Best Entry-Level Credit Cards in India 2021

If you are just starting out in your career and are looking to build a good credit history and credit score, then a credit card can help you do so. This can be done if you use it judiciously and are disciplined with your bill payments. There are a host of entry-level credit cards in India that have eligibility criteria that can be met by most people with entry-level jobs, no matter what the industry they may be working in. Since credit cards also help with meeting short-term and long-term financial needs, they are useful to have on hand. It helps to compare the different features as well as card fees before applying for a card so that you can make the most out of it.

Here are the best entry-level credit cards in India as of 2021:

• HDFC Regalia Credit Card
• SBI SimplyClick Credit Card
• Axis Bank ACE Credit Card
• Citi Cashback Card
• Amazon Pay ICICI Bank Credit Card

HDFC Regalia Credit Card

• This card comes with a whole host of features that open up a world of possibilities for the first-time credit card user. With a joining and renewal membership fee that is an affordable Rs.2,500, and the renewal fee being waived on spending more than Rs.3 lakh the previous year, this card is easy to maintain. Your big spends can be converted into affordable Equated Monthly Instalments (EMI) to make payments easier while ensuring that your credit card bills get paid on time.
• You can earn up to 4 reward points for every Rs.150 that is spent on expenses such as rent, education, utilities, and insurance premiums. There are also additional 10,000 reward points for annual spends that exceed Rs.5 lakh.
• These reward points can be redeemed for a variety of things such as hotel and flight bookings, vouchers, or premium products. There are also dining benefits, fuel surcharge waiver of 1% (on transactions of specific amounts), 12 complimentary domestic airport lounge visits in a year, and 24x7 concierge services offered with this card.
• Apart from this, the card also provides comprehensive insurance and protection. You get up to Rs.15 lakh as coverage towards emergency overseas hospitalisation and up to Rs.1 crore coverage for accidental air death. There is also zero liability on fraudulent transactions made on the card if it is reported as lost within 24 hours.

SimplyCLICK SBI Card

• This credit card by State Bank of India is a card that makes the world of credit cards accessible to anyone. With an annual fee and renewal fee of just Rs.499, this card also gives you 10x reward points for online spends on leading e-commerce stores. You also get 1 reward point for every Rs.100 spent on other e-shopping sites. There is also an Amazon India gift card voucher worth Rs.500 on joining.
• Spending more than Rs.1 lakh in the first year will get your annual renewal fee waived. You also get e-vouchers worth Rs.2,000 each on surpassing milestones on online spends exceeding Rs.1 lakh and Rs.2 lakh. The 1% waiver on fuel surcharge (for transactions of specific amounts) ensures that your travel by road stays affordable even with rising fuel prices.
• This is a credit card that can be used not just in India but internationally as well, wherever MasterCard or Visa is accepted. Add-on cards can also be taken for close family members. The Easy Bill Pay feature helps to pay utility bills without delay or hassle. The balance transfer on EMI feature enables you to pay off your other credit card debts by transferring them to this card which has a lower interest rate and easy EMI options.

Axis Ace Credit Card

• The Axis Ace credit card comes with a Rs.499 joining fee which will be reversed within 45 days of the card being issued if spends exceed Rs.10,000 within that timeframe. The renewal fee of Rs.499 will also be waived if the previous year's annual spends exceeded Rs.2 lakh. There is no joining or annual fee for an add-on card.
• The Axis Ace credit card offers a cashback of 5% on utility bill payments as well as mobile and DTH recharges done on Google Pay. The card also offers 1% fuel surcharge waiver for transactions of specific amounts. You also get four complimentary domestic airport lounge visits in a year.
• Those who love dining out will enjoy the 20% discount on partner restaurants across India with this credit card. Those who like to use their credit card for high-value purchases will be pleased to be able to pay back these dues through easy EMI rather than one huge credit card bill. You also get cashbacks for various categories of spends such as for online food delivery portals, ride sharing, utility bills, and others.

Citibank Cashback Credit Card

• The Citibank Cashback credit card is unique for the savings it gives you on everyday spends, living up to its name of a cashback credit card. It comes with an annual fee of Rs.500 and no joining fee. You get 5% cashback on spending on a variety of categories such as movie tickets and utility bill payments as well as 0.5% cashback for other spends. The cashback is credited to your statement in multiples of Rs.500.
• The card also provides instant loans through the Citi Quick Cash option. You can convert high-value purchases into simple EMIs through the Citi PayLite option that makes paying your credit card bill less stressful. This ensures that your bills stay within your repayment capacity without you having to compromise on the luxuries of life.
• The card also provides attractive discounts and deals not just within the country but internationally as well. There are savings of up to 20% on partner restaurants across the country.

Amazon Pay ICICI Bank Credit Card

• With Amazon being one of the most popular e-commerce sites in the world, it will come as no surprise if the majority of your online expenditure comes from this site. So, it makes sense to get double the benefit each time you spend your hard-earned money on Amazon India by using the Amazon Pay ICICI Bank Credit card for all your payments on the site.
• This card comes with zero annual or joining fee. There are various levels of cashback, such as 5% for Amazon Prime customers for all purchases on the site, 3% cashback for non-Prime members for purchases on the site, 2% cashback on spends on more than 100 partner merchants, and 1% cashback for all other sites. The cashback will be credited to your Amazon Pay balance on a monthly basis.
• Those who are customers of ICICI Bank get extra privileges on this card, which range from 15% savings on dining spends to 1% fuel surcharge waiver.

For anyone who is entering into the world of credit cards for the first time, these cards will be the perfect gateway to a world of enjoyment and value-added benefits.