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Best Credit Card for EMI Purchases in India (2026)

Quick answer:

HDFC Easy EMI Credit Card gives you up to 5% back on no-cost EMI and instalment purchases — the highest of any card we track. YES BANK POP-CLUB Credit Card is the best free alternative.

Updated April 2026·10 cards compared·No affiliate commissions

Key insight

Most cards DON'T earn rewards on EMI transactions — this is India's biggest credit card blind spot. The rare cards that do earn on EMI are immensely valuable for big-ticket purchases.

Top 10 Cards for EMI Purchases

1

HDFC Easy EMI Credit Card

HDFC

Up to 5% — directly optimised for emi

Reward rateUp to 5%
Annual fee₹500
Score7.7/10
Co-branded / Direct
2

Bajaj Finserv RBL Bank SuperCard

RBL

Up to 2% — directly optimised for emi

Reward rateUp to 2%
Annual fee₹999
Score6.1/10
Co-branded / Direct
3

Airtel Axis Bank Credit Card

Axis

Up to 25% on cashback (best on airtel)

Reward rateUp to 25%
Annual fee₹500
Score8.2/10
4

Flipkart Axis Bank Super Elite Credit Card

Axis

Up to 16% on online shopping (best on flipkart)

Reward rateUp to 16%
Annual fee₹500
Score8.1/10
5

HDFC Tata Neu Infinity

HDFC

Up to 10% on online shopping (best on tata neu)

Reward rateUp to 10%
Annual fee₹1,499
Score9.1/10
6

HDFC Swiggy Credit Card

HDFC

Up to 10% on cashback (best on swiggy)

Reward rateUp to 10%
Annual fee₹500
Score8.7/10
7

Axis Citi Rewards Credit Card

Axis (formerly Citi)

Up to 10% on online shopping

Reward rateUp to 10%
Annual fee₹1,000
Score8.4/10
8

HSBC Cashback Credit Card

HSBC

Up to 10% on cashback

Reward rateUp to 10%
Annual fee₹999
Score8.2/10
9

Swiggy HDFC Bank Credit Card

HDFC

Up to 10% on cashback (best on swiggy)

Reward rateUp to 10%
Annual fee₹500
Score8/10
10

American Express SmartEarn Credit Card

American Express

Up to 10% on online shopping

Reward rateUp to 10%
Annual fee₹495
Score7.9/10

How We Ranked These

We ranked all 239 credit cards in our database against EMI Purchases using three tiers of relevance:

  1. Direct match — cards specifically designed for or partnered with EMI Purchases (co-branded cards, direct accelerated rewards)
  2. Category match — cards that earn accelerated rewards on the spending category that EMI Purchases falls under
  3. Broad match — cards that earn elevated rewards on related or overlapping categories

Within each tier, cards are sorted by effective reward rate (highest first), then by CardTrail Score as a tiebreaker. Every number on this page comes from our database — nothing is fabricated.

The Math: How Much Can You Actually Earn?

Monthly spendHDFC Easy EMI Credit CardBajaj Finserv RBL Bank…Airtel Axis Bank Credi…
₹5.0K/mo₹3.0K/yr₹1.2K/yr₹15.0K/yr
₹15.0K/mo₹9.0K/yr₹3.6K/yr₹45.0K/yr
₹30.0K/mo₹18.0K/yr₹7.2K/yr₹90.0K/yr

Assumes consistent monthly spending at the card's maximum reward rate for the matching category. Actual returns may vary based on reward caps, tier structures, and point redemption value.

Common Pitfalls to Watch For

!

No-cost EMI usually means no reward points either — the 'no cost' comes at the cost of rewards

!

Post-purchase EMI conversion also typically voids reward points on that transaction

!

Even if the merchant shows 'No-cost EMI', your card issuer may still charge processing fees

Free vs Paid: Is the Annual Fee Worth It?

Best Free Card

YES BANK POP-CLUB Credit Card

YES Bank · ₹0 annual fee

Up to 10% on no-cost EMI and instalment purchases

Score: 7.8/10

Best Overall

HDFC Easy EMI Credit Card

HDFC · ₹500 annual fee

Up to 5% on no-cost EMI and instalment purchases

Score: 7.7/10

Cards to Avoid for EMI Purchases

These are popular, well-rated cards that earn only their base reward rate on no-cost EMI and instalment purchases. If you carry one of these, use a different card for EMI Purchases purchases.

IDFC FIRST Diamond Reserve Credit Card

IDFC FIRST · Score: 9/10 — but only 0.5% on no-cost EMI and instalment purchases

American Express Platinum Charge Card

American Express · Score: 8.7/10 — but only 1.25% on no-cost EMI and instalment purchases

IndusInd Tiger Credit Card

IndusInd · Score: 8.7/10 — but only 1.2% on no-cost EMI and instalment purchases

IDFC FIRST Select Credit Card

IDFC FIRST · Score: 8.7/10 — but only 0.75% on no-cost EMI and instalment purchases

IDFC FIRST Wealth Credit Card

IDFC FIRST · Score: 8.7/10 — but only 0.75% on no-cost EMI and instalment purchases

These are great cards for other spending categories — just not for no-cost EMI and instalment purchases. Use the top-ranked card above instead.

Related: Best Cards for Similar Spending

Best for Amazon Best for Flipkart Best for Croma Best for Online Shopping

Frequently Asked Questions

Which credit card gives the highest cashback on EMI Purchases?
HDFC Easy EMI Credit Card from HDFC gives up to 5% back on no-cost EMI and instalment purchases. It has a CardTrail Score of 7.7/10 with an annual fee of ₹500.
Is there a no-annual-fee credit card good for EMI Purchases?
Yes — YES BANK POP-CLUB Credit Card is a free card (₹0 annual fee) that earns up to 10% on no-cost EMI and instalment purchases. CardTrail Score: 7.8/10.
How do credit card rewards work on EMI Purchases?
Credit cards earn rewards based on the Merchant Category Code (MCC) of the transaction. EMI Purchases transactions are assigned an MCC by the payment network, and cards with accelerated rewards on that MCC earn higher cashback or points.
Which popular credit cards should I avoid using for EMI Purchases?
Cards like IDFC FIRST Diamond Reserve Credit Card, American Express Platinum Charge Card, IndusInd Tiger Credit Card have high overall scores but earn only their base rate (0.5% or less) on no-cost EMI and instalment purchases. Use a category-matched card instead.

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