Net savings / yr | Eligibility | Annual fee | Lounge |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Paisabazaar PaisaSaveYes Bank | 83/100 | ₹3,591 1.9% rate | Income ₹3L+/yr | Waived | No lounge access |
| 2 | FIRST Power+IDFC FIRST Bank × HPCL | 81/100 | ₹3,954 2.0% rate | Income ₹3L+/yr | Waived | No lounge access |
| 3 | SimplyCLICK SBI CardSBI Card | 79/100 | ₹3,197 2.0% rate | Income ₹2L+/yr; easy approval | Waived | No lounge access |
| 4 |  Airtel Axis BankAxis Bank | 78/100 | ₹3,059 1.9% rate | Income ₹3L+/yr | You pay ₹590 | No lounge access |
| 5 |  LITAU Small Finance Bank | 77/100 | ₹3,219 2.0% rate | Income ₹3L+/yr | Free for life | 4 domestic/yr |
| 6 |  EaseMyTrip Standard CharteredStandard Chartered | 75/100 | ₹3,097 1.9% rate | Income ₹3L+/yr | Waived | 4 domestic/yr |
| 7 |  IndianOil HDFC BankHDFC Bank | 74/100 | ₹2,892 1.8% rate | Income ₹3L+/yr | Waived | No lounge access |
| 8 |  ACEAxis Bank × Google Pay | 74/100 | ₹2,654 1.6% rate | Income ₹3L+/yr | You pay ₹589 | No lounge access |
| 9 |  Amazon Pay ICICI BankICICI Bank | 73/100 | ₹2,371 1.5% rate | Income ₹3L+/yr; instant issuance for many Amazon users | Free for life | No lounge access |
| 10 |  PIXEL PlayHDFC Bank | 72/100 | ₹3,366 2.1% rate | Income ₹3L+/yr or ₹25k+/month salary | Waived | No lounge access |
| 11 |  SmartStandard Chartered | 69/100 | ₹2,149 1.3% rate | Income ₹3L+/yr | Waived | No lounge access |
| 12 |  HPCL BOBCARD ENERGIEBank of Baroda | 65/100 | ₹2,299 1.4% rate | Income ₹3L+/yr | Waived | 4 domestic/yr |
| 13 |  HPCL Super Saver ICICI BankICICI Bank | 62/100 | ₹2,171 1.3% rate | Income ₹3L+/yr | Waived | 4 domestic/yr |
| 14 |  Altura PlusAU Small Finance Bank | 60/100 | ₹1,634 1.0% rate | Income ₹3L+/yr | Waived | 4 domestic/yr |
| 15 |  Paytm SBI CardSBI Card | 60/100 | ₹1,573 1.0% rate | Income ₹3L+/yr | Waived | No lounge access |
| 16 |  Scapia Federal BankFederal Bank | 59/100 | ₹2,786 1.7% rate | Income ₹3L+/yr; digital onboarding | Free for life | unlimited domestic/yr |
| 17 |  Flipkart Axis BankAxis Bank | 56/100 | ₹1,559 1.0% rate | Income ₹3L+/yr | You pay ₹590 | No lounge access |
| 18 |  Tata Neu Plus HDFC BankHDFC Bank | 55/100 | ₹1,938 1.0% rate | Income ₹3L+/yr or ₹25k+/month salary | Waived | 4 domestic/yr |
| 19 |  6E Rewards IndiGo HDFC BankHDFC Bank | 55/100 | ₹1,868 1.1% rate | Income ₹3L+/yr | Waived | No lounge access |
| 20 |  Yatra SBI CardSBI Card | 54/100 | ₹1,752 1.1% rate | Income ₹3L+/yr | Waived | No lounge access |
| 21 |  MoneyBack+HDFC Bank | 54/100 | ₹1,578 1.0% rate | Income ₹3L+/yr | Waived | No lounge access |
| 22 |  SimplySAVE SBI CardSBI Card | 54/100 | ₹1,553 1.0% rate | Income ₹3L+/yr | Waived | No lounge access |
| 23 |  Myntra KotakKotak Mahindra Bank | 54/100 | ₹1,422 0.9% rate | Income ₹3L+/yr | You pay ₹590 | No lounge access |
| 24 |  MY ZONEAxis Bank | 53/100 | ₹1,472 0.9% rate | Income ₹3L+/yr | Waived | 4 domestic/yr |
| 25 |  TigerIndusInd Bank | 53/100 | ₹1,468 0.9% rate | Income ₹3L+/yr | Free for life | No lounge access |
Showing the top 25 of 47. Browse every card →
Ranked by the open CardLens engine: rewards at realistic redemption value + milestones + waivers − fee incl. 18% GST − forex, for the spend profile stated above. Profile: for a ₹16k/month spender getting a first card – lifetime-free or under ₹500 fee, income floor ₹3L or less. Figures are estimates from public issuer terms – verify on the issuer page before applying. How the score works →
Yes Bank Paisabazaar PaisaSave ranks first for a first credit card on CardLens: ₹589 incl. gst, ₹3,591 net a year. IDFC FIRST Bank FIRST Power+ (HPCL) is second. The ranking is for a stated spend profile and changes with yours.
We take the standard Indian cardholder profile, change it to reflect this use (for a ₹16k/month spender getting a first card – lifetime-free or under ₹500 fee, income floor ₹3L or less), and score every card with the same open engine used everywhere on the site: rewards at realistic point value + milestones + waivers − renewal fee incl. 18% GST − forex markup, then a 0–100 score that also counts usable lounge access, redemption flexibility, lifestyle fit, simplicity and fee safety. Nothing is hand-picked and no issuer pays for placement.
Probably. Caps, fee-waiver thresholds and milestones all depend on how much you spend and where. Set up your profile in Find My Card and every page on CardLens re-scores for you.