Best card for
Best credit card for Airalo eSIM
Which card to use for Airalo eSIM in India - all 187 cards ranked
by what you actually get back on ₹1,000, after caps, exclusions and fees.
Top cardson ₹1,000
1
PhonePe SBI SELECT BLACK
Book it on PhonePe app · 10 RP/₹100 on PhonePe app: recharges, utilities, bills, travel (10% value) · cap 1,500 RP/calendar month (non-insurance)
sbicard.com · 22 Aug 2026
₹100
100 pts · 10%
2
Axis Burgundy Private
Pay directly
axis.bank.in · 21 Aug 2026
₹64
75 pts · 6.38%
3
FIRST Private
Pay directly
idfcfirstbank.com · 25 Sep 2026
₹60
60 pts · 6%
4
Axis ACE
Pay the bill through Google Pay · 5% bills via Google Pay · cap ₹500/statement COMBINED across the 5% GPay-bills and 4% Swiggy/Zomato/Ola buckets (bank worked example credits ₹500, not ₹650)
axisbank.com · 20 Aug 2026
₹50
5%
5
SBI Cashback Card
Pay directly · 5% all online spends · cap ₹2,000/cycle
sbicard.com · 20 Aug 2026
₹50
5%
6
HDFC Infinia Metal
Pay directly · Telecom: base rate capped 2,000 pts/month · cap 2,000 pts/calendar month
hdfc.bank.in · 22 Aug 2026
₹30
30 pts · 3%
7
HDFC Diners Club Black Metal
Pay directly · Telecom: base rate capped 2,000 pts/month · cap 2,000 pts/calendar month
hdfc.bank.in · 22 Aug 2026
₹30
30 pts · 3%
8
Biz Black Metal Edition Credit Card
Pay directly
hdfc.bank.in · 2 Oct 2026
₹30
30 pts · 3%
9
ICICI Emeralde Private Metal
Pay directly
icicibank.com · 20 Aug 2026
₹30
30 pts · 3%
10
HSBC Premier
Pay directly
hsbc.co.in · 20 Aug 2026
₹30
30 pts · 3%
Best with no annual fee3
1
Scapia (Federal Bank)
Pay directly
federal.bank.in · 20 Aug 2026
₹20
100 pts · 2%
2
Pinnacle Credit Card
Pay directly · 2.5 pts / Rs 100 on e-commerce transactions
indusind.bank.in · 30 Sep 2026
₹19
25 pts · 1.88%
3
RuPay Platinum
Pay directly
hsbc.co.in · 30 Sep 2026
₹11
12 pts · 1.07%
Cards that earn nothing here25
Axis Magnus
Utility & telecom excluded (current category list).
axis.bank.in · 22 Aug 2026
Flipkart Axis Bank
Utility & telecom grouped in the exclusion category list.
campaign.axis.bank.in · 22 Aug 2026
Axis Atlas
Utilities and telecom grouped as excluded.
axis.bank.in · 22 Aug 2026
Axis Magnus for Burgundy
Utility & telecom excluded (current category list).
axis.bank.in · 22 Aug 2026
Axis MY Zone
Utility & Telecom, Rent, Wallet, Government spends, Insurance, Gold & Jewellery and Fuel earn no rewards
axis.bank.in · 25 Sep 2026
Axis Select
Insurance, rent, fuel, educational services, utilities & telecom, wallet, gold/jewellery, government services, gift cards and bridge/road/toll fees earn no EDGE REWARD points
axis.bank.in · 25 Sep 2026
Axis Horizon
Transportation & tolls, utilities and telecom, insurance, educational institutions, government institutions, wallet/gift cards, rent and fuel earn no EDGE Miles
axis.bank.in · 25 Sep 2026
Axis Rewards
Transportation & tolls, utility and certain telecom, insurance, educational institutions, government institutions, wallet/wire transfer, rent and fuel MCCs earn no reward points
axis.bank.in · 25 Sep 2026
Axis Bank Neo
No EDGE REWARD points on utilities and telecom, education, insurance, government, wallet loads, rent, fuel, gold and jewellery, or gift cards.
axis.bank.in · 1 Oct 2026
Axis Bank Supermoney RuPay Credit Card
Telecom and purchases converted to EMI earn no cashback.
axis.bank.in · 2 Oct 2026
Kotak Air+ Prime
Telecom earns nothing.
kotak.bank.in · 21 Aug 2026
Kotak Air
Telecom earns nothing.
kotak.bank.in · 21 Aug 2026
Kotak Air+
Utility and telecom spends earn nothing.
kotak.bank.in · 21 Sep 2026
Kotak Solitaire Credit Card
No Air Miles on rent, wallet, fuel, utility/telecom, insurance, education, government (except tax payments), digital gaming, and international spends.
kotak.bank.in · 30 Sep 2026
IRCTC BOBCARD
No reward points on telecom bill payments (MCC 4814).
media.bobcard.co.in · 25 Sep 2026
CUB CSK RuPay Platinum Credit Card
Utilities and Telecom spends (MCC 4800-4999) earn no Reward Points.
cityunionbank.bank.in · 2 Oct 2026
CUB SRH RuPay Platinum Credit Card
Utilities and Telecom spends (MCC 4800-4999) earn no Reward Points.
cityunionbank.bank.in · 2 Oct 2026
CUB CSK Master Platinum Credit Card
Utilities and Telecom spends (MCC 4800-4999) earn no Reward Points.
cityunionbank.bank.in · 2 Oct 2026
CUB SRH Master Platinum Credit Card
Utilities and Telecom spends (MCC 4800-4999) earn no Reward Points.
cityunionbank.bank.in · 2 Oct 2026
CUB CSK Master World Credit Card
Utilities and Telecom spends (MCC 4800-4999) earn no Reward Points.
cityunionbank.bank.in · 2 Oct 2026
CUB SRH Master World Credit Card
Utilities and Telecom spends (MCC 4800-4999) earn no Reward Points.
cityunionbank.bank.in · 2 Oct 2026
CUB Kavach RuPay Credit Card
Utilities and Telecom spends (MCC 4800-4999) earn no Reward Points.
cityunionbank.bank.in · 2 Oct 2026
CUB Kavach Master Credit Card
Utilities and Telecom spends (MCC 4800-4999) earn no Reward Points.
cityunionbank.bank.in · 2 Oct 2026
CSB Bank Edge+ Credit Card
Jewels are not awarded on telecommunications or pay-TV transactions (MCC 4814, 4899).
csb.bank.in · 2 Oct 2026
Edge CSB Bank Credit Card
Jewels are not awarded on telecommunications or pay-TV transactions (MCC 4814, 4899).
csb.bank.in · 2 Oct 2026
Questions
Which credit card is best for Airalo eSIM?
PhonePe SBI SELECT BLACK is the best card for Airalo eSIM. It nets ₹100 on a ₹1,000 spend. Book it on PhonePe app.
Which cards give nothing on Airalo eSIM?
25 of the cards we track earn nothing on Airalo eSIM, including Axis Magnus, Flipkart Axis Bank, Axis Atlas, Axis Magnus for Burgundy, Axis MY Zone and 20 more.
Is a gift voucher better than paying directly for Airalo eSIM?
Buying a gift voucher first (PhonePe SBI SELECT BLACK, Book it on PhonePe app) nets ₹100 on ₹1,000, more than paying directly with Axis Burgundy Private (₹64).