In-depth review
CheQ AU Credit Card
India's first LED card — a CheQ × AU Small Finance Bank co-brand that glows on every NFC tap and quotes a headline 12% on utilities paid in the CheQ app and at partner brands. The catch is the point value: 2 points = ₹1 on travel/vouchers but only 4 points = ₹1 against bills paid through CheQ, so the real return is roughly half the marketing (≈6% on app utilities, ≈2.5% on the 5% categories). Lifetime free; the optional LED (Visa) variant carries a one-time ₹999 + GST.
Read the full review →Key features
What this card is built to do — the highlights that actually matter.
12 points/₹100 on Utility Bills (~6% value)
24 CheQ pts/₹200 (12% face, ~6% real at ₹0.50/pt) on utility bills and CheQ Travel paid in the CheQ app, and at partner brands on the Visa card or CheQ UPI (the RuPay card earns 1% there); 12,000 pts monthly cap shared across accelerated categories
2.5% on Online Shopping
10 CheQ pts/₹200 (5% face, ~2.5% real at ₹0.50/pt) on shopping MCCs across 10,000+ brands, on the Visa card or CheQ UPI; the RuPay card at POS or online earns the 1% base; 12,000 pts monthly cap shared across accelerated categories
Lifetime Free
No annual fee — ever. Keep this card long-term without any recurring cost.
Fuel Surcharge Waiver
1% waiver on fuel transactions, capped at ₹150/month
UPI Linked
Pay UPI QR codes from your credit line. What UPI payments earn can depend on the app you pay through, so check the rewards details.
Insurance Cover
Comprehensive protection cover — Air Accident Cover ₹50 lakh, Credit Shield up to ₹5 lakh, Purchase Protection up to ₹25,000, plus travel-related covers
App-native users who will pay utilities through the CheQ app, put partner-brand, dining, grocery and travel spend on the Visa card or CheQ UPI, and redeem points on flights, hotels or gift cards rather than bills, to capture the full ₹0.50 a point.
Full reward structure
What you earn on every rupee, per spend category — as of 11 Oct 2026. Rates assume 1 pt = ₹0.50. How we value points →
| Category | Type | Rate | Monthly cap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Utility Billsonly at CheQ app utility bills and CheQ Travel; partner brands Amazon, Flipkart, Zomato, BigBasket and Apple products at Unicorn, on the Visa card or CheQ UPI | reward points | 6%12 pts/₹100 × ₹0.50 | ₹6,000one cap shared with Online Shopping, Dining, Groceries, Travel |
| Online Shopping | reward points | 2.5%5 pts/₹100 × ₹0.50 | ₹6,000one cap shared with Utility Bills, Dining, Groceries, Travel |
| Dining | reward points | 2.5%5 pts/₹100 × ₹0.50 | ₹6,000one cap shared with Utility Bills, Online Shopping, Groceries, Travel |
| Groceries | reward points | 2.5%5 pts/₹100 × ₹0.50 | ₹6,000one cap shared with Utility Bills, Online Shopping, Dining, Travel |
| Travel | reward points | 2.5%5 pts/₹100 × ₹0.50 | ₹6,000one cap shared with Utility Bills, Online Shopping, Dining, Groceries |
| Other | reward points | 0.5%1 pts/₹100 × ₹0.50 | — |
Utility Bills: 24 CheQ pts/₹200 (12% face, ~6% real at ₹0.50/pt) on utility bills and CheQ Travel paid in the CheQ app, and at partner brands on the Visa card or CheQ UPI (the RuPay card earns 1% there); 12,000 pts monthly cap shared across accelerated categories · CheQ app utility bills and CheQ Travel; partner brands Amazon, Flipkart, Zomato, BigBasket and Apple products at Unicorn, on the Visa card or CheQ UPI
Online Shopping: 10 CheQ pts/₹200 (5% face, ~2.5% real at ₹0.50/pt) on shopping MCCs across 10,000+ brands, on the Visa card or CheQ UPI; the RuPay card at POS or online earns the 1% base; 12,000 pts monthly cap shared across accelerated categories
Dining: 10 CheQ pts/₹200 (5% face, ~2.5% real at ₹0.50/pt) at restaurants and fast food (MCC 5812, 5814), on the Visa card or CheQ UPI; the RuPay card at POS or online earns the 1% base; 12,000 pts monthly cap shared across accelerated categories
Groceries: 10 CheQ pts/₹200 (5% face, ~2.5% real at ₹0.50/pt) at grocery stores and supermarkets (MCC 5411, 5499), on the Visa card or CheQ UPI; the RuPay card at POS or online earns the 1% base; 12,000 pts monthly cap shared across accelerated categories
Travel: 10 CheQ pts/₹200 (5% face, ~2.5% real at ₹0.50/pt) on airlines, hotels, rail, buses, taxis and travel agencies, on the Visa card or CheQ UPI; the RuPay card at POS or online earns the 1% base; 12,000 pts monthly cap shared across accelerated categories
Other: 2 CheQ pts/₹200 (1% face, ~0.5% real) on all other spends, including RuPay-card POS and online spends at partner brands and in the 5% categories, uncapped; other UPI via the CheQ app earns 5 pts/₹200; UPI outside the CheQ app earns nil
Earns nothing on: Fuel · Education · Insurance · Rent · EMI Conversions · Wallet Loads · Government & Tax · Online Gaming · Cash Advances · Gold purchases · Gambling · Txns below ₹200 · Utility & UPI outside the CheQ app
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) | Lifetime free |
| Joining fee (incl. 18% GST) | Free |
| Finance charge (APR) | 3.75% p.m. |
| Forex markup | 3.49% |
| Fuel surcharge waiver | 1%, cap ₹150 |
Perks & benefits
Estimated annual value beyond rewards — ~₹2,300/yr in total.
1% fuel surcharge waiver, max ₹150/month (on ₹500–₹5,000 transactions)
Comprehensive protection cover — Air Accident Cover ₹50 lakh, Credit Shield up to ₹5 lakh, Purchase Protection up to ₹25,000, plus travel-related covers
Should you get it?
- Best for: App-native users who pay utilities in the CheQ app and shop at its partner brands on the Visa card, Those who redeem points on travel or gift cards rather than bills, UPI-first users wanting rewards on scan & pay
- Mid tier — a solid all-rounder for steady monthly spend.
- Strongest value if you spend heavily on Online Shopping (2.5% back; 6% only at CheQ app utility bills and CheQ Travel; partner brands Amazon, Flipkart, Zomato, BigBasket and Apple products at Unicorn, on the Visa card or CheQ UPI).
Pros & cons
✓ Pros
- 12% face-value rewards on utilities paid in the CheQ app and at partner brands
- 5% face on online shopping, dining, grocery and travel on the Visa card or CheQ UPI
- India's first LED card — lights up on every NFC tap
- Lifetime free — no joining or annual fee
- RuPay UPI-linkable via the CheQ app — earn on scan & pay
✕ Cons
- Headline "12%/5%" are face value — points redeem at ₹0.50 (travel/vouchers) or ₹0.25 (bill payments via CheQ), so real returns are roughly half
- Utility bills and UPI earn only through the CheQ app, and partner brands and the 5% categories need the Visa card or CheQ UPI; the RuPay card at a terminal or online earns 2 pts/₹200 there
- Earns nothing on fuel, education, gold, gambling, insurance, rent, wallet loads, government services, online gaming, cash withdrawals, EMI, transactions below ₹200, or utility bills & UPI paid outside the CheQ app
- 3.49% forex markup — not for international use
- The LED itself is a ₹999 + GST one-time extra on the Visa variant — "lifetime free" covers the card, not the light
Eligibility & documents
This is the figure for salaried applicants. Where AU Small Finance Bank sets a separate one for the self-employed, its own eligibility page gives it.
Documents required
- 📄PAN card
- 📄Aadhaar (in-app KYC)
- 📄Income proof — salary slips (salaried) or ITR (self-employed)
How to redeem rewards
Ways to convert what you earn into real value.
- 🎁Flights, hotels & gift cards: 2 CheQ points = ₹1 (best value) via the CheQ app
- 🎁Credit-card or utility bill payments through CheQ: 4 CheQ points = ₹1 (₹0.25/point)
- 🎁Points are valid for two years from the date they are credited
What your CheQ Points are worth
Realistic value per point by redemption route — the difference is what most people leave on the table.
4 points = ₹1 - the cheapest rail, and the one a reader treating this as a cashback card lands on
2 points = ₹1, the best route and the basis every reward row on cheq-au is valued at; redeemable only inside the CheQ app
Headline "12%/5%" rates are face value at 1 point = ₹1, but points redeem at ₹0.50 (travel/vouchers) or ₹0.25 (bill payments via CheQ) — real returns are roughly half, and value is fenced inside the CheQ app.
Frequently asked questions
What does the CheQ AU card earn?
What is a CheQ point worth?
What is the fee?
What do AU and CheQ ask of applicants?
How has the CheQ AU Credit Card changed over time?
Has the CheQ AU Credit Card been devalued recently?
When did the CheQ AU Credit Card's fees last change?
How did the CheQ AU Credit Card change in 2026?
The bottom line
A genuinely interesting lifetime-free card. 12% face on utilities is rare and the LED is a fun novelty, but read the redemption fine print: points are worth ₹0.50 on travel and vouchers and only ₹0.25 against a bill paid through CheQ, so the real rate is about half the marketing. Redeem on travel, pay utilities in the CheQ app and use the Visa card at partner brands, and it earns its keep; treat the points as bill credit and it underwhelms.
How this page was built
Counted from this card’s own record: 6 earn rules, 5 of them capped, 1 paid only at named merchants, the spends listed as earning nothing and 2 recorded perks.
Last updated 11 Oct 2026.
Sources & verification
Fees, reward rates, and benefits for the CheQ AU 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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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 7 Jul 2026
CheQ AU becomes lifetime-free
₹499 joining + ₹499 annual, reversible on ₹3 lakh annual spends→Lifetime free (one-time ₹999 + GST applies only to the optional LED Visa variant)
AU's Key Fact Statement v1.8 (7 July 2026) lists the CheQ AU Credit Card as lifetime-free, and the product page now shows "Joining/Annual Fee: Lifetime free" with a one-time ₹999 + GST charge only for the optional LED card. At launch (April 2026) the card carried a ₹499 joining and annual fee reversible on ₹3 lakh of annual spends, so the fee was dropped some time between 28 April and 7 July 2026; the KFS date is used here as the dated upper bound.
Verification: AU Small Finance Bank ↗ · Confidence: Reconstructed
- ▼ 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
- ◆ LaunchObserved 15 Apr 2026 · Effective 28 Apr 2026
CheQ AU Credit Card launched — India's first co-branded LED card
Up to 12% CheQ-points on utilities, partner brands & CheQ Travel via the app; ₹499 fee (waived at ₹3L); RuPay UPI-linkable
CheQ (a credit-card bill-payment fintech) and AU Small Finance Bank launched the CheQ AU Credit Card, marketed as India's first co-branded card with an embedded LED that lights up on tap-to-pay. It earns CheQ points — up to 12% face on utilities, partner brands (Amazon, Flipkart, Zomato, BigBasket, Apple) and CheQ Travel routed through the CheQ app, 5% on other online spend and lower rates elsewhere — redeemable at 2 points = ₹1 on travel and vouchers. The launch was announced mid-April 2026 and applications opened on the CheQ app on 28 April 2026.
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/cheq-au#value-timeline">CheQ AU Credit Card value timeline</a>, CardAdvisor (CC BY 4.0).
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