TL;DR / Key Insights
- HSBC Live+ works best for people who pay directly at restaurants and want simple cashback.
- IndusInd EazyDiner Signature gives the biggest percentage discount but only makes sense if EazyDiner is used regularly.
- HDFC Swiggy Credit Card fits Swiggy Dineout users better than general diners.
- HDFC Infinia remains the strongest option for high spenders who are comfortable stacking vouchers.
- ICICI cards pair best with Zomato District for weekend dining offers.
- Axis retail cards, SBI Cashback, and YES PaisaSave are reasonable mid-tier choices.
Who this guide is for: People comparing best dining credit cards in India 2026 who want maximum real savings, updated for nerfed benefits, realistic caps, offline vs app payments, and actual ROI.
Choosing a dining credit card is no longer about picking the “highest reward rate.”
Your real savings now depend on:
- Whether you pay offline at restaurants or via apps
- Whether you use Zomato District, Swiggy Dineout, or EazyDiner
- How often you dine out (casual vs heavy spender)
- Whether you prefer instant discounts, cashback, or reward stacking
This guide maps credit cards + dining apps + real spending behavior, so you choose what actually saves money, not what looks flashy.
Top Credit Cards for Dining in India
| Top Dining Card | Best Use Case | Main Dining Benefit |
|---|---|---|
| HSBC Live+ | Offline dining | 10% cashback on dining (MCC-based) |
| IndusInd EazyDiner Signature | EazyDiner users | 25% off via PayEazy |
| HDFC Swiggy Credit Card | Swiggy Dineout users | 10% cashback on dine-in |
1. HSBC Live+ Credit Card
Best for: Offline dining, alcohol/bar spends, MCC-based restaurant payments
- 10% cashback on dining (offline + restaurant MCC)
- ₹1,000/month cap (shared with grocery/food delivery)
- Works at ANY restaurant → no app lock-in
- HSBC Dining Program: up to 15% off at select restaurants
- Annual Fee: ₹999 + GST (waived at ~₹2L spend)
It best suited for people who pay directly at restaurants because it relies on merchant category codes, not specific apps. That keeps it flexible.
2. IndusInd EazyDiner Signature
Designed for people who book and pay through EazyDiner.
- 25% off up to ₹1,000 per bill via PayEazy
- Monthly cap:
- ₹2,000 base
- ₹5,000 if ₹30K non-dining spend is met
- Lounge, movie, and dining reward points removed
- Includes EazyDiner Prime
- Annual Fee: ₹1,999–₹2,999 + GST
It still offers the highest visible discount rate, but only makes sense if EazyDiner is used frequently.
3. HDFC Swiggy Credit Card
Works best for Swiggy and Dineout users.
- 10% cashback on dine-in via Swiggy Dineout
- ₹1,500/month cap
- Cashback credited as statement credit
- Annual Fee: ₹500 + GST
This card is less useful for people who is outside Swiggy’s ecosystem.
Premium Cards for Higher Dining Spend
| Premium Card | Best Use Case | Main Dining Benefit |
|---|---|---|
| HDFC Infinia | High spenders | ~15–16.5% effective value via vouchers |
| HDFC Diners Club Black (Metal) | Weekend dining | ~6.6% weekends, ~3.3% weekdays |
| Axis Burgundy / Magnus / Reserve / Olympus | Occasional high bills | 30% off via EazyDiner |
| Amex Platinum Charge | Luxury / hotel dining | Taj, Oberoi, Marriott dining offers |
| HDFC Marriott Bonvoy | Marriott restaurants | 20–30% off at Marriott |
1. HDFC Infinia
Best for: Voucher stacking and reward maximizers
- ~15–16.5% effective dining value via SmartBuy/Gyftr vouchers
- 10% Swiggy Dineout dine-in offer
- Premium travel + dining stack
- Annual Fee: ₹12,500 + GST
Example: If you spend ₹20,000/month dining → potential savings = ₹2,500–₹3,000/month
2. HDFC Diners Club Black (Metal)
- ~6.6% dining value on weekends
- ~3.3% on weekdays
- Swiggy Dineout dining offers supported
Best if your dining is mostly weekend-based.
3. Axis Burgundy / Magnus / Reserve / Olympus
Dining Delights via EazyDiner:
- 30% off up to ₹1,000 once/month
- Birthday month: 50% off up to ₹3,000
Best for occasional high-value restaurant splurges.
4. Amex Platinum Charge
Focuses on hotel and fine-dining restaurants.
- Discounts at Taj / Oberoi / Marriott
- ₹1,500 off via EazyDiner
- Hotel F&B credits + premium dining portals
More relevant for luxury dining than regular restaurants.
5. HDFC Marriott Bonvoy
Useful mainly for Marriott restaurant dining and hotel buffets.
- 20–30% off at Marriott restaurants
- Excellent for buffets & fine dining
Dining Apps and the Cards That Fit Them
| App / Platform | Primary Purpose | Best Cards / Banks | Offer Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zomato District | Restaurant payments & events | ICICI Bank Cards | ₹300 off on ₹4,000+, Fri–Sun |
| Zomato Pay | Restaurant bill payments | ICICI Bank Cards | ₹300 off on ₹4,000+, weekends |
| EazyDiner | Booking & PayEazy | IndusInd, Axis, YES, Amex | 15–25% discounts depending on card |
| Swiggy Dineout | Table booking & payments | HDFC, Kiwi RuPay | 10–15% offers + ₹50 instant discount |
| Magicpin | Merchant cashback | Axis / ICICI / SBI | 10–30% merchant-funded deals |
| Nearbuy | Dining vouchers | ICICI / Axis / HDFC | 10–25% off vouchers |
| Tata Neu | Tata restaurant dining | Tata Neu Cards | NeuCoins at Taj / IHCL restaurants |
| Paytm | Restaurant payments | IDFC / Axis / SBI | Rotating dining cashback offers |
| Amex Dining Portal | Premium dining | Amex Platinum | 15–25% off at partner restaurants |
| HSBC Dining Program | Select restaurants | HSBC Live+ / Premier | Up to 15–30% off at partner outlets |
| Visa Infinite Dining | Premium restaurant offers | Axis / ICICI / HDFC | 15–30% at select premium restaurants |
| Mastercard World Elite Dining | Global dining offers | Multiple premium banks | 15–30% partner restaurant discounts |
1. Zomato District & Zomato Pay
Best card: ICICI Bank Credit Cards. Valid on Zomato and District platforms.
- ₹300 OFF on ₹4,000+ dining bills
- Valid Fri–Sun, once/month
- Codes: CULINARYTREATS / DININGICICIAPAY
Best for Zomato power users.
2. EazyDiner
Top pairings:
- IndusInd EazyDiner Signature → 25% off
- IndusInd Platinum → 20% off (3x/month)
- Axis Retail Cards → 15% off up to ₹500
- Axis Burgundy / Reserve → 30% off up to ₹1,000
- YES Bank → 15% off up to ₹750
- Amex Platinum → ₹1,500 off on ₹7,500+
- Kotak Everyday RuPay Debit → 30% off (rare debit option)
3. Swiggy Dineout
- HDFC Core Cards → extra 10–15% during campaigns
- Kiwi RuPay Credit Cards → ₹50 instant discount + 5% cashback
- Seasonal festivals → GIRF / Gourmet Edit
Merchant-Driven Platforms
- Magicpin: Axis / ICICI / SBI merchant cashback (10–30%)
- Nearbuy: Dining vouchers (10–25%)
- Tata Neu: NeuCoins at Taj / IHCL restaurants
- Paytm: Rotating restaurant cashback offers
General Lifestyle Cards with Dining Perks
| Credit Card | Best Use Case | Main Dining Benefit | Monthly Cap / Limit | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Axis Airtel | Mid-tier dining | Dining Delights discounts | ₹500 approx | Lifestyle-focused card |
| SBI Cashback | Online dining | 5% cashback | Platform-dependent | Online payments only |
| YES Bank PaisaSave | Variable dining | ~3–6% cashback | ~₹3,000 | Depends on MCC classification |
| ICICI Coral / Rubyx / Sapphiro | Rotating offers | Culinary Treats discounts | Campaign-based | No fixed dining cashback |
| IDFC First Select / Wealth / Ashva | Lifestyle dining | App-based dining offers | Campaign-based | Not dining-focused |
| Standard Chartered Ultimate / Smart | Merchant offers | Reward points + dining deals | Campaign-based | General lifestyle card |
| RBL Platinum / World Safari | Merchant offers | Dining cashback deals | Campaign-based | Offer-dependent |
| Kotak White / Zen / Privy League | Lifestyle dining | Targeted dining discounts | Campaign-based | Not fixed benefits |
| Federal Scapia | Visa dining offers | Partner dining privileges | Campaign-based | Offer-dependent |
| Vistara Infinite / Signature | EazyDiner offers | Dining discounts | Campaign-based | Works best with Axis |
| AU Zenith+ / AU Ixigo | Occasional dining | Birthday/anniversary offers | Campaign-based | Limited use |
| HSBC Premier / TravelOne | Select restaurants | Up to 30% dining discounts | Select outlets | Restaurant-network based |
| Amex Gold / Platinum Travel | Dining multipliers | Promo-based dining rewards | Campaign-based | Rewards-oriented |
| Kiwi RuPay Credit Card | UPI dining | ₹50 instant discount + 5% cashback | Small per-transaction | Works via RuPay UPI |
How Dining Rewards Actually Work?
Dining discounts come from three sources.
- Bank Issuer (HSBC, HDFC, Axis, ICICI)
Banks fund cashback and reward points. These tend to be stable but capped. - Apps (EazyDiner, Swiggy, Zomato District)
Apps discounts are higher but limited to the platform. - Merchants (Restaurants)
Subsidize offers on Magicpin/Nearbuy. These can offer strong value but are inconsistent.
This explains why some offers disappear or get capped over time.
How to Choose the Right Dining Card?
Offline Payment Users
If most payments are made offline, HSBC Live+ usually fits better.
App Users
- Zomato/District → ICICI Bank Cards
- EazyDiner → IndusInd EazyDiner Signature
- Swiggy Dineout → HDFC Swiggy Credit Card
Monthly dining spend
- Under ₹7K → HSBC Live+ / Axis Retail
- ₹8K–₹15K → IndusInd / HDFC Swiggy
- ₹15K+ → HDFC Infinia / Amex Platinum
Real-World Dining Savings in India
An urban couple dining out six to eight times per month Monthly dining spend around ₹12,000
| Card | Strategy | Monthly Savings | Annual Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| HSBC Live+ | 10% offline cashback | ₹1,200 | ₹14,400 |
| IndusInd EazyDiner | PayEazy discounts | ₹1,800–₹2,000 | ₹21,600+ |
| HDFC Infinia | Voucher stacking | ₹2,000–₹2,500 | ₹24,000–₹30,000 |
Premium cards show better returns only when spending stays consistent.
Annual Fee vs Savings
| Credit Card | Annual Fee | Monthly Spend Required to Break Even |
|---|---|---|
| HSBC Live+ | ₹999 | ₹1,000–₹1,500 |
| HDFC Swiggy | ₹500 | ₹800–₹1,200 |
| IndusInd EazyDiner | ₹2,999 | ₹4,000–₹6,000 |
| HDFC Infinia | ₹12,500 | ₹12,000–₹15,000 |
Rule of thumb: If your dining savings cover the fee within 3–4 months, the card is worth keeping.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Can I earn dining rewards via UPI?
Yes. Kiwi RuPay Credit Cards support UPI-linked dining cashback. - Which card is best for alcohol and bar spends?
HSBC Live+, since it tracks restaurant MCC rather than app categories. - Is EazyDiner Prime included with all cards?
No. Mostly bundled with IndusInd EazyDiner and select Axis premium cards. - Best dining credit card under ₹1,000 annual fee?
HSBC Live+ and HDFC Swiggy Credit Card. - Which dining card works best without using apps?
HSBC Live+, YES PaisaSave, Standard Chartered Ultimate, and Amex.
Final Verdict
There is no single best dining card for everyone. The better option usually depends on how dining payments happen in real life, not on headline reward numbers.
- Best all-round dining card: HSBC Live+
- Best for maximum discount seekers: IndusInd EazyDiner Signature
- Best for Zomato/District users: ICICI Bank Credit Cards
- Best premium optimizer: HDFC Infinia
- Best for Swiggy Dineout: HDFC Swiggy Credit Card
- Best mid-tier value: Axis Retail Cards / SBI Cashback / YES PaisaSave
Cards tied to apps can offer higher discounts, but only if those apps are used regularly. Cards based on restaurant MCCs tend to feel simpler and more predictable.
