Best Credit Cards for Diwali 2026 – Travel, Food and Shopping

Festive Season 2026 · Diwali Edition

The Diwali season covers three kinds of spending simultaneously: travel home, food and hosting, and gifting and shopping. Each category has its own best credit card. This guide combines all three into one place — 9 cards across travel, food, and shopping — so you can pick the right card for how you actually spend this festive season. All cards below are available on PickMyWork.

Quick Picks by Spending Type — Diwali 2026

Section 1: Best Credit Cards for Festive Travel — Diwali 2026

Diwali travel peaks every year in October and November — trains sell out weeks in advance, IndiGo fares spike, and every booking matters. The three cards below cover all-airline travel rewards (HSBC TravelOne), IndiGo flights (Axis Bank), and train travel (RBL IRCTC). For the full breakdown of festive travel cards including a train vs flight comparison table, see the Best Travel Credit Cards for the Festive Season 2026 guide.

HSBC TravelOne — Best for All-Airline Travel Rewards

The HSBC TravelOne is a premium travel credit card that earns accelerated miles on all travel categories — flights, hotels, and travel aggregators — with no airline or hotel brand restriction. Miles are transferable to over 25 airline and hotel loyalty partners, making it the most flexible travel card among the three in this section. The annual fee is Rs. 4,999 with complimentary domestic and international lounge access included.

• Annual fee: Rs. 4,999 + taxes.
• Earn rate on travel: 4 reward points per Rs. 100 on flights, travel aggregators, and foreign currency transactions (capped at 50,000 RP/month at this rate).
• Base earn: 2 reward points per Rs. 100 on all other eligible spends, with no cap.
• Transfer partners: 25+ airline and hotel loyalty programmes. Points transfer at a 1:1 ratio to most partners.
• Lounge access: 6 domestic and 4 international airport lounge visits per year.
• Forex markup: 1.99% — among the lowest in the market.
• Best for: Multi-airline travellers who fly more than once a month and want a single card for all travel.

Source: hsbc.co.in official HSBC TravelOne product page (October 2026)

IndiGo Axis Bank Credit Card — Best for IndiGo Flights

The IndiGo Axis Bank Credit Card earns 3 BluChips per Rs. 100 on all IndiGo bookings — app, website, and counter. BluChips are redeemable against IndiGo flights. At Rs. 799 annual fee with one conditional lounge visit per quarter, it is the most cost-effective card for anyone flying IndiGo regularly during the festive season.

• Annual fee: Rs. 799. No joining fee.
• IndiGo earn rate: 3X BluChips per Rs. 100 on all IndiGo bookings.
• Dining and grocery: 2X BluChips per Rs. 100.
• UPI earn: 1X BluChip per Rs. 100, capped at 750 BluChips/month.
• Airport lounge: 1 visit per quarter, conditional on Rs. 50,000 spend in preceding 3 months.
• Milestone: 1,200 BluChips at Rs. 1.5L spend; 1,200 BluChips at Rs. 3L spend.
• BluChip value: Redeemable against IndiGo flight bookings (value varies based on flight, taxes, and redemption conditions).

Source: goindigo.in partner page and axisbank.com product documentation (October 2026)

RBL IRCTC Credit Card — Best for Train Travel

The RBL IRCTC Credit Card rewards every IRCTC booking, waives the 1% payment gateway charge on train tickets, and provides 8 railway lounge visits per year — 2 per quarter. At Rs. 500 joining and annual fee, it is the lowest-cost dedicated railway card available. It also includes train cancellation insurance up to Rs. 5,000 and FASTag rewards — the only IRCTC co-branded card that earns on FASTag reloads.

• Annual fee: Rs. 500 joining and annual.
• IRCTC earn rate: 5 reward points per Rs. 200 on train bookings.
• FASTag and NCMC: 3 reward points per Rs. 200 — exclusive to this card among IRCTC cards.
• Railway lounge: 2 visits per quarter (8 per year).
• PG waiver: 1% payment gateway charge waived on IRCTC train bookings.
• Train cancellation cover: Insurance up to Rs. 5,000 per cancellation.
• Network: RuPay.

Source: rblbank.com official RBL IRCTC product page (October 2026)

Section 2: Best Credit Cards for Festive Food and Dining — Diwali 2026

Food and grocery spending spikes during Diwali — more guests, more home cooking, more restaurant outings and more Swiggy orders. The three cards below cover premium restaurant dining (Marriott Bonvoy HDFC), multi-platform food and grocery cashback (HSBC Live+), and Swiggy-first households (HDFC Swiggy). For a full side-by-side comparison of HSBC Live+ vs HDFC Swiggy, see the Best Credit Cards for Food and Grocery This Festive Season guide.

Marriott Bonvoy HDFC Credit Card — Best for Festive Dining Out

The Marriott Bonvoy HDFC Credit Card earns Marriott Bonvoy points on every spend, with accelerated earning at Marriott properties and partner dining restaurants. During the festive season, when families book hotel dinners, banquets, and celebration meals, this card earns towards free night awards and status upgrades. It is issued by HDFC Bank and comes with complimentary Marriott Bonvoy Silver Elite status on joining.

• Annual fee: Rs. 3,000 + taxes.
• Marriott property earn: 8 Bonvoy points per Rs. 150 spent at participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels.
• Travel, dining and entertainment earn: 4 Bonvoy points per Rs. 150.
• All other retail earn: 2 Bonvoy points per Rs. 150.
• Welcome benefit: 1 Free Night Award (up to 15,000 Bonvoy points) + 10 Elite Night Credits + Silver Elite Status (for cards opened before 30 September 2026).
• Points value: Marriott Bonvoy points redeemable for free nights, room upgrades, and dining credits at 9,000+ Marriott properties worldwide.
• Network: Diners Club International.
• Best for: Those planning hotel dining bookings, banquets, or staycations during the festive season.

Source: hdfcbank.com official Marriott Bonvoy HDFC Credit Card product page (October 2026)

HSBC Live+ Credit Card — Best for Multi-Platform Food and Grocery Cashback

The HSBC Live+ Credit Card earns 10% cashback across dining, food delivery (Swiggy and Zomato both), grocery, eligible shopping, and utility bills — capped at Rs. 1,200 per billing cycle. Upgraded to Visa Infinite from July 2026, it now also includes 2 domestic and 1 international lounge visit per year. At Rs. 999 annual fee (waived on Rs. 2 lakh annual spend), it is the broadest 10% cashback card for festive food spending.

• Annual fee: Rs. 999 (waived on Rs. 2 lakh annual spend).
• 10% cashback categories: Dining, food delivery (Swiggy + Zomato), grocery, eligible shopping, and utility bills.
• Monthly cashback cap: Rs. 1,200 per billing cycle.
• Base cashback: 1.5% on all other eligible spends.
• Lounge access: 2 domestic + 1 international per year.
• Forex markup: 1.99%.
• Exclusions: Amazon, Flipkart, Myntra earn 1.5% only, not 10%.

Source: hsbc.co.in official HSBC Live+ product page, updated July 2026 (October 2026)

HDFC Swiggy Credit Card — Best for Swiggy-First Households

The HDFC Swiggy Credit Card earns 10% cashback on all Swiggy platforms — food delivery, Instamart grocery, Dineout restaurant bookings, and Swiggy Genie — capped at Rs. 1,500 per month. If your household orders groceries via Instamart and food via Swiggy regularly, this card delivers more monthly cashback than any other food card at the Rs. 999 price point, with a higher cap than HSBC Live+.

• Annual fee: Rs. 999.
• Swiggy earn rate: 10% cashback on Swiggy food, Instamart, Dineout, and Genie.
• Monthly Swiggy cap: Rs. 1,500 — highest among food-focused cards at this fee.
• Partner merchants: 5% cashback on select online merchants (Amazon, Flipkart). Cap Rs. 1,500/month.
• Base cashback: 1% on all other eligible spends.
• Network: Visa.

Source: hdfcbank.com official HDFC Swiggy product page (October 2026)

Section 3: Best Credit Cards for Festive Shopping — Diwali 2026

Diwali shopping is the biggest online retail moment of the year in India — Flipkart Big Billion Days, Amazon Great Indian Festival, Myntra, and every major e-commerce platform runs simultaneous sales. The three cards below cover all-platform online cashback (SBI Cashback), Flipkart and Myntra cashback (Axis Flipkart), and premium lifestyle shopping with instant festival discounts (HDFC Regalia Gold). For the full Axis Flipkart vs HDFC Regalia Gold comparison with festive spend examples, see the Best Credit Cards for Flipkart Big Billion Days and Festive Shopping 2026 guide.

SBI Cashback Credit Card — Best for All Online Shopping

The SBI Cashback Credit Card earns 5% cashback on all online transactions with no platform or merchant restriction — Amazon, Flipkart, Myntra, Nykaa, Meesho, and every other online store. Cashback is credited directly to the statement with no redemption required. At Rs. 999 annual fee (waived on Rs. 2 lakh annual spend), it is the most versatile festive shopping card for anyone who splits spending across multiple platforms.

• Annual fee: Rs. 999 (waived on Rs. 2 lakh annual spend).
• Online cashback: 5% on all online transactions — no category, platform, or merchant restriction.
• Monthly online cap: Rs. 2,000 cashback per statement cycle on the 5% category.
• Offline cashback: 1% on all offline transactions.
• Cashback credit: Auto-credited to statement — no points, no wallet, no portal login needed.
• Network: Visa.
• Festive season example: Spend Rs. 30,000 online across Amazon, Flipkart, and Myntra during Diwali sales. 5% cashback = Rs. 1,500 back in statement automatically (within the Rs. 2,000 monthly cap).

Source: sbicard.com official SBI Cashback Credit Card product page (October 2026)

Axis Flipkart Credit Card — Best for Flipkart and Myntra

The Axis Flipkart Credit Card earns 7.5% cashback on Myntra (highest rate on Myntra by any card) and 5% on Flipkart and Cleartrip, with cashback credited directly to the statement. The first year is free — no joining or annual fee. From year two, a Rs. 500 annual fee applies, waived on Rs. 3.5 lakh annual spend.

• Annual fee: Free first year (no joining fee). Rs. 500 from year 2 (waived on Rs. 3.5L annual spend).
• Myntra cashback: 7.5%, capped at Rs. 4,000 per statement quarter.
• Flipkart and Cleartrip cashback: 5%, capped at Rs. 4,000 per statement quarter per merchant.
• Swiggy, Uber, PVR, Cult.fit: 4% cashback, unlimited.
• All other eligible spends: 1% cashback.
• Cashback credit: Directly to statement. No redemption needed.

Source: axisbank.com official Axis Flipkart Credit Card product page (October 2026)

HDFC Regalia Gold — Best for Big-Ticket Festive Purchases

The HDFC Regalia Gold Credit Card earns 5X reward points (25 RP per Rs. 200) on Myntra, Nykaa, Marks and Spencer, and Reliance Digital — the highest reward rate on these lifestyle platforms among cards at this fee tier. It provides 12 domestic lounge visits per year and 6 international lounge visits via Priority Pass. Best for anyone spending heavily on fashion, beauty, and electronics platforms during the festive season.

• Annual fee: Rs. 2,500 (waived on Rs. 4 lakh annual spend).
• 5X lifestyle brands: Myntra, Nykaa, Marks and Spencer, Reliance Digital — 25 RP per Rs. 200 (combined quarterly cap: 5,000 RP).
• 10X travel: Hotels and flights booked via HDFC SmartBuy.
• Domestic lounge: 12 visits per year (3 per quarter), conditional on Rs. 60,000 spend in the preceding quarter.
• International lounge: 6 visits per year via Priority Pass.

Source: hdfcbank.com official HDFC Regalia Gold product page (October 2026)

Earn by Selling Festive Credit Cards on PickMyWork

The Diwali window — October and November — is the single highest intent period for credit card sign-ups in India. Everyone is spending more than usual across all three categories: travel home, food and hosting, and gifting and shopping. A lead who is already planning a Flipkart Big Billion Days purchase or booking train tickets home is a warm lead. Lead with the specific cashback they would have earned on the spend they are already planning. PickMyWork partners earn between Rs. 800 and Rs. 3,500 per approved application depending on the card and issuing bank.

Related Reads

1. Best Travel Credit Cards for the Festive Season 2026
2. Best Credit Cards for Food and Grocery This Festive Season 2026
3. Best Credit Cards for Flipkart Big Billion Days and Shopping 2026
4. Best Credit Cards for Domestic Travel in India 2026
5. Lifetime Free Credit Cards in India 2026

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Which is the best credit card for Diwali 2026 overall?
   It depends on how you spend during Diwali. For travel, HSBC TravelOne earns miles on all airlines. For food and hosting, HSBC Live+ gives 10% across dining, food delivery, and grocery. For online shopping, SBI Cashback gives 5% on all online platforms with no merchant restriction. If you spend across all three, a combination of HSBC Live+ and SBI Cashback covers both food and shopping at low combined fee.
2. Which credit card gives the best cashback on Flipkart Big Billion Days?
   The Axis Flipkart Credit Card gives 5% cashback on Flipkart year-round with no event dependency. HDFC Regalia Gold earns 5X RP on Myntra and Nykaa (fashion, beauty) but does not have a specific Flipkart sale discount. For straightforward Flipkart cashback, Axis Flipkart is the stronger card. For fashion and beauty on Myntra, Regalia Gold’s 5X rate applies.
3. Which card is best for Swiggy and Zomato orders during Diwali?
   HDFC Swiggy gives 10% on all Swiggy (including Instamart and Dineout), capped at Rs. 1,500/month. HSBC Live+ gives 10% across Swiggy and Zomato both, capped at Rs. 1,200/month. If you order exclusively on Swiggy, HDFC Swiggy gives a higher monthly cap. If you split between Swiggy and Zomato, HSBC Live+ covers both at the 10% rate.
4. What is the HSBC TravelOne credit card good for?
   HSBC TravelOne earns 5X points on all travel bookings regardless of airline or hotel brand, with 25+ transfer partners. It is best suited for frequent travellers who fly multiple airlines and want a single card that earns on every travel booking. The 1.99% forex markup also makes it a strong card for international travel.
5. Is SBI Cashback card better than Axis Flipkart for festive shopping?
   SBI Cashback gives 5% on all online platforms with no restrictions — Amazon, Flipkart, Myntra, Nykaa, and every other store. Axis Flipkart gives higher rates on specific platforms (7.5% Myntra, 5% Flipkart) but only 1% everywhere else. If you shop across many platforms, SBI Cashback is more consistent. If you mainly shop on Flipkart and Myntra, Axis Flipkart earns more on those specific platforms.
6. Which card should I get for train travel home during Diwali?
   The RBL IRCTC Credit Card at Rs. 500 annual fee gives 5 reward points per Rs. 200 on IRCTC bookings, 1% payment gateway waiver on train tickets, 8 railway lounge visits per year, and train cancellation insurance up to Rs. 5,000. It is the best value dedicated train card for festive travel.
7. Can I use the Marriott Bonvoy HDFC card for festive restaurant dinners?
   Yes. The Marriott Bonvoy HDFC Credit Card earns Marriott Bonvoy points on dining at Marriott partner restaurants, hotel buffets, and celebration bookings. During the festive season, when many families book hotel dinners and banquet halls for celebrations, the Bonvoy points earned convert to free nights and dining credits at Marriott properties in India and worldwide.
8. How much cashback can I earn during the entire Diwali shopping season?
   With SBI Cashback at 5% on online: Rs. 30,000 festive spend earns Rs. 1,500 back (monthly cap is Rs. 2,000, so this comfortably stays within cap). With Axis Flipkart on Myntra at 7.5%: Rs. 10,000 spend earns Rs. 750 back (capped at Rs. 4,000/quarter). With HSBC Live+ on food and grocery at 10%: Rs. 12,000/month earns Rs. 1,200/month. Over a 3-month festive window, that is Rs. 3,600 in food and grocery cashback alone. Most users can recover two to three times the annual fee cost of any card in this list during the festive season alone.

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