If you are a credit card user, you would know the burden of annual and renewal fees is a common concern. Banks automatically add credit card renewal fee to the previous month’s billing cycle, making it a recurring expense. However, a preferred alternative is getting a lifetime free credit card which does not impose any annual or renewal fees. These types of credit cards are gaining popularity for providing multiple rewards and benefits.
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Here is a list of 7 best lifetime free credit cards with zero annual and joining fees. Please note that these credit cards are not ranked in any specific order; the information is gathered from bank’s official websites as of November 27, 2023.
HDFC Bank: Shoppers Stop HDFC Bank Credit Card
Features and Rewards:
Lifetime FREE credit card
Earn 6 First Citizen Points for every Rs 150 spent on Shoppers Stop private label brands, capped at 500 First Citizen Points per month
Earn 2 First Citizen Points for every Rs 150 spent on all other Shoppers Stop brands & other category spends (except fuel & wallet)
Complimentary Shoppers Stop membership
FC point= 60 paise
Welcome Benefit of Rs 500 worth Shoppers Stop voucher, redeemable on a minimum shopping of Rs 3,000 at Shoppers Stop stores (w.e.f. 5th Dec, 2022).
Earn 2000 First Citizen Points on spending Rs 2 Lakhs annually.
Kotak Mahindra Bank: Lifetime Free Credit Card – 811 #DreamDifferent
Features and Rewards:
No annual fee and joining fee
Earn 2 reward points against every Rs 100 of online spends
Earn 1 reward point against every Rs 100 of other* spends
1% across all petrol pumps for transactions between Rs 500 and Rs 3000 (max. Rs 3500/year)
1.8% for transactions on irctc.co.in & 2.5% Indian railway booking counters (max Rs 500/year).
IDFC FIRST Bank: Classic Credit Card – Lifetime Free Card
Features and Rewards:
No annual fee. Lifetime Free Credit Card
10X Reward Points on incremental spends above Rs 20,000 per month and spends done on your birthday
6X & 3X Reward Points on online & offline purchases respectively for spends up to Rs 20,000 per month
Unlimited Reward points that never expire
ICICI Bank: Amazon Pay ICICI Bank Credit Card
Features and Reward Points:
No joining fee or annual fee
No limit or expiry date on rewards earned
Earn 5% back on purchases on Amazon India for Amazon Prime member card holders; non-Prime card holders earn 3% back (except for digital and Gift Card purchases, which earn 2% back)
Earn 2% back at 100+ Amazon Pay Partner merchants
1% back for all other payments
1% surcharge waiver for all fuel purchases
Reward earnings can be used to purchase from over 10 crore products at www.amazon.in and at more than 100 Amazon Pay partner merchants.
YES Bank: YES Prosperity Purchase Credit Card
Key Features and Rewards:
Zero joining and annual fee
1% fuel surcharge waiver at all fuel stations across India for transactions between Rs 400 to Rs 5,000. Monthly cap of Rs 500 per cycle.
Standard Chartered Bank: Platinum Rewards Credit Card
Features and Rewards:
Get a Platinum Rewards Credit Card that is free for life
5X benefits on luxury dining and fuel purchases, with no monthly reward limit
Earn 5 reward points for every Rs 150 spent on dining and fuel with no monthly cap on the rewards earned
Earn 1 reward point for every Rs 150 spent on all other categories
Zero Annual and Joining Fees: Spend of Rs 500 or more within 30 days from card issuance to avoid the levy of a one-time fee of Rs 250 + GST.
Bank of Baroda: Easy Credit Card
Key Features and Rewards:
5X Reward Points for every Rs 100 spent on Departmental stores, Movie spends
1 reward point for every Rs 100 spent on other categories
0.5 reward point for every Rs 100 spent on Select MCCs
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Fuel Surcharge Waiver
Zero annual fees basis card usage
1% fuel surcharge waiver at all fuel stations across India on transactions between Rs 400 and Rs 5,000 (Max. Rs 250 per statement cycle). Note: No Reward Points are earned on fuel transactions.
Spend Rs 6,000 within 60 days and Rs 35,000 in a year for reversal/waiver of annual fees
