Best Premium Credit Cards in India 2024

Premium credit cards feature a higher reward rate and premium benefits like access to the loyalty programs of premium hotel chains, unlimited lounge access, VIP services at airports, complimentary golf games, etc. These cards cater to high-income individuals and come with stringent eligibility criteria requiring a high monthly income, an excellent CIBIL score, a good relationship value with the issuer, etc.

Some super-premium credit cards can also be invite-only, offered to limited customers. The annual fee on these cards is also comparatively high, ranging from Rs. 10,000 to Rs. 20,000 and sometimes going up to Rs. 60,000. However, the benefits on these cards, when optimized, can surpass the high fee by a wide margin. We have curated a list of the best premium credit cards in India, along with their features and benefits and a card review to help you make the right choice.

Top 10 Premium Credit Cards in India for Dec 2024

HDFC Infinia Credit Card Metal Edition

4_/5

Joining fee: ₹12500

Annual/Renewal Fee: ₹12500

Unlimited airport lounge access for primary and add-on members

10x reward points on travel and shopping spends on Smartbuy

Travel

Lounge Access

Reward Points

Check Eligibility

Product Details

• 1 RP = 1 Air Mile or Rs. 1 for travel bookings, Apple products and Tanishq vouchers purchased via SmartBuy
• Invite-only card with Club Marriott membership and 12,500 reward points on card activation & renewal
• 5 reward points on every Rs. 150 spent, including spends on insurance, utilities and education​
• Access to unlimited golf coaching in India & golf games across the world with 2% forex mark-up fee
• Book 3 nights stay at participating ITC hotels and pay for 2 with 1+1 complimentary weekend buffet

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HDFC Diners Club Black Credit Card

4_/5

Joining fee: ₹10000

Annual/Renewal Fee: ₹10000

Unlimited airport lounge access for primary and add-on members

High base rewards rate of 3.33% with 5 reward points per Rs. 150 spent

Travel

Lounge Access

Reward Points

Check Eligibility

Product Details

• Up to 10X reward points on SmartBuy and 2X on weekend dining with up to 1:1 redemption ratio
• Annual memberships of Club Marriott, Forbes, Amazon, Swiggy One (3 months) and MMT BLACK on joining
• Low forex markup fee of 2% and renewal of annual complimentary memberships on Rs. 8 lakh annual spends
• Any 2 vouchers of Rs. 500 from Ola cabs, cult.fit Live, BookMyShow, or TataCliQ on Rs. 80,000 monthly spends
• 6 complimentary golf games in a calendar quarter

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American Express® Platinum Card

4_/5

Joining fee: ₹66000

Annual/Renewal Fee: ₹66000

Vouchers of up to Rs. 60,000 from Taj, Reliance or Postcard Hotels on spending Rs. 50,000 in first 2 months

Complimentary access to multiple lounge access programs

Travel

Shopping

Check Eligibility

Product Details

• Benefits of Rs. 44,300 at the finest hotels/resorts worldwide, like the Four Seasons, Mandarin Oriental, The Ritz-Carlton, etc.
• Access to top-tier hotel loyalty programs, like Marriott Bonvoy™ Gold Elite, Hilton Honors Gold, Taj Reimagined Epicure, Radisson Rewards Gold, etc.
• Invitations to VIP-only events & access to pre-sale tickets & some of the best seats at Fashion Week, Grammy Award, Wimbledon, etc.
• Eazy Diner Prime membership with up to 50% off at premium restaurants in India
• Vouchers worth Rs. 35,000 from Taj Hotels, Reliance Brands Ltd., Postcard Hotels on annual spends of Rs. 20 Lakh

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Axis Bank Burgundy Private Credit Card

4_/5

Joining fee: ₹50000

Annual/Renewal Fee: ₹50000

Unlimited domestic & international airport lounge access

Complimentary EazyDiner Prime, Club Marriott, Accor Plus and Taj Epicure memberships

Travel

Lounge Access

Reward Points

Check Eligibility

Product Details

• Free EazyDiner Prime Membership for savings up to 25% at fine dining restaurants
• 50 complimentray golf rounds every year
• Free ticket for every movie/non-movie ticket bought through BookMyShow, applicable 5 times for movies and 5 times for non-movie events
• Complimentary concierge service for 8 airport visits
• Complimentary Club Marriott, Accor Plus, and Taj Epicure memberships

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Axis Bank Reserve Credit Card

3.5_/5

Joining fee: ₹50000

Annual/Renewal Fee: ₹50000

Unlimited domestic & international lounge visits via Priority Pass

Low forex mark-up fee of 1.5% with 2X reward points on international spends

Travel

Reward Points

Check Eligibility

Product Details

• Up to 30 EDGE reward points for every Rs. 200 spent
• B1G1 offer on BookMyShow tickets with up to 5 offer tickets per month
• ITC Culinaire, Accorplus, Club Marriott & EazyDiner Prime memberships & offers on Postcard & Oberoi hotels
• 50 free golf rounds every year across select golf courses in India

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YES Private Credit Card

4_/5

Joining fee: ₹50000

Annual/Renewal Fee: ₹10000

Unlimited airport lounge access with 12 guest visits and 0.5% forex markup

Up to 2.5 lakh Reward points & Rs. 9,000 Oberoi voucher on joining

Travel

Lounge Access

Reward Points

Check Eligibility

Product Details

• 40 and 20 Reward points per Rs. 200 spent on international and domestic purchases respectively
• $100 savings per person on Globus and Monograms vacations
• Offers at Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong, Parkroyal on Pickering & Shangri-la (Singapore) & Intercontinental Chennai Mahabalipuram Resort
• B1G1 movie offer with up to 4 free tickets with max. Rs. 250 off on each per month and 50% off, max. Rs. 1,000, on events
• 12 free domestic golf lessons with 12 free rounds of green fees for cardholders & 4 for guests per year; Offers on select international golf courses

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Axis Bank Olympus Credit Card

4_/5

Joining fee: ₹20000

Annual/Renewal Fee: ₹20000

Unlimited domestic and international airport lounge access

Up to 2 EDGE Miles per Rs. 100 spent (1 EDGE Mile = 4 Partner Points)

Travel

Lounge Access

Movies

Check Eligibility

Product Details

• Welcome/Renewal Benefit: Taj Epicure membership, Rs. 10,000 Taj/ITC Hotels voucher & 2,500 EDGE Miles
• 3rd night stay free on booking minimum 3 nights via Hotels.com
• Complimentary airport concierge services like meet-and-greet and airport transfers
• 8 complimentary golf rounds at domestic golf clubs with 1 guest visit per round
• B1G1 offer on BookMyShow, up to Rs. 650 off on movie and Rs. 1,000 off on non-movie tickets, twice per month

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IDFC FIRST Private Credit Card

4_/5

Joining fee: ₹50000

Annual/Renewal Fee: ₹50000

Unlimited international & domestic airport lounge access

Up to 10X rewards with multiple redemption options

Travel

Lounge Access

Check Eligibility

Product Details

• Zero forex mark-up fee
• Curated Taj Epicure membership and 2 lakh reward points as joining bonus
• 24 complimentary golf rounds per year, 2 per month
• Up to Rs. 750 off on movies, non-movies & food combos via BookMyShow, twice a month
• 2 cover claims of up to Rs. 50,000 on hotel and flight booking cancellations

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Axis Magnus Credit Card

3.5_/5

Joining fee: ₹12500

Annual/Renewal Fee: ₹12500

Unlimited international & domestic lounge visits with 4 additional guest visits

Up to 60 EDGE reward points per Rs. 200

Travel

Reward Points

Check Eligibility

Product Details

• Low forex mark-up fee of 2%
• Conversion of rewards into Air Miles or Hotel Loyalty points (5:2)
• Luxe gift card/ The Postcard Hotels/ Yatra voucher worth Rs. 12,500 on making the first transaction within 30 days from card issuance

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ICICI Emeralde Private Metal Credit Card

4_/5

Joining fee: ₹12499

Annual/Renewal Fee: ₹12499

Taj Epicure & EazyDiner Prime memberships

Unlimited airport lounge visits

Travel

Reward Points

Check Eligibility

Product Details

• Rs. 3,000 EaseMyTrip vouchers on reaching each annual spending milestone of Rs. 4 Lakh and Rs. 8 Lakh
• Unlimited golf lessons or rounds every month on creating a Golftripz account
• EazyDiner membership, up to 50% off on dining in India & Dubai; 2,000 EazyPoints on joining
• Buy 1 ticket and get up to Rs. 750 off on the 2nd ticket on BookMyShow bookings, twice a month
• 1% fuel surcharge waiver of up to Rs. 1,000 per month on fuel transactions below Rs. 4,000

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Compare (2/3)

Video: Should you get a premium credit card?

Should you get a premium credit card? Key #Factors That Make Premium Cards Stand Out From The Rest.

Note: Details mentioned in the video have been sourced from the issuer’s website as of June 2024. For updated information, refer to this page.

1. HDFC Infinia Credit Card

Best Pick For: All-round Benefits (Rewards, Air miles, Lounge and Golf)
Joining Fee: Rs. 12,500+ taxes
Annual Fee: Rs. 12,500+ taxes (Waived off on spending Rs. 10 Lakh or more in the preceding year)

Key Features:

• Free Priority Pass Membership and unlimited access to its lounges in India & abroad
• Low foreign currency mark-up fee of 2% (GST extra)
• Unlimited free golf games at select golf courses in India and overseas
• Welcome benefit of 1 year Club Marriott Membership (Membership offers 20% discount on dining and stay)
• 5 reward points per Rs. 150 spent on retail, except fuel
• 10X rewards on travel and shopping via HDFC SmartBuy
• Good Food Trail Dining program at premium restaurants across top cities
• 1% fuel surcharge waiver at all fuel stations in India. Valid on transactions between Rs. 400 and Rs. 1 lakh

HDFC Infinia credit card is an invite only card that has ruled the charts for the best premium credit cards in India for a long time. If offered, two strong reasons to opt for this card are an excellent reward rate and travel-focused features like unlimited lounge access, a low forex mark-up fee, and 1:1 redemption against popular airlines. If you are a high spender and a frequent traveler, you can easily maximize the benefits of this card by earning the maximum rewards and redeeming them at an equivalent value for your travel bookings.

2. HDFC Diners Club Black Metal Credit Card

Best Pick For: Rewards and International Travel
Joining Fee: Rs. 10,000 + Taxes
Annual Fee: Rs. 10,000 + Taxes (Waived off on spending Rs. 5 Lakh or more in the preceding year)

Key Features:

• Annual memberships of Club Marriott, Forbes, Amazon Prime, MMT BLACK, and Swiggy One (3 month) on spending Rs 1.5 lakh in the first 90 days
• 5 reward points on spending Rs. 150 across all retail spends
• Up to 10X reward points on SmartBuy spends
• 2X reward points on weekend dining
• Unlimited lounge access to 1,000+ airport Lounges in India and across the world for primary and add-on card members
• 6 golf games per quarter across selected courses in the world
• Low foreign currency mark-up fee of 2%

With the same reward rate of 3.33%, unlimited lounge access, low forex mark-up fee and golf benefits, HDFC Diners Club Black Card offers identical benefits to HDFC Infinia at a slightly lower annual fee. In fact, the DC Black Card comes with some additional benefits such as Amazon Prime, MMT Black, Times Prime and Swiggy One memberships and a quarterly milestone benefit of 10,000 bonus reward points. Consumers who spend a significant amount across all categories and value travel benefits like air miles and lounge can maximize the benefits of this card.

3. American Express Platinum Card

Best Pick For: Hotel and Golf Benefits
Joining Fee: Rs. 66,000 + Taxes
Annual Fee: Rs. 66,000 + Taxes

Key Features:

• Complimentary benefits at some of the finest hotels and resorts worldwide, including the Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, Mandarin Oriental, The Ritz-Carlton, and more
• Access to top-tier hotel loyalty programs, including Marriott Bonvoy™ Gold Elite Status, Hilton Honors Gold Status, Taj Reimagined Epicure, Radisson Rewards Gold Status, Hertz Gold Plus Rewards & more
• 1 Membership Rewards Point for every Rs. 40 spent
• 3X Membership Rewards Points on all international spends
• 5X Membership Rewards Points on every purchase through Reward Multiplier
• Free access to over 1,300+ lounges globally every calendar year with the American Express Global Lounge Collection including American Express Lounges, Priority Pass Lounges, Escape Lounges, The Centurion Lounge, Delta Sky Club Lounge (when flying Delta) and Domestic Partner Lounges
• Exclusive invitations to VIP-only events
• Access to pre-sale tickets and some of the best seats for Fashion Week, Grammy Awards, Wimbledon, etc.

For a long time, American Express Platinum Charge Card has been one of the best super premium credit cards in India. Its stand-out feature is complimentary elite-tier memberships with prestigious global hotel chains like Taj Epicure Plus, Hilton Honors Elite Gold, Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite, and Radisson Rewards Premium. Through these memberships, consumers can avail benefits such as discounts, complimentary room upgrades, and a host of other exclusive privileges, ensuring a luxurious travel experience. Cardholders also get discount on leading airlines including Qatar Airways, Air France, Virgin Atlantic, and KLM. American Express Platinum Card’s Golf benefit and unlimited access to multiple lounge programs adds to its overall value, making it the perfect fit for travellers and avid golfers.

4. Axis Bank Burgundy Private Credit Card

Best Pick For: Rewards & Lifestyle Benefits

Joining Fee: Rs. 50,000 + Taxes (Nil for Burgundy Private customers)
Annual Fee: Rs. 50,000 + Taxes (Nil for Burgundy Private customers)

Key Features:

• 15 EDGE REWARD points per Rs. 200 spent on the card
• Complimentary EazyDiner Prime Membership for savings of up to 25% at fine-dining restaurants
• Free 50 rounds of golf every calendar year
• Free tickets for 5 movies and 5 non-movie tickets per month booked through BookMyShow
• Unlimited lounge access at domestic as well as international lounges
• 12 free guest visits every calendar year
• Free hotel and dining memberships, including Club Marriott, Accor Plus, and Taj Epicure
• Up to 15% off on International & Domestic Oberoi and Trident Hotels
• Up to 20% off and other privileges at Postcard hotels
• 0% forex mark-up fee
• Concessions on health and wellness coaching at Weljii; diagnoses at leading medical institutions, etc.

Axis Burgundy Private Credit Card is designed for high income individuals who spend a substantial amount every month, as they can make the most of its reward rate. It offers some exceptionally good international and domestic travel benefits, like zero forex mark-up fee and unlimited lounge access. The free guest visits extended for the lounge access is also better than most other premium credit cards. Besides, it offers the flexibility to increase the credit limit during foreign travel. Cardholders also get benefits with leading hotel chains like Club Marriott, Accor Plus, Taj Epicure, and the Postcard Hotels.

5. Axis Bank Reserve Credit Card

Best Pick For: Travel and Rewards
Joining Fee: Rs. 50,000 + Taxes
Annual Fee: Rs. 50,000 + Taxes (Waived off on spending Rs. 35 Lakh or more in the preceding year)

Key Features:

• Priority Pass membership with free unlimited international lounge visits for both primary and add-on cardholders
• Free unlimited domestic lounge visits for both primary and add-on cardholders
• 12 free guest visits across international and domestic lounges
• 8 free VIP assistance services
• Hotel benefits with multiple memberships like ITC Culinaire, Accorplus, Club Marriott Asia Pacific, Oberoi Hotels & Resorts, Postcard Hotel
• 15,000 Edge rewards on card activation
• 15 Edge reward Points per Rs. 200 spent
• 30 Edge reward Points (2x) per Rs. 200 spent internationally
• Low forex mark-up fee of 1.5%
• 50 free golf rounds every year across select golf courses in India
• Up to 25% off across premium restaurants via EazyDiner Prime Membership
• B1G1 offer on the movie (up to Rs. 500 off on second ticket) and non-movie ticket (up to Rs. 1,000 off on second ticket), five times in a month each
• Health and wellness benefits via Weljii, referral-based services for second medical opinion

Axis Reserve Credit Card is one of the most popular super-premium credit cards in India, offering travel and reward focused benefits. Consumers can avail benefits with leading hotel chains, unlimited lounge access for both primary and add-on cardholders, and low forex mark-up fee of 1.5%. The card also holds good value for international travellers as they get 6% value-back on international spends in the form of reward points.

6. YES Private Credit Card

Best Pick For: Rewards and International Travel
Joining Fee: Rs. 50,000 + Taxes
Annual Fee: Rs. 10,000 + Taxes (Waived off on spending Rs. 25 Lakh in the preceding year)

Key Features:

• Unlimited complimentary domestic and international lounge access for primary and add-on cardholder, along with 12 additional guest visits
• Exclusive benefits at select hotels like Shangri-la Singapore, Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong, Intercontinental Chennai, etc.
• Complimentary VIP airport meet and greet and ‘Airport by Invitation’ service
• Up to $1000 USD saving on round-trip private air charter booking through Vitesse Worldwide
• Low forex mark-up fee of 0.5%
• Welcome benefit of 2 Lakh reward points and Oberoi Hotels 3-gift voucher worth Rs. 9,000
• Additional 50,000 reward points on spending Rs. 10 Lakh or more in the first 90 days of card issuance
• 20 reward points per Rs. 200 spent on domestic transactions
• 40 reward points per Rs. 200 spent on international transactions
• 12 rounds of complimentary green fee and 12 complimentary golf lessons in a year, along with 4 complimentary green fees for guests
• Buy One Get One offer on movie tickets giving up to 4 free tickets in a calendar month

YES Private Credit Card is an invite-only card largely catering to the needs of international travellers. The card features a low forex mark-up fee of 0.5% and offers higher reward earning on international spends, thus allowing travellers to get significant value-back. Discount on stay, complimentary room upgrade and hotel credits further add to its travel benefits. In addition to the benefits for primary users, complimentary lounge access and golf benefits are also extended to guests. Overall, this card could be a great option for high-spenders and travellers.

7. Axis Bank Olympus Credit Card

Best Pick For: Travel and Lifestyle
Joining Fee: Rs. 20,000 + Taxes
Annual Fee: Rs. 20,000 + Taxes

Key Features:

• 2,500 EDGE Miles, Taj/ITC Hotel vouchers worth Rs. 10,000 and Taj Epicure membership as annual bonus
• 1 EDGE Mile on every Rs. 100 spent domestically and 2x EDGE Miles on international spends
• 1 EDGE Mile = 4 Travel Partner Miles/Points
• 8% forex markup
• On booking minimum 3 nights at hotels via Hotels.com, get the 3rd night stay free
• 8 meet-and-greet services and 2 airport transfers at domestic airports with similar concierge services at international airports
• Unlimited access to domestic and international Priority Pass airport lounges with up to 20 complimentary guest visits every year
• B1G1 offer on BookMyShow with up to Rs. 650 off on the 2nd movie ticket and Rs. 1,000 off on the 2nd non-movie ticket, twice per month
• 8 golf rounds/lessons at domestic golf clubs with 1 free guest visit per round; 1 additional golf round on every Rs. 50,000 spent via the card

As a transition card for Citi Prestige credit cardholders, Axis Bank Olympus Credit Card comes as a good choice for those looking for a premium card suitable for travel and other lifestyle-related benefits, like movies, entertainment and golf. Though lacking in significant spending milestone benefits and with a high annual fee, this card still makes up with its other benefits. Even if its rewards earning rate may appear to be low, the high redemption value of the EDGE Miles more than compensate for it. If you consider the value of EDGE Miles in terms of Partner Miles, then final rewards value-back can go up to 8 Partner Points on every Rs. 100 spent, which is a good earning rate.

8. IDFC FIRST Private Credit Card

Best Pick For: Rewards and Travel
Joining Fee: Rs. 50,000 + Taxes
Annual Fee: Rs. 50,000 + Taxes

Key Features:

• 2,00,000 bonus rewards points worth Rs. 50,000 and Curated Taj Epicure Membership on card activation
• 10X reward points on incremental spends above Rs. 30,000 per month and spends done on birthday
• 6X and 3X reward points on online and in-store spending, respectively, up to Rs. 30,000 per month
• 1X reward point on insurance premium payments
• 1X = 1 reward point for every Rs. 100 spent
• Instant discount of up to Rs. 750 per month for movies, plays, and event ticket bookings at BookMyShow, twice in a month
• 24 complimentary golf rounds per year (2 each month)
• Unlimited domestic and international airport lounge and spa access in India
• 4 complimentary railway lounge visits in a quarter
• 0% forex mark-up fee

IDFC First Private Credit Card is an invite-only super premium credit card that offers benefits around rewards, travel, movies, and golf. The card offers memberships to premium hotel loyalty programs like Club ITC Culinaire Select and Accor Plus Explorer, along with Taj Experience Signature Dining Voucher as milestone benefit. Cardholders can get a decent reward rate with an incremental earning model including rewards on categories like rent, education and insurance premium payment, albeit at a lower rate. However, unlike most other premium cards, IDFC FIRST Private does not provide the option to transfer reward points into air miles.

9. Axis Bank Magnus Credit Card

Best Pick For: Travel & Rewards
Joining Fee: Rs. 12,500 + Taxes
Annual Fee: Rs. 12,500 + Taxes (Waived off on spending Rs. 25 Lakh in the preceding year)

Key Features:

• Luxe gift card/ The Postcard Hotels/ Yatra voucher worth Rs. 12,500 on making the first transaction within 30 days from card issuance
• 12 EDGE reward points per Rs. 200 spent on cumulative monthly spends of up to Rs. 1.5 Lakh
• 35 EDGE reward points per Rs. 200 spent above cumulative monthly spends of Rs. 1.5 Lakh
• 60 EDGE reward points per Rs. 200 spent on Travel EDGE portal up to cumulative monthly spends of Rs. 2 Lakh
• 35 EDGE reward points per Rs. 200 spent on Travel EDGE portal above monthly spends of Rs. 2 Lakh
• Unlimited complimentary international lounge visits with Priority Pass and 4 additional guest visits per year
• Unlimited visits to select domestic airport lounges for both primary and add-on cardholders (subject to spending Rs. 50,000 in the previous three months)

Two frequent rounds of devaluation left a significant impact on the savings potential offered by Axis Magnus. However, it can still be a good option for high-spenders, as the card offers accelerated earnings on monthly spends beyond Rs. 1.5 Lakh. The card comes with a decent reward redemption of 5:2 against travel partners that are divided into Group A and Group B, with varying redemption limits of 1 lakh and 4 lakh, respectively. Thus, users who prefer partners in Group B, such as ITC, SpiceJet, Vistara, Air India, etc., can best derive the benefits.

10. ICICI Emeralde Private Credit Card

Best Pick For: Rewards and Travel
Joining Fee: Rs. 12,499 + Taxes
Annual Fee: Rs. 12,499 + Taxes (Reversed on spending Rs. 10 Lakh in the preceding year)

Key Features:

• Taj Epicure membership and 12,500 bonus rewards as card activation benefits
• 6 ICICI reward points per Rs. 200 spent, including spends on grocery, education, utilities, and insurance payments
• Vouchers worth Rs. 6,000 as milestone benefits
• Unlimited domestic and international lounge access every year
• Unlimited golf lessons or rounds every month
• Complimentary EazyDiner Membership every year
• Buy 1 ticket and get up to Rs. 750 off on the 2nd ticket on BookMyShow bookings twice a month

Like most cards in this category, the ICICI Emeralde Private Credit Card appears as an all-round credit card, justifying the high fee. This card comes with a reward rate of 3%, which is good but slightly lower than the other two prominent cards in the list, Infinia and DC Black, which offer a rate of 3.33%. The milestone and welcome benefits on the card are travel-centric, as users get EaseMyTrip vouchers and Taj Epicure membership. Overall, the card emerges as a suitable option for high-spenders who prefer utilizing their reward points for travel as well as other categories.