Best Credit Card for Grocery and Utility Bills in India 2026
Last verified June 2026. Best credit cards for BigBasket, Blinkit, Zepto, Swiggy Instamart and utility bill payments. Updated for 2026 RBI utility cap rules.
The 4 best grocery & utility-bill credit cards in 2026
1 Axis Bank ACE
The flat-rate champion for utility bills. 5% via Google Pay covers electricity, gas, mobile, broadband. Bigger 4% Swiggy/Zomato bonus stacks for grocery delivery. Best single-card option for grocery + utility combo. Full review: Axis Bank ACE review.
2 Tata Neu Infinity HDFC Bank
Best for BigBasket-loyal households. NeuCoins redeem 1:1 against future BigBasket spend. Worth it if grocery is concentrated on BigBasket. Full review: Tata Neu Infinity HDFC Bank review.
3 Amazon Pay ICICI
Best for Amazon Fresh shoppers. Zero fee + 5% Amazon cashback works as a backup grocery card. Full review: Amazon Pay ICICI review.
4 Cashback SBI Card
Best for online grocery orders. Pay utility bills with a different card, since this one excludes them. Full review: Cashback SBI Card review.
Head-to-head comparison
| Card | Fee | Headline Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Axis Bank ACE | ₹499 + GST (waived on ₹2 lakh) | 5% on bills and recharges via Google Pay, 4% on Swiggy, Zomato and Ola (₹500 combined cap a cycle), 1.5% elsewhere |
| Tata Neu Infinity HDFC Bank | ₹1,499 + GST (waived on ₹3 lakh) | 5% NeuCoins on Tata brands, 1.5% elsewhere, up to 1.5% on UPI via the Tata Neu UPI ID |
| Amazon Pay ICICI | ₹0 (lifetime free) | 5% on Amazon for Prime members, 3% without Prime, 2% at Amazon Pay partners, 1% elsewhere |
| Cashback SBI Card | ₹999 + GST (waived on ₹2 lakh) | 5% online (capped at ₹2,000 a cycle), 1% offline (capped at ₹2,000), no cashback on utilities |
Sources & references
All fees and reward rates verified against issuer official T&C pages as of June 2026. Reward programmes change frequently — confirm with the issuer before applying.
The utility-bill catch
Many issuers now cap or exclude rewards on utility and bill payments, and some charge about 1% when utility spends cross a monthly threshold. Paying ₹6,000 a month of electricity, broadband and mobile bills on a 5% card might earn ₹3,600 a year — or nothing, if utilities are excluded or capped. Check the MITC for “utilities”, “bill payments” and “BBPS”.
Groceries: where the value is
Groceries via quick-commerce and supermarket apps often earn accelerated cashback on co-brand cards. A family spending ₹12,000 a month on groceries at 5% would earn up to ₹7,200 a year before caps; at 1% the same spend earns ₹1,440.
Worked example: one card or two?
- Card A: 5% on groceries (capped at ₹500 a month), 1% elsewhere.
- Card B: 2% flat on everything including bills.
With ₹12,000 groceries and ₹6,000 bills a month, using Card A for groceries (₹500 a month, the cap) and Card B for bills earns about ₹6,000 + ₹1,440 = ₹7,440 a year, versus about ₹4,320 on Card B alone. Two cards can pay off — as long as both are free or easily waived.
Reviewed October 2026. Card features change often — confirm current terms on the issuer’s site before applying.
FAQs
Do I earn rewards on bills paid via UPI apps?
Only if your card is a RuPay credit card linked to UPI and the issuer rewards that category; many exclude utilities.
