How do I compare credit cards side-by-side to choose the best card in India?

To compare credit cards effectively, evaluate 5 core parameters: (1) Effective Reward Rate on your top spend categories (online shopping, dining, travel, fuel), (2) Joining and Annual Fees versus annual spend waiver thresholds, (3) Monthly cashback and reward caps, (4) Airport lounge access rules and spend criteria, and (5) Forex markup charges. CardCheck provides a real-time side-by-side comparison matrix across 150+ Indian credit cards using verified MITC data.

How do monthly reward caps affect credit card comparisons?

Monthly reward caps limit the maximum cashback or points you can earn per billing cycle regardless of total spend. For example, while SBI Cashback offers 5% cashback up to ₹5,000/month across online merchants, HDFC Millennia caps 5% cashback at ₹1,000/month on preferred brands. Comparing monthly capping ensures your high-value transactions continue earning rewards without hitting hidden limits.

What hidden fees should you check when comparing Indian credit cards?

When comparing cards, inspect Most Important Terms and Conditions (MITC) for hidden charges: fuel surcharge waivers (capped at ₹100–₹500/mo), utility bill surcharges (1%+GST), rent payment processing fees, cash advance APRs (up to 42% p.a.), late payment fee tiers, and forex markup rates (ranging from 1.99% on premium travel cards to 3.5% on standard cards).

How do airport lounge access spend criteria work when comparing cards?

In 2026, many Indian card issuers (including HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, and SBI Card) require spend-linked eligibility for lounge access—such as spending ₹35,000 to ₹50,000 in the previous calendar quarter to unlock complimentary domestic lounge visits. Premium cards like Axis Magnus or HDFC Regalia Gold offer fixed quarterly lounge quotas or Priority Pass / DreamFolks memberships with lower spend barriers.

Which credit card is better: SBI Cashback vs HDFC Millennia?

SBI Cashback is ideal for broad online shopping as it offers 5% flat cashback on almost all online merchants with a generous ₹5,000 monthly cap. HDFC Millennia is better if you spend primarily on partner platforms (Amazon, Flipkart, Swiggy, Myntra) and value milestone gift vouchers alongside complimentary domestic airport lounge access.

Can I compare RuPay credit cards and multi-bank options on CardCheck?

Yes. CardCheck enables unified side-by-side comparison across 150+ credit cards from SBI Card, HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, Axis Bank, Amex, IDFC FIRST, Kotak Bank, and AU Small Finance Bank. You can compare RuPay credit cards (for UPI payments), Visa, Mastercard, and American Express cards in one matrix.

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3 cards selected · tap any row to highlight

India's independent credit card intelligence platform. Compare annual fees, real cashback return rates, airport lounge access quotas, spend fee waivers, and MITC terms side by side across SBI, HDFC, ICICI, Axis, Amex, and 20+ banks.

Trending matchups

Amazon Pay ICICI Bank Credit Card

ICICI Bank

SimplyCLICK SBI Card

SBI Card

Regalia Gold Credit Card

HDFC Bank

Very Good

Amazon Pay ICICI Bank Credit Card

ICICI Bank

Very Good

SimplyCLICK SBI Card

SBI Card

Excellent

Regalia Gold Credit Card

HDFC Bank

01—CardCheck Score & Pillars

CardCheck Score: 77; 75; 82Best
Rating Verdict: Very Good; Very Good; Excellent
Reward Power (35%): 34/35; 35/35; 34/35
Fee Value & ROI (25%): 25/25; 24/25; 18/25
Lounge & Travel (20%): 4/20; 4/20; 18/20
Forex & Access (20%): 14/20; 12/20; 12/20

02—Basic Info

Bank: ICICI Bank; SBI Card; HDFC Bank
Network: Visa; Visa; Mastercard
Card type: Co-branded; Regular; Premium
Best for: Rewards on Amazon Purchases; Online shoppers — 10X on Amazon, Cleartrip, Lenskart, BookMyShow; Travel rewards

03—Fees

Joining fee: FreeBest; ₹499; ₹2,500
Annual fee: FreeBest; ₹499; ₹2,500
Fee waiver: FreeBest; ₹1,00,000; ₹4,00,000
Interest-free days: 50; 50; 50

04—Interest

APR (min): 42%Best; 42%Best; 43.2%
APR (max): 46%; 42%Best; 45%
Late payment fee: ₹1,300; ₹1,300; ₹1,300
Cash advance fee: 2.5%; 2.5%; 2.5%

05—Rewards

Reward type: cashback; points; points
Min rate: 1%; 1.25%; 1.33%Best
Max rate: 5%; 10%Best; 6.67%
Points / ₹100: —; 1; 2.67Best
Point value: ₹1; ₹0.25; ₹0.5
Monthly cap: —; ₹5,000; —

06—Travel & Lounge

Domestic lounge / qtr: 0; 0; 3Best
Lounge spend criteria: —; —; ₹60,000 spend in preceding calendar quarter
Intl lounge / year: 0; 0; 6Best
Priority Pass
DreamFolks

07—Forex & Fuel

Forex markup: 1.99%Best; 3.5%; 2%
Fuel surcharge waiver

08—Features

Metal card
Contactless
UPI linked

09—Eligibility

Invite only

Rows won

05of 12

02of 12

05of 12

Attribute ↓	Column A ICICI Bank Amazon Pay ICICI Bank Credit Card CardCheckVery Good	Column B SBI Card SimplyCLICK SBI Card CardCheckVery Good	★ Overall pick Column C HDFC Bank Regalia Gold Credit Card CardCheckExcellent
01—CardCheck Score & Pillars Differences highlighted
CardCheck Score	77	75	82Best
Rating Verdict	Very Good	Very Good	Excellent
Reward Power (35%)	34/35	35/35	34/35
Fee Value & ROI (25%)	25/25	24/25	18/25
Lounge & Travel (20%)	4/20	4/20	18/20
Forex & Access (20%)	14/20	12/20	12/20
02—Basic Info Differences highlighted
Bank	ICICI Bank	SBI Card	HDFC Bank
Network	Visa	Visa	Mastercard
Card type	Co-branded	Regular	Premium
Best for	Rewards on Amazon Purchases	Online shoppers — 10X on Amazon, Cleartrip, Lenskart, BookMyShow	Travel rewards
03—Fees Differences highlighted
Joining fee	FreeBest	₹499	₹2,500
Annual fee	FreeBest	₹499	₹2,500
Fee waiver	FreeBest	₹1,00,000	₹4,00,000
Interest-free days	50	50	50
04—Interest Differences highlighted
APR (min)	42%Best	42%Best	43.2%
APR (max)	46%	42%Best	45%
Late payment fee	₹1,300	₹1,300	₹1,300
Cash advance fee	2.5%	2.5%	2.5%
05—Rewards Differences highlighted
Reward type	cashback	points	points
Min rate	1%	1.25%	1.33%Best
Max rate	5%	10%Best	6.67%
Points / ₹100	—	1	2.67Best
Point value	₹1	₹0.25	₹0.5
Monthly cap	—	₹5,000	—
06—Travel & Lounge Differences highlighted
Domestic lounge / qtr	0	0	3Best
Lounge spend criteria	—	—	₹60,000 spend in preceding calendar quarter
Intl lounge / year	0	0	6Best
Priority Pass
DreamFolks
07—Forex & Fuel Differences highlighted
Forex markup	1.99%Best	3.5%	2%
Fuel surcharge waiver
08—Features Differences highlighted
Metal card
Contactless
UPI linked
09—Eligibility Differences highlighted
Invite only
Rows won	05of 12	02of 12	05of 12

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CardCheck Comparison Index

Updated daily across 156 cards with zero sponsored placement bias. All fee waivers, lounge quotas, and net reward earnings are computed using official RBI MITC disclosures.

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Frequently Asked Questions: Amazon Pay ICICI Bank Credit Card vs SimplyCLICK SBI Card

Which is better: Amazon Pay ICICI Bank Credit Card or SimplyCLICK SBI Card?

Amazon Pay ICICI Bank Credit Card holds a higher overall rating with a CardCheck Score of 77/100 (Very Good) compared to 75/100 (Very Good) for SimplyCLICK SBI Card (a lead of +2 points). Amazon Pay ICICI Bank Credit Card gains its scoring lead primarily through forex & terms (14 vs 12) and fee value & ROI (25 vs 24) while tying on lounge & travel privileges.

How do annual fees and fee waiver spend rules compare?

Amazon Pay ICICI Bank Credit Card charges an annual fee of ₹0 (Lifetime Free / Zero Fee) with no official annual spend waiver milestone for renewal fee waiver. In comparison, SimplyCLICK SBI Card charges an annual fee of ₹499 with an annual spend threshold of ₹1 Lakh.

How do the reward rates and cashback compare between Amazon Pay ICICI Bank Credit Card and SimplyCLICK SBI Card?

Amazon Pay ICICI Bank Credit Card offers a base reward rate of 1% and up to 5% on accelerated partner categories. Meanwhile, SimplyCLICK SBI Card offers a base rate of 1.25% and up to 10% on eligible spends. Compare net returns against your monthly spend in our Rewards Calculator.

Which card has better airport lounge access: Amazon Pay ICICI Bank Credit Card or SimplyCLICK SBI Card?

Amazon Pay ICICI Bank Credit Card provides no complimentary airport lounge access. On the other hand, SimplyCLICK SBI Card provides no complimentary airport lounge access.

Which card is better for international foreign currency spends?

Amazon Pay ICICI Bank Credit Card levies a foreign currency markup fee of 1.99%, while SimplyCLICK SBI Card charges 3.5%. Lower forex markup directly reduces costs when transacting overseas or on international e-commerce platforms.

Is CardCheck's comparison data unbiased and verified against official bank MITC?

Yes. All credit card fees, interest rates, lounge visit quotas, and reward calculations on CardCheck are 100% unsponsored and verified directly against each bank's official Most Important Terms & Conditions (MITC).