Premium credit cards offer high credit limits to cardholders, along with several other benefits. However, membership and annual fees for such credit cards tend to be significantly higher than for generic credit cards. On the other hand, if you can afford it, there is much to be gained, including a wide array of luxury services, through these premium credit cards.
Here’s a look at some of the best premium credit cards in India.
Standard Chartered Bank Ultimate Credit Card
This card is a pretty good match if you want to experience a premium lifestyle. The card offers dining and travel privileges to its holder, along with reward points. Under this program, you can earn 5 reward points for every ₹150 you spend using the card. These can be redeemed in the form of various merchandise and gift vouchers, at a conversion rate of ₹1 for 1 Point.
In addition to these benefits, the card comes with several other exciting offers, such as:
- 5% cashback on duty free purchases
- Round the clock ultimate concierge services
- Access to Complimentary Priority Pass Membership, which allow you to access more than 1,000 airport lounges worldwide
- Air travel accident insurance up to ₹1 crore
- 25% discount on fast track immigration services at more than 450 tourist destinations around the world
- Up to 25% discount at the top 250 restaurants in India
- Low mark up of 2% on international spending
- Access to 150 international and 20 premier Indian golf courses
This card is available for a joining fee and an annual renewal fee of ₹5,000.
HDFC Regalia Credit Card
HDFC’s Regalia is an amazing luxury credit card, most suitable if you like to travel, since it comes with exclusive travel benefits.
Some amazing features of the Regalia credit card are:
- Ability to convert reward points into air miles
- 24 x 7 access to travel concierge services
- Priority airport check in and permission for extra 5 kg baggage through Complimentary Club Vistara Silver Membership
- Insurance cover of ₹1 crore for air accidents
- Dining privileges at various premium restaurants in India
- Additional overseas hospitalization cover of ₹15 lakhs
- Access to Regalia Visa/Master Credit Card Lounge program, which offers 12 complimentary lounge access per year.
The Regalia credit card attracts an annual fee of ₹2,500. But, if you spend up to the credit limit of ₹3 lakhs, this fee is waived off.
SBI ELITE Credit Card
The Elite credit card from SBI is a highly popular one. With it, you get two free movie tickets each month, worth ₹6,000 per year. Milestone benefits are also available in the form of 50,000 bonus points, equivalent to ₹12,500. Also, every time you shop at departmental or grocery stores or use the card for dining out, you earn extra reward points.
Some benefits that make the SBI Elite Card a suitable choice are:
- Free membership to the Priority Pass Program, which gives you access to more than 1,000 airport lounges across the globe
- Access to concierge service, along with customized holiday packages, hotel, movie reservations and gift delivery.
- Complimentary Club Vistara Silver Membership, which gives one lounge access voucher and one upgrade voucher
- Free 1,000 points with a complementary Trident Privilege Red Tier Membership
- 2 free domestic airport lounge visits every quarter
- Added benefit of the lowest foreign currency markup charge at 1.99%
SBI’s Elite Card is available at a joining fee and annual charge of ₹5,000.
YES FIRST Preferred Credit Card
Open the door to a world of exclusive privileges with the YES FIRST Preferred Credit card. If you make your first transaction within 90 days of the card being activated, you get 15,000 reward points. An additional 10,000 points are available on the payment of the annual renewal fee.
Other great features of this card include:
- Earn 8 reward points on every ₹100 spent through the card
- Option to redeem reward points in the form of JP Miles (4 points = 1 JP Mile)
- One complimentary golf lesson each month and waiver of green fees (3 times) on specific golf courses in India
- Medical insurance cover of ₹25 lakhs for emergency hospitalization in a foreign country
- Air accident insurance worth ₹1 crore
- Automobile assistance and exclusive concierge services
- Preferential mark up rate of only 1.75%
- Access to lounges (4 times) in a calendar year, along with 3 domestic lounge visits per quarter.
Citi PremierMiles® Credit Card
The best part about the Citi PremierMiles® card is that it gives you 10,000 miles bonus if you spend ₹10,000 within 60 days of the card being issued. Also, an additional 3,000 miles will be added each time you renew the card. The miles that you earn through this scheme have unlimited validity and can be redeemed against more than 100 international and domestic airlines.
Features that make this card a good choice include:
- Dining discount of 15% at partner restaurants
- Travel partnership with major brands like MakeMyTrip, Yatra, Goibibo and Indigo
- Option to transfer earned miles to any airline or hotel partner of Citi Bank
- Each time you transfer 2 miles on British Airways, Turkish Airline, Etihad Airlines, Thai Airways, Eva Air, Cathay Pacific, Singapore Airlines, Malaysia Airlines and Air India, you receive 1 frequent flyer air mile.
- Earn 10 miles every time you spend ₹100 to book flights or hotel stays through the PremierMiles website.
ICICI Bank Jet Airways Sapphiro Credit Card
If you are a frequent flyer, this credit card from ICICI bank can be a good option for you. The Sapphiro credit card has an annual fee of ₹5,000 and a welcome bonus of 10,000 JP Miles. A number of powerful travel and lifestyle benefits make this card a great grab.
- Complimentary access to airport lounges
- Base fare waiver for Jet Airways Economy class tickets
- 5% discount on base fare on all international or domestic flight bookings made through Jet Airways website
- Complimentary allowance of extra 5 kg baggage for economy class and 10 kg for premier
- Free DragonPass membership that provides 2 spa sessions and 2 airport lounge visits at selected airports
- Access to i-Assist, a round-the-clock premium concierge service
- Save a minimum of 15% on dining at more than 2,500 partner restaurants through ICICI Bank Culinary Treats program.
American Express Platinum Reserve Credit Card
This AmEx card is a super-premium card with a first-year fee of ₹5,000 and fee of ₹10,000 from the second year onwards. The card is most suitable if you travel frequently, since offers various hotel and travel benefits. Card holders can earn 1 reward point for every ₹50 spent via the card, which rises to 20 points at partner outlets.
Other benefits of this card include:
- Exclusive privileges at Oberoi Hotels, Taj Hotel Palaces Resort Safaris and other preferred hotel groups
- Access to American Express lounges all over India
- Health and wellness benefits at Max Healthcare, Texas Medical Concierge and Fortis Healthcare
- Complimentary access to top golf courses in India
- Free Priority Pass Membership
Air India SBI Signature Card
Air India, in collaboration with SBI, has launched this premium card. The benefits offered by the Air India SBI Signature card include:
- Up to 30 reward points for every ₹100 spent on booking Air India tickets
- Get 20,000 reward points when you pay the joining fees
- Get up to 1,00,000 extra reward points every year
- Facility to convert reward points into Air India miles, which can be used to book tickets on Air India
- Access to VISA lounges in India (8 times per year).
Citi Bank Prestige Credit Card
You can get 10,000 bonus air miles and vouchers worth ₹10,000 from ITC Hotels or Taj Group every year with the Citi Bank Prestige credit card. Apart from this, you can get one-night free stay on a minimum booking duration of 4 nights.
You also get unlimited access to airport lounges in more than 800 airports. In addition, you get accident insurance of ₹5 crores and fraud insurance of ₹3 lakhs with this card.
HDFC Infinia Credit Card
You get a credit limit of more than ₹8 lakhs with this card. The unique benefit offered is No Pre- Set Spending Limit (NPSL), which makes it most suitable for high net worth individuals. Travel benefits offered by the HDFC Infinia Credit Card include priority pass program and a 3.3% default reward rate. You can get unlimited access to airport lounges, both nationally and internationally. However, to be eligible for this credit card, you need minimum income of ₹48 lakhs per annum.
Before you apply for a premium credit card, assess carefully whether you actually need it. Another thing is to know whether the benefits offered by a particular card are in line with your requirements. Finally, ensure that your credit score is at a healthy level to avoid any disappointments due to rejection.
