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Best Credit Card for Utility Bill Payments in India (2026)

Quick answer:

Axis ACE Credit Card gives you up to 5% back on electricity, water, gas, and other utility bill payments — 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

Utility bills are unavoidable monthly expenses. Most cards earn only base rate (0.5-1%) on utilities, but a few earn 2-5% — turning a ₹5,000/month utility spend into ₹1,200-3,000 annual rewards.

Top 10 Cards for Utility Bill Payments

Axis ACE Credit Card

Axis

Up to 5% — directly optimised for bill payments

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 Utility Bill Payments using three tiers of relevance:

Direct match — cards specifically designed for or partnered with Utility Bill Payments (co-branded cards, direct accelerated rewards)
Category match — cards that earn accelerated rewards on the spending category that Utility Bill 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	Axis ACE Credit Card	Airtel Axis Bank Credi…	DBS Spark20 Credit Card
₹5.0K/mo	₹3.0K/yr	₹15.0K/yr	₹12.0K/yr
₹15.0K/mo	₹9.0K/yr	₹45.0K/yr	₹36.0K/yr
₹30.0K/mo	₹18.0K/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

Government utility portals often code under 'Government Services' — a category many cards exclude from rewards

Paying utilities via CRED or Paytm may change the MCC to 'Online Shopping' — sometimes earning MORE rewards

Auto-debit for utilities may code as 'Standing Instruction' which some cards don't reward

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 electricity, water, gas, and other utility bill payments

Score: 7.8/10

Best Overall

Axis ACE Credit Card

Axis · ₹499 annual fee

Up to 5% on electricity, water, gas, and other utility bill payments

Score: 8.1/10

Cards to Avoid for Utility Bill Payments

These are popular, well-rated cards that earn only their base reward rate on electricity, water, gas, and other utility bill payments. If you carry one of these, use a different card for Utility Bill Payments purchases.

IDFC FIRST Diamond Reserve Credit Card

IDFC FIRST · Score: 9/10 — but only 0.5% on electricity, water, gas, and other utility bill payments

American Express Platinum Charge Card

American Express · Score: 8.7/10 — but only 1.25% on electricity, water, gas, and other utility bill payments

IndusInd Tiger Credit Card

IndusInd · Score: 8.7/10 — but only 1.2% on electricity, water, gas, and other utility bill payments

IDFC FIRST Select Credit Card

IDFC FIRST · Score: 8.7/10 — but only 0.75% on electricity, water, gas, and other utility bill payments

IDFC FIRST Wealth Credit Card

IDFC FIRST · Score: 8.7/10 — but only 0.75% on electricity, water, gas, and other utility bill payments

These are great cards for other spending categories — just not for electricity, water, gas, and other utility bill payments. Use the top-ranked card above instead.

Related: Best Cards for Similar Spending

Best for Electricity Bill Best for Water Bill Best for Piped Gas Best for Broadband & Internet Best for Rent Payment Best for Insurance Premium Payments

Frequently Asked Questions

Which credit card gives the highest cashback on Utility Bill Payments?

Axis ACE Credit Card from Axis gives up to 5% back on electricity, water, gas, and other utility bill payments. It has a CardTrail Score of 8.1/10 with an annual fee of ₹499.

Is there a no-annual-fee credit card good for Utility Bill Payments?

Yes — SBM OneCard Credit Card is a free card (₹0 annual fee) that earns up to 10% on electricity, water, gas, and other utility bill payments. CardTrail Score: 7.8/10.

How do credit card rewards work on Utility Bill Payments?

Credit cards earn rewards based on the Merchant Category Code (MCC) of the transaction. Utility Bill 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 Utility Bill 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 electricity, water, gas, and other utility bill payments. Use a category-matched card instead.

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