In-depth review
AU Ananta Credit Card
A mid-tier rewards card that earns hard where most people actually spend: 5 reward points per ₹100 on shopping, dining and travel (~1.25% at ₹0.25 a point, capped at a shared 5,000 points a cycle), with an 8,000-point welcome that covers most of the first-year fee. Off those three categories the base is 2 points per ₹100 (~0.5%), and a four-step milestone ladder pays from ₹2.5 lakh of annual spend up to 50,000 bonus points at ₹10 lakh. The ₹2,000 fee waives on ₹3,00,000 of annual spend.
Read the full review →Key features
What this card is built to do — the highlights that actually matter.
Welcome Benefit
~₹2,000 in vouchers, points or cashback in year one — usually conditional on a first spend within 30–90 days
1.25% on Dining
5 reward points per ₹100 on dining (~1.25%); the 5,000-point statement-cycle cap is shared across shopping, dining and travel
1.25% on Online Shopping
5 reward points per ₹100 on shopping (~1.25%); the 5,000-point statement-cycle cap is shared across shopping, dining and travel
Airport Lounge Access
4 complimentary domestic airport lounge visits per calendar quarter, unlocked by booking a ₹5,000+ flight via AU Rewardz that quarter
Annual Fee Waiver
Fee of ₹2,000 + 18% GST (₹2,360 all-in)/yr fully waived when you spend ₹3,00,000/year
Fuel Surcharge Waiver
1% waiver on fuel transactions, capped at ₹200/month
Milestone Bonus
~₹1,250 in bonus rewards on hitting annual spend milestones
✈️ TRAVEL BENEFITS
Lounge access, miles, forex rates and travel perks at a glance.
AIRPORT LOUNGE ACCESS
16 visits/yr
Domestic lounges
₹8,000
Estimated annual value
3.49%
Forex markup
1.3%
Travel reward rate
- Domestic airport lounge access (16 domestic visits/yr, worth ~₹8,000)
For spenders who concentrate on shopping, dining and travel and want a points card that earns hard on those categories without stepping up to a premium annual fee.
Full reward structure
What you earn on every rupee, per spend category — as of 11 Oct 2026. Rates assume 1 pt = ₹0.25. How we value points →
| Category | Type | Rate | Monthly cap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dining | reward points | 1.25%5 pts/₹100 × ₹0.25 | ₹1,250one cap shared with Online Shopping, Travel |
| Online Shopping | reward points | 1.25%5 pts/₹100 × ₹0.25 | ₹1,250one cap shared with Dining, Travel |
| Travel | reward points | 1.25%5 pts/₹100 × ₹0.25 | ₹1,250one cap shared with Dining, Online Shopping |
| Other | reward points | 0.5%2 pts/₹100 × ₹0.25 | — |
| Insurance | reward points | 0.25%1 pts/₹100 × ₹0.25 | — |
| Utility Bills | reward points | 0.25%1 pts/₹100 × ₹0.25 | — |
Dining: 5 reward points per ₹100 on dining (~1.25%); the 5,000-point statement-cycle cap is shared across shopping, dining and travel
Online Shopping: 5 reward points per ₹100 on shopping (~1.25%); the 5,000-point statement-cycle cap is shared across shopping, dining and travel
Travel: 5 reward points per ₹100 on travel (~1.25%); the 5,000-point statement-cycle cap is shared across shopping, dining and travel
Other: 2 reward points per ₹100 on all other retail spends (~0.50%)
Insurance: 1 reward point per ₹100 on insurance, utility and telecom spends (~0.25%), capped at 100 reward points per transaction
Utility Bills: 1 reward point per ₹100 on insurance, utility and telecom spends (~0.25%), capped at 100 reward points per transaction
Earns nothing on: Fuel · Rent · Education · Government & Tax · EMI Conversions · Cash Advances · BBPS · Transportation MCCs (Apr 2026) · Quasi-cash
These spends earn no rewards at all — not a reduced rate, and not the base rate. They are also normally left out of any milestone or fee-waiver calculation.
Fees & charges
The numbers that matter beyond rewards — verify on the issuer site before applying. Fees below are shown inclusive of 18% GST, as of 11 Oct 2026.
| Charge | Amount |
|---|---|
| Annual fee (incl. 18% GST) | ₹2,360 |
| Joining fee (incl. 18% GST) | ₹2,360 |
| Finance charge (APR) | 3.75% p.m. |
| Forex markup | 3.49% |
| Fuel surcharge waiver | 1%, cap ₹200 |
Perks & benefits
Estimated annual value beyond rewards — ~₹21,700/yr in total.
4 complimentary domestic airport lounge visits per calendar quarter, unlocked by booking a ₹5,000+ flight via AU Rewardz that quarter
5,000 bonus reward points on ₹2.5 lakh of cumulative anniversary-year spend — first rung of AU's incremental milestone ladder (fuel and cash spends excluded)
10,000 further bonus reward points on ₹5 lakh of cumulative anniversary-year spend — second rung of the incremental ladder (fuel and cash spends excluded)
15,000 further bonus reward points on ₹7.5 lakh of cumulative anniversary-year spend — third rung of the incremental ladder (fuel and cash spends excluded)
20,000 further bonus reward points on ₹10 lakh of cumulative anniversary-year spend — final rung of the ladder (50,000 points total across the year; fuel and cash spends excluded)
1% fuel surcharge waiver on transactions between ₹400 and ₹5,000
Milestone ladder
- ₹2,50,000 a year₹1,250 of value
- ₹5,00,000 a year₹2,500 of value
- ₹7,50,000 a year₹3,750 of value
- ₹10,00,000 a year₹5,000 of value
Should you get it?
- Best for: Shopping, dining and travel spenders, Points-first users wanting category acceleration
- Mid tier — a solid all-rounder for steady monthly spend.
- Strongest value if you spend heavily on Dining (1.25% back).
- Frequent travellers benefit from the included airport lounge access.
Pros & cons
✓ Pros
- 5 points per ₹100 on shopping, dining and travel plus a 2-point base
- 8,000-point welcome offsets most of the first-year fee
- Milestone ladder pays from ₹2.5 lakh of annual spend
- 15% instant discount at Amazon Fashion, District dining and AU Rewardz hotels (max ₹500/merchant/month, min txn ₹1,000)
✕ Cons
- Accelerated earn is capped at a shared 5,000 points per statement cycle
- The full 50,000-point milestone ladder needs ₹10 lakh of annual spend
- Lounge visits unlock only via a ₹5,000+ AU Rewardz flight booking each quarter
Eligibility & documents
Documents required
- 📄PAN card
- 📄Aadhaar / valid address proof
- 📄Latest 3 months bank statement
- 📄Income proof — salary slips (salaried) or ITR (self-employed)
- 📄Recent passport-size photograph
How to redeem rewards
Ways to convert what you earn into real value.
- 🎁Online rewards catalogue (vouchers, merchandise)
- 🎁Flight & hotel bookings via the issuer rewards portal
- 🎁Statement credit / cashback adjustment
What your AU Reward Points are worth
Realistic value per point by redemption route — the difference is what most people leave on the table.
Standard redemption
Brand & e-gift vouchers
Value is concentrated in shopping/dining/travel, the accelerated earn is capped at a shared 5,000 points a cycle, and the full 50,000-point milestone ladder needs ₹10 lakh of annual spend — only the early rungs are realistic for most holders.
Frequently asked questions
What does the AU Ananta earn?
Is there a welcome benefit?
What is the fee and how is it waived?
Does it have lounge access?
What merchant discounts does it carry?
How has the AU Ananta Credit Card changed over time?
Has the AU Ananta Credit Card been devalued recently?
When did the AU Ananta Credit Card's fees last change?
How did the AU Ananta Credit Card change in 2026?
The bottom line
A strong category-earner for its fee. At ~₹0.25 a point, 5 points per ₹100 on shopping, dining and travel is a real ~1.25% back on the spends most people actually make, and the 8,000-point welcome covers much of the first-year fee. The 2-points-per-₹100 base (~0.5%) is respectable, and the milestone ladder starts paying from ₹2.5 lakh of annual spend.
How this page was built
Counted from this card’s own record: 6 earn rules, 3 of them capped, the spends listed as earning nothing and 6 recorded perks. The renewal fee is conditional — it is waived on a published spend target, so the fee you pay depends on what you spend.
Last updated 11 Oct 2026.
Sources & verification
Fees, reward rates, and benefits for the AU Ananta Credit Card are taken from AU Small Finance Bank's official Most Important Terms & Conditions (MITC) and fee schedule — see the card's official page. Last updated 11 Oct 2026. Reviewed by Devchandra Sah. Always confirm current details on the issuer's site before applying. How we research →
Independence. CardAdvisor is an independent editorial publication. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, sponsored by, or authorised to act for AU Small Finance Bank. All issuer names, product names, and payment-network marks are the property of their respective owners and appear here for identification and comparison only. Card faces shown on this site are our own original illustrations — we do not display or host issuer card artwork or logos.
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Read more
Guides and reviews related to this card.
AU Ananta Credit Card
A mid-tier rewards card that earns hard where most people actually spend: 5 reward points per ₹100 on shopping, dining and travel (~1.25% at ₹0.25 a point, capped at a shared 5,000 points a cycle), with an 8,000-point welcome that covers most of the first-year fee. Off those three categories the base is 2 points per ₹100 (~0.5%), and a four-step milestone ladder pays from ₹2.5 lakh of annual spend up to 50,000 bonus points at ₹10 lakh. The ₹2,000 fee waives on ₹3,00,000 of annual spend.
AU Zenith Plus Credit Card
AU's metal premium card, priced at ₹4,999 to undercut the older ₹7,999 Zenith. AU values 1 reward point at ₹1, which makes the 2 points per ₹100 on dining, travel and international a genuine 2% return (1% elsewhere) — but the privileges are still the point: a Taj Epicure membership gated behind ₹12 lakh of annual spend, 32 lounge visits a year, golf and BookMyShow tickets. Eligibility is steep at AU's published ₹2.5 lakh monthly income.
Value timeline
Every real-world change to this card's rewards, fees and benefits we've tracked — newest first, each linked to its source.
Tracking since 2026 · last change Jul 2026
2026
- ▼ FeeEffective 1 Jul 2026
Fuel fair-usage terms tightened — trigger halved, levy on the whole aggregate
1% fair-usage charge once monthly fuel spends exceeded 50% of the credit limit or ₹50,000→1% on the entire aggregate once a single fuel transaction exceeds ₹10,000 or monthly fuel spends exceed ₹25,000
From 1 July 2026 AU tightened its fuel fair-usage charge: the trigger dropped from ₹50,000 of aggregate fuel spend in a calendar month to ₹25,000 (or a single fuel transaction above ₹10,000), and the 1% charge is now levied on the entire aggregate fuel spend for the month rather than the portion above the threshold. Fair-usage charges do not apply to international transactions. The complimentary fuel-surcharge waiver bands are unchanged.
Verification: AU Small Finance Bank ↗ · Confidence: High
- ▼ FeeEffective 14 Jun 2026
New 1% fair-usage charge on transportation spends
No transportation fair-usage charge→1% on the entire aggregate once monthly transportation spends exceed 50% of the credit limit or ₹25,000, whichever is lower
From 14 June 2026 AU levies a 1% fair-usage charge when aggregate transportation spends (MCC 4111, 4112 and 4784 — local commuter transport, passenger rail and tolls) in a calendar month exceed 50% of the credit limit or ₹25,000, whichever is lower. The charge applies to the entire aggregate transportation spend for the month, not just the excess. IRCTC and select marquee travel partners are excluded, international transactions are out of scope, and AU exempts the ixigo AU co-brand variants entirely. This charge is separate from (and adds to) the April 2026 removal of reward-point earning on transportation MCCs.
Verification: AU Small Finance Bank ↗ · Confidence: High
- ◆ LaunchEffective 4 May 2026
AU Ananta launches as part of a four-card cluster
AU Bank launched Ananta alongside Laksya, Tejas and Prathama — a mid-tier rewards card at ₹2,000+GST with up to 5 reward points per ₹100 on shopping, dining and travel, an 8,000-point welcome bonus, and domestic lounge access.
Verification: AU Small Finance Bank ↗ · Confidence: High
Each change links to the issuer's own document — bank T&C, MITC, notice, press release or product page — where one is public. Where the bank published nothing, it's marked CardAdvisor Research and verified against the card's current terms. Independent of the live terms shown above. This timeline is one card's slice of our market-wide change record across every tracked card.
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Source: <a href="https://cardadvisor.in/cards/au-ananta#value-timeline">AU Ananta Credit Card value timeline</a>, CardAdvisor (CC BY 4.0).
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