Best Premium Credit Card in India

What is a Premium Credit Card?

Credit cards that offer exclusive premium benefits and perks are known as premium credit cards. These credit cards usually have stringent eligibility criteria and high annual fees. This makes them more suitable for individuals with a high monthly income or those with a high net worth. 

 

Some of the exclusive perks that most premium credit cards in India offer include complimentary golf course access, domestic and international lounge access, discounts on various expenses and concierge services. Here’s a list of some of the unique benefits offered by some of the best premium credit cards in India. 

Benefits of Premium Credit Cards 

Listed below are the benefits of the best premium credit cards in India:

 

• Most premium credit cards offer a joining bonus

• The annual fee is waived off against milestone spends for most cards

• You also get a significant number of bonus points against milestone spends

• The reward points that can be earned against both online and offline transactions are usually higher

• Exclusive discounts, such as offers at premium hotels and restaurants, let you save more

• Exclusive services for gift deliveries, bookings, etc.

• Complimentary access to airport lounges for most cards

• Some cards also offer special concierge benefits which allow you to travel worry-free

• As these are special cards designed for high-profile customers, there are dedicated customer support teams for quick assistance

Some of the Top Premium Credit Cards in India 

You can find premium credit cards in India from almost all card issuers. If you’re in the market for a premium card that offers exclusive perks and benefits, here are a few options that you can consider. 

1. SBI Card ELITE

The SBI Card ELITE is one of the best and top-of-the-line premium credit cards in India. For an annual fee of just ₹4,999 plus GST, you get a plethora of unique perks and benefits. Check out some of the key rewards that you would get with this credit card. 

 

• Movie tickets worth ₹6,000 free every year (subject to a maximum of 2 tickets per month) 

• 10 reward points for every ₹100 spent on dining, grocery, and departmental store transactions

• 6 complimentary international airport lounge visits per year (subject to a maximum of 2 visits per quarter)  

• 2 complimentary domestic airport lounge visits per quarter 

• Complimentary Trident Privilege Red Tier and Club Vistara Silver memberships 

• Low forex markup fee of just 1.99% on the value of the transaction 

• Access to an exclusive concierge service 

2. HDFC Bank Infinia Credit Card - Metal Edition 

The HDFC Bank Infinia Credit Card is a super exclusive card that’s available only via an invite. For an annual fee of ₹12,500 plus GST, you get premium lifestyle benefits and class-leading features. Let’s take a look at a few of the benefits that you get to enjoy. 

 

• Complimentary Club Marriott membership for a year 

• Exclusive concierge service that’s available globally 24/7

• Unlimited complimentary domestic and international airport lounge access for both the primary and an add-on cardholder

• Complimentary night stay and buffet meals at select ITC hotels 

• Unlimited complimentary golf games at some of the best golf courses in India 

• Membership fee waiver on spending ₹10 lakhs during the previous 12 months 

3. HDFC Bank Diners Club Black Credit Card 

The HDFC Bank Diners Club Black Credit Card is an international credit card that offers a host of lifestyle privileges. Available for a joining fee of ₹10,000 plus GST, the card comes with an annual fee waiver benefit, where the next year’s annual fee will be waived off on spending ₹5 lakhs during the previous 12 months. Here’s a quick overview of some of the other benefits of this premium credit card in India. 

 

• Complimentary memberships of Club Marriott, Amazon Prime, Forbes, MMT Black and Times Prime

• Complimentary vouchers of leading Indian brands like BookMyShow, TataCLiQ, cult.fit and Ola Cabs on spending more than ₹80,000 during a month 

• Complimentary golf games in domestic and international golf courses (subject to a maximum of 6 per quarter) 

• Complimentary credit liability cover worth ₹9 lakhs 

• Low foreign currency markup fee of just 2% on the transaction value 

• Exclusive concierge service that’s globally available 24/7 

4. Axis Bank Magnus Credit Card 

The Magnus Credit Card is one of the best premium credit cards in India from Axis Bank. For an annual fee of ₹10,000 plus GST, you get specially crafted lifestyle, health and wellness benefits. Let’s take a look at some of the key benefits offered by the Axis Bank Magnus Credit Card. 

 

• Welcome benefit voucher worth ₹10,000 from TataCLiQ or a domestic flight ticket worth the same amount on payment of the first year annual fee

• 8 complimentary end-to-end airport VIP services 

• Unlimited complimentary international and domestic airport lounge visits 

• 40% discount on dining bills via the Axis Bank Dining Delights program 

• Access to medical concierge and second medical opinions from world-class specialists

• Zero cash withdrawal fees 

5. IndusInd Bank Legend Credit Card 

Designed to provide a legendary lifestyle experience, the IndusInd Bank Legend Credit Card lets you earn accelerated rewards. Available for an annual fee of ₹9,999 plus GST, this luxury credit card lets you convert accumulated reward points into cash. Some of the other benefits provided by this credit card include the following: 

 

• Access to global and domestic airport lounges 

• Complimentary personal air accident insurance worth ₹25 lakhs 

• Access to the 24/7 Legend concierge service 

• Card protection cover equivalent to your credit limit 

• Complimentary stay at Oberoi Hotels in India 

• Discounted foreign exchange markup fee of just 1.8% of the transaction value

What is the Difference Between Premium and Regular (Non-Premium) Credit Cards?

There are quite a few points of difference between a premium credit card and a regular credit card. Check out some of the crucial factors that set premium credit cards in India apart from non-premium cards. 

• Eligibility Criteria 

The eligibility criteria of regular credit cards are usually relaxed. However, that’s not the case with most premium credit cards in India. Since they offer exclusive luxury perks, the criteria for premium cards tend to be more stringent, especially the minimum income requirement. 

• Annual Fees and Other Charges 

The annual fees of premium credit cards in India are usually much higher than the fees of non-premium cards. This is because premium cards offer a host of complimentary benefits whose costs are usually covered by annual fees. However, other charges such as finance charges and foreign exchange markup fees usually tend to be much lower for premium credit cards compared to regular cards.

• Welcome Benefits 

Premium credit cards in India usually offer high-value welcome benefits on payment of the first-year fee. The value of the welcome benefits will usually be equivalent to the annual fee of the card. With regular cards, however, you may or may not get any welcome benefits. 

• Rewards 

The rewards that you receive when you use premium credit cards are usually much higher in value than non-premium cards. With premium credit cards in India, you may even get to enjoy accelerated reward points and bonus reward points on certain transactions. Furthermore, the reward redemption rates are also generally very attractive in premium cards. 

• Milestone Benefits 

Premium credit cards in India offer milestone benefits when you spend a certain amount during a year. These benefits include annual fee waivers, discount coupons, e-vouchers, bonus reward points, and more. Although many non-premium cards offer milestone benefits, they’re often not as attractive as those of premium cards.

• Concierge Services

One of the major advantages of premium credit cards in India is that they provide access to exclusive concierge services. These services are usually available 24/7 and can be availed from wherever you are in the world. Non-premium credit cards, on the other hand, don’t offer any such concierge services. 

• Access to Lounges 

Most premium credit cards in India offer unlimited complimentary access to both domestic and international airport lounges. Regular credit cards generally only offer complimentary access to domestic airport lounges and limit the number of free visits to just 1 or 2 per quarter.  

• Golf Sessions 

Another exclusive perk that most premium credit cards in India offer is complimentary golf sessions. With these cards, you can get access to select golf courses both within the country and abroad. This benefit is not available on any of the regular credit cards. 

Eligibility Criteria for Premium Credit Card 

Just like regular credit cards, the eligibility for premium credit cards varies for each issuer. Here are the basic criteria for most premium credit cards in India:

 

• Age: Generally, premium credit card issuers require you to be above 18 years but under 65 years. The age factor is fixed by the banks, and therefore, it is better to check the age eligibility of the specified card before applying for it.

• Occupation: This point remains constant for all the cards. A stable source of income is one of the most important points that lenders review for a top premium credit card application. You can either be a salaried or self-employed applicant.

• Location: You must be a resident of a serviceable city or town. The list of all serviceable cities and towns is available on the official sites of the respective banks.

• Other factors: Various other factors affect the eligibility criteria of an applicant, such as credit utilisation ratio, credit card income limit, and credit score.

Documents Required for Premium Credit Cards

The documents you need to submit to apply for a premium credit card in India may vary depending on the credit card issuer and the type of card. That said, here’s a quick glimpse of the common set of documents required for most premium credit cards in India. 

 

1. Identity Proof - Any of the following list of documents 

 

• PAN

• Aadhaar 

• Voter’s ID 

• Passport

• Driving Licence

• Ration Card 

2. Address Proof - Any of the following list of documents 

 

• Aadhaar 

• Passport

• Driving Licence

• Rental Agreement 

• Ration Card

3. Income Proof - Any of the following list of documents

 

• Salaried Individuals 

   

  1. Latest salary slips

  2. Letter of employment

  3. Salary certificate 

• Self-Employed Individuals 

   

  1. Certified financial statements 

  2. Balance Sheet and the Profit and Loss Statement

  3. Latest Income Tax Return (ITR) along with the Computation of Income 

4. Latest photograph 

How to Apply for Some of the Top Premium Credit Cards 

You can search and apply for top premium cards online on the Bajaj Markets website. The process is simple and can be completed by following the steps listed below:

 

• Step 1: Visit the Bajaj Markets website to check the range of premium credit cards from top banks.

• Step 2: Click on ‘Apply Now’  

• Step 3: Enter a few details to check your credit card eligibility.

• Step 4: As per your approved offer, compare the various credit cards.

• Step 5: Select the card that matches your spending habits and offers you the best benefits.

• Step 6: Click on ‘Apply’.