August 1, 2025 · 11 mins read
Santosh Kumar
The RuPay credit cards have achieved considerable success in India since their introduction by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) in 2012. RuPay is a domestic payment network that allows payments to be made more easily, affordably, and rewardingly than global networks like Visa and Mastercard. RuPay integrates via the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) to make payments more seamless than conventional methods, which are readily accepted across India, and its international acceptance is steadily increasing.
RuPay credit cards cater to a wide range of financial needs, from travel and daily expenses to lifestyle benefits.
RuPay payment cards were developed to support the Indian economy, promote cashless payments, and reduce dependence on foreign payment networks. The credit card range of RuPay offers consumer options like Classic, Platinum, Select, and specialized cards like MSME, Kisan, and co-branded cards tailored for certain customer segments, to offer rewards, cashback, lounge access, and insurance.
As well, linking RuPay Credit Cards to UPI has changed digital payments and enhanced every RuPay credit card as both an online and offline payment option. Following that is more in-depth information regarding the types of RuPay credit cards and what they offer.
The RuPay Classic Credit Card is the most basic of the types of RuPay credit cards, focused primarily on everyday users, students, young professionals, and truly first-time credit card owners. It focuses on functionality at a low cost; generally, it has no or low annual fees, which allows it to compete directly on price with a rewards program for budget-conscious users.
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Merchant Offers: Offers exclusive discounts at the partners in merchant's listings at POS terminals and e-commerce sites, and complete for both POS and e-commerce categories, including dining, Shopping, Travel, and sightseeing.
UPI Integration: You can connect your RuPay card in UPI apps like BHIM, PhonePe, or Google Pay as an additional feature to use the QR code to make purchases with credit.
Reward Points: Get 1 point per ₹100 spent on your non-UPI transactions (from some banks, you can get as much as a 2-point bonus within UPI spends).
Waiver of Fuel Surcharge: Get a 1% waiver on all your fuel transactions between ₹400 to ₹5,000, with a maximum of ₹400 waived off a month.
Good For
The RuPay classic credit card is good for anyone looking for a straightforward and inexpensive card for everyday purchases such as grocery shopping, bill paying, and small online purchases. With its low to no costs, it is perfect for the first-time user or limited usage of credit.
The RuPay Platinum Credit Card is one step above the Classic version, and gives more benefits and rewards that appeal to users who are looking for something more in their credit card experience. It is a good option for users who want premium benefits at an economical and affordable price.
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Increased Rewards Points: Earn 2 rewards Points on UPI transactions and 1 rewards Point for non-UPI spends. Some banks have been offering 5X points on specific categories, such as online shopping or dining.
Airport Lounge Access: Redeem free access to some of the domestic Airport lounges. Manly up to 1-2 visits per quarter.
Insurance Benefits: Personal accident insurance of INR two lakhs, and travel insurance, so you feel more comfortable traveling.
Concierge Services: 24x7 concierge services - so you can get help in booking your travel, looking for a restaurant, or any of your lifestyle needs.
Fuel Surcharge Waiver: Similar to the Classic card, for fuel transactions between INR 200 and INR 5,000, a 1% monthly waiver is applied, capped at INR 400.
Ideal For
The RuPay Platinum Credit Card is ideal for users who are typically online shoppers or those who dine out often, as well as those who travel domestically. The combination of rewards, lounges, and insurance makes this an excellent option for middle-income professionals.
The RuPay Select Credit Card is the premium version of the RuPay credit card types for the affluent consumer looking for luxury and exclusivity. This premium card is packed with a variety of luxury benefits, making it suitable for users who have a premium lifestyle.
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Wellness & Spa: Includes holistic spa sessions or complimentary preventive health check-ups to maintain a health-conscious lifestyle.
Golf Program: Enjoy complimentary games (or lessons) of golf at over 20 premium golf courses in India, one complimentary day each year.
Lounge Access: Enjoy complimentary domestic and international airport lounges and specific railway lounges, with up to 2 visits per quarter.
OTT Subscriptions: Enjoy free access to a variety of OTT platforms to watch your movies, music, and original content ad-free.
Insurance Coverage: Includes personal accident insurance and permanent disability cover of up to ₹10 lakhs.
Ideal For
The RuPay Select Credit Card was designed for high-net-worth individuals looking for exciting luxury experiences, travelling frequently, and receiving premium lifestyle benefits. It is ideal for getting the most value from the benefits of rewards on high transaction value.
The RuPay MSME Credit Card is made for owners of small and medium enterprises that have registered under the MSME scheme. The card benefits are geared towards business expenses.
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Business Offers: Enjoy exclusive benefits and savings on business-related purchases like travel expenses and office supplies.
Lounge: Enjoy domestic lounge access twice each quarter and international lounge access twice per calendar year.
Insurance Coverage: Personal accident insurance up to ₹10 lakhs, air accident insurance, and baggage loss cover periods.
UPI: UPI allows you to easily link the card to your UPI account so you can easily make business transactions, such as vendor payments and utility bills.
Higher Credit Limits: Credit limits will depend on the business turnover that is reported, but often, you will be able to receive credit limits of up to 90% of the value endorsed on the collateral.
The RuPay MSME Credit Card is recommended for entrepreneurs and small business owners who want a card to manage business expenses while enjoying premium offers and perks, such as lounge access and insurance.
The RuPay Kisan Credit Card was designed for farmers participating in the Kisan Credit Card Scheme, enabling them to access credit facilities for further agricultural development. The benefits of a credit card and tailored options for rural consumers are combined with the card.
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Agricultural Development: Cheap credit for the purchase of seeds, fertilizers, or agricultural equipment with a variety of payment options.
Merchant Offers: Discounts when you shop at partner merchants (agricultural supplies or partner e-commerce sites).
Use of UPI: You can use UPI to manage quick payments in rural markets or aggregate utility bill payments.
Insurance Facilities: One credit card provides personal accident insurance coverage of up to ₹2 lakhs.
Low Prepayment: Many banks provide this card with no annual cost.
Who Would Benefit
The RuPay Kisan Credit Card is excellent for farmers and agricultural labourers requiring a durable and seamless credit facility, or where farming-related expenses and day-to-day payments are concerned.
Co-branded RuPay cards are issued with specific brands or banks and provide tailored benefits for spending in select categories. Examples of co-branded cards include Tata Neu Infinity, IndianOil HDFC Bank Credit Card, and RBL RuPay Credit Card.
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Tata Neu Infinity: This card offers 1.5% cashback on UPI transactions and up to 10% savings on multiple Tata Group brand purchases, including Bigbasket, Croma, and Taj Hotels.
IndianOil HDFC Bank Credit Card: You will earn 5% of your spends back as Fuel Points at IndianOil outlets (maximum of 250 points per month for the first six months) and a 1% fuel surcharge waiver.
RBL RuPay Credit Card: This card comes with National Common Mobility Card (NCMC), providing for contactless payments at Metro stations and buses, and providing 2 reward points for every ₹100 UPI spend.
Cashback and Rewards: Co-branded cards provide accelerated rewards such as 5% cash back on all travel via MakeMyTrip, Yatra, or shopping via Amazon and Myntra.
Lounge Access: Some co-branded cards will provide complimentary lounge access at airports.
Ideal For
Co-branded RuPay credit cards are perfectly suited for old customers of select brands or regular spenders in fuel, travel, or retail. Generally, co-branded RuPay credit cards provide customer rewards and savings linked to their specific lifestyles.
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One of the unparalleled attributes of all kinds of RuPay Credit Cards is the connection with UPI, which the RBI launched in June 2022. That design is allowing a cardholder to link their RuPay Credit Card to a UPI app, allowing the user to facilitate cardless payments using QR codes. The benefits include:
Deferred Payments: Unlike UPI payments, which, at times, can charge your bank account immediately, the difference with a payment made through RuPay Credit Card is that the payment is billed to the credit card, allowing the UPI transaction to have as much as 50 days of interest-free credit available at your disposal.
No Additional Charges: A transaction under ₹2,000 with a small offline merchant would normally incur an associated charge.
Reward Points: You can earn rewards for UPI transactions, for example, 2 points per ₹100, which allows an enhancement and total benefits associated with everyday purchases.
AutoPay: You can use RuPay AutoPay to automatically pay bills, subscriptions, or EMIs to repay your accounts on time.
It's this level of flexibility that really helps to make RuPay Credit Cards one of the most flexible financial instruments using UPI in everyday living payments.
RuPay credit cards are a great choice because they are inexpensive, secure, and fit within India's broad digital payment ecosystem.
Economical: RuPay charges low processing fees since it is a domestic transaction, and therefore many RuPay Credit Cards have low or no annual fees.
Widespread Acceptance: There are over 1.5 lakh ATMs, 8.75 lakh merchants, and over 10,000 e-commerce platforms in India that accept RuPay credit cards. RuPay is being accepted more and more internationally through partnerships with Discover, JCB, and Diners Club.
Security: Credit cards using RuPay technology are implemented with embedded EMV chip technology, and they use Tokenisation technology to further secure the transactional process.
Support from Government: RuPay is endorsed through the NPCI and supports government initiatives such as the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana, and this clearly promotes Financial Inclusion initiatives.
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The types of RuPay credit cards that you can find include Classic, Platinum, Select Kisan, and co-branded cards, including Tata Neu Infinity and IndianOil HDFC Bank Credit Card, which is targeted for an individual's appetite.
Yes, RuPay credit cards can be used internationally as RuPay currently partners with Discover, JCB, and Diners Club; however, a forex markup fee (3.5% charges for IndusInd Bank) on top of applicable forex will be applicable for international transactions will be applicable.
Linking a RuPay credit card to UPI apps like BHIM or Google Pay will allow you to scan and pay with QR code while enjoying the credit feature and rewards on your UPI.
Yes, for example, Federal Bank RuPay Signet, AU InstaPay, HDFC RuPay Shoppers Stop Credit Card are lifetime free cards, with no joining fee or annual fees.
The RuPay Select Credit Card has premium benefits like spa sessions, golf programs, OTT subscription programs, lounge access, and insurance coverage up to ₹10 lakhs.
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