AMEX

American Express SmartEarn Credit Card

Good fit for online shopping across multiple brands — ₹495 annual fee.

Top reasons to choose this card

20% across 9 merchants
₹40K fee waiver

What you'd do with it

Strongest on eligible partner merchants like Flipkart, Zomato, Myntra, Uber, and Nykaa.
Competitive for day-to-day rewards with an estimated base return around 0.5%.
Works when a ₹495 annual fee is acceptable for the accelerated earn rates.

Suggested comparison Similar tier comparison Compare with Axis Bank ACE →

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Annual fee ₹495 per year

Forex markup 3.5% high

Lounge access 0 no lounge

Rewards / ₹100 20 pts up to · ₹100 on Select 10X partners

The catch Forex markup is 3.5%, so this can get expensive for frequent international spends.

Welcome benefit timing may vary
Fee waiver available
Annual fee known
Forex markup known
No lounge access

At a glance

Snapshot · usage · fit

Fast facts

Annual fee: ₹495 lower than 87 of 112 cards
Joining fee: ₹495
Forex markup: 3.5% the standard rate (matches 66 cards)
Lounge access: No complimentary lounge access
Reward rate: Up to 20 pts / ₹100 on Select 10X partners

Not a fit for

No domestic lounge access

Still worth it?

Evidence-backed snapshot

Good fit if

Annual fee is relatively low at ₹495.
Fee waiver applies at ₹40,000 annual spend.

Verify before applying

Annual fee known
Fee waiver available
Forex markup known
No lounge access
₹500 welcome benefit listed
Welcome benefit timing may vary
Monthly interest known

Welcome benefit timing and claim process.
Annual fee waiver terms and eligible spend exclusions.
Issuer fees, GST, finance charges, and late-payment terms.
Reward terms to verify: base earn is 2 points per ₹100. Select 10X partners applies up to ₹2,500 per month, then 2 points per ₹100 applies. 10x Zomato applies up to ₹2,500 per month, then 2 points per ₹100 applies. 10x Nykaa applies up to ₹2,500 per month, then 2 points per ₹100 applies. 10x Myntra applies up to ₹2,500 per month, then 2 points per ₹100 applies. 10x Blinkit applies up to ₹2,500 per month, then 2 points per ₹100 applies. 10x BookMyShow applies up to ₹2,500 per month, then 2 points per ₹100 applies. 10x Flipkart applies up to ₹2,500 per month, then 2 points per ₹100 applies. 10x Uber applies up to ₹2,500 per month, then 2 points per ₹100 applies. 10x EaseMyTrip applies up to ₹2,500 per month, then 2 points per ₹100 applies. 5x Amazon applies up to ₹2,500 per month, then 2 points per ₹100 applies. Still verify excluded categories, redemption rules, and point value.

Next best move

Open the ranking that matches your constraint, or compare this card with the closest alternative.

Compare with Axis Bank ACE Similar tier comparison Forex ranking (verified) Compared on verified forex markup, then annual fee. Cards under ₹1,000 annual fee Lower-fee options in the current snapshot.

Is this good for lounge access?

No lounge access.

Is this good for international spends?

Forex markup is 3.5%, so frequent international spends may be costly.

Is the annual fee easy to recover?

Fee waiver applies at ₹40,000 annual spend. Verify eligible spend exclusions before counting on it.

When do welcome benefits arrive?

A welcome benefit worth ₹500 is listed, but timing may depend on joining fee payment, card activation, first eligible transaction, or issuer processing.

Fees confidence: High Forex confidence: High Rewards confidence: Unknown Lounge confidence: High Waiver confidence: High

Card facts refreshed 11 July 2026.

Spending requirements

Spend gates · caps · milestone thresholds

Annual fee waiver₹40,000yearAnnual fee waivertrivialstrong

Watch outs

Before choosing this card

Forex markup is 3.5%, so frequent international spends may be costly.
Reward value is not fully resolved in the current snapshot.

Reward reality

Point value · limits · exclusions

Verified value₹0.25 per pointCashback

Best verified laneSelect 10X partners (domestic)20 pts / ₹100

Limits/capsSelect 10X partners (domestic): up to ₹2,500 per month; excess not counted unless source allows fallback; Blinkit (domestic), BookMyShow (domestic), EaseMyTrip (domestic), Flipkart (domestic): up to ₹2,500 per month; excess not counted unless source allows fallback; Amazon (domestic): up to ₹2,500 per month; excess not counted unless source allows fallback

UnknownsReward value unresolvedReward value unclear

Reward rules

Structured earn rates · eligibility · caps when they bind

Select 10X partners (domestic)20 pts / ₹100—up to ₹2,500 per month; excess not counted unless source allows fallback

Blinkit (domestic)BookMyShow (domestic)EaseMyTrip (domestic)Flipkart (domestic) +4 more merchants

Myntra (domestic)
Nykaa (domestic)
Uber (domestic)
Zomato (domestic)

20 pts / ₹100—up to ₹2,500 per month; excess not counted unless source allows fallback

Amazon (domestic)10 pts / ₹100—up to ₹2,500 per month; excess not counted unless source allows fallback

General spend2 pts / ₹100——

Estimated usage

Example usage at this monthly spend

₹

At this monthly spend, you'd earn: Estimated using base earn (2 pts / ₹100). ~1,000 pts/month. Partner/category bonuses not included.
Fee waiver achievable at this spend
Forex cost ~₹1,750 per ₹50k international spend

Illustrative only, using current base rates and snapshot data.

Benefits & charges

Side-by-side facts

Benefits

Lounge Access

Not specified

Rewards

Base earn: 2 pts / ₹100 value depends on redemption
Headline point value: ₹0.25 per Reward Point (Cashback) Issuer headline channel — full channel grid in Redemption value.

Redemption value

You earn: Reward Points
Cashback: ₹0.25 per Reward Point
Catalogue: ₹0.25 per Reward Point

Fees & charges

Fees

Monthly interest rate: 3.5% / month
Annual fee: ₹495
Joining fee: ₹495 · verified 13 Jun 2026
Fee waiver spend: ₹40,000 Below catalog median waiver (₹2,00,000 vs ₹40,000).
Interest-free period: Up to 48 days

International Use

Forex markup: 3.5%

3 sources agree · verify issuer terms before applying

Where to verify

CardInsider
BankBazaar
Operator-verified anchor
Issuer site (verify current terms) (opens in new tab)
Product tier: Entry-level