Keeping cash in wallet is always dangerous because of the risks of damage and theft, as the stolen money cannot be recovered. This is the reason people want to carry out payments digitally using credit or debit card, online transfer, mobile wallets, PayPal etc.

Of all these payment methods, credit card is the most convenient because of the following reasons:

• Most important one is that the user gets FREE MONEY each month. This feature is what attracts users to own a credit card. Of course, you have to pay back the money on time and full to avoid hefty interest as there is no free money in this world. And there are some very easy to get credit cards in India as listed below. The article also lists ways to get credit cards easily in India such as against fixed deposit for low income earners.
• Helps in building credit history.
• Saves money in the form of rewards, cash back, discounts, etc.
• Highly secured.
• Accepted worldwide and others.

Easiest Credit Cards to Get in India

It is a myth that credit cards are not easy to get. But at the same time, it is a fact that low income and poor credit score are the main reasons for the card application rejection.

Although users get FREE MONEY but this does not mean everyone gets approval. This is because of the strict eligibility criteria which issuers put to avoid loss. But this does not mean getting a credit card is difficult.

There are two easy ways to get credit card in India as mentioned below:

1. Supplementary credit card (also called as Add-On Card)
2. Credit card against fixed deposit

(1) Supplementary Credit Cards for No Income Individuals

The first option without the user having to prove his/her creditworthiness is add-on or supplementary credit card. It is similar to having a joint bank account. If your family member owns a credit card and has good repayment and transaction history, then he/she can apply for a supplementary card for his/her family members (spouse, parents or children). This is the reason why this credit card is easy to get in India.

The credit limit gets divided between the two cards (primary and secondary). Monthly bills are in the name of primary card holder and statement is consolidated.

The name on the new card is of the secondary owner. Although this is a hassle free way to get card in India, using it irresponsibly will affect the credit score of the primary owner. So be very careful when using the card.

This card is best recommended for:

• Students
• Retired senior citizens
• Housewives
• Individuals with poor or no credit history

22 Easiest to Get Add-On Credit Cards in India

You can get following add-on credit cards easily:

1. Aqua Gold – Kotak Mahindra Bank
2. Urbane Gold – Kotak Mahindra Bank
3. PVR Platinum – Kotak Mahindra Bank
4. Sapphiro – ICICI Bank
5. Signature – ICICI Bank
6. Rubyx – ICICI Bank
7. Silver – HDFC Bank
8. Gold – HDFC Bank
9. Titanium – HDFC Bank
10. Unnati – State Bank of India
11. Simply SAVE – State Bank of India
12. Simply Click – State Bank of India
13. Platinum Visa – IndusInd Bank
14. Platinum Aura Edge Visa Credit Card – IndusInd Bank
15. FinBooster – Yes Bank
16. YES Premia – Yes Bank
17. YES FIRST Exclusive – Yes Bank
18. Privilege – Axis Bank
19. Select – Axis Bank
20. MY Zone – Axis Bank
21. Neo – Axis Bank
22. Magnus – Axis Bank

Note that there are many other cards and banks that provide add-on card.

So if anyone in your family member needs a card, ask the primary card owner to contact the bank and apply for the same. And depending on the payment history, credit score; banks will take a decision on the approval.

How many supplementary cards can primary user ask for?

This varies for each card issuing bank. But the primary card users from the following financial institutions can apply for more than 2 add-on cards:

1. HDFC Bank – Max 3 cards
2. SBI – Max 2 cards
3. YES Bank – Max 3 cards
4. Axis Bank – Up to 4 cards
5. HSBC Bank – Up to 3 cards
6. IndusInd Bank – Up to 2 cards
7. Kotak Mahindra – Up to 2 (on Gold cards) and up to 3 (on Platinum cards)

Check out: Apply for ICICI Bank Platinum Credit Card

(2) Cards against Fixed Deposit

Secured card is the other easiest way to get credit card to get approved in India.

All you need to do is open or use existing fixed deposit account and get card against it. The credit limit offered is 80%-85% of the FD amount kept with the bank. The biggest advantage is that there is no minimum income requirement and income documents, credit score is not checked. And other documents required are minimal.

Listed in the below table are the credit cards against fixed deposit in India and the minimum FD amount to be kept with the bank:

Credit Cards for Low Salaried/Income Earners

This is also another easiest way to get credit card in India is against salary account. The bank account in which employee’s salary gets credited every month can help in getting a card.

However there is a myth that cards are approved to the individuals with high salary as they are credit worthy. But there are many cards for low income individuals (salaried/self-employed) as listed in the below table.

These are unsecured cards which means the risk to the issuers is high and hence other cards are generally issued to high income earners.

Note that, these credit cards are easy to get approved provided you meet other criteria as well; such as good credit score, proper documentation, etc.

So as you can see, there are three easy options to get credit card in India. And most of these cards offer cashback on fuel/grocery spend, bill pay, recharges, air and rail booking, etc. making them attractive.

But remember that, credit cards are easy to get only when credit worthiness is proven by:

1. Proving good income
2. Good credit score
3. Keeping some kind of collateral with the bank e.g. FD.
4. Proper documentation

Hi, I am Nikesh Mehta, owner and writer of this site. I’m an analytics professional and also love writing on finance and related industry. I’ve done online course in Financial Markets and Investment Strategy from Indian School of Business. I can be reached at nikeshmehta@allonmoney.com.