Did you ever imagine before 2016, that a cash-based economy could become one of the leading cashless digital economies in the world? Yes, today India is the leading digital economy in terms of digital adoption and this remarkable achievement is only possible due to UPI or Unified Payment Interface. UPI has completely changed the digital payment landscape in India. The journey of UPI started with a meager 90000 transactions in July 2016 and now already crossed 10 Billion within August 2023.
Among the all innovations implemented by the NPCI, probably UPI is the best product that fastens India’s digital journey to achieve this pinnacle. Today, all payment apps are based on UPI and everyone with a smartphone has one or more UPI Apps installed on their phone. The journey of UPI continues with the latest offering- “Credit Card on UPI”.
Today, here in this article I will try to cover the facts, features, and benefits of Credit Cards on UPI and some of the best & feature-rich UPI-enabled RuPay Contactless Credit Cards in India.
What is a Credit Card on UPI?
Credit Card on UPI is nothing but using the RuPay Credit Card for making online payments after linking it with the UPI Payment platform. Now, many banks are providing NFC-enabled contactless RuPay Credit Card for tokenized payments up to INR 5000. But here, after linking your RuPay Credit Card to the UPI payments app, you can use your mobile device for payments similar to Apple Pay or Google Pay, which is still not available in India.
The process is simple, just link your RuPay Credit Card to any popular Payment app like BHIM, PhonePe, or GPay, Scan the QR at merchant outlets, enter the amount select the Credit Card on your UPI App, and authenticate the transaction with MPIN. All you need is the same mobile number linked to your RuPay Credit Card and UPI ID. Even you can link Virtual RuPay Credit Card on UPI payment apps to get RuPay UPI benefits.
This feature is only available in RuPay Card and in the UPI Payment platform, both operated by NPCI.
As per the report, Credit Card on UPI increased the share of RuPay Credit Card from 10% to 25% within a few months of its launch, because you can use the credit card as a payment app and also avail of the interest-free grace period of credit card, including RuPay exclusive offers and reward points.
Benefits of Linking RuPay Credit Card on UPI
UPI and RuPay were both launched by the NPCI and both these products revolutionized India’s digital payment landscape. Here are the top benefits of linking RuPay Credit to UPI Payment apps.
- You can use your smartphone for contactless payments similar to Apple Pay or Google Pay, even if your mobile device is not NFC enabled. Post linking you can pay at merchant outlets by using the “Scan & Pay” features of UPI Apps.
- More secure as Credit Card details will not be shared with anyone.
- Post linking, your RuPay Card can be used for high-value contactless payments, as tokenized payments of credit cards are limited up to INR 5000.
- You can avail the benefits of RuPay’s exclusive offers of RuPay Credit Cards and interest-free grace period of credit cards ranging from 45 to 55 days.
- Recurring bill payments without authentication using auto debit mandate up to ₹15000.
- Earn rewards points on Credit Card spending and enjoy revolving credit with a nominal interest rate as applicable from card issuing banks.
- No requirement for carrying a physical card everywhere.
- You can add any number of RuPay Credit Cards on UPI Apps.
- For merchants, no transaction fees (MDR) up to ₹2000 for making payments using the RuPay payment gateway.
What are the restrictions of RuPay Credit Card on UPI?
Linking RuPay Credit Card to UPI is an excellent feature offered by NPCI, however, there are some restrictions
- You can not transfer your RuPay Credit Card balance to another Credit card or bank account. Cash Withdrawal at the merchant outlets also is restricted.
- Transaction between P2M UPI ID or mobile number, and QR Scan allowed. You can not transfer money to the P2P category, i.e. individual UPI handlers.
- UPI transaction limit of ₹100000 per day. For specific categories of verified merchants may go up to ₹200000.
- Restricted to certain MCC (Merchant Category Codes). See the lists here. You can not transfer money to the Small Merchant category whose annual incoming UPI is less than or equal to Rs.50000. That means you can not use the UPI feature of RuPay Credit cards on many small-size vendors, like grocery shops, roadside vegetables or tea stalls or small business owners.
India’s digital payments surged in recent years only due to the UPI and small amounts of transactions between P2M and P2P. UPI was introduced to reduce cash dependency during the period of demonetization. You may transact up to Rs.1.00 lacs per day using UPI as per existing NPCI’s UPI norms. However, there are some MDR (Merchant Discount Rate) issues, where merchants have to pay more MDR fees for the transactions done through RuPay Credit Cards.
How to link RuPay Credit Card for UPI Payments?
Linking RuPay Credit to UPI is a very simple and one-time process, here are the Steps
Step 1: Open the BHIM App, and select Credit Card Manage.
Step 2: Next Screen Select Add Credit Card and click on Link Credit Card.
Step 3: Next Page Select the Bank. The mobile number of the RuPay Credit Card should be the same as the BHIM UPI mobile number. After selecting the Bank, the app will automatically the fetch RuPay Credit Card of the respective bank.
Step 4: Select your Card and confirm.
Step 5: Next RuPay Card verification page will open. Enter details of your RuPay Credit Card and generate OTP.
Step 6: Set UPI PIN by selecting the Credit Card details and authenticating OTP. Try to select a different UPI PIN for the Credit Card, so that you can differentiate the Credit Card transactions. Now you can find all the linked bank accounts along with the RuPay Credit Card on the BHIM App’s Bank Account page.
The process of linking RuPay Credit Card to other popular UPI Apps is more or less similar to BHIM. You will find the “Link RuPay Card to UPI” option on the Paytm app’s home screen and in the profile section of GPay and PhonePe App.
How to Pay Using RuPay Credit Card on UPI
Making payments using a RuPay Credit Card on UPI is similar to payments made on any UPI Apps, just you have to select the RuPay Credit Card on the app during PIN authentication. Here is the process
- Scan the Merchant QR Code or enter the Merchant UPI ID or the Merchant Phone Number.
- Enter the Amount or pay the auto-fetched amount.
- Select the RuPay Credit Card Account from the list of all accounts in the UPI App.
- Enter UPI PIN and Confirm.
- A successful payment authorization message will come.
- Check the transaction status on the UPI app’s transaction history section.
Best RuPay Credit Cards on UPI in India
Currently, 17 PSU and Private Banks RuPay Credit Cards live with the UPI payment platform. I have already written an article on how to select the best credit card if you are salaried or self-employed. You can read the article here
The approval process for all types of credit cards is more or less similar, the selection and onboarding process may vary from bank to bank. Some Banks offer completely digital onboarding and approval processes for credit cards. Some banks may offer you a pre-approved credit card if you are an existing customer and your CIBIL score is greater than 800.
Most of the banks provide three versions of the same credit card, i.e. Visa, MasterCard, or RuPay. So, at the time of the verification process, you may ask the Card issuing banks to provide you the RuPay variant of the credit card.
Here’s the suggested article on the best UPI apps in India to link RuPay Credit Card
Best Credit Card is a relative word, requirement of credit cards varies from person to person according to the spending habits of individuals.
Here’s the list of some top RuPay Credit Card on UPI in India
| RuPay Credit Card | UPI Enabled | Joining Fee | Renewal Fee | Grace Period | Official Page |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HDFC Freedom RuPay Credit Card | Yes | ₹500 | ₹500 | 50 Days | Apply |
| ICICI Coral RuPay Credit Card | Yes | ₹500 | ₹500 | 48 Days | Apply |
| SBI RuPay SimplySave Credit Card | Yes | ₹499 | ₹499 | 50 Days | Apply |
| Kotak League RuPay Credit Card | Yes | ₹499 | ₹499 | 48 Days | Apply |
| Axis IOCL RuPay Credit Card | Yes | ₹500 | ₹500 | 50 Days | Apply |
| Fibe Axis Bank RuPay Credit Card | Yes | NIL | NIL | 50 Days | Apply |
| BoB Easy RuPay Credit Card | Yes | ₹500 | ₹500 | 50 Days | Apply |
| Federal Bank RuPay Signet Credit Card | Yes | NIL | NIL | 46 Days | Apply |
| HDFC Moneyback+ RuPay Credit Card | Yes | ₹500 | ₹500 | 50 Days | Apply |
| OneCard RuPay Credit Card | Yes | NIL | NIL | 48 Days | Apply |
1. HDFC Freedom RuPay Credit Card
Hdfc Bank is the largest issuer of Credit Cards in India, if you are looking for a RuPay Credit on UPI, then the Freedom RuPay card is most suitable for you. The card comes with tons of features including RuPay exclusive offers. For those who are looking for a credit card, mostly to be used in bill payments, dining, and lifestyles including UPI payments, the HDFC Freedom RuPay Credit can be a perfect choice.
However, if you are an existing Credit Card customer of HDFC Bank, you can create a Virtual RuPay Credit card from the Bank’s MyCards page. The card limit will be the same as the existing credit card limit. You may add the HDFC Bank virtual RuPay Credit Card in any UPI App as similar to any other physical RuPay Credit Card.
You can check the article to learn how to create Virtual RuPay Credit from HDFC Bank
For details on the HDFC Freedom Card, you can visit here.
Key Features:
- Link Credit Card on UPI apps and acts as a QR Scanner.
- Avail RuPay Exclusive benefits and HDFC Card benefits.
- NFC-enabled contactless payments up to ₹5000.
- Earn 1 CashPoint for every ₹150 on other spends ( Excluding fuel, Wallet, Prepaid Card, or Voucher Purchases )
- Avail 50-day interest-free grace period on payments made via the UPI App.
Joining Fees: ₹500 +GST (For Virtual RuPay Credit Card ₹99)
Renewal Fees: ₹500 + GST (Waived if you spend ₹50000 annually)
Apply For Freedom RuPay Credit Card on UPI
2. ICICI Coral RuPay Credit Card
ICICI Bank is one of the largest Credit Card issuer banks in India, offering over a dozen variants of credit cards in India. The Coral RuPay Credit Card from the ICICI Bank is one of the most popular and feature-rich credit cards and have merchant partnership with thousands of popular brands in India.
The ICICI Coral RuPay Credit Card has the NFC feature, can be used for contactless payments up to ₹5000, and can be added to any UPI payments app like Google Pay, PhonePe, or BHIM. The card can also be added to NFC-enabled wearables like the Apple Watch or Google Pixel Watch and make payments by “Tap & Go”.
The Coral RuPay Credit Card from ICICI is the best RuPay Credit Card for individuals who are looking for a credit card for bill payments, free movie tickets, online shopping, and QR payments in merchant outlets using the UPI Credit line.
Key Features:
- NFC-enabled contactless payments up to ₹5000.
- Can be used as a Credit Line on UPI by linking with UPI Apps.
- Earn 2 PayBack points per ₹100 spent except fuel.
- One Railway and Domestic Airport lounge access per quarter.
- Avail an interest-free grace period on UPI spending.
Joining Fees: ₹500 +GST
Renewal Fees: ₹500 + GST (Waived if you spend ₹150000 annually)
Apply for ICICI Coral RuPay Credit Card on UPI
3. SBI RuPay SimplySave Credit Card
SBI Card is one of the most popular Credit Cards in India and comes with all three variants of SimplySave Credit Card, i.e. Visa, MasterCard, and RuPay. The SBI card generally randomly generates the SBI Credit card, but if you require the RuPay version, then you have to specifically request the SBI Card executives to provide the same.
This contactless SBI card comes with countless offers and discount features with millions of outlets in India, including the UPI and RuPay offer programs. You will get 2000 reward points if you spend ₹2000 within 30 days of card issuance. For more details on SBI Card offers visit here.
You can use this RuPay Credit Card in India as well as international merchant websites across the world, for complete guidelines on how to use RuPay Card on International merchant websites, read this article
Key Features:
- Contactless tokenized payments up to ₹5000.
- Avail an interest-free grace period on your card spending on UPI.
- Can be linked with UPI Payment apps for QR payments.
- Free Add-on Card.
- Earn reward points, which can be redeemed with Amazon Gift vouchers.
- Exclusive merchant discount offers from RuPay, UPI apps, and SBI Card.
Joining Fees: ₹499 +GST
Renewal Fees: ₹499 + GST (Waived if you spend ₹100000 annually)
Apply SBI SimplySave Credit Card on UPI
4. Kotak League RuPay Credit Card
The Kotak League RuPay Credit Card is one of the few RuPay-powered credit cards offered by Kotak Bank Card. This premium credit comes with all three variants, Visa, MasterCard, and RuPay. You can link this card on any popular UPI app and avail the benefits of UPI as well as RuPay.
The card is best for free PVR movie tickets, IRCTC ticket bookings, and bill payments. You may earn up to 8 reward points per ₹150 spending, the points can be redeemed in the exclusive Kotak rewards catalog. For more details on Kotak League credit card visit here. For the Kotak Card Reward redemption catalog visit here.
The only downside of the Kotak Card is it is available only in selected Metro Cities.
Key Features:
- Contactless tokenized payments up to ₹5000.
- Joining rewards 5000 worth ₹500.
- Railway surcharge waiver of up to ₹500 annually
- RuPay Credit Card on UPI.
- 4 free PVR tickets on spends of ₹1,25,000 every 6 months.
Joining Fees: ₹499 +GST
Renewal Fees: ₹499 + GST (Waived if you spend ₹50000 annually)
Apply Kotak RuPay Credit Card on UPI
5. Axis IOCL RuPay Credit Card
Axis IOCL RuPay Credit Card is another popular co-branded RuPay credit card that can be linked with any UPI app and you can avail of the interest-free grace period on UPI spending. This contactless RuPay Credit Card comes with many offers and discounts with thousands of merchant outlets in India. You may also get 12 months of free Amazon Prime membership with annual spending over ₹1.00 lacs within 90 days of issuance.
Axis Bank partnered with the Kiwi app to provide a virtual RuPay Credit Card on UPI, which is also can be linked with any payment app in India. For more details on Axis Bank Kwik Virtual RuPay Credit card visit here. So, if you want to have only a RuPay Card for UPI payment, then Kwik Virtual RuPay Credit is a good solution for you. The Axis Bank Kwik Virtual Credit Card does not have any joining and renewal fees.
Key Features:
- Contactless NFC-enabled credit cards, can be linked with any UPI app.
- Earn 20 EDGE reward points on fuel spending at IOCL petrol pumps.
- Avail an interest-free grace period on your card spending on UPI.
Joining Fees: ₹500 +GST
Renewal Fees: ₹500 + GST (Waived if you spend ₹50000 annually)
Apply Axis IOCL RuPay Credit Card on UPI
6. Fibe Axis Bank RuPay Credit Card
Axis Bank in partnership with the Instant Personal Loan App, Fibe’s tech arm Social Worth Technologies Pvt. Ltd launched this Fibe Axis Credit Card in India. The exclusive feature of this card is that it is Numberless i.e. no card number, CVV, and expiry date will be shown on the Card, and this feature makes this card more secure and restricts identity theft and unauthorized access to card details.
This UPI-enabled lifetime free RuPay credit card comes with 3% cashback on food delivery, and entertainment and 1% cashback on all other spendings. For more details on Fibe Axis Credit Card, visit here. You can also avail of interest-free grace periods of up to 50 days on UPI payments.
Key Features:
- Numberless Credit Card for added security and privacy.
- UPI-enabled credit card contactless credit card.
- Interest-free grace period of up to 50 days on UPI transactions.
- 4 Complimentary domestic lounge access at selected airports.
- Only 1% forex markup fees for transactions at international locations or overseas websites.
- Lifetime free credit card, no joining or renewal fees.
- Fuel surcharge waiver for fuel spends between ₹400 and ₹5,000.
Joining Fees: Nil
Renewal Fees: Nil
Apply for Fibe Axis Bank RuPay Credit Card on UPI
7. Bank of Baroda Easy RuPay Credit Card
If you are a Bank of Baroda customer and looking for a RuPay Credit Card, then Easy RuPay Credit Card can be a good option. You can add the BOB Easy RuPay Credit card on any UPI app to avail of the “Scan & Pay” feature. This NFC-enabled contactless card can be used in thousands of merchant outlets including easy EMI options in popular eCommerce websites like Amazon or Flipkart.
You can earn up to 5x reward points for spending made at departmental stores, and 1 point at other categories, including payments made via UPI. The joining fee of the card is ₹500, which can be waived if you spend ₹6000 within the first 60 days of card issuance. For more details on the BOB Easy RuPay Credit Card visit here.
Key Features:
- UPI-enabled RuPay Credit Card.
- Contactless tokenized payment up to ₹5000 via Tap & Pay.
- Interest-free 50-day grace period for UPI Payments.
- Zero liability on the lost card.
- Easy EMI option on Amazon and Flipkart.
Joining Fees: ₹500 +GST
Renewal Fees: ₹500 + GST (Waived if you spend ₹35000 annually)
Apply for BOB Easy RuPay Credit Card for UPI
8. Federal Bank RuPay Signet Credit Card
Another popular credit Card from Federal Bank, which comes with zero joining and renewal fees. Federal Bank Signet Credit Card comes with all three variants, i.e. Visa, MasterCard, and RuPay. If you want to avail the UPI benefits of the RuPay Credit Card, then request the Federal Bank card division to deliver the RuPay version card to you.
Federal Bank RuPay Signet Credit Card is one of the best RuPay Cards for travel, food and dining, shopping, sports, entertainment, and lifestyle. You can get a free movie ticket at INOX with Buy One Get One offers. You may also avail of RuPay exclusive deals and offers along with UPI offers from the popular payment apps. For more details visit here.
Key Features:
- NFC-enabled contactless card.
- Zero liability on the lost card.
- No Joining fee and membership fees. zero Fuel surcharge.
- Link Credit Card on the UPI App to avail of “Scan & Pay” features.
- Complimentary lounge access – twice per quarter at Domestic airports and four times per quarter at international airports.
- Amazon Pay e-Voucher worth Rs.500 on a minimum spend of Rs.3,000 in the first 30 days.
- Use the card for any domestic and international online payments. (Refer to this article)
Joining Fees: Nil
Renewal Fees: Nil
Apply for the Federal Bank Signet RuPay Credit Card for UPI Payments
9. HDFC Moneyback+ RuPay Credit Card
HDFC Moneyback+ Credit is another very popular entry-level credit card from HDFC Bank and anyone can apply this card with a minimum monthly salary above ₹20000 per month. The Card comes in all three versions, but if you want to avail the UPI benefits on the RuPay Card, then ask the bank to deliver the RuPay-powered Moneyback+ card.
The Moneyback+ credit card is an excellent choice if the main usage of the card is at departmental stores, Lifestyle, EMI purchases at Amazon, Flipkart, Bigbasket, or Reliance Smart supermarket. You can add this Moneyback+ RuPay Card to any popular UPI app to avail of the QR scan and pay feature.
For details on HDFC Moneyback+ Credit Card visit the Official Page.
Key Features:
- NFC-enabled contactless card with “Tap & Pay” tokenized payment of up to ₹5000.
- 5X CashPoints on EMI spends.
- Zero lost Card liability.
- UPI “Scan & Pay” benefits by linking the card to UPI Apps.
- ₹500 gift voucher on spends on ₹50,000 per calendar quarter.
Joining Fees: ₹500 +GST
Renewal Fees: ₹500 + GST (Waived if you spend ₹50000 annually)
Apply for HDFC Moneyback+ RuPay Credit on UPI
10. OneCard RuPay Credit Card
OneCard or M/s One Consumer Services Private Limited, offers fully digital credit cards in partnership with several well-known commercial banks and NBFCs. This OneCard App-based Credit card has become very popular in recent times due to its deals and offerings with several popular online shopping sites. The OneCard offers a fully metal physical Credit Card, which makes the card more popular in India.
The one downside of this card is that it does not provide collateral-free Credit Cards in every location in India, still, you can apply for the OneCard metal card by providing FD as security.
The OneCard App recently launched the OneCard RuPay Credit Card in partnership with SBM Bank and South Indian Bank to provide the RuPay Credit card facility in India. You can get an instant virtual RuPay Credit Card from SBM Bank or SIB Bank, just after completing the digital onboarding process. In the future, OneCard RuPay Credit cards from other banks.
OneCard Credit Card is completely free and only can be applied from the OneCard mobile app. For details on OneCard credit card visit here.
Key Features:
- Complete digital customer onboarding process.
- Lifetime free metal-based credit card.
- Instant virtual rupay card issuance, can be linked to any UPI Apps.
- Easy EMI at several merchant locations.
- Rewards and benefits with shopping apps.
Joining Fee: Nil
Renewal Fee: Nil
Apply For the OneCard RuPay Credit Card for UPI
Conclusion
Best Credit card varies from person to person, this list of RuPay Credit Cards is not exclusive and will be updated if the new RuPay Credit card is launched with more features. RuPay Credit Card is an initiative of NPCI to compete the international Credit Card issuers like Visa or MasterCard. “UPI Payments feature on the credit card” is to increase Credit Card penetration in India and we may see many new features on RuPay Card in the coming future.
If you like the article, then please do share the same with your friends and relatives. If you have any other recommendations, then please share your views in the comment section.
Meanwhile, you may like to read the other articles…
- Best Credit Cards in India for salaried persons
- Best UPI Payment Apps in India
- Best NFC Payment Apps in India with review and analysis