Best Credit Card Offers in May 2026

May 2026 is shaping up to be one of the better months for credit card hunters in India. Between Etihad’s new BOBCARD co-brand duo heating up the miles game, a women-first lifestyle card with real-world perks, a no-fuss cashback card for everyday online spends, and the evergreen Amazon ICICI card still going strong - there’s something meaningful across the board.

These five were shortlisted based on welcome offer value, annual fee-to-reward ratio, and how well each card fits a distinct spending profile. Here’s a close look at the five cards worth your attention this month.

1. BOBCARD Etihad Guest Credit Card

Best for: Occasional Etihad flyers who want to build miles on everyday spending

The base variant of the BOBCARD–Etihad partnership is the entry point into the co-brand ecosystem - and right now, it’s a particularly compelling one.

May 2026 Welcome Offer:
Spend ₹25,000 in the first 60 days (and pay the joining fee) to unlock 5,000 Etihad Guest Miles, with an additional 2,500 miles on cumulative spends of ₹50,000 - bringing the total welcome haul to 7,500 miles.

Ongoing Earning Rate:

• 3 miles per ₹100 on Etihad Airways spends
• 1 mile per ₹100 on all domestic and international spends

Travel Perks:

• 8 complimentary domestic lounge visits per year (2 per quarter)
• 4 international lounge visits per year (1 per quarter)
• 1% forex markup on international transactions

Milestone Rewards:

• 2,000 quarterly bonus miles on ₹2 lakh spend per quarter
• 12,000 annual bonus miles on ₹7.5 lakh annual spend

Status Accelerator:
Complete your first transaction on Etihad.com within 6 months to receive an upgrade to Etihad Guest Gold Tier - fast-tracking status that would normally require significant flying.

Fees: ₹2,500 + GST joining and annual fee. Annual fee waiver available on ₹3,00,000 annual spend.

2. BOBCARD Etihad Guest Premium Credit Card

Best for: Frequent Etihad flyers and high spenders who want maximum miles, Gold status, and zero forex charges

If you fly Etihad with any regularity, the Premium variant is the card to be looking at in May 2026. BOBCARD and Etihad Guest have extended a limited-time offer through May 31, 2026, making this an urgent window to act.

May 2026 Welcome Offer:

• 10,000 miles on joining fee payment + ₹25,000 spend in first 60 days
• Additional 5,000 miles on cumulative ₹50,000 spend within 60 days
• Total: up to 15,000 Etihad Guest Miles on sign-up. Offer valid till May 31, 2026.

Ongoing Earning Rate:

• 6 miles per ₹100 on Etihad Airways spends
• 2 miles per ₹100 on all other domestic and international spends

Standout Perks:

• Zero forex markup - every rupee goes the full distance internationally
• Metal card with name engraving - a premium feel that’s rare at this fee point
• Complimentary Etihad Guest Silver Tier on first card transaction
• Upgrade to Etihad Guest Gold Tier after first spend on Etihad.com (within 6 months) - including priority check-in, extra baggage allowance, and lounge invitations with Etihad
• 12 domestic lounge visits (3 per quarter) + 8 international lounge visits (2 per quarter)

Milestone Rewards:

• 500 bonus miles after 4 transactions worth ₹50,000 (monthly)
• 4,000 quarterly bonus miles on ₹3 lakh quarterly spend
• 24,000 annual bonus miles on ₹12 lakh annual spend

Fees: ₹5,000 + GST joining and annual fee. Annual fee waived on ₹5 lakh annual spend.

One Watch-Out: The exclusion list for miles earning is lengthy - education, hospitals, telecom, supermarkets, fast food, and several other MCC categories do not earn miles. Factor this into your spending calculation before applying. Miles are credited to your Etihad Guest account within 3 days of statement generation and can be redeemed exclusively on the Etihad platform.

3. BOBCARD Tiara Credit Card Best for: Women seeking an all-rounder card with lifestyle, wellness, travel, and entertainment benefits

The Tiara is BOBCARD’s women-exclusive credit card, and it does a strong job of covering multiple life categories in one product - from airport lounges to OTT subscriptions to health check-ups.

Fee: ₹2,499 + GST joining and annual fee

• Joining fee reversed on ₹25,000 spend in the first 60 days
• Annual fee waived on ₹2.5 lakh spend in a year

Reward Structure:

• 15 reward points per ₹100 on dining, travel, and international spends (5X accelerated)
• 3 reward points per ₹100 on all other eligible spends
• 1 Reward Point = ₹0.25 (redeemable as cashback)
• Capped at 5,000 bonus points per billing cycle

Lifestyle & Entertainment Benefits:

• Complimentary memberships to Amazon Prime, Disney+ Hotstar, Gaana Plus, Swiggy One (3 months), and FitPass Pro
• Quarterly discounts up to ₹1,500 on Nykaa, Flipkart, Myntra, BookMyShow, and Lakmé Salon
• Up to ₹250 off on movie ticket bookings via BookMyShow

Travel Benefits:

• Unlimited domestic lounge access (subject to ₹40,000 spend in the preceding calendar quarter)
• 2% forex markup on international transactions

Health & Wellness:

• Complimentary women’s health package including Pap Smear, Blood Tests, and Mammography
• Personal accident insurance cover up to ₹10 lakh

Other: Compatible with UPI payments via Google Pay (RuPay network), 1% fuel surcharge waiver, Smart EMI option for purchases above ₹2,500.

The Tiara stands out in the women’s card segment because it doesn’t limit itself to shopping discounts - the health and wellness angle gives it genuine utility beyond retail.

4. BOBCARD Cashback Credit Card

Best for: Online shoppers who want straightforward cashback without juggling reward points

The BOBCARD Cashback card keeps things refreshingly simple. No points to track, no redemption thresholds - cashback is auto-credited to your account every statement cycle.

Fee Structure:

• ₹49 per month or ₹499 annually - your choice
• No fee reversal criteria (what you see is what you pay)

At ₹499 per year, this is one of the most affordable structured cashback cards in the market.

Cashback Structure:

• 5% cashback on eligible domestic online spends, auto-credited to statement
• Capped at ₹1,500 per month (effective on up to ₹37,500 monthly online spend)
• Requires minimum 4 transactions in the statement cycle to unlock the 5% rate
• 1% cashback on all other spends (unlimited, no cap)

Other Benefits:

• 1% fuel surcharge waiver (on transactions of ₹400–₹5,000, up to ₹250/month)
• Up to 3 free add-on cards for family members
• Zero lost card liability on reporting card loss immediately
• Smart EMI option (6 to 48 months for purchases above ₹2,500)

The Bottom Line: For a card that costs under ₹500/year, the 5% online cashback rate is hard to beat. It competes directly with the SBI Cashback Card (₹999/year) on the reward rate, at less than half the cost. If the bulk of your spending is online - groceries, subscriptions, e-commerce - this card earns its keep quickly.

Note on LTF: While the Cashback card itself carries a small annual fee, BOBCARD is currently running a Lifetime Free offer on its premium Eterna Credit Card (valid till June 30, 2026). The Eterna LTF is a separate, excellent option if you want unlimited domestic lounge access and accelerated rewards on travel and dining at zero annual cost. Worth considering alongside the Cashback card depending on your spending mix.

5. Amazon Pay ICICI Bank Credit Card

Best for: Amazon loyalists and Prime members who want unlimited, effortless cashback with no annual fees

The Amazon Pay ICICI Bank Credit Card has been one of India’s most popular cashback cards for years, and it continues to hold its ground in 2026. Lifetime free, no redemption complexity, and cashback that lands automatically in your Amazon Pay balance - it’s almost a default recommendation for anyone who shops on Amazon regularly.

Fees: Zero joining fee, zero annual fee - genuinely lifetime free.

Cashback Rates:

• 5% cashback on Amazon.in purchases for Amazon Prime members
• 3% cashback on Amazon.in purchases for non-Prime members
• 2% cashback at 100+ Amazon Pay partner merchants
• 1% cashback on all other eligible transactions (offline retail, other online spends)

May 2026 Welcome Offer:
New applicants approved between May 1–31, 2026 are eligible for a welcome package that includes Amazon gift coupons - 100% back up to ₹100 on first Amazon shopping, ₹100 flat back on a ₹999+ order, ₹150 back across 3 in-store POS transactions, plus additional coupons for mobile recharge, electricity bills, broadband, DTH, and gas cylinder bookings.

Key Features:

• Cashback credited automatically to Amazon Pay balance each billing cycle - no manual redemption
• Reward points never expire as long as the card is active
• No cap on total cashback earnings
• 2% cashback on insurance and utility bill payments made via Amazon
• 15% minimum discount at 2,500+ restaurants under ICICI’s Culinary Treats programme
• 1% fuel surcharge waiver (on transactions up to ₹4,000)
• No-cost EMI for 3–6 months on Amazon.in

Note on Wallet Loads: ICICI Bank has introduced a 1% fee on wallet loads of ₹5,000 or more (effective January 15, 2026). Note that wallet loads do not earn cashback on this card regardless of the load amount. Verify the current fee structure at icicibank.com before topping up your wallet.

One Limitation to Note: The card does not offer airport lounge access or travel perks - it’s built purely around cashback and the Amazon ecosystem. If you need travel benefits, pair it with one of the BOBCARD options above.

Quick Comparison

Bottom Line

May 2026 has something for every type of spender. If you fly Etihad, the Premium card’s 15,000-mile welcome offer ending May 31 is a time-sensitive trigger. If you want a women-first lifestyle card with real health and travel benefits, Tiara delivers genuine breadth. For pure online cashback at the lowest cost, BOBCARD Cashback is hard to argue with. And for Amazon diehards, the Amazon Pay ICICI card remains one of the cleanest cashback propositions in the country - especially at zero annual fee.

As always, pick the card that matches where your money actually goes - not the one with the flashiest headline rate.

Ready to apply? Check eligibility and current offers on Card24.ai

FAQs

If my Prime membership expires, do I immediately lose the 5% Amazon cashback?
Yes - the earnings rate drops from 5% to 3% immediately after Prime expires. Renewing before expiry keeps the 5% rate uninterrupted.

Does the Amazon Pay ICICI card work for international transactions?
Yes, but it’s not fee-free. The card carries a 1.99% forex markup on international transactions worth factoring in if you travel abroad frequently.

For the Etihad Premium card, does the Gold tier upgrade apply to add-on cardholders too?
No. The Gold tier fast-track is available only to the primary cardholder and does not apply to add-on cardholders.

Is the Etihad Premium card open to everyone?
Not quite. You need to be an Indian resident, aged 21–60, and either salaried or self-employed with a net income of ₹18 LPA or above.

Disclaimer: Card features, fee structures, and promotional offers are subject to change. Please verify current terms directly with BOBCARD (bobcard.co.in) and ICICI Bank (icicibank.com) before applying. Offers may have eligibility conditions. This blog is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice.