No Annual Fee / Lifetime Free Credit Cards

While many luxury credit cards come with an annual fee, there is a wide range of cards that provide a vast array of benefits without charging any fee.

If you're are a sensible spender and would like to have a credit card with basic yet comprehensive benefits, you can opt for a No annual fee credit card. It will cut down your annual card maintenance cards while providing regular benefits of a credit card.

Features and Benefits on No Annual Fee Credit Cards

The following is the list of features and benefits of No Annual Fee credit cards:

• These are life-time free cards and users do not need to pay any annual fee for availing any of its features
• Ensures cost savings in fuel transaction by offering 1.00% fuel surcharge waiver.
• Offers various benefits, such as airport lounge access, discount on shopping, dining or delivery of food, movie tickets, etc.
• These cards also provide welcome benefits such as bonus reward points, vouchers, OTT subscriptions, and many others
• Income requirement is quite low for these cards
• The eligibility criteria for these cards are simple, thereby ensures quick approval of application

Top 10 No Annual Fee Credit Cards in India 2023

Listed below are the best credit cards without annual fee offered by top banks in India.

FinBooster: YES BANK - BankBazaar Co-branded Credit Card

Key Highlights: The FinBooster: YES Bank - BankBazaar Co-branded Credit Card helps you to build a high credit score and good credit behaviour. You get regular credit fitness reports and these give you insights into your financial health.

Joining Fee: NIL

Renewal Fee: NIL

Features and benefits:

• With the FinBooster: YES Bank - BankBazaar Co-branded Credit Card, you get monthly credit fitness reports with a real-time dashboard to track your credit score. This access will be granted once you complete your first transaction with the FinBooster: YES Bank - BankBazaar Co-branded Credit Card.
• You have access to insights that will help you in improving your credit score.
• There is no cap on reward points and the points never expire.
• Accidental death insurance cover up to Rs.2.5 lakh

Rewards redemption options:

• You get 5x reward points on online dining spends.
• Earn 3x reward points on online grocery and online apparel spends.
• You get 2 reward points for every Rs.200 swiped for other retail spends, except for fuel expenses.
• The reward points that you earn can be shared with friends and family.
• The reward points that you convert into cash will be directly credited to your savings account.

Suitable for: Those who want to build a high credit score and get access to the Credit Fitness Tracker

RBL Bank BankBazaar SaveMax Credit Card

The RBL Bank BankBazaar SaveMax Credit Card is a lifetime free credit card that offers a wide range of attractive rewards and cashbacks. The card also comes with a free monthly credit advisory on BankBazaar which will help you track your spending and monitor your credit score. The credit card also comes with balance transfer, EMI conversion, and pre-approved loan facility.

Joining Fee: NIL

Renewal Fee: NIL

Features & Benefits

• Convert all spending over Rs.2,500 into easy EMIs.
• Xpress Cash facility for instant funds into your account.
• 10% cashback (up to Rs.100 every month on each merchant) on BookMyShow and Zomato transactions.
• Up to 100% discounts using EMI Infinity Pass on the Split n Pay Fee.
• Manage your credit card, pay utility bills, get merchant offers and instant loans through the RBL Bank MyCard App.
• Contactless payments in a fast and secure manner of up to Rs.5,000 in retail outlets.

Rewards redemption options:

• Earn 5x reward points on grocery spends (maximum 1000 reward points per month)
• Earn 1 reward point for every Rs.100 spent on other categories.

HSBC Visa Platinum Credit Card

Key Highlights: The HSBC Visa Platinum Credit Card offers benefits across various lifestyle categories such as dining, shopping, etc.

Joining Fee: NIL

Renewal Fee: NIL

Introductory offers:

• Get Amazon voucher worth Rs.5000
• Get up to 3 complimentary airport lounge access both at domestic as well as international airport
• Avail 50% discount (up to Rs.100) on first transaction at Google Pay
• Get 10% cashback up to Rs.2,000 on conducting 5 transactions worth Rs.10,000 within the first 60 days of card issuance.

Features and benefits:

• Earn 2 reward points for every Rs.150 spent on the card.
• 5X reward points after exceeding the spend limit of Rs.4 lakh to maximum Rs.10 lakh in a year.
• Fuel surcharge waived off (up to Rs.250 p.m.) for transactions between Rs.400 and Rs.4000.
• Movie ticket voucher worth Rs.500 on monthly spends of over Rs.50,000.
• Upto 15% off on dining bills at more than 1,000restaurants in major cities.

Rewards redemption options: Reward points can be redeemed for a wide range of products listed in the rewards catalog.

Suitable for: People who use their credit card for regular spends including dining, shopping, and all other daily expenses.

Eligibility to apply for the HSBC Visa Platinum Credit Card

SBI Unnati Credit Card

Key Highlights: Issued against an fixed deposit amount of minimum Rs.25,000, the SBI Card Unnati is much suitable for people without a credit history.

Joining fee: NIL

Renewal fee: NIL. For first four years

Features and benefits:

• 1 reward point for every Rs.100 spent
• Spend Rs.50,000 per year and get a cashback of Rs.500
• 1% fuel surcharge waiver valid for transactions between Rs.500 and Rs.3,000

Rewards redemption option: Redeem reward points against a wide variety of gifts from the rewards catalog.

Suitable for: First time credit card applicants without a credit history.

Axis Insta Easy Credit Card

Key Highlights: Issued against a fixed deposit amount of minimum Rs.20,000 and maximum Rs.25 lakh, the Axis Insta Easy Credit Card is much suitable for people without a credit history.

Joining Fee: NIL

Renewal Fee: NIL

Features and benefits:

• Set flexible credit limits - up to 80% of the fixed deposit
• 100% of the credit limit allowed for cash withdrawal.
• 1% fuel surcharge waiver
• 15% off on dining bills at select restaurants.

Rewards redemption options: Redeem reward points for more than 500 products listed in the rewards catalog.

Suitable for: First time credit card applicants without a credit history.

Eligibility:

• Minimum fixed deposit at any Axis Bank branch
• Minimum FD amount of Rs.20,000 and maximum of Rs.25 lakh.
• Age should be above 18 years.

Kotak Fortune Gold Credit Card

Key Highlights: Exclusively offered for businessmen, the Kotak Fortune Gold Credit Card offers basic credit card benefits on fuel, ticket booking, etc.

Joining Fee: NIL

Renewal Fee: NIL

Features and benefits:

• Spend Rs. 1, 50,000 in a year and get 4 free PVR tickets OR Cash back of Rs. 750
• Higher cash limit of up to 50% of the credit limit
• 1% fuel surcharge and 1.8% railway ticket booking surcharge will be waived.
• A credit shield covers Rs.50,000 worth for lost credit cards.

Suitable for: People looking for a basic credit card.

Eligibility to apply for the Kotak Fortune Gold Card

Axis Insta Easy Credit Card

Key Highlights: The credit card gives you a good credit limit and also offers fuel surcharge waiver.

Joining Fee: NIL

Renewal Fee: NIL

Features and benefits:

• Withdraw up to 100% of your credit limit
• Get a credit limit up to 80% of your fixed deposit
• Get 1% fuel surcharge waiver.
• Get 15% discount on dining.
• The card comes with a platinum chip.
• For transactions over Rs.2,500, you can convert them into EMIs.

IDFC First Select Credit Card

Key Highlights: The IDFC First Select Credit Card high reward with zero annual fee.

Joining Fee: NIL

Renewal Fee: NIL

Features and benefits:

• On purchases exceeding Rs.20,000 per billing cycle, get 10x reward points
• 10x reward points on birthday spends
• On online purchases, get 6x reward points
• On offline purchases, get 3x reward points
• Get gift voucher worth Rs.500 on spending Rs.15,000 in first 90 days
• Get up to 4 per quarter domestic airport lounge access
• Get up to 4 per quarter railway lounge access.
• Low foreign exchange mark-up fee of 1.99%

Suitable for: Frequent shoppers and travellers.

Bank of Baroda Prime Credit Card

Key Highlights: This Bank of Baroda Prime Credit Card is best suited for people who are looking for cashback on daily spending.

Joining Fee: NIL

Renewal Fee: NIL

Features and benefits:

• This card is issued against fixed deposit of Rs.15,000 or more
• Allows you to redeem rewards against cash credit
• Allows you to convert transactions above Rs.2,500 into easy EMIs
• Fuel surcharge waived up to Rs.250 every month

Suitable for: People looking for returns in terms of cashback.

Dhanlaxmi Bank Platinum Credit Card

Key Highlights: This Dhanlaxmi Bank Platinum credit card is best suited for people who are looking for a daily use credit card.

Joining Fee: NIL

Renewal Fee: NIL

Features and benefits:

• Comes with purchase protection cover
• Comes with credit shield cover
• Flat 5% cashback on shopping at departmental or grocery store.

Suitable for: People looking for everyday use cerdit card

How To Apply for a No Annual Fee Credit Cards Online?

To apply for no annual fee credit cards online, you can visit the respective bank website, or you can apply through BankBazaar, which is an authorised partner of top banks in India.

Steps to apply through BankBazaar website

Step 1: Visit www.bankbazaar.com/credit-card.html and select the card that you want.

Step 2:Click the 'Eligibility' button to check your eligibility for the card

Step 3:If you are eligible, you will find an option to Apply, click on the same, enter the required details and submit

Step 4:You would be asked to upload the required documents.

Step 5:Once they are uploaded, click 'Submit'.

On successfully submitting the application and the necessary documents, you would receive an 'Application ID'. Use this ID to track your application status by clicking' Track Application '.

FAQs on Lifetime Free Credit Cards

1. Are there any other hidden charges if I use a Lifetime Free credit card?

   No, there are no hidden charges if you use a lifetime free credit card. The bank is very clear about the charges associated with the card. You pay only what you spend.

2. What will happen if I use a lifetime free credit card and do not clear the bill on time?

   A lifetime free credit card works just like any other credit card. If you do not pay your bill on time, then the bank will charge you a late fee. If you still do not pay the credit card bill on time, then the bank deactivates your card due to which your credit score suffers.

3. Which credit card by YES Bank does not have any joining or annual fee?

   The FinBooster: YES BANK - BankBazaar Co-branded Credit Card does not have any joining or annual fee.

4. How can I find lifetime free credit cards?

   You can do basic google search to find lifetime free credit cards offered by banks in India. You can also get in touch with the bank with whom you hold a bank account and enquire about lifetime free credit cards. If you have a good relationship with your bank, they will most probably offer you a lifetime free credit card.

5. Can I use a lifetime free credit card overseas?

   Yes, you may use your credit card overseas, but the charges will differ from bank to bank. Hence, do check with the lender regarding the charges applicable if you use your card abroad.

6. Can I use my lifetime credit card to withdraw money from ATMs in India?

   Yes, you can use your lifetime credit card to withdraw money from ATMs in India.

7. What is the joining benefit I get with the YES Prosperity Reward Plus Card?

   You get 1,250 reward points as a welcome gift on spending Rs.5,000 within the first 30 days of the card being issued.

8. Should I have a minimum salary to apply for the HSBC Visa Platinum Credit Card?

   Yes, your minimum annual salary should be Rs.4 lakh.

9. Do I get free golf lessons with the IndusInd Bank Platinum Card?

   Yes, you get complimentary golf lessons from qualified instructors at select golf clubs in India.

10. Is there a credit card that will give me a free Credit Advisory Report?

    Yes, the RBL Bank BankBazaar SaveMax Credit Card offers a free Credit Advisory Report every month.

11. Can I apply for a 'no annual fee' credit card online?

    Yes, most of the banks accept applications for ‘no annual fee’ credit cards online.