11 Best Lifetime Free Credit Cards in India (₹0 Annual Fee)

If you’re new to credit cards or looking for one without a joining or annual fee, you might be interested in a lifetime free (LTF) option. To attract customers, banks offer several attractive LTF cards with competitive reward rates and perks like airport and railway lounge access. Here’s a list of the best lifetime free credit cards in India right now, all with zero annual charges.

1. ICICI Amazon Pay Credit Card

The co-branded ICICI Amazon Pay credit card is one of my favourite cards in the lifetime free category. It has no annual or joining fee and offers unlimited 5% cashback on Amazon purchases for Prime customers and 3% for non-Prime customers.

The card offers 2% cashback on bill payments and gift voucher purchases and 1% on all other purchases, including cashback on jewellery, LIC premium payments, and offline spends. There’s no cap on rewards, and they are credited directly to your Amazon Pay Wallet. Plus, enjoy welcome benefits worth ₹2,000, including offers like 100% cashback up to ₹200 on Amazon shopping, and more.

Zero charges and the high 5% unlimited cashback on Amazon make this a must-have LTF credit card. You can apply even if you already have an ICICI card. ICICI also offers a generous credit limit, which can sometimes enhance your existing ICICI card limits.

Who should consider applying? This card is ideal for frequent Amazon shoppers, regular bill payers, and anyone seeking a fee-free card with cashback and easy rewards.

2. Axis Flipkart Credit Card

The Axis Flipkart Bank credit card is very similar to the ICICI Amazon Pay card, but for Flipkart. You get unlimited 5% cashback for spends on Flipkart and Cleartrip. The card also gives you unlimited 4% cashback on partner merchants, which include MakeMyTrip, Goibibo, Uber, PVR, and Cure.fit.

All other online and offline eligible spends earn you 1.5% cashback, which is higher than the ICICI Amazon Pay credit card. Another good thing is that this cashback is directly credited to your credit card statement in the next cycle.

The Flipkart Axis credit card also offers 4 complimentary airport lounge visits a year, making it one of the LTF lounge cards. However, this now requires a minimum spend of ₹50,000 in the last three months. Here are cards without spending requirements for lounges.

Who should consider applying? This is a good free option for those who shop frequently on Flipkart and Cleartrip and want a card with a decent cashback rate on other spends as well.

3. Axis Neo LTF Credit Card

Axis Bank also offers another lifetime free credit card that the bank has recently been promoting heavily. The card provides offers on Zomato, bill payments through Paytm, and the Axis Bank Dining Delights program.

On Zomato, you can avail 40% off, up to ₹120, on minimum ₹200 orders. This offer is applicable twice a month, giving you savings of ₹2,880 per year. Additionally, you get 5% off on recharges and bill payments made through Paytm, with a maximum of ₹150 each month on a minimum transaction of ₹299.

Other offers include 10% off on Blinkit (up to ₹250 off on minimum spends of ₹750), valid once per month, extra ₹150 off on Myntra with a minimum purchase of ₹999 on select styles, and 10% off on movie tickets on BookMyShow, with maximum monthly benefits of up to ₹100.

Who should consider applying? This entry-level card is perfect for frequent users of Zomato, Paytm, Blinkit, Myntra, and BookMyShow, offering great discounts and rewards with no annual fee.

4. AU Bank LIT Credit Card

AU LIT is a unique credit card. The brand has adopted a method similar to IndiGo airlines for selling things, segregating everything into multiple fees. Essentially, AU LIT is a lifetime free credit card that comes as a vanilla card with no features of its own.

The card gives you 1 Reward Point per ₹100 spent. However, you can pay for subscriptions to add features to your card; examples include up to 5% cashback for 90 days at ₹299, up to 2% for 90 days at ₹199, 5% cashback on a chosen category at ₹199 – ₹299, and an airport lounge access for ₹199 + GST. However, these plans have their own terms and conditions, such as minimum spending requirements for cashback and a limited number of transactions per month.

The AU Lit credit card is perfect if you want an AU bank card to avail offers online and something that’s lifetime free in its base form. If you want to add features along the way, you may do so by purchasing a plan, but not all are worthwhile, so be advised.

Who should consider applying? AU LIT is a free, customizable credit card ideal for online shopping and those who want to pay only for the features they use. Plus, you get to use AU bank credit card offers on Zomato, Swiggy, TataCliq, and other platforms.

5. Ixigo AU Bank Credit Card

The Ixigo AU is a lifetime-free travel credit card. Although AU mentions a joining and annual fee of ₹999, it is currently waived for a limited period. The card gives you access to 2 railway lounges and 2 domestic airport lounges per quarter, totaling 8 visits per year. You’ll also get 1 international lounge visit per year with a Priority Pass membership, upon request.

The AU Ixigo card offers a 10% discount on flight and hotel bookings (up to ₹1,000) and a 10% discount on bus bookings (up to ₹300) once a month. It also features a 0% forex charge on international transactions, making it an ideal LTF credit card for international spending.

As welcome benefits when you join, you’ll receive 1,000 Reward Points and ₹1,000 in Ixigo money vouchers on your first successful transaction within 30 days of card issuance. Additionally, there are no platform charges on railway ticket bookings.

Who should consider applying? The Ixigo AU Credit Card is ideal for frequent travellers who want lounge access and discounts on flight, hotel, and bus bookings. It’s also a great choice for those making international purchases due to its 0% forex charge.

6. IndusInd Legend Credit Card

The IndusInd Legend is an underrated lifetime-free credit card. Previously, it came with a one-time joining fee of ₹9,999, but that fee has been removed, making the card available at zero charges for now.

The Legend card offers 1 Reward Point per ₹100 spent on weekdays and 2 Reward Points per ₹100 spent on weekends. You also get two complimentary domestic airport lounge access per quarter. Additionally, there’s a Buy 1 Get 1 offer on BookMyShow once a month, capped at ₹200—though some users have reported issues with it, so be cautious.

There are also offers on EazyDiner. The card comes with a complimentary Priority Pass membership, though it doesn’t cover free lounge visits, so keep that in mind. You also get 24×7 concierge service, which is generally not available with free credit cards.

Who should consider applying? The IndusInd Legend is perfect for those looking for a lifetime-free card with decent rewards on everyday spending and lounge access. It’s also a great option for users who value concierge services, Priority Pass (albeit without lounge access) and BookMyShow offers.

7. ICICI Bank Platinum Chip Credit Card

The ICICI Bank Platinum Chip is a no-frills credit card. Looking for a basic lifetime-free credit card that covers the essentials? This one does the job. The card offers 2 Reward Points for every ₹100 spent on retail purchases, redeemable for cashback or gifts.

While it’s not loaded with extras, you do get a 10% instant discount on ICICI credit card offers. Plus, you can enjoy up to 15% off on dining through the ICICI Bank Culinary Treats Programme.

If you hold an ICICI Bank savings account, you may already be pre-approved for this card. However, if the bank offers you an ICICI Coral as LTF or other options like Rubyx or Sapphiro with no joining or annual fees, consider those as alternatives.

Who should consider applying? The ICICI Platinum is ideal for those new to credit or looking for a straightforward secondary card. It’s a great choice for ICICI account holders seeking instant discounts and easy, no-fee management.

8. Jupiter Edge RuPay Credit Card

The Jupiter Edge RuPay Credit Card, issued in partnership with CSB Bank, is a lifetime-free option that combines cashback and flexibility.

One of its standout features is the ability to select a spending category each month to earn an impressive 2% cashback on UPI. You can choose the cashback category that best aligns with your spending habits. All other spends, including online purchases and UPI transactions outside the chosen category, earn a base rate of 0.4% cashback. This rate increases to 1% once you reach a monthly spending milestone of ₹30,000.

In addition to cashback, the Jupiter Edge RuPay Credit Card offers a ₹250 welcome voucher from popular brands like Amazon and Flipkart. Note that to earn cashback on UPI payments, transactions must be made through the Jupiter app.

Who should consider applying? Jupiter Edge RuPay Credit Card is perfect for digital-first users who want a lifetime-free card with flexible cashback on UPI and everyday spending. Get this if you appreciate rewards tailored to your spending patterns.

9. Scapia Federal Credit Card

The Scapia credit card, in partnership with Federal Bank, is one of my favourite lifetime free travel credit cards: it has zero annual fee, zero joining fee, and zero forex charges.  

You can unlock unlimited domestic lounge access, complimentary dining, shopping, or spa experiences by spending ₹10,000 on the card every month. Earn a 10% reward on every eligible online and offline spend, which you receive as Scapia Coins.

This translates to a 2% reward rate on general spends (10 Scapia Coins per ₹100), and a 4% reward rate on travel booked through the Scapia app (20 Scapia Coins per ₹100), since 5 Scapia Coins = ₹1.  You can use your Scapia Coins to book travel on the Scapia app.

Who should consider applying? The Scapia Credit Card is meant for frequent travellers and shoppers who want a lifetime-free card with rewards on everyday spends. It’s great for those who can meet the monthly spending threshold to unlock unlimited domestic lounge access.

10. IDFC First Credit Cards: Millennia, Select, Classic, Wealth

IDFC First Bank offers a range of credit cards, and surprisingly, none of them have any annual or joining fee. Yes, all the cards—IDFC First Millennia, Select, Classic, and Wealth—are lifetime free. Each of these cards caters to different income brackets, with Millennia and Classic targeting ₹3 lakh per annum, Select ₹12 lakh per annum, and Wealth ₹30 lakh per annum.

When you apply for any of the above cards, you receive a welcome voucher worth ₹500 and 5% cashback (up to ₹1,000) on your first EMI transaction. Furthermore, there are dining benefits of up to 20% off at 1,500+ restaurants, complimentary roadside assistance, personal accident cover, and lost card liability cover.

The IDFC Millennia and Classic cards offer 4 complimentary railway lounge accesses per year. The Select card offers both railway and domestic airport lounge access (4 per quarter), subject to spending ₹20,000 in the previous month. The Wealth card, on the other hand, comes with 4 complimentary domestic and international airport lounge visits per quarter.

Here is the reward rate for each of these cards:

Credit Card	Reward Rate
IDFC First Millennia & Classic	6X RP on online and 3X on offline purchases for spends up to ₹20,000 per month. 10X RP on incremental spends above ₹20,000 per month, birthday spends. 3X RP on rental and property management transactions.
IDFC First Select	6X RP on online and 3X on offline purchases for spends up to ₹25,000 per month. 10X RP on incremental spends above ₹25,000 per month, birthday spends. 3X RP on rental and property management transactions.
IDFC First Wealth	6X RP on online and 3X on offline purchases for spends up to ₹30,000 per month. 10X RP on incremental spends above ₹30,000 per month, birthday spends. 3X reward points on rental and property management transactions.

Who should consider applying? IDFC First credit cards are ideal for people across different income levels who want lifetime-free cards with strong rewards on both online and offline spending. These cards suit frequent travellers, diners, and those who appreciate benefits like lounge access, dining discounts, and complimentary RSA and insurance coverage.

11. HSBC Visa Platinum

The HSBC Visa Platinum credit card comes with zero joining and annual fees. You get a ₹250 Amazon gift voucher for completing your video KYC, and an additional ₹500 cashback for downloading the HSBC India Mobile App and spending at least ₹5,000 in the first 30 days of having your card.

You can earn 2 Reward Points per ₹150 spent, which increases to 5X the reward points on any purchase made after spending ₹4,00,000. The card also offers a fuel surcharge waiver and allows you to convert your reward points into air miles with Air India’s Flying Returns, Etihad Airways, British Airways, and Singapore Airlines.

Additionally, you can use this card to earn 5%-10% cashback offers on Amazon, Swiggy, Zomato, and other online food and shopping platforms.

Who should consider applying? You must apply for HSBC Visa if you’re interested in HSBC Bank instant discount offers on e-commerce platforms. Welcome voucher and cashback benefits are an added bonus.

There Are Plenty of Other Lifetime Free Credit Cards

Here are some other no fee credit cards that you may want to consider:

• Kotak League Platinum Credit Card (account-specific)
• Kotak UPI RuPay Credit Card
• ICICI Coral LTF Cred Card (account-specific)
• Swiggy HDFC Credit Card (account-specific)
• HDFC Tata Neu Plus/ Infinity Credit Card (Limited Time LTF Offer)
• OneCard Metal Credit Card
• RBL PaisaBazaar Credit Card
• AU Bank InstaPay Credit Card
• AU Bank XCite, XCite Ultra, XCite Ace
• HDFC Millennia and Regalia Gold (sometimes offered as LTF based on acount)

With so many lifetime-free credit cards available, there’s no reason to pay for the privilege of earning rewards and enjoying perks. Compare the options above, choose the card that best suits your needs, and apply today. Based on my experience, I highly recommend the ICICI Amazon Pay, Axis Flipkart, and ixigo AU credit cards as some of the must-haves on this list. Also, don’t overlook the Jupiter and Scapia cards, which offer excellent cashback with no fees. However, it all depends on the features you prioritize the most. Happy spending!