Best Credit Cards for Education Payments in India
Education payments can be a good opportunity to earn credit card rewards, especially when the fees are large. But the card you use and the way you make the payment both matter. Direct payments to a school or college may earn rewards while payments through platforms such as CRED, Cheq or MobiKwik may not.
Why Use Credit Cards for Education Payments?
If you are already paying a large tuition or college fee, using the right credit card can help you earn rewards on the payment. The important thing is that not every education payment earns rewards.
A direct payment through the school's or college's website or POS machine may earn rewards while payments through third-party platforms may be excluded. Some payment methods may also involve extra charges, so check the charges before making the payment.
Top Credit Cards for Education Payments
1. HDFC Bank Regalia Gold Credit Card
Best for: Regular education payments where you can also make use of the card's milestones.
The HDFC Bank Regalia Gold Credit Card earns 5 Reward Points per ₹200 on eligible spends, including eligible education payments. Direct payments through a school or college website or POS machine can earn rewards while payments through CRED, Cheq, MobiKwik and similar platforms are excluded.
The card has an overall earning cap of 50,000 Reward Points per statement cycle. Education spends can also help you reach the card's milestones. Spending ₹1.5 lakh in a calendar quarter earns ₹1,500 worth of brand vouchers. Spending ₹4 lakh in a year waives the renewal fee while spending ₹5 lakh and ₹7.5 lakh earns ₹5,000 flight vouchers at each milestone.
2. HDFC Bank Diners Club Black Metal Credit Card
Best for: Larger education payments where the quarterly milestone can add extra value.
The HDFC Bank Diners Club Black Metal Credit Card earns 5 Reward Points per ₹150 on eligible spends, including eligible education payments. Direct payments through a school's or college's website or POS machine can earn rewards while CRED, Cheq and MobiKwik payments are excluded.
The card has an overall earning cap of 75,000 Reward Points per statement cycle. Education payments can also count towards the ₹4 lakh quarterly spending milestone, which earns 10,000 bonus Reward Points. If you have a large fee to pay and the institution allows you to split the payment, spreading it across quarters can help you make better use of this milestone.
3. HDFC Bank Infinia Metal Credit Card
Best for: Existing Infinia cardholders making large education payments and working towards the annual renewal requirement.
The HDFC Bank Infinia Metal Credit Card earns 5 Reward Points per ₹150 on eligible education payments made directly through an institution's website or POS machine. Payments through CRED, Cheq, MobiKwik and other excluded third-party platforms do not earn Reward Points.
The card has an overall earning cap of 2,00,000 Reward Points per statement cycle. Education payments can also count towards the ₹18 lakh annual spending requirement to retain the card. The annual fee can also be waived based on the applicable spending criteria.
4. Axis Magnus Credit Card
Best for: High-value education payments when your eligible monthly spending can cross the ₹1.5 lakh threshold.
The Axis Magnus Credit Card has different reward rates based on your monthly spending. Eligible spends up to ₹1.5 lakh per calendar month earn 12 EDGE Reward Points per ₹200. Eligible spends above ₹1.5 lakh earn 35 EDGE Reward Points per ₹200, subject to the applicable limits.
Education is not specifically listed as an excluded category. So eligible education payments can earn EDGE Reward Points depending on how the payment is classified and the applicable terms.
5. Axis Magnus Credit Card for Burgundy
Best for: Burgundy customers making large education payments who prefer travel rewards.
The Axis Magnus Credit Card for Burgundy follows the same basic reward structure as Magnus. You earn 12 EDGE Reward Points per ₹200 up to ₹1.5 lakh in monthly eligible spends and 35 EDGE Reward Points per ₹200 above ₹1.5 lakh, subject to the applicable terms.
The card is available to eligible Axis Burgundy customers and offers more favourable travel redemption options compared with regular Magnus.
6. HSBC Premier Metal Credit Card
Best for: HSBC Premier customers making education payments who still have room within the ₹1 lakh monthly combined limit.
The HSBC Premier Metal Credit Card earns 3 Reward Points per ₹100 on eligible education payments.
The rewards have a cumulative ₹1 lakh monthly cap across eligible categories including education, utilities, insurance, government payments, wallet loads and rent payments. This means the ₹1 lakh limit applies to the combined spending across these categories, not separately to each one. Only fuel spends are excluded from rewards.
Premier Reward Points do not expire and can be transferred at 1:1 to a wide variety of airline and hotel partners.
7. Axis Atlas Credit Card
Best for: Education spenders who value airline and hotel transfers and annual EDGE Miles milestones.
The Axis Atlas Credit Card earns 5 EDGE Miles per ₹100 on eligible airline, hotel and Travel Edge spends, subject to the ₹2 lakh monthly accelerated reward limit. Other eligible spends, including education payments, earn 2 EDGE Miles per ₹100.
The card also has annual milestones. Spending ₹3 lakh earns 2,500 EDGE Miles, spending ₹7.5 lakh earns another 2,500 EDGE Miles and spending ₹15 lakh earns an additional 5,000 EDGE Miles, subject to the applicable terms.
8. ICICI Bank Times Black Credit Card
Best for: Education payments of up to ₹2.5 lakh per statement cycle where you want to earn points and redeem them towards travel.
The ICICI Bank Times Black Credit Card earns 2 Reward Points per ₹100 on eligible direct education payments. Education payments through third-party platforms are excluded.
Rewards on education, utility, insurance and government payments are capped at 5,000 Reward Points per statement cycle. This means the card earns rewards of up to ₹2.5 lakh of combined spends across these categories in a statement cycle.
The card offers 1 Reward Point = ₹1 for travel and eligible iShop bookings, giving you a higher-value redemption option for the points earned.
9. Equitas PowerMiles Credit Card
Best for: Education payments where you want a simple reward rate along with travel redemption options and fee waivers.
The Equitas PowerMiles Credit Card earns 3 Reward Points per ₹100 on eligible domestic education payments. For international education payments, it earns 9 Reward Points per ₹100, making it particularly useful for overseas tuition and other eligible international education expenses.
You can also unlock the Diamond Tier by spending ₹1 lakh or more per month for three consecutive months in a calendar quarter. At this tier, Reward Points can be redeemed at ₹1 per point, compared with the lower redemption value available at the base tier. The card also offers airline and hotel transfer options.
An Alternative Route Using Amazon Pay
If your educational institution accepts Amazon Pay Balance, there is another option. You may be able to buy an eligible Amazon Pay gift card using a credit card that rewards such purchases, add it to your Amazon Pay Balance and then use the balance at supported merchants.
This can help when your card does not normally give rewards on direct education payments. However, check the card's terms first because some cards exclude gift card purchases or may not give rewards on them. Also check whether the institution accepts Amazon Pay Balance and whether any extra charges apply.
Choosing the Right Credit Card for Education Payments
The right card depends on your education spend, reward preference and payment route. For larger payments, look for higher reward rates or useful milestones. If you prefer travel rewards, cards with stronger airline and hotel redemption options may be better.
Before paying, check that the payment is eligible for rewards and that any extra charges do not outweigh the rewards you earn.
If you use multiple credit cards, SaveSage helps you track your cards, rewards and benefits in one place. You can also compare cards and see where you can get better value from your spending.
