Top 5 Credit Cards for Online Shopping in India

If you are an avid shopper, then you’ll like the idea of receiving rewards or cash back for the money you spent. What is even more appealing about online shopping is that you can make your purchase without leaving the comfort of your home.

The popular means of paying for items online are via debit and credit cards. Banks understand what people need, so they designed different kinds of exclusive cards wooing customers with gift vouchers, cashback, discounts, reward points, among other benefits. They also partner with some popular e-commerce websites in India such as Amazon, Flipkart, Snapdeal, etc.

And here we bring you some credit cards that are best suited for online shopping:

Axis Bank Neo Credit Card

Axis Bank has awesome offers for individuals who love to shop and spend a lot of money doing so. This card comes with a high welcome bonus, cashback as well as entertainment benefits. It also has some exclusive benefits when shopping online which is also convenient for users.

Features

Rewards – You will get 2 reward points for every time you spend Rs. 200

Bonus offers – 10 percent discount once you spend at least Rs. 500 on Myntra website

APR Rate – 46.78 %  every year

Registration fee – Rs. 250

Yearly fee – Rs. 250

Cash withdrawal – 2.5 percent of the amount of cash, minimum of Rs.250

Interest-free credit time – 20 to 40 days

Eligibility

Applicant must have a good credit history

Applicant should be between 18 to 70 years of age.

Benefits

Get 10 percent off on purchase of up to Rs. 500 from Myntra

You receive a movie voucher that is worth Rs. 200 and Rs. 500 as a welcome gift from Myntra

Shop at Jabong.com and get 10 percent cash back (capped at Rs. 1000/ month)

You get 2 points each time you spend Rs. 200 using the credit card

10 percent cash back on chosen purchases.

You get 10 % off if you book bus tickets via redbus

Recharge your mobile phone using the FreeCharge app and get 10 percent cashback, up to Rs. 30 per month.

Booking your tickets via bookmyshow.com gets you a 10-percent discount

Provided you report immediately, you will be covered by Zero card liability if your credit card is stolen or lost.

You will have the registration fee waived if you spend up to Rs.2500 with the card in no more than 45 days of receiving it.

Shortcomings

At 46.78 % per year, the APR is on the high side. The interest rate of some cards, i.e., HDFC Solitaire card stands at 39 percent which is also high but relatively better.

The return of 2 points on each Rs.200 spent is low. You get 10 points on spending Rs. 150 using HDFC Credit card at Snapdeal.

Conclusion

It comes with a reasonable annual fee and registration fee that you can pay off easily. The best thing about the card is that the reward points earned while spending can be redeemed for cash back later on. Every 100 points you earn are equivalent to Rs. 40.

Citibank Rewards Card

As the name depicts, the card is actually a reward card. It comes with many benefits, especially for internet shopping and the reward points have no expiry date.

Features

Rewards – 10 points for each Rs.125 that you spent

Bonus offers – 10 extra reward points on purchases at clothes and department stores.

APR Rate – 39 percent per year

Registration fee is Rs. 1000

The yearly fee is Rs. 1000

Cash withdrawal – subject to your credit card limit

Interest-free credit time – 17 to 23 days

Eligibility

Applicant should not be more 18 years old and must reside in India

Must be ready to provide proof of income, identity and address

Benefits

You earn 10times additional reward point on purchases at different merchants such as Myntra, Golbibo, Raymonds, Adidas, Flipkart, Jabong, Clark’s, Westside, Yatra, Groupon, Yebhi, etc.

Every Rs. 125 you spend using the card fetches you 10 reward points.

You earn 1000 points if you spend up to Rs. 1 lakh within a quarter of the year

500 reward points as a bonus when you add a card

Card activation and renewal get you a bonus of 2000 points and 1000 points respectively.

The points are redeemable at more than 700 retail outlets and online shopping partners.

The yearly fee is waived off if you spend above Rs. 30,000 within a year.

Shortcomings

Both the registration and yearly fees are set at Rs. 1000 each which is comparatively high. The Neo Credit card by Axis Bank charges as little as Rs 250 as its joining fee.

Conclusion

The card gives holders access to many discounts from the listed websites. They also have numerous bonus offers which help you earn more reward points. You get bonus points when you add, activate and renew the card. You can easily redeem the points earned at retail outlets and websites.

HDFC Money Back Credit Card

This HDFC card is exclusively designed for online shoppers and comes with great rewards as well.  Its yearly fee is Rs. 500 but the card’s benefits outweigh this fee.

Features

Rewards – Earn 4 points for each Rs. 150 you spent online.

Bonus offers – 100 reward points get you Rs. 40

APR Rate – 40.8 percent per year

Registration fee – Rs. 500

Yearly fee – Rs. 500

Cash withdrawal – 3 percent of your cash withdrawal (amount should be up to Rs. 300)

Interest-free credit time – 20 to 50 days

Eligibility

Must have a good credit history

Applicant should be between 21 to 60 years of age

Benefits

You get 4 points for each Rs. 150 you spent on internet purchases

2 reward points on each Rs150 you spent on other purchases

2. 5 percent Fuel surcharge is waived off on fuel spends.

You will receive Rs 250 as cash back when you spend Rs 1000 in no more than 45 days of getting the card.

You can redeem the accumulated points as cash back with the credit card. 100 points are equivalent to Rs. 40.

Shortcomings

The point you get when you spend Rs. 150 online is low (4 points) compared to what you get when you spend the same amount online using Snap deal HDFC Credit card.

The 40.8 percent APR is too high

Conclusion

Individuals who own HDFC MoneyBack Card can enjoy numerous benefits and privileges. The best thing about the card is that the reward points earned while spending can be redeemed for cashback later. Every 100 points you earn are equivalent to Rs. 40.

 

ICICI Coral American Express Credit Card

This credit card is good for online shopping, and the most interesting thing about it is its low yearly fee. It comes with many cash rewards and shopping treats. The card is powered by the bank’s special lifestyles privileges and belongs to the Gemstone collection.

Features

Rewards – Online purchases fetch you 50 percent reward points

Bonus offers – A welcome gift worth Rs. 999 from Provogue

APR Rate – 40.80 % per year

Both the registration and annual fees are pegged at Rs. 500 each.

Cash withdrawal – At least Rs. 300 or 2.5 percent of the advance amount

Interest-free credit time – 18 to 48 days

Eligibility

The minimum age for applicants and add-on cardholder is 23 and 18 years respectively

Salaried Professionals receiving more than Rs. 45000 per month and their business counterparts with IT returns of Rs. 5.4 lakhs per annum.

Benefits

Online purchases fetch you 50 percent reward points

A welcome gift worth Rs. 999 from Provogue

ICICI has an exclusive culinary treat program that will offer you 15% discounts on your dining bills at more than 800 restaurants all across India.

Visits to domestic airport lounge twice every quarter.

Get 4 reward points each time you spent Rs. 100 on groceries, dining and supermarkets, and 2 points when you spend the same amount on other expenses.

For every movie ticket you buy from bookmyshow.com, you get another for free

Shortcomings

The card is not accessible to everyone, as only individuals with at least a salary of 45000 every month meet the strict eligibility criteria.

The APR is a bit high at 40.8 percent per year. The Citibank Indian Oil platinum credit card is, on the other hand, offering at 39 percent which is also not low but much better.

Conclusion

This card comes with an awesome welcome gift. Cardholders earn reward points for online purchases. Every purchase made with the card gets you payback points. Redeem them later for vouchers or gifts.

SBI Simply Click

The SBI Simply Click credit card is perfect for online shopping. They have tied up with FoodPanda, Cleartrip, Amazon India, FabFurnish, Lenskart, Ola Cabs and BookMyShow offering attractive rewards and many cashback benefits.

Features

Rewards – You get 5x times reward for online purchases.

Bonus offers – Rs. 500 as a welcome gift from Amazon

APR Rate is 40.20 %

Registration fee – Rs.499

Yearly fee – Rs.499

Cash withdrawal – Up to 80 percent of your credit limit, capped at a maximum of Rs. 12,000 daily

Interest-free credit time– 20 to 50 days

Eligibility

Applicant needs to provide proof of income, identity and income.

Eligibility depends on the applicant’s employment status and income.

Benefits

You get a voucher of Rs. 500 as a welcome gift from Amazon

Online purchases fetch you 5x time rewards

Earn 10x times rewards when you purchase online on partner brands

You will receive a voucher that is worth Rs 2000 on spending Rs 1 lakh within a year

Up to 2.5 percent Fuel surcharge waiver for spends between Rs. 500 to 3000

Annual fee reversal if you spend up to Rs 1 lakh annually

Shortcomings

At 40.2 % per year, the APR is slightly on the higher side. HDFC Solitaire and Citi Rewards Card do not charge more than 39 % annually.

Summary

The SBI Simply Click credit card is great for making online purchases. It comes with extra benefits which makes the card more interesting. You will receive an online voucher worth Rs. 2000 when you spend Rs 1 lakh every year which is a reasonable target. All in all, you will benefit a lot if you shop online using this card.