Which credit card is best? Find the best card for any payment
The honest answer to "which card is best" is: it depends what you're paying for. The right card for Amazon isn't the right card for fuel, food delivery or a UPI scan. Pick your payment below and this tool shows the best card to use, roughly how much you'll earn a year, and whether the annual fee is actually worth it — then read the framework underneath to decide what to keep in your wallet.
Best card by payment type — at a glance
| You're paying for | Best card (typical) | Reward |
|---|---|---|
| Amazon | Amazon Pay ICICI | ~5% (Prime), lifetime free |
| Flipkart | Flipkart Axis Bank | 5% Flipkart / 4% partners |
| Food delivery (Swiggy/Zomato/Blinkit) | Swiggy HDFC | up to 10% on Swiggy (capped) |
| Other online shopping | SBI Cashback | 5% on almost all online (capped) |
| Utility / mobile bills | Axis ACE (via Google Pay) | ~5% (capped) / 1.5% flat |
| Fuel | Co-branded fuel card (BPCL SBI, IOCL) + surcharge waiver | ~3–5% at the pump |
| Travel & lounge | Scapia / ixigo AU (free); Axis Atlas (paid) | zero forex + lounge / miles |
| UPI merchant scan | RuPay-on-UPI card (e.g. Kiwi) | ~3% vs 0% from your bank |
Card vs UPI vs EMI — which mode to use
- Categorised spends (online, food, bills): put them on the card with the highest rate for that category — that's where the 5–10% tiers live.
- Small UPI merchant scans: use a RuPay credit card linked to UPI that still earns rewards (Kiwi ~3%, Tata Neu ~1.5% on Tata Neu UPI). Paying the same scan straight from your bank account earns 0% — it's not safer, it's just leaving money on the table.
- Large one-off purchases: no-cost EMI helps cash-flow, but many cards don't pay rewards on EMI spends and some add a processing fee — check before you convert.
- The one rule that beats card choice: pay the full statement every cycle. Revolving interest runs ~36–42% a year and wipes out any cashback almost instantly. If you can't clear it in full, no reward card is "worth it".
Is a card worth it? The break-even test
Ignore the headline reward rate and the marketing. A card is worth its fee only if the rewards you actually earn beat it. The maths is one line:
Example: a ₹999 fee at 5% needs about ₹20,000 of qualifying spend a year to break even. Above that, it's profit; below it, take a lifetime-free card instead.
Two things trip people up:
- Caps, not rates, decide the winner. A "10% cashback" card capped at ₹400/month is really a ₹4,800/year card — once you cross the cap, extra spend earns the base rate. Read the cap before the rate.
- Fee waivers. Many cards waive the annual fee if you spend a milestone (e.g. ₹2 lakh/year). If you'll clear it, the "fee" is effectively zero.
When to get, keep, or close a card
- Get a category card only when your real monthly spend in that category clears its fee on the break-even test — and keep one flat-rate or lifetime-free card as your default.
- Keep your oldest no-fee card active (one small spend a month). It anchors your credit history length, which helps your CIBIL score.
- Closing a card usually dips your score short-term: it lowers your total credit limit (raising your utilisation ratio) and shortens your average account age. Recovery typically takes 3–6 months if you keep utilisation under 30%.
- Better than closing: if a card's fee isn't worth it, ask the bank to downgrade it to a free variant rather than shutting it — you keep the credit line and history without the fee.
- Only close when a card genuinely costs you (a fee you can't recoup and no free downgrade), or to stop a spending temptation. Close newer cards before older ones.
Frequently asked questions
Which credit card is best for Amazon?
Amazon Pay ICICI (about 5% for Prime members, ~2% without, lifetime free) is the standard pick. If you shop across many sites, the SBI Cashback card's flat 5% on almost all online spends is the better all-rounder. Confirm current rates before applying.
Is it worth paying an annual fee?
Only if rewards beat the fee. Break-even = annual fee ÷ your reward rate. A ₹999 fee at 5% needs ~₹20,000 of qualifying spend a year; below that, pick a lifetime-free card.
Credit card or direct bank UPI?
Direct bank UPI earns nothing; a credit card (paid in full) earns 1–10% on the same spend. For small UPI scans, use a RuPay card linked to UPI that still earns rewards rather than your bank account. Always clear the full statement — ~40% interest wipes out rewards.
Does closing a card hurt my CIBIL score?
Usually, short-term — it raises your utilisation ratio and shortens average account age. Prefer downgrading a fee card to a free variant, or keeping your oldest no-fee card active, over closing it.
How many credit cards should I have?
Enough to cover your main categories without losing track — for most people that's one flat/UPI-rewards card plus one or two category cards (e.g. one for online, one for fuel or travel). More cards only help if each one earns its keep and you pay them all in full.