Credit Cards by Network

Which card networks are allowed to operate in India?

Five. The RBI named all five in its circular of 6 March 2024. The list is exact: American Express Banking Corp., Diners Club International Ltd., MasterCard Asia/Pacific Pte. Ltd., National Payments Corporation of India–Rupay, and Visa Worldwide Pte. Limited.

Anything else you are offered is not a card network. Co-brands like Amazon Pay or Tata Neu are merchant tie-ups. They still run on one of these five.

The middle column is our own review coverage, not market share. We have not seen a market-share number from a primary source that we could open, so we do not print one.

Can you choose the network on your credit card?

Usually, yes. The same RBI circular tells card issuers to offer eligible customers a choice of network at the time of issue. Existing cardholders get the choice at their next renewal. The rule took effect six months after 6 March 2024.

Two exemptions matter. Issuers with 10 lakh or fewer active cards are outside the rule. So are issuers that operate their own authorised card network. That is why an American Express card comes on American Express, and nothing else.

Here is the uncomfortable part. The right exists, but almost no application form puts it in front of you. Ask for it in writing when you apply. Ask again at renewal.

Does the network change your rewards or your annual fee?

No. Our own data settles this. Of the 16 cards we have reviewed, 13 run on Visa. Their reward rates, as we calculate them, run from 0.5% to 4.5%. That is a ninefold gap on one network.

Fees behave the same way. The HDFC Bank Infinia is a Visa card at ₹12,500 a year, which is ₹14,750 once you add the 18% GST. The Amazon Pay ICICI card is also Visa, and costs nothing. Compare the card, never the logo. Our reward value calculator does it in rupees.

What the network actually decides: where the card is accepted

This is the one real difference. Visa, Mastercard and RuPay are accepted very widely in India. American Express and Diners Club are not. Amex runs its own acceptance network, so a merchant has to sign with Amex directly.

We are not going to quote merchant counts. NPCI’s website does not serve its content to our fetcher, and we do not repeat acceptance figures we could not open at the source. Do your own test instead. Think of the five places you spend most. If two of them are small merchants, a closed-loop network will annoy you every month.

Which network gives the lowest forex markup?

None of them. Your bank sets the markup. In our reviewed set, the Scapia Federal Bank card charges 0%. The IDFC FIRST Select charges 1.99%. HDFC Infinia, HDFC Regalia Gold and Tata Neu Infinity charge 2%. Most of the rest charge 3.5%.

Those cards span three different networks. The spread is the issuer’s pricing, not the network’s. GST applies on the markup as a bank charge, so budget 18% on top. The forex markup calculator shows the rupee cost on a real trip.

The cards we have reviewed, by network

Fees are the issuer’s published annual fee plus 18% GST, as we hold them at 15 August 2026. Several of these fees are waived at a spend threshold. That waiver is worth more than any network feature. If you are picking a first card, start with our shortlist for first-time applicants. If you want plain rupees back, read the cashback list.

Common questions about credit card networks

Is RuPay better than Visa for a credit card?

Neither is better on its own. RuPay is India’s domestic network, run by NPCI, and the RBI lists it as authorised. Visa has the wider international footprint. The card’s fee, reward rate and forex markup will matter far more to you than the choice between them. Decide on those, then take whichever network your issuer offers on that card.

Why does my bank not let me pick Mastercard?

Two lawful reasons exist. The issuer may have 10 lakh or fewer active cards, which puts it outside the RBI rule. Or the issuer runs its own authorised network, which also exempts it. Otherwise the choice is your right at issue and at renewal. Put the request in writing and keep the reply.

Does the network set my interest rate or late fee?

No. Your card issuer sets both, and the RBI’s Master Direction on credit and debit cards governs how they are disclosed and applied. The billing statement must warn you that paying only the minimum stretches repayment over months or years, with compounded interest. That warning is worth reading.

Are American Express cards worth the acceptance problem?

Only if your spending is concentrated in large merchants, online, and on travel. If you regularly pay small shops, local clinics or neighbourhood restaurants, you will hit refusals. There is no workaround. Carry a second card on a widely accepted network, or skip Amex.

Can I switch my existing card to a different network?

Ask at renewal. That is the point in the cycle where the RBI circular says the option must be offered to existing customers. A switch usually means a new card number, so update your standing instructions and auto-debits before the old card stops working.