Indian personal finance has become one of the most competitive industries in the following years. Banks have all upped their games and are constantly vying for customers by offering lucrative welcome bonuses and substantial ongoing benefits.
With all such benefits it is necessary to choose the right credit card at the right time that can yield thousands of rupees in value right from day one. Oftentimes such criteria waive the joining fee entirely. In this list we have collected the top credit cards available in India in 2025 that offer the most substantial joining bonuses and benefits.
- Joining Fee: ₹999+ applicable taxes
- Annual Fee: ₹999+ applicable taxes
- Annual Fee Waiver: On spends over ₹2 Lakhs
Welcome Benefits: ₹1,000 Cashback: Receive this on spending ₹20,000 or more within the first 30 days of card issuance – provided you download and log into the HSBC India Mobile Banking app. ₹250 Amazon eGift Voucher: Get this for applying online and completing the application using the video Know Your Customer (KYC) process.
Eligibility Criteria:- The person should be a resident of India aged between 18 to 65 years, and for the salaried people, the minimum annual income should fall under ₹6 lakh. As of now, HSBC is not offering this card for the self-employed (unless they have a hefty bank balance and an established connection with the bank). There are currently only 13 cities where residents can apply for the card.
Best Suited For: Individuals who are into shopping and quick deliveries (due to the 10% cashback offer). Also for those who can reasonably meet the annual spend of ₹2 lakh to get the fee waived.
4. HDFC Regalia Gold Credit Card
- Joining Fee: ₹2,500+ taxes.
- Annual Fee: ₹2,500+ taxes
- Annual Fee Waiver: On an annual spend above ₹4 Lakhs
Welcome Bonus/Benefits:
- ₹2,500 worth gift voucher upon paying the joining fee.
- MMT Black Gold Elite Membership (MakeMyTrip’s premium tier). Swiggy One Membership for 6 months (free delivery and discounts on both food and Instamart). These complimentary benefits are provided on 1 lakh+ spends in the first 90 days.
Best Suited For: Those who domestically fly frequently and also regular users of online services like Swiggy and MakeMyTrip could benefit the most from this card.
Eligibility Criteria: The individual applicant should be under 21 min. Years to 60 max. Years for the salaried individuals. For the self-employed the relaxation of 5 years in maximum would be granted. People who apply under the salaried category should have a minimum monthly income of ₹1,00,000 and for self employed individuals with ITR showing income above ITR > Rs 18 Lakhs per annum.
3. SBI Card PRIME
- Joining Fee: ₹2,999+ taxes
- Annual Fee: ₹2,999+ taxes
- Annual Fee Waiver: On annual spends above ₹3 Lakhs
Welcome Bonus/Benefits: A welcome e-Gift Voucher worth ₹3,000 from your choice of partners including Yatra.com, Pantaloons, Shoppers Stop, or Hush Puppies/Bata. This benefit immediately covers the joining fee
Best Suited For: Families and also for those who spend everyday on dining and groceries or movies.
Eligibility Criteria: For Salaried individuals a minimum monthly income of > ₹50,000 and for self-employed individuals with ITR showing income above ₹6 Lakhs per annum.
2. SBI Card ELITE
- Joining Fee: ₹4,999+ Taxes
- Annual Fee: ₹4,999+ Taxes
- Annual Fee Waiver: On spend of ₹10 Lakh or more in the preceding
Welcome Bonus/Benefits: It includes e-Gift Vouchers worth ₹5,000 from a choice of partners including Yatra, Hush Puppies/Bata, Pantaloons, Shoppers Stop, and more, issued upon realization of the joining fee. Additionally, complimentary movie tickets worth ₹6,000 annually (maximum of ₹500 discount per booking, 2 bookings per month) via BookMyShow.
Best Suited For: Those who seek premium lifestyle privileges that include movie benefits and domestic and international lounge access. There are also rewards for dining/departmental stores and low foreign currency markup fees.
Eligibility Criteria: The minimum age criteria starts from 21 and maximum is 70 years. Like other cards this card is for the resident of India and requires a CIBIL score of 750 or higher. The annual income should be of ₹12 Lakh (for salaried individuals).
1. HSBC TravelOne Credit Card
- Joining Fee: ₹4,999+ taxes
- Annual Fee: ₹4,999+ taxes (Starts from the second year onwards)
- Annual Fee Waiver: On spend of ₹8 Lakh or more in the preceding year
Welcome Bonus: The initial benefits includes ₹1,000 cashback, a ₹3,000 Postcard Hotel voucher, and a 3-month EazyDiner Prime membership after downloading the app and spending ₹10,000 within the first 30 days. Additionally, there is a 3,000 bonus reward points when you spend ₹1 Lakh within the first 90 days -these points have a variety of redemptions such as Travel Bookings or paying annual fees.
Best Suited For: This card is best suited for those who are frequent domestic and international travelers and who values flexibility in redeeming rewards with a wide range of airline and hotel partners.
Eligibility Criteria: The applicant should be between 18 to 65 years and an Indian resident. The annual income of the individual should fall under the cap of ₹6 Lakh (for salaried individuals; criteria for self-employed may differ). There applicants should reside in cities like Chennai, Kolkata and 10 others.
How to Identify Cards With Maximum Joining Bonuses or Benefits
A high joining bonus is not always about a large number of reward points. Most of the time it’s about the value you receive overall in the real-time. Here are some of the examples of the types of rewards and benefits offered by many banks:
Vouchers: These are the direct cash equivalents for popular brands (e.g., MakeMyTrip or Flipkart)
Bonus Reward Points: Points that can be redeemed for flights & hotels bookings or cashback – often at attractive rates.
Complimentary Memberships: Customers get access to premium services like Swiggy One or airport lounge programs.
Milestone Benefits: Here you will earn extra rewards on spending a certain amount within the first 60-90 days or the duration set by the banks.
Conclusion
That was all for this list of maximum joining bonus credit cards. However, it is suggested that whenever you are about to apply, you should check out all the redemption options and also note any additional terms and conditions of the particular bank. At the end, it is in the customer’s best interests that they go for the one that aligns with their spending criteria and has the favorable benefits.