Best Credit Cards for Beginners

A certain sense of maturity comes with owning a credit card, a feeling of finally stepping into adulthood. Now, when you are finally adulting, you just might want to enjoy the perks of credit cards without paying a hefty fee or having a high credit score. If yes, then you might be interested in entry-level credit cards. 

These are the cards that are specially designed for beginners who are new to the world of credit and want to build a good credit history while also getting some benefits. Entry-level credit cards have a low-income requirement and a reasonable fee, and they offer features such as rewards, cashback, lounge access, exclusive discounts and more. In this article, we will help you find the best entry-level credit cards for beginners that suit your needs and preferences.

List of Best Entry-Level Credit Cards

1. SBI SimplyCLICK Credit Card

If you are looking for an entry-level credit card that offers you rewards and benefits for online shopping, you may want to consider the SBI SimplyCLICK Credit Card. This card is designed for beginners with a monthly income of at least ₹20,000 and who want to earn rewards for online purchases. The card also offers other features, such as fuel surcharge waiver, e-vouchers, milestone benefits and more. 

Features

Welcome Bonus	An Amazon gift voucher worth ₹500 upon joining. The gift voucher is valid for 12 months from the date of purchase.
Fuel Surcharge Waiver	1% fuel surcharge waiver for each transaction between ₹500 and ₹3000 (max benefit of ₹100 per month).
Reward Benefits	1 Reward Point for every ₹100 spent on offline purchases. 10X reward points on online purchases at partner merchants (BookMyShow, Apollo 24x7, etc.).  5X reward points on other online purchases.
Milestone Benefits	E-voucher worth ₹2,000 from ClearTrip on achieving annual spends of ₹1 lakh with the card. Another e-voucher worth ₹2,000 from ClearTrip on achieving annual spends of ₹2 lakh with the card. If the cardholder spent at least ₹1 lakh in the previous year, the renewal membership cost is waived off.

Fees and Charges

Joining Fees	₹499
Annual Fees	₹499
Annual Percentage Rate	42.00%
Foreign Transaction Fees	3.50%

Eligibility

Applicant’s age should be between 18 to 65 years, and their monthly income should be at least ₹20,000.

2. Flipkart Axis Bank Credit Card

If you are looking for a credit card that offers unlimited cashback on your online and offline purchases, the Flipkart Axis Bank Credit Card might be the right choice. This co-branded card from Axis Bank and Flipkart gives you 5% cashback on Flipkart and Myntra, 4% cashback on preferred partners such as Uber, Swiggy, PVR, Curefit and more, and 1.5% cash back on all other categories. With this card, you can enjoy the benefits of online shopping and lifestyle transactions without worrying about the limit or expiry of your cashback.
Features

Welcome Bonus	Flipkart vouchers worth ₹500. 15% cashback (up to ₹500) on the first Myntra purchase using this card. 50% discount on Swiggy (maximum discount capped at ₹100).
Travel Benefits	4 complimentary lounge visits per year.
Fuel Surcharge Waiver	1% fuel surcharge waiver for each transaction between ₹400 and ₹4000 (max benefit of ₹400 per month).
Shopping Benefits	5% cashback on Flipkart and Myntra 4% cashback on Swiggy, Cleartrip, and Cure.fit, PVR, UBER, Tata Play. 1.5% cash back on all other categories
Dining Benefits	20% discount at partner restaurants under the 'Dining Delights' program by Axis Bank.

Fees and Charges

Joining Fees	₹500
Annual Fees	₹500
Annual Percentage Rate	52.86%
Foreign Transaction Fees	3.50%

Eligibility

Applicant's age should be at least 18 years, and their monthly income should be between ₹15,000- ₹30,000.

3. Amazon Pay ICICI Credit Card

The Amazon Pay ICICI Bank Credit Card is a co-branded, lifetime-free card offered by ICICI Bank in collaboration with Amazon Pay and Visa.

The card is cost-free for life and provides payback for both online and offline transactions, including those purchased on Amazon. The payback comes in the form of Amazon Pay Gift Cards that may be redeemed for money from your Amazon Pay balance. It is primarily meant to reward loyal Amazon customers with prizes, free EMIs, 15% off dining expenses, a waiver of the fuel charge, and other benefits.

Features

Welcome Bonus	Prime users get rewards worth ₹2000, non-prime users get rewards worth ₹1500, and 3 months of Amazon Prime membership.
Fuel Surcharge Waiver	1% fuel fee waiver at all petrol stations in India (as long as the transaction doesn't cost more than ₹4,000).
Cashback Benefits	For Amazon Prime members, there is a 5% cashback in the form of Amazon Pay balance on any purchase made from Amazon’s website.   For non-prime members, there is 3% cashback in the form of Amazon Pay Balance.
Reward Benefits	At the end of the payment cycle, earned reward points are deposited to the Amazon Pay balance, where 1 reward point equals ₹1.
Dining Benefits	A minimum of 15% off on dining bills at restaurants participating in ICICI Bank’s Culinary Treats programme.

Fees and Charges

Joining Fees	Free
Annual Fees	Free
Annual Percentage Rate	42.00%
Foreign Transaction Fees	3.50%

Eligibility

Applicant's age should be at least 21 years, and their monthly income should be at least ₹25,000.

4. Axis Bank Neo Credit Card

Axis Bank Neo Credit Card is an entry-level credit card that is a perfect fit for shopping lovers. This card offers various discounts, cash-back, and reward points for shopping. It offers discounts on top brands like Amazon, BookMyShow, Myntra, Paytm and more.

Welcome Bonus	An Amazon gift voucher worth ₹250. Zomato voucher worth ₹200. Blinkit voucher worth ₹250. 6-month subscription to Pharmeasy.
Dining Benefits	15% off on dining at partner restaurants. 40% off on Zomato delivery. (Subject to a minimum order value of ₹1,500)
Entertainment Benefits	10% off on Bookmyshow. (maximum cashback: ₹100)
Zero Liability Protection	If the card is lost or any fraudulent transactions are reported within the stipulated period of time, you receive a zero liability protection cover.
Other Benefits	5% cashback on mobile recharges, electricity bill payments, and DTH recharges made through Amazon Pay. 10% off on Blinkit - Up to ₹250 off on min spends of ₹750, valid once per month. 10% off every time you shop at Myntra on a minimum purchase value of ₹500

Fees and Charges

Joining Fees	₹250
Annual Fees	₹250
Annual Percentage Rate	52.86%
Foreign Transaction Fees	3.50%

Eligibility

Applicant's age should be between 18 and 70 years, and they should have a stable income.

5. Standard Chartered Super Value Titanium Credit Card

A reward-driven credit card, the Standard Chartered Super Value Titanium Credit Card gives rewards on purchases of petrol, necessities, and other items. Along with these advantages, it also provides EMI advantages with support for replacement cards in an emergency.

This credit card is best for those who want to save money on their everyday expenses like fuel, utility bills, phone bills, etc.

Features

Travel Benefits	20% off on Uber rides up to ₹600 per month.
Fuel Cashback	5% cashback on fuel spends at all fuel stations, up to ₹200 per month (max ₹100 per transaction, and applicable on transactions up to ₹2,000).
Cashback Benefits	Enjoy 5% cashback on telephone bills above ₹750 (max ₹100 per transaction).    The maximum monthly cashback you can avail of is ₹200.
Reward Benefits	One reward point for every ₹150 you spend on other purchases using your credit card.

Fees and Charges

Joining Fees	₹750
Annual Fees	₹750
Annual Percentage Rate	45.00%
Foreign Transaction Fees	3.50%

Eligibility

Applicant's age should be between 21 and 65 years, and their monthly income should be at least ₹55,000.

Conclusion

These were some of the best entry-level credit cards that you can consider if you want to take a step towards your credit card journey. Find your perfect credit card fit according to your needs and aspirations, be it travel-focused credit, shopping-focused credit card, or anything else; you can always find your ideal match from the cards mentioned above. 

And, if you want to make the task of choosing your credit card easier and quicker, visit Select by Finology now, where you can compare various credit card issuers and the various cards issued by them on almost all factors available. So, what are you waiting for? Visit Select by Finology today.