All cards / American Express
Amex Membership Rewards
Amex's flexible points currency (1 point per ₹50 spent, excludes fuel/insurance/utilities) transfers well to airline/hotel partners, plus up to 20% off at partner fine-dining restaurants — appealing to reward optimizers over cashback seekers. Membership Rewards points don't expire, which is unusual among Indian reward programs and lets patient point-hoarders wait for the best transfer or redemption opportunity rather than racing an expiry clock. Beyond the joining-year welcome bonus, cardholders can also pick up smaller recurring monthly bonuses simply by hitting a handful of qualifying transactions or a spend threshold, and a one-time bonus lands again at first renewal. The card is issued only in a defined set of larger Indian cities rather than nationwide.
Annual fee
₹4,500
Joining fee
₹1,000
Reward type
points
Base reward rate
2%
Card network
Amex
Card tier
Mid
Who this card fits
Best suited to applicants with a credit score of roughly 730+ whose spend is concentrated in dining. Its annual fee waives if you can comfortably clear the spend threshold.
Rewards & benefits
- Movie & dining: Up to 20% off at a curated list of partner fine-dining restaurants
- Rewards rate: 2% base rate
Benefits by category
- ⛽ Fuel
Fuel convenience fee waiver at HPCL outlets
- 🌍 Forex / international spend
3.5% forex markup on international transactions
Eligibility
- Minimum credit score: 730
- Minimum monthly income: ₹37,500
- Employment: salaried, self-employed
- Age: 18–60
Fees & charges
- Spend-based waiver: Waived on annual spend of ₹1,50,000
- Rewards redemption fee: No fee to transfer Membership Rewards points to airline/hotel loyalty partners; points never expire
- Foreign currency markup: 3.5%
- Interest rate: 42% p.a.
- Fuel surcharge waiver: Fuel surcharge waiver available only at HPCL outlets accepting Amex, capped as per Amex's standard schedule
- Cash advance charges: Amex does not offer a cash advance/cash withdrawal facility on this card
Benefits
- 4,000 bonus points on ₹15,000 spend within 90 days
- Fuel convenience fee waiver at HPCL outlets
Pros
- + Points transfer to many travel partners
- + Up to 20% fine dining discounts
- + Strong customer service reputation
- + Membership Rewards points never expire
- + Recurring monthly bonus points for hitting small spend milestones
Cons
- − Lower acceptance than Visa/Mastercard in India
- − Points don't accrue on fuel, insurance, or utility spend
- − Card issuance is limited to a defined list of cities
- − The 50% renewal-fee waiver on ₹90,000 annual spend ends on 15 November 2026, per Amex India's Consumer Experience Updates
Best for
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