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Best Credit Card for Income Tax & GST Payments in India (2026)

Quick answer:

HDFC BizGrow Credit Card gives you up to 6.7% back on income tax, advance tax, and GST payments via credit card — the highest of any card we track. SBM OneCard Credit Card is the best free alternative.

Updated April 2026·10 cards compared·No affiliate commissions

Key insight

Tax payments are large lump sums (₹50K-₹5L+). Most payment gateways charge ~1% convenience fee — you need a card earning 1%+ just to break even. A few high-reward cards make this profitable.

Top 10 Cards for Income Tax & GST Payments

HDFC BizGrow Credit Card

HDFC

Up to 6.7% — directly optimised for tax payments

Reward rateUp to 6.7%

Annual fee₹500

Score7.4/10

Co-branded / Direct

Airtel Axis Bank Credit Card

Axis

Up to 25% on cashback (best on airtel)

Reward rateUp to 25%

Annual fee₹500

Score8.2/10

DBS Spark20 Credit Card

Up to 20% on rewards

HDFC Swiggy Credit Card

HDFC

Up to 10% on cashback (best on swiggy)

Reward rateUp to 10%

Annual fee₹500

Score8.7/10

Chennai Super Kings ICICI Bank Credit Card

Up to 10% on rewards

HSBC Cashback Credit Card

HSBC

Up to 10% on cashback

Reward rateUp to 10%

Annual fee₹999

Score8.2/10

Swiggy HDFC Bank Credit Card

HDFC

Up to 10% on cashback (best on swiggy)

Reward rateUp to 10%

Annual fee₹500

Score8/10

SimplyCLICK Advantage SBI Card

SBI

Up to 10% on cashback

Reward rateUp to 10%

Annual fee₹499

Score7.9/10

SBM OneCard Credit Card

Up to 10% on rewards

YES BANK POP-CLUB Credit Card

Up to 10% on rewards

How We Ranked These

We ranked all 239 credit cards in our database against Income Tax & GST Payments using three tiers of relevance:

Direct match — cards specifically designed for or partnered with Income Tax & GST Payments (co-branded cards, direct accelerated rewards)
Category match — cards that earn accelerated rewards on the spending category that Income Tax & GST Payments falls under
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 spend	HDFC BizGrow Credit Card	Airtel Axis Bank Credi…	DBS Spark20 Credit Card
₹5.0K/mo	₹4.0K/yr	₹15.0K/yr	₹12.0K/yr
₹15.0K/mo	₹12.1K/yr	₹45.0K/yr	₹36.0K/yr
₹30.0K/mo	₹24.1K/yr	₹90.0K/yr	₹72.0K/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

Payment gateways for tax (e.g., PayU, Razorpay) charge 0.8-1% convenience fee — factor this into reward calculations

Tax payments may code under 'Government Services' which many cards exclude from rewards

Advance tax payments in quarterly chunks may earn better rewards than a single large payment (some cards have per-transaction caps)

Free vs Paid: Is the Annual Fee Worth It?

Best Free Card

SBM OneCard Credit Card

SBM Bank · ₹0 annual fee

Up to 10% on income tax, advance tax, and GST payments via credit card

Score: 7.8/10

Best Overall

HDFC BizGrow Credit Card

HDFC · ₹500 annual fee

Up to 6.7% on income tax, advance tax, and GST payments via credit card

Score: 7.4/10

Cards to Avoid for Income Tax & GST Payments

These are popular, well-rated cards that earn only their base reward rate on income tax, advance tax, and GST payments via credit card. If you carry one of these, use a different card for Income Tax & GST Payments purchases.

IDFC FIRST Diamond Reserve Credit Card

IDFC FIRST · Score: 9/10 — but only 0.5% on income tax, advance tax, and GST payments via credit card

American Express Platinum Charge Card

American Express · Score: 8.7/10 — but only 1.25% on income tax, advance tax, and GST payments via credit card

IndusInd Tiger Credit Card

IndusInd · Score: 8.7/10 — but only 1.2% on income tax, advance tax, and GST payments via credit card

IDFC FIRST Select Credit Card

IDFC FIRST · Score: 8.7/10 — but only 0.75% on income tax, advance tax, and GST payments via credit card

IDFC FIRST Wealth Credit Card

IDFC FIRST · Score: 8.7/10 — but only 0.75% on income tax, advance tax, and GST payments via credit card

These are great cards for other spending categories — just not for income tax, advance tax, and GST payments via credit card. Use the top-ranked card above instead.

Related: Best Cards for Similar Spending

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Frequently Asked Questions

Which credit card gives the highest cashback on Income Tax & GST Payments?

HDFC BizGrow Credit Card from HDFC gives up to 6.7% back on income tax, advance tax, and GST payments via credit card. It has a CardTrail Score of 7.4/10 with an annual fee of ₹500.

Is there a no-annual-fee credit card good for Income Tax & GST Payments?

Yes — SBM OneCard Credit Card is a free card (₹0 annual fee) that earns up to 10% on income tax, advance tax, and GST payments via credit card. CardTrail Score: 7.8/10.

How do credit card rewards work on Income Tax & GST Payments?

Credit cards earn rewards based on the Merchant Category Code (MCC) of the transaction. Income Tax & GST Payments 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 Income Tax & GST Payments?

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 income tax, advance tax, and GST payments via credit card. Use a category-matched card instead.

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