A credit card enables you to access various benefits when you use them to make payments. Considering the available options, it is common for everyone to get confused, especially beginners. Continue reading to know more about the credit cards you can use as a beginner and avail various benefits.
Top 10 Entry-level Credit Cards That You May Aim for as a Beginner
Before you select a particular credit card, start by assessing the primary realms of your monthly spending, as this allows you to shortlist the options that best suit your expenditure pattern. You will find a credit card in the market that offers frequent shoppers maximum reward points.
Although it can be an exceptional privilege for people who tend to shop a lot, it will be of little use to those who shop less. It is crucial to execute this first step properly.
Here, we have listed the top 10 credit card options as per their overall offering and simplicity of usage in terms of a beginner:
| Name of the Card | Annual Fee | Card Category | Key Benefits |
| HSBC Visa Platinum Card | Nil | Lifestyle | Lifestyle Benefits |
| ICICI Platinum Visa Credit Card | Nil | Reward Points | Rewards |
| SBI Unnati Credit Card | Zero fees for the first 4 years; henceforth you will be charged Rs 499 per annum | Reward Points | Shopping Discounts |
| ICICI MMT Platinum Credit Card | Rs 500 is charged in the first year; from the second year onwards no annual fee gets levied | Cash back | Travel |
| Citibank Cashback Credit Card | Rs 500 | Cash back | Lifestyle Benefits |
| Standard Chartered Platinum Rewards Credit Card | Rs 250 | Cash back | Amazon |
| HDFC Regalia Credit Card | Rs 2,500 | Cash back | Both shopping and travel |
| Axis Ace Credit Card | Rs 499 | Cashback | Distributed across specific leading platforms like Google Pay, Zomato, Swiggy, Blinkit and Ola. |
| YES Prosperity Rewards Plus | Rs 499 | Reward Points | Lifestyle |
| RBL Monthly Treats Credit Card | Rs 600 | Cash back | Swiggy and BookMyShow |
Do note that the aforesaid annual charges are according to the latest announcements made by the specific credit card provider, and they can change at their discretion. These rates do not include the applicable GST charges.
Moving forward, we have discussed the individual benefits in detail. Grabbing this will make it easier to understand whether you can easily cope with the monthly credit card bill payment after availing of any of these.
HSBC Visa Platinum Card
Beginners going for this card have to worry less about renewal processes over the subsequent years.
Some of the highlighted features comprise:
● 15% discount on dine-in every time you visit a partner outlet
● Great deals on flight bookings
● 2 reward points credited as a bonus to your account each time you spend Rs 150 or more
ICICI Platinum Visa Credit Card
If you are unacquainted with credit card usage until now, you may choose this card because of the following benefits:
● Guaranteed 2.5% waiver on fuel surcharge each time you get services from Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited
● 2 reward points for every Rs 100 spent on retail shopping
● 1 reward point for every Rs 100 spent on buying insurance policies or utility commodities/ services
SBI Unnati Credit Card
First-timers prefer this credit card mainly because of these three reasons:
● Assured Rs 500 cashback within 15 days of completing card expenses that pass Rs 50,000 mark in a year
● 1% flat waiver for transactions ranging between Rs 500 to Rs 3,000
● 1 reward point against each Rs 100 spending completed using the card
ICICI MMT Platinum Credit Card
This card has made its place among the top 10 choices for beginner-friendly credit cards for quite some time, mainly because:
● Card owners get Rs 1,500 MyCash joining bonus
● Another joining reward follows in the form of complimentary MMTBLACK Exclusive Membership
● Complimentary lounge access both in domestic and overseas airports, also lounge access across all stations of Indian Railways
Citibank Cashback Credit Card
If you rely on digital payments, this card will be a great companion, provided you are a beginner. You get these benefits:
● 0.5% cash back on any transaction
● 5% cashback each time you book movie tickets online or pay a utility bill
● 15% discount and 1% waiver on each dine-out occasion and fuel surcharge
Standard Chartered Platinum Rewards Credit Card
This card can be an ideal option to earn cash backs from frequent fuel expenses. The key benefits include:
● 5% cashback on paying fuel bills
● 1 reward point for Rs 150 spent
● Exclusive offers from time to time under the Standard Chartered good life scheme
HDFC Regalia Credit Card
If you have settled into a decent-earning job and are already engaged in plenty of financial commitments, this credit card is for you. With its help, you get:
● 2,500 additional bonus points while joining and also each time you renew the card
● 4 reward points on every card transaction crossing Rs 149
● Several alternative methods to redeem the accumulated bonus points
Axis Ace Credit Card
Its simple cashback model and benefits attract a beginner in the space of credit cards. With this card, you will get:
● 4% cashback on expenses across food-ordering apps
● 4 complimentary lounge visits annually across domestic airports
● 1% fuel surcharge waiver against transactions ranging between Rs 400 and Rs 4,000
YES Prosperity Rewards Plus
If you are earning more than Rs 25,000 a month, you can get this card to enjoy:
● 6 reward points for every Rs 200 spent on grocery and supermarket bills
● 1% fuel surcharge waiver
● 12,000 bonus points on spending Rs 3.6 lakh per annum
RBL Monthly Treats Credit Card
Again, this is another great option for you. It assures:
● 1 reward point against every Rs 100 spent on offline stores
● 2 reward points for every Rs 100 spent on online stores
● Fuel surcharge waiver for bills of Rs 500
Conclusion
Many credit card options are available for beginners willing to get one to start their journey. It is essential to go through the nits and grits of the credit card offers and terms of use for applicants to make a sound decision.