AU Bank vs Bank of Baroda: Two RuPay-Heavy Lineups, One Clear Lounge Winner
30 October 2026 · BestCard Editorial Team
AU and BOBCARD cover similar ground: lots of RuPay cards, affordable mid-tier products and lounge access through spend conditions. The difference shows up in how long the free period lasts and how many lounge visits each fee buys.
Fee shape
AU's LIT, CheQ, KOSMO, Paytm AU and ixigo are lifetime-free. BOBCARD changed its rules from 1 September 2026: Select now costs ₹750 after a free first year (waived at ₹70,000), Premier ₹1,000 (waived at ₹1.2 lakh) and Easy ₹500 (waived at ₹35,000). Prime and Scapia remain lifetime-free. For someone who wants no recurring fee, AU has more options.
Cashback
The AU LIT pays 5% on dining and online shopping, capped at ₹500 a month in each. CheQ pays up to 12% on online shopping and utilities, with a ₹5,000 cap. BOBCARD Cashback costs ₹499 and pays 5% on online shopping up to ₹1,500 a month, 1% elsewhere. Snapdeal BOBCARD costs ₹249 with 2.5% online. AU's lifetime-free options beat BOB on cost; BOB's cashback card is simpler, with no points currency.
Lounge access
BOB's Eterna costs ₹2,499 (waived at ₹2.5 lakh) for unlimited domestic lounge access, and its RuPay Tiara and Varunah Premium cost the same for unlimited access on ₹75,000 quarterly spend. Premier gives 1 visit a quarter. AU's Zenith Plus lists 16 domestic and 16 international visits a year, Zenith lists 2 of each a quarter, and the Vetta (₹2,999) gives 1 domestic and 1 international visit a quarter. SPONT, a ₹299 RuPay card, offers 2 domestic visits a quarter on ₹50,000 prior-quarter spend. If you fly domestically a lot, Eterna is cheap; if you add international trips, AU Zenith Plus has the edge.
Fuel and groceries
BOB's ENERGIE costs ₹499 and pays 6.5% on fuel with a ₹4,000 monthly cap. AU has no dedicated fuel card, only a 1% surcharge waiver. AU's Altura pays 3% on groceries (₹1,000 cap) and BOB's Rakshamah (for Coast Guard personnel) and Vikram pay 1.25% to 2.5% on groceries. For drivers, BOB is the pick.
International use
BOB's Scapia, Uni GoldX and Etihad Guest Premium charge 0% forex, and the Etihad card has 8 international lounge visits a year at ₹5,000. AU's ixigo card is lifetime-free at 0% and Zenith Plus charges 0.99%. Both banks do well here; AU's ixigo is the cheapest.
Verdict
AU for free RuPay cashback and for the lounge count at Zenith Plus. BOB for unlimited domestic lounge access at Eterna and for fuel. Pairing AU CheQ or LIT with BOB's ENERGIE is a combination that costs little.
More reading
See the AU Bank credit cards guide and the Bank of Baroda credit cards guide. For a card-type angle, read RuPay credit cards on UPI.
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