Top 7 Lifetime Free Credit Cards in India – No Annual Fees

Lifetime Free Credit Cards: Are you paying an annual fee for your credit card? Even though you don’t use it regularly? Do you want a way out of it so as to save money?

Well, we present to you, Lifetime free Credit Card. These Credit Cards have a minimum to nil joining fees and absolutely no annual fee.

Where to get them? How to apply? Which banks provide the best lifetime-free credit cards? Don’t worry. Read through the article to get answers to all these questions.

What is a Lifetime free Credit Card?

When coming across an advertisement, stating that credit cards can be free for a lifetime, you might wonder whether it is true, or just another trick. Can a credit card really be free for life? If they are, then why is it that the banks charge for them? 

Well the bill that you pay for your card, at the end of every month, depends on how you use it. In fact, if you use it smartly, by the end of the month, you might not even have to pay the annual fee. Instead, you may get extensive benefits in the form of rewards, cashbacks, etc.

But before going to that, let’s take a look at the common charges that you might have to pay for your credit card.

Annual fees:

Most credit cards have an annual fee that you have to pay to the bank at the end of a year. But if you are a regular customer, or achieve a minimum spend (set by the bank), then you may not have to pay this fee.

In a lot of cases, if the bank deems you a worthy customer, they waive off the annual fee on your credit card or even offer you a lifetime free credit card.

This means, that you wouldn’t have to pay a single rupee as the joining fee nor would you have to pay the annual fee. This would happen only if the card is a regular card, and is not in collaboration with any other banks, except your bank. 

Finance charges:

This is the fee that the banks take from you for not paying your bill on time. All banks give you an interest-free period, generally ranging from 25-50 days. By paying your credit bill, on or before the due date of your card, you don’t have to pay this.

Other charges:

The bank may charge you a certain fee for using your card in a certain way, like issuing a duplicate card, fee for using your card in foreign countries, spending over your credit limit, etc. 

Now you might wonder if banks give lifetime free credit cards, then how do they earn money? Well, a major portion of the bank’s credit card earnings comes from merchant fees.

That is when you buy a product and swipe your credit card to pay for it, a small part of the payment you make goes to the bank. Hence they don’t mind giving you a lifetime free credit card.

Also Read: Best Credit Card for Students – A Guide to Student Credit Cards

Top 7 Lifetime Free Credit Cards in India

1. ICICI Instant Platinum Credit Card

Highlights

  • Joining Fee –   NIL  
  • Annual Fee (Second year onwards) – NIL  
  • Add-on Card Fee – NIL
  • Finance charges – 3.40% per month (40.80% per year)
  • Only a person aged more than 23 years can apply for this card.
  • Security of Chip and PIN Card.

What is it best for?

This card is best used from Wine & Dine as the only major rewards that can be achieved in this card are dining rewards.

Rewards

  • 2 PAYBACK Points on every ₹100 spent on all retail purchases (except fuel).
  • 1 PAYBACK Point on every ₹100 spent on services and insurance. 
  • Save a minimum of 15% on your dining bill at over 2,500 restaurants, in around 12 cities.
  • 1% fuel surcharge waiver (maximum ₹4000 at HPCL Pumps only)

How to apply

  1. Click here to Apply
  2. Fill in the given details
  3. Submit the form 
  4. You will get a reply from the bank soon regarding the further procedures.

 2. Kotak Mahindra Bank 811 #DreamDifferent Credit Card

Highlights

  • Joining Fees – Nil
  • Annual Fees – Nil
  • Add-on card Fees – Nil
  • Finance Charge – 3.50% per month (42% annually)
  • Primary card holder should be between 18 and 75.
  • Add-on card holder should be above 18.

What is it best for?

This card is best used for traveling purposes, as it has a good fuel surcharge waiver. The card can also be used for online shopping as it has decent shopping rewards.

Rewards

  • 2 reward points on every ₹100/- spent online.
  • 1 reward point on every ₹100/- spent.
  • Interest free cash withdrawal
  • 1% fuel surcharge waiver on spending between ₹500/- to ₹3000/- (max. ₹3500/year)
  • 1.8% – 2.5% off on Railway bookings (max. ₹500/year)

How to apply

  1. Click here to Apply
  2. Fill in the given details
  3. Submit the form 
  4. You will get a reply from the bank soon regarding the further procedures.

 3. Kotak Mahindra Wealth Management Infinite Credit Card

Highlights

  • Joining Fees – Nil
  • Annual Fees – Nil
  • Add-on card Fees – Nil
  • Finance Charge – 3.10% per month (37.2% per year)
  • Primary card holder should be between 18 to 75 years of age.
  • Add-on Card holder should be above 18

What is it best for?

This card is best for traveling purposes only as it doesn’t have any lifestyle-specific reward program.

Rewards

  • 1 reward point for ₹125 spent
  • Save 1% fuel surcharge across all petrol pumps in India
  • Fuel surcharge to be waived only for transactions between values of ₹400 – ₹4000. Maximum Fuel surcharge waiver of  ₹4500 in a calendar year
  • 1.8% to 2.5% off on Railway tickets (max. ₹500/year)

How to apply

  1. Click here to Apply
  2. Fill the given details
  3. Submit the form 
  4. You will get a reply from the bank soon regarding the further procedures.

4. HSBC VISA Platinum Credit Card

Highlights

  • Joining Fee: Nil
  • Annual Fee: Nil
  • Add-on card Fee: Nil
  • Card Holder must be aged between 18 to 65
What is it best for?

This card is best used for international traveling as it has amazing rewards on international travels.

Rewards

  • Introductory benefits up to  ₹ 2,250 with 3 complimentary airport lounge access at domestic & international lounges or 3 AirDine (meal)vouchers
  • Air miles conversion on InterMiles, British Airways and Singapore Airlines
  • 5-times rewards on subsequent purchases made after crossing spend amount of ₹400,000 (Max. 15,000/year)
  • Up to ₹3,000 annual savings on fuel surcharge
  • Get cashback worth ₹250 on spending over ₹50,000 in a calendar month

How to apply

  1. Click here to Apply
  2. Fill the given details
  3. Submit the form 
  4. You will get a reply from the bank soon regarding the further procedures.

 5. HSBC Smart Value Credit Card

Highlights

  • Joining Fee: Nil
  • Annual Fee: Nil
  • Add-on card Fee: Nil
  • Card Holder must be aged between 18 to 65

What is it best for?

This card is best used for online shopping and transactions. It is best suited for medium to high spenders.

Rewards

  • 10% cashback of up to ₹1,000
  • 3X rewards on online shopping, dining and telecom services.
  • Up to ₹3,000 off on fuel surcharge
  • Get cashback worth ₹200 on spending over ₹15,000 in a calendar month

How to apply

  1. Click here to Apply
  2. Fill the given details
  3. Submit the form 
  4. You will get a reply from the bank soon regarding the further procedures.

 6. Axis Bank SELECT Credit Card (Burgundy Card)

Highlights

  • Joining Fee – NIL
  • Annual Fee – NIL for
  • Add-on Card Joining Fee – NIL
  • Add-on Card Annual Fee – NIL
  • Finance Charges – 3.6% per month (52.86% per year)

What is it best for?

This card is best used for daily purposes like traveling and retail shopping

Rewards

  • Earn 10 AXIS EDGE Points on every  ₹ 200 spent
  • Earn 2X per  ₹ 200 spent on retail shopping
  • 1% fuel surcharge waiver on transactions between  ₹ 400 to  ₹ 4000
  • Get upto 20% off on partner restaurants across India
  • Earn 5000 AXIS EDGE Points on spending  ₹ 3 lakh in an anniversary year
  • Buy 1 ticket and get upto  ₹ 300 off on the next ticket on BookMyShow (offer renews every month)

How to apply

  1. Click here to Apply
  2. Fill the given details
  3. Submit the form 
  4. You will get a reply from the bank soon regarding the further procedures.

  7. Axis Bank Platinum Credit Card

Highlights

  • Joining Fee – Nil
  • Annual Fee – Nil
  • Add-on Card Joining Fee – Nil
  • Add-on Card Annual Fee – Nil
  • Finance Charges – 3.40% per month (49.96% per year)

What is it best for?

This card is best used for movie watching and domestic as well as international purchases.

Rewards

  • 25% cashback on movie tickets
  • 15% off on partnered restaurants across India
  • 1% fuel surcharge waiver on transactions between  ₹ 400 to  ₹ 4000
  • Earn 6 AXIS EDGE Points on every  ₹ 200 spent on credit card, domestically
  • Earn 12 AXIS EDGE Points on every  ₹ 200 spent internationally
  • Earn 100 AXIS EDGE Points on first online transaction

How to apply

  1. Click here to Apply
  2. Fill the given details
  3. Submit the form 
  4. You will get a reply from the bank soon regarding the further procedures.

In conclusion:

If you’re looking for a credit card that offers great rates and rewards, then one of these Lifetime free credit cards in India may be the right fit.

All of these cards offer something different so it is best to consider your needs when deciding which one is right for you. But no matter what type of customer you are, there is likely an option here that will work well with your financial goals.

you should check out the top 7 lifetime free credit cards in India. These will help you maintain a good credit score, without having to pay any annual fee. Moreover, you can use them for all purposes, including online shopping, dining, travel, and more.

Do any of these top 7 Lifetime free credit cards in India meet all or most of your requirements? please let us know in the comments below!

FAQs on Lifetime free credit cards in India

Which kind of credit card has no annual fee?

You don’t have to pay an annual fee for a lot of cards that are given against fixed deposits.

Should I get a credit card with an annual fee?

If the credit card offers enough benefits to compensate for the annual fee, you should get it. The rewards that you gain will cover your annual fee charge.

What do you mean by a lifetime free credit card?

A lifetime free card is a card in which there is no fee for joining as well as the annual fee is waived off.

What to do if I don’t want to pay an annual fee on my credit card?

If you don’t want to pay the annual fee charge, apply for a lifetime free Credit Card. Most banks have a selection of lifetime free credit cards that you can choose from.

Do all credit cards in India charge a high annual fee?

No. There are some credit cards with the best offers in India that are either free for a lifetime or charge a minimal annual fee.

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