Types of Credit Cards: 9 Popular Cards With Examples

There are 9 main types of credit cards: cashback, rewards, travel, fuel, shopping, secured, student, premium, and business cards. Each type rewards a different kind of spending. The right one for you depends on where most of your money goes every month.

India had about 12.29 crore credit cards in use by July 2026, according to RBI data reported by Business Standard. Banks sell hundreds of cards under names like “Platinum”, “Signature” or “Prime”, which makes choosing confusing. This guide cuts through the names. For every type, you’ll see a real card, its fee, what it actually gives back, and the catch you should know before applying.

If you’re not sure you’ll get approved yet, check whether you’d qualify first. Income and CIBIL score requirements vary a lot between a basic card and a premium one.

Types of Credit Cards in India: Quick List

1. Cashback credit card: returns a fixed percentage of your spend as money back.
2. Rewards credit card: earns points you redeem for vouchers or statement credit.
3. Travel credit card: gives air miles, lounge access, and travel perks.
4. Fuel credit card: saves money on petrol and diesel at a partner fuel brand.
5. Shopping credit card: gives higher rewards at one store or app.
6. Secured credit card: issued against a fixed deposit, no credit history needed.
7. Student credit card: for students without their own income.
8. Premium credit card: high fee, bundled travel and lifestyle benefits.
9. Business credit card: separates business spending from personal spending.

Credit Card Types Compared at a Glance

What Does “Type of Credit Card” Really Mean?

When people search for types of credit cards, they usually mix up three different things. Keeping them separate makes comparing cards much easier.

• Tier: how premium the card is. Entry, mid, premium, or super-premium. Higher tiers mean higher fees, stricter eligibility, and more perks.
• Category: what spending the card rewards. Cashback, travel, fuel, shopping, and so on.
• Partnership: whether the card is issued with a brand, like Amazon or IndiGo. This is called a co-branded credit card.

For example, the SBI SimplySAVE is an entry-tier rewards card, while the SBI Card ELITE is a premium-tier card with lifestyle benefits. Names like “Platinum”, “Signature” or “Infinite” usually point to the card network’s variant (Visa or Mastercard) and roughly tell you the tier, not the category.

This guide sorts cards by category, because that’s what decides whether a card actually saves you money.

1. Cashback Credit Cards

A cashback credit card gives you a fixed percentage of your spend back as statement credit. There are no points to track. That’s why it’s often the easiest first card.

Real example: The SBI Cashback Credit Card gives 5% cashback on online spends and 1% on offline spends. It costs ₹999 + GST a year, and the renewal fee is waived if you spend ₹2 lakh in a year.

From 1 April 2026, SBI changed the rules. Online cashback is now capped at ₹2,000 per statement cycle and offline cashback at another ₹2,000, so the most you can earn is ₹4,000 per cycle. Earlier, the total cap was ₹5,000 with no split. SBI also stopped giving cashback on gaming platforms, tolls, and government payments, on top of older exclusions like rent and fuel. You can read the details in SBI Card’s official revision notice, or read our full SBI Cashback Card review.

In simple terms: the 5% online rate stops paying once your eligible online spend crosses ₹40,000 in a cycle.

• Good for: People who spend mostly online and want money back without effort.
• Watch out for: Excluded categories. Rent, fuel, and wallet loads usually earn nothing on cashback cards.

2. Rewards Credit Cards

A rewards credit card earns points instead of cash. You redeem them later for vouchers, products, or statement credit; these suit people who don’t mind spending a few minutes on redemption.

Real example: The SBI SimplyCLICK Credit Card costs ₹499 + GST a year. It gives 10X reward points at partner sites such as BookMyShow, Cleartrip, Myntra and Domino’s, 5X on other online spends and 1X offline. Each point is worth about ₹0.25, so 10X works out to roughly 2.5% back, and 5X to about 1.25%.

Two things most people miss:

• Amazon is no longer a 10X partner on this card. It now earns 5X like other online sites.
• From April 2026, SBI Card limits statement-credit redemption to 60,000 points a month, in 4,000-point blocks.

SBI reward points stay valid for two years, so redeem them before they expire.

• Good for: Online shoppers who use the partner brands often.
• Watch out for: Monthly point caps and redemption rules.

3. Travel Credit Cards

A travel credit card turns your spending into air miles, hotel points, or travel perks like lounge access. These cards only pay off if you travel often enough to use the benefits.

There are three kinds of travel cards in India:

• Railway cards: The IRCTC SBI Card Premier costs ₹1,499 + GST. It gives up to 10% value back as reward points on AC ticket bookings through IRCTC and 8 railway lounge visits a year. The fee is waived on ₹2 lakh annual spend.
• Airline co-branded cards: The IndiGo SBI Card ELITE costs ₹4,999 + GST and gives 5,000 IndiGo BluChips as a welcome benefit. You earn up to 7 BluChips per ₹100 spent on IndiGo’s app and website. There’s no spend-based fee waiver.
• General travel cards: These give lounge access across many airports and aren’t tied to one airline. They usually cost more. The HDFC Regalia Gold, covered under premium cards below, is one example.
• Good for: People who take regular train trips or fly one airline often.
• Watch out for: Lounge limits and spend conditions. Many banks now require you to spend a set amount in the previous quarter to unlock lounge visits.

4. Fuel Credit Cards

A fuel credit card removes the 1% fuel surcharge and gives extra rewards at one fuel brand’s pumps.

Real example: The BPCL SBI Card is the basic version. The higher variant, the BPCL SBI Card OCTANE, costs ₹1,499 + GST a year, waived on ₹2 lakh annual spend. It gives 25 reward points per ₹100 at BPCL pumps, which is about 6.25% back, plus a 1% surcharge waiver of up to ₹100 per cycle. That’s the “7.25% value back” you see in ads.

The catch is the cap. Fuel rewards stop at 2,500 points per statement cycle. That means the high rate only applies to about ₹10,000 of BPCL fuel per month. At that level, you’d earn roughly ₹625 in points plus up to ₹100 surcharge waiver each month.

• Good for: People who spend ₹3,000 to ₹10,000 a month on fuel and have a BPCL pump nearby.
• Watch out for: Rewards only at BPCL. Other fuel brands earn little or nothing.

5. Shopping Credit Cards

A shopping credit card gives a high reward rate at one store, app, or brand, and a lower rate everywhere else. Most shopping cards are co-branded, meaning the bank issues them together with the store.

Real examples:

• The Amazon Pay ICICI Bank Credit Card is a lifetime free credit card. It gives 5% back on Amazon for Prime members, 3% for non-Prime members, and 1% on most other spends, with no upper limit. Since January 2026, flight and hotel bookings through Amazon Pay no longer earn the 5% or 3% rate.
• The Reliance SBI Card PRIME costs ₹2,999 + GST, waived on ₹3 lakh annual spend. It gives 20 reward points per ₹100 on AJIO and JioMart and 10 points per ₹100 at other Reliance Retail stores.
• Good for: People who already buy most things from one platform.
• Watch out for: If your shopping habits change, the card loses most of its value.

6. Secured Credit Cards

A secured credit card is issued against a fixed deposit (FD). Because your FD protects the bank, you usually don’t need income proof or a credit history. Your FD keeps earning interest. If you don’t pay your bill, the bank can recover the dues from the FD.

Real example: The IDFC FIRST WOW! Credit Card is lifetime free and gives a credit limit equal to 100% of your FD. It also has zero forex markup, which is rare for a basic card. The bank sets a minimum FD amount, so check the current figure before applying.

Using a secured card and paying the full bill on time every month is one of the most reliable ways to build a CIBIL score from zero. After some months of good repayment, you may become eligible for a regular card. Read about the income and credit score rules for each card before you upgrade.

• Good for: First-time users, homemakers, freelancers, and anyone with a low or no credit score.
• Watch out for: Your FD stays locked while the card is active.

7. Student Credit Cards

A student credit card is meant for people without their own income. Here’s something most guides won’t tell you: very few banks in India offer a true student card today. In practice, students get credit in one of two ways:

• An FD-backed secured card: Cards like IDFC FIRST WOW! don’t need income proof, so students can apply if they have an FD.
• An add-on card: A parent adds the student to their own card account. This is easy, but the spending sits on the parent’s account, so it may not build the student’s own credit history the way their own card would.

If building a credit score is the goal, a secured card in the student’s own name is usually the better choice.

• Good for: College students who want to start a credit history.
• Watch out for: Low limits and the temptation to overspend.

8. Premium and Super-Premium Credit Cards

A premium credit card bundles many benefits in one card: lounge access, travel insurance, milestone vouchers, and higher reward rates. The fee is higher, and so are the income and credit score you need.

Real examples:

• The SBI Card AURUM costs ₹9,999 + GST a year, waived on ₹12 lakh annual spend. It targets high spenders who travel.
• The HDFC Bank Regalia Gold Credit Card costs ₹2,500 + GST, waived on ₹4 lakh annual spend. Since July 2026, its domestic lounge visits require ₹60,000 in spend in the previous quarter.
• Super-premium cards, like HDFC Infinia, sit above these. They are largely invite-only and meant for very high spenders.

A premium card makes sense only if you’ll actually use the lounge visits, hit the milestones, and travel enough. If not, a lower-fee card will usually give you more value.

• Good for: High earners who travel and spend a lot every month.
• Watch out for: Spend conditions on lounge access and milestones.

9. Business Credit Cards

A business credit card is issued to self-employed people, partnerships, or companies. It keeps business spending separate from personal spending, which makes accounting and tax filing easier. Most come with add-on cards for employees, expense reports, and rewards on business spending like travel, utilities, and supplies.

To apply, banks usually ask for proof of business income, such as your ITR, GST registration, or company documents. Sole proprietors typically use their personal PAN.

Business card ranges change often. For example, HDFC Bank has stopped taking new applications for its Business MoneyBack card, as shown on HDFC Bank’s Business MoneyBack page. Always check your bank’s current business card list before applying.

• Good for: Shop owners, freelancers with regular business expenses, and small companies.
• Watch out for: Business cards are meant for business use. Follow the bank’s usage terms.

Other Ways to Classify Credit Cards

The 9 categories above cover what a card rewards. But when people search for different types of credit cards, they often mean two more things.

By Card Network

Under RBI rules, banks must give eligible customers a choice of card network when they get a card, so you can ask for the network you prefer.

By Fee

• Lifetime free credit card: No joining or annual fee, ever. Examples: Amazon Pay ICICI, IDFC FIRST WOW!
• Fee-waiver cards: You pay a fee, but it’s waived if you spend a set amount in a year.
• Paid cards: The fee is always charged, like the IndiGo SBI Card ELITE.

Card Features People Mistake for Types

Some guides list “contactless cards” or “virtual cards” as separate credit card types. They’re really features, and almost any card can have them.

Can One Credit Card Belong to More Than One Type?

Yes. Most cards combine a tier, a category, and sometimes a brand partnership.

• BPCL SBI Card OCTANE: fuel category + co-branded with BPCL + mid tier.
• IRCTC SBI Card Premier: travel category + co-branded with IRCTC.
• Amazon Pay ICICI: shopping category + co-branded with Amazon + entry tier + lifetime free.
• SBI Card ELITE: premium tier + lifestyle and rewards category.

Once you see cards this way, you stop comparing brand names and start comparing what actually matters: does this card reward the way you spend?

How to Choose the Right Type of Credit Card

• Check your last 3 months of spending. Your bank statement or UPI app history will show it. Note your top two spending areas.
• Match those areas to a type. Mostly online? Look at cashback or shopping cards. Lots of fuel? A fuel card. Frequent trains? A railway card.
• Compare the fee with what you’ll earn. Can you reach the fee-waiver spend, or earn more than the fee in rewards?
• Confirm eligibility before applying. Every application creates a hard enquiry on your credit report, and too many in a short time can lower your score.

A simple example: Say you spend ₹30,000 a month: ₹12,000 online, ₹6,000 on BPCL fuel and ₹12,000 offline. On the SBI Cashback Card, you’d earn ₹600 on online spends (5%) and ₹120 on offline spends (1%). Fuel earns nothing. That’s ₹720 a month, or about ₹8,640 a year, and your ₹3.6 lakh annual spend clears the ₹2 lakh renewal fee waiver. If fuel were a bigger share of your spending, a fuel card would make more sense for that part.

One more thing: rewards only help if you pay your full bill. SBI Card, for example, charges up to 3.75% a month on unpaid balances, which is about 45% a year. Learn how credit card interest works before you carry a balance.

Which Type of Credit Card Is Best for Beginners?

For a first credit card, two types work best:

• A lifetime free cashback or shopping card, if you have a regular income and a decent credit score. The Amazon Pay ICICI card is a common first pick for Amazon shoppers.
• A secured credit card, if you have no credit history or no income proof. IDFC FIRST WOW! is a popular choice.

Both are simple, cheap, and help you build a repayment record. After a year of on-time payments, you’ll have a much better shot at travel, rewards, or premium cards.

RBI Rules Every Cardholder Should Know

Credit cards issued by commercial banks in India follow RBI’s Credit Cards and Debit Cards: Issuance and Conduct Directions, 2025. A few rules that directly help you:

• No card without your consent. A bank can’t send you a card you didn’t ask for.
• Easy closure. Banks must close your card within 7 working days of your request once dues are cleared, or pay a penalty of ₹500 a day for the delay.
• Clear terms. Banks must share the Most Important Terms and Conditions (MITC) before you accept a card. Read it for fees, interest, and charges.

FAQs: Types of Credit Cards

What are the 4 main types of credit cards?

The four most common types are cashback cards, rewards cards, travel cards, and secured cards. There’s no official RBI list, but most other cards, like fuel or shopping cards, are variations of these.

How many types of credit cards are there in India?

There’s no fixed official number. By what they reward, there are 9 main types of credit cards in India: cashback, rewards, travel, fuel, shopping, secured, student, premium, and business. Cards can also be grouped by network (Visa, Mastercard, RuPay) or by fee.

Which type of credit card is best?

No single type is best for everyone. The best card matches your top spending areas. A frequent flyer gains little from a fuel card, and a daily commuter gains little from a travel card.

What is the difference between Visa, Mastercard and RuPay credit cards?

All three are payment networks that process your card payments. Visa and Mastercard are global. RuPay is India’s own network, and only RuPay credit cards can be linked to UPI.

Can I use a credit card on UPI?

Yes, if it’s a RuPay credit card. You can link it to UPI apps and pay by scanning QR codes, just like with a bank account.

Can students get a credit card in India?

Yes. Students can get an FD-backed secured card in their own name, or an add-on card on a parent’s account. A secured card in their own name is better for building a credit score.

What is the easiest credit card to get?

A secured credit card is usually the easiest, because it’s backed by your FD. Many don’t need income proof or a credit history.

Do all credit cards charge an annual fee?

No. Lifetime free cards like Amazon Pay ICICI and IDFC FIRST WOW! charge no annual fee. Many paid cards also waive the fee if you spend a set amount in a year.

Does having different types of credit cards affect my CIBIL score?

Holding more than one card doesn’t hurt your score by itself. What matters is paying on time and keeping your usage low compared to your limit. Applying for several cards in a short time, however, can lower your score temporarily.

Conclusion

Choosing between the different types of credit cards gets simple once you ask one question: where does most of my money go each month? Match that answer to a category, check whether the fee is worth it, and confirm your eligibility before applying.

Start simple if you’re new. A lifetime free card or a secured card builds your credit history. Once your score and income grow, you can move up to travel or premium cards that fit your lifestyle.

Disclaimer: The information in this article is for general educational purposes only and should not be taken as financial advice. FinServ Decode is not a bank, card issuer, or financial advisor, and we do not issue credit cards or make approval decisions.

All card fees, reward rates, caps, and benefits mentioned here were checked as of now using the banks’ official websites and other public sources. Banks can change these terms at any time without notice. Before you apply for any credit card, please read the latest Most Important Terms and Conditions (MITC) and fee schedule on the bank’s official website.

Credit card approval, credit limits, and interest rates are decided only by the issuing bank, based on its own eligibility rules. Card names and brand names used in this guide belong to their respective owners and are mentioned only for comparison and education.