Note: This article is outdated, as many of the below listed banks have merged with other banks or have discontinued or changed their eligibility criteria. But you may visit this article on credit cards for poor income earners with minimum income of Rs. 10,000 per month.

The most important eligibility criteria for getting credit card approval is the income of the applicant. If the income is low, getting a card becomes very difficult.

The basic logic behind higher income is to evaluate credit worthiness of the applicant. Since most of the credit cards are unsecured (i.e. no security is required); the risk of granting credit is quite high for the lending bank. The reason for high risk is defaulting i.e. the borrower doesn’t payback the money, resulting in non-performing assets (NPA) which adds to the loss to the bank. 

However this does not mean, low income earners can never get a credit card. Ideally bank requires a minimum income for every credit card offered.

Credit Cards for Income Rs.25,000 or Less 

Here’s the list of banks where individuals with income Rs.25,000 can apply for credit cards:

Vijaya Bank

• Applicant should be account holder of the bank.
• You can also get add-on card for your family members against both these cards.
• Both the cards are valid for 3 years.
• 50% cash withdrawal limit is applicable on both these cards.
• You can also get these cards against fixed deposit. For Global, FD amount should be Rs. 1,00,000. And for Classic card, amount should be Rs. 50,000.

Syndicate Bank

• No joining or annual fee. It’s a lifetime free card.
• Owner of the card can have his/her photo on the card.
• ATM cash withdrawal allowed upto 15% for Classic Cards & 25% for Gold Cards
• Card user gets 1 reward points for every Rs. 400 spend.

Jammu and Kashmir Bank

• There are three variants – Blue, Silver, Gold
• Add-on card can be issued
• Cash withdrawal facility upto 20% of total credit limit
• Credit limit is Rs.25,000 (Blue), Rs.50,000 (Silver), Rs.1,00,000 (Gold)

Indian Bank

Dhanlaxmi Bank

• 5% cash back when card is used for buying in supermarkets and departmental store
• Free insurance cover

Central Bank of India

• Upto 55 days of credit-free card usage
• 1 reward point for every Rs 100/- spend
• Joining fee is NIL
• Personal Accident Cover (against death) of Rs. 1,00,000

Canara Bank

• Card limit is up to 50% of annual income
• Up to 50 days free credit period
• Complimentary Insurance cover for accidental death, lost baggage, purchase protection cover, lost card liability

Corporation Bank

• There are 3 variants – Gold, Platinum, Signature
• Photo of the card holder is present on the card
• Add-on cards can be issued for family members

Bank of India

• Up to 51 days interest free credit
• You can get add-on card for family members
• ATM cash withdrawal of up to Rs. 50,000 per day

Bank of Baroda

• 5 – 10 rewards points per Rs. 100 spent
• Minimum 0.5% cashback
• Zero annual fee based on card usage

Axis Bank

• No joining and annual fee
• Up to 50 days free credit period
• 1 reward point on Rs. 100 spend

Andhra Bank

• 50% of credit limit cash advance facility
• No joining fee
• Up to 50 days free credit period
• Free lost card insurance cover

YES Bank

• Applicable for both salaried and self-employed
• Also available against fixed deposit
• Coverage in case of accidental death
• Rs. 125 waiver in statement cycle

Author Bio:

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. You may also visit my LinkedIn profile.