Best credit cards for utility bill payments in India
Most Indians pay ₹3,000–8,000 every month on electricity, gas, water, broadband and mobile bills. The right card turns these unavoidable expenses into cashback. We compared cards on a typical ₹5,000/month utility spend.
Last updated: August 2026 · Based on current card termsThe Airtel Axis is best for Airtel subscribers with significant monthly telecom and utility bills. The 25% cashback on Airtel recharges is unmatched, but the April 2026 devaluation of the capping structure makes it a weaker everyday card.
Following HSBC's July 2026 revaluation, the Live+ now earns 10% cashback across five everyday categories, dining, food delivery, groceries, utilities and shopping, with a shared ₹1,200/month cap, plus a new Visa Infinite upgrade and a first-ever quarterly fuel cashback. The tradeoff: domestic lounge visits are down to 2/year, and international spends no longer earn any cashback despite the reduced 1.99% forex markup. For everyday domestic spenders, this is a genuine upgrade; for frequent travellers who previously used this card abroad, it's a mixed bag.
The PhonePe HDFC Ultimo is best for PhonePe power users who pay utility bills, recharges and book travel via the PhonePe app. The 10% on utilities (the highest among general cashback cards) and 5% on Amazon/Swiggy/Zomato make it genuinely strong, but the tight monthly caps limit value for heavy spenders.
| # | Card | A year | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | Axis ACE Utility bill payments and everyday flat cashback | ₹2,501 | ₹499 |
| 5 | IDFC FIRST Power Plus Best HPCL fuel card in India for medium-to-high monthly fuel spenders | ₹2,501 | ₹499 |
| 6 | SC Super Value Titanium Utility, fuel and telecom bills at a low annual fee | ₹2,250 | ₹750 |
| 7 | IDFC FIRST Power Budget HPCL fuel card with grocery and utility rewards at the lowest annual fee | ₹1,301 | ₹199 |
| 8 | Slice UPI New-to-credit users wanting flat cashback on everything including UPI | ₹1,200 | Free |
| 9 | IndusInd Platinum Lifetime free with consistent cashback | ₹900 | Free |
| 10 | HSBC RuPay Cashback UPI-first spenders wanting cashback on digital payments with lounge access and zero forex | ₹801 | ₹999 |
Get your personalised recommendation
Enter your exact monthly spend and we'll calculate your real annual faayda
We calculated the net annual benefit for every card in our database using verified reward rates on a typical utility spend profile, then ranked by net benefit after subtracting the annual fee. Cards with waivable fees were evaluated at zero cost if the spend threshold is realistic.
What to look for in a utility credit card
Beyond the headline reward rate, check whether the card has a monthly cap on cashback, whether the reward is actual cashback or redeemable points, and whether the annual fee is waivable at your spend level.
Should you get more than one card?
Many smart spenders hold 2 cards: one optimised for their top category and one flat-rate card for everything else. Use our personalised tool to find the best combination for your full spend profile.