The selection of a traveler’s credit card that compliments your demands is a tedious process. After a thorough analysis and comparison of numerous travel credit cards, we have enlisted the best credit card for travel in India. So, if you want to avail of services of top-rated credit cards for travelers, then keep reading! Find out how you can enhance your savings and numerous other benefits of travel credit cards.
Top 10 Best Credit Card For Travel In India
In this article
Based on market trends as well as our expert insights, we have tried to provide information about the famous travel credit cards in our country. Additionally, if your interest lies in credit cards suitable for international travel, read on. We have listed the best credit card for international travel from India in our guide. So, let’s have a look at the tabular data.
1. Amex Platinum Travel Card
No doubt, Amex Platinum Travel Card is the best travel credit card in India as it provides lucrative offers. You can avail 4 free lounge services annually and complimentary gift vouchers. However, you have to be a frequent flier or loyal indigo customer to get access to maximum benefits. For instance, the reward point value is relatively high if you consider Indigo vouchers. Additionally, if you can spend 4 lakhs per year you will get unbelievable additional travel benefits worth Rs 17,000. It offers an outstanding reward rate of 8% that exceeds even the premium card reward rate.
- Membership Reward Points: Rs.4,000 as welcome Gift ( Indigo Vouchers)
- Spicejet Vouchers: Rs 7700 gift deeds if your expense exceeds Rs.1.90 lakhs per year
- Taj group voucher: Rs 11,800 as spice jet vouchers, Taj group gift card worth Rs 10,000 on Spending Rs.4 lakhs in a year
- Customer can avail up to 20% discount upon dining at patterned restaurants
- Rs 50 = 1 Membership Points (At all spending except fuel, insurance, utilities, and cash advances)
- 1 Reward point=min 40 paisa
- 2.5 reward point=Rs 100
- Reward Rate: 7-8% (above all premium cards)
- Reward redemption for the indigo voucher, 1 reward point=Rs 0.5
- Annual Fee: Rs 5000
- Joining Fee: Rs 3500
- GST: 18%
- Age: More than 18 years of age
- Occupation: Salaried or self-employed
- Minimum Income: Personal income of Rs 6 lakhs or above
- Indian Saving account is required
- Credit history should be good without any payment defects
- If self-employed than your company must be trading for more than 12 months
2. JetPrivilege HDFC Bank Diners Club Credit Card
You can get the best travel reward rates (4.8%) on booking their flights through the InterMiles website. Moreover, you can avail of a reward rate of 2.4% on all other spendings. This card holds more benefits for high spenders. They can increase their annual rewards by spending Rs 150,000 within 90 days of card issuance. If you want to get 15% off on your restaurant bill then don’t forget to swipe your HDFC Bank Diners Club Card. You can enjoy other luxurious services such as golf club membership, airport lounges free access using your card. It is one of the best co-branded credit cards in India that also offers lifestyle privileges.
- 700+ airport lounges free access
- Special Discounts of 5% and 10% on Etihad Airways flight bookings for the economy and business class ticket respectively
- Best Co-branded credit card in India
- Heavy Discounts on return tickets when booked through Intermiles website
- Free access to golf games in selected golf courses of India
- Get InterMiles bonus as a welcome gift
- More Rewards on travel spends
- Reward Point redemption rate: 1 point = Rs. 0.451 =InterMile
- 8 InterMiles =Rs. 150 spent (all spending categories, excluding fuel)
- 16 InterMiles =Rs. 150 spent (flight bookings)
- 20 InterMiles =Rs. 150 on Etihad Airways bookings
- 1 point = Rs. 0.451
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- Joining fee: 10,000
- Annual fee: Rs.5,000
- Interest rate 1.99% per month
- Cash withdrawal fee withdrew amount: 2.5% (Minimum Rs.500)
- Rewards redemption fee : 0
- Late payment charges :
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- For Less than Rs.100 = 0
- Between Rs.100 – Rs.500 = Rs.100
- For Rs.501 to Rs.5,000 –=Rs.500
- Rs.5,001 -Rs.10,000 =Rs.600
- from Rs.10,001 to 25,000 =Rs.800
- Exceeding Rs.25,000 = Rs.950
- Cheque processing charge(Outstation): For the Cheque value of up to Rs.5,000 – Rs.25 . For Cheque having a value of more than Rs.5,000 – Rs.50
- Fee for cash processing Rs.100
- In case of Reissue of lost, stolen or damaged card Rs.100
- Foreign currency transaction fee for foreign currency 3.5%
- Salaried: 21-60 years
- Self-employed: 21-65 years
- PAN card or Form 60
- Latest Salary slip,
- Form 16
- Residential proof
3. Citi PremierMiles Credit Card
This card is one of the best air miles credit card with flexible options for earning and redeeming travel rewards. For instance, you can earn a redemption rate of 4.5%. Another best feature about this card is that it offers 10.000 miles or Rs 4500 as a welcome gift and another 3000 miles or Rs 1350 on yearly renewal. Another perk related to Citi PremierMiles Credit Card is that it offers 6 to 8 free airport lounges. Moreover, it takes your dining experience to the next level by providing 15% off. Most importantly, if you are a Priority or Citigold client then you should get this card without a second thought.
- You can avail Free access to selective airport lounges across India
- As a loyal customer, you can earn Benefits worth Rs 19,000 in the first year.
- Additionally, get insurance coverage of up to 1 crore on-air accident
- User can save Up to 20% of their bills at selected restaurants
- This is the best thing you can get as Citibank user, yearly 3,000 miles on card renewals
- There is no expiration date for the miles earned through this credit card
- You can book a flight ticket from multiple airlines by using your mile points.
- In case of lost or stolen card, you can claim a cover-up of Rs 10 lakh
- ₹100 = 10 miles (on airline transactions )
- ₹100 = 4 miles (other)
- ₹45 = 100 miles (on online travel partners )
- Annual fee:1st Year – Rs 3,000 (Waived for Citi Priority user)
- 2nd Year Onwards – Rs 3,000
- Cheque/ECS/ACH bounce charge: Rs.350 per return
- Reissue of lost, stolen or damaged card: Nil
- Cash advance charges: 2% of the withdrawal amount subjected to a minimum amount of Rs.300.
- Cash payment Charges(Over the counter): Rs.100 per deposit
- Cash payment at ATM: Rs.50 per payment
- Railway ticket booking surcharge: 1.8%
- Over limit charges: 2.5% of the over-limit amount (Min Rs 500)
- Late payment fee: For up to Rs.1,000 – Nil, For the balance of more than Rs.1,000 – Rs.100 per month
- Age: 21-65 years
- a resident of India or a Non-resident of India
- Income criteria vary
- Address proof: such as Passport, Telephone bill or Electricity bill
- ID proof: Passport, PAN Card, Ration Card or Aadhaar card
- Income proof:
- Salaried- recent Payslips, last 6-month bank statement
- Self-employed: Recent Income Tax Returns, Audited profit and loss statement, Balance sheet
- Other documents: Passport size photograph, Filled application form
4. Bank of America Travel Rewards Card
The Bank of America Travel Rewards card Provide exciting offers that are difficult to resist. It is the best option for frequent fliers who don’t want to pay an annual fee. Another unique feature of this credit card is that you don’t have to pay for foreign transaction fees. If you want a credit card without any fee then it may suit your needs.
- Bank of America Travel Reward Card user can earn an unlimited 1.5 points per dollar which are spent on all their purchases
- You can get 25,000 online bonus points if you make a purchase of $1,000 in the first 90 days
- You can earn 3 points/dollar on eligible travel booking by using this card
- No Foreign transaction fees
- 1.5 points=1$
- 1 Points =1 cent ( for travel )
- 1 point=0.5 cent.
5. Yatra SBI Credit Card
Another highly recommended credit card for traveling is the Yatra SBI card. It provides lots of travel benefits. You can easily avail Rs 1000 off on domestic flights and Rs 4000 off on international flights. Additionally, a first time user gets a voucher of Rs 8250 by paying the joining fee.
- Can get add-on credit cards for family and friends
- The cardholder has easy bill paying facility
- Flexipay: Through this policy, you can pay for transactions above Rs 2500 in monthly installments
- Yatra gift voucher of Rs 8250 on joining on joining
- Also, provide concession in grocery shopping
- Get up to 1% fuel surcharge waiver at the petrol station
- Yatra gives air accident cover of 50 lakhs via bookings
- Rs 100 = 6 points (For Grocery, movies & dining)
- Rs 100 = 6 points (International spends)
- Rs 100 = 1 point (Others)
- 1 point = Rs 0.25
- Annual fee Rs.499
- Renewal fee Rs.499 (from the second year)
- Add-on fee: Nil
- Interest rate:3.35% per month
- Finance charges for Cash Advance 3.35% per month
- Cash payment fee Rs.100
- Cheque fee Rs.100 (for payments up to Rs.10,000)
- Charge for Card Replacement Rs.100
- Transaction for Foreign Currency 3.5% of the transaction amount
- Rewards redemption fee Rs.99
- ID Proof of identity and Residential proof
- PAN Card
- Proof of income
- Registered phone number and email
6. Axis Bank Miles and More Credit Card
This credit card is designed for frequent travelers on domestic and international flights. This is one of the best credit cards for international travel in India. If you are looking for the concession on fuel then this card provides a lot of surprises. There is an option for the world credit card that you can opt with an annual fee of Rs 3500. Charges of interest rate are 3.4% per month.
- Get an annual bonus of 3,000 miles on renewal of the card
- Additional 5000 points to first-time users
- If you have world select card you can earn 15,000 award miles as a welcome bonus
- Annual bonus for world select card is 4,000 award miles
- On spending, axis bank users get reward points. For instance, a world select cardholder gets 6 award miles for every Rs.200 spent.
- The world card user acquire 4 award miles for every Rs.200 spent
- 20 points=Rs 200 spent
- 4 points=Rs 200 spent
- 5,000 points on joining
- Joining fee World Select Credit Card – Rs.10,000, World Credit Card – Rs.3,500
- Annual fee World Select Credit Card – Rs.4,500, World Credit Card – Rs.3,500
- Cash withdrawal fee 5% of the total withdrawal amount
- Cash payment fee: Rs.100
- Lost card liability : 0
- Mobile alerts Waived off
- Penalty over the limit : 3% (minimum of Rs.500)
- Outstation cheque fee: Waived off
- Age: 18-70 years. For an add-on, age should be above 15 years
- An Indian resident or Non-Resident Indian
- PAN card photocopy or Form 60
- Colour photograph copies
- IT return copy/ Latest payslip / Form 16
- Residence proof
- Copy of your latest Miles & More Membership Card statement
What Are The Common Advantages of a Travel Credit Card?
Credit cards offer numerous benefits to the end-user. Few of them are listed below:
Points to Consider While Selecting The Best Travel Credit Card
There are many points that need to be considered while selecting the best credit card for travel purposes
1. Annual Fee: It should top your priority list. The maintenance cost of your card should below. In fact, many cards provide heavy discounts and gifts but they are also charging high maintenance charges.
2. Rewards/Air Miles: Many users are not aware of the benefits of rewards and air miles. Every time they use multiple sources to book their tickets that lead to insufficient use of their reward points. Hence, you should make it a point to book your ticket from the same travel website as it will provide you many benefits
3. Sign-up Bonus: These are the first thing that attracts a potential user. Always look for the card that provides maximum welcome benefits.
4. Lounge Access:A person traveling by flight wants access to the lounge to get himself distressed and relieved from traveling stress. Almost every bank offers free access to the lounges but the number of visits varies. So, you must compare before making a final decision.
FAQs
1.Which class of employees should use credit cards?
Well! It depends on personal as well as the professional requirement of a person. If a person has to travel a lot for business meetings then travel credit suits his requirement more. However, if you are not a frequent traveler then investing in a travel credit card is not a good idea!
2.What are the essential features of a travel credit card for domestic flights?
If you are looking for the best travel card for domestic flights, then you must consider free lounge access, concession on hotel booking. You should consider a credit card that offers reward points and travel insurance.
3.Which co-branded travel card is more favorable for India?
In the case of domestic flights look for a credit card that offers lifestyle benefits to the consumer. As per my opinion Yatra, SBI credit card meets all the requirement for the best co-branded travel card
4.Which credit card is more suitable for lifestyle perks?
For lifestyle perks, co-branded travel cards are more effective as they offer free golf membership, dining benefits, and so on.
5.Is it easy to redeem your rewards?
Always look for a travel card that provides you the best possible reward or cashback. In the market, many credit cards offer maximum reward points on flight booking.
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