I need help picking a good credit card
Some context before the details: my only credit card right now is the ICICI Amazon Pay card with a ₹45,000 limit, which is far too low for the kind of spends I'm putting through. I'm looking to add a proper travel-focused card with a limit in the ₹3-5 lakh range, mainly so I can book international flights and hotels for two people without maxing out.
Current Cibil: 750
Age: 30
Monthly Income and Employment status: ₹35 LPA, salaried
Monthly Expenses & Spending Patterns: Around ₹80-90k/month routed through cards. Mix of online and offline, plus 1-2 international trips a year with my spouse where flights and hotels are the big-ticket items.
Top 5 Monthly spend categories: Groceries, online shopping, dining, fuel, utility bills
Top 5 Annual spend categories: International flights, hotels, insurance premiums, electronics, festive shopping
Preferences for Credit Card Features: Priority is travel value - good accrual on flight/hotel bookings, useful airline/hotel transfer partners, and low forex markup. A high limit matters as much as the rewards here, so I'd like to know which issuers are likely to sanction ₹3-5L on a profile like mine.
Reward Preference (Cashback or Reward Points): Either, but leaning points if the transfer partners are genuinely usable for international redemptions.
Lounge Access Required: Nice to have - international lounge access with a guest/spouse visit would be a bonus, not a dealbreaker.
Other Special Needs: Comfortable with an annual fee up to ₹5,000 if the value clearly justifies it. Would like to know whether I should stretch beyond that fee bracket given my spend profile, and whether it's better to push for a limit increase on the existing ICICI card first or go straight for a new one.
Posted Aug 10, 2026, 4:12 PM UTC