Is the CheQ AU Credit Card Worth It?
Enter what you spend where this card pays more, and the benefits you would use. See what it is worth to you in rupees, after its fee.
- 207Cards to check
- FreeCost
- Utility bills card
- Needs ₹25,000 a month income
- No annual fee
- 0.5% base, up to 2.5% on dining; 6% only at partner merchants
- Pays in reward points
- utility bills only at CheQ app utility bills and CheQ Travel: 6% back, up to ₹6,000 a month
- online shopping: 2.5% back, up to ₹6,000 a month
- anyone who wants no annual fee, ever
- most of your spending is fuel, rent, insurance or education: those earn nothing on this card
- you spend a lot on UPI payments: the card's terms do not state a rate there, so we count nothing
- you rarely spend on CheQ app utility bills and CheQ Travel: the 6% rate applies only there, everything else earns 0.5%
- you often pay in foreign currency: 3.49% is added to every foreign spend
- you sometimes pay only the minimum due: interest of 3.75% a month (45% a year) outweighs any reward
Your spend a month, by kind
Terms on the normal rate: 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
Also earns nothing on: Gold purchases, Gambling, Txns below ₹200, Utility & UPI outside the CheQ app.
Total on the card: ₹0 a month
Abroad and benefits
Every rate on this card, and what your spend earns
| Spend category | Rate | Monthly cap | Where it applies | Your spend earns |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UPI payments (scan and pay) | Not stated | - | the card's terms give UPI a rate of its own we cannot read as a number | - |
| Online shopping | 2.5% | ₹6,000, shared with other bonus rates | All merchants in the categoryTerms: 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 and food delivery | 2.5% | ₹6,000, shared with other bonus rates | All merchants in the categoryTerms: 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 | 2.5% | ₹6,000, shared with other bonus rates | All merchants in the categoryTerms: 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: flights, hotels, trains | 2.5% | ₹6,000, shared with other bonus rates | All merchants in the categoryTerms: 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 | - |
| Fuel | Earns nothing | - | earns nothing on this card | - |
| Bills and recharges | 0.5% | No cap | Anywhere else in the category | - |
| Bills and recharges, only at listed merchants | 6% | ₹6,000, shared with other bonus rates | 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 UPITerms: 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 | - |
| Rent | Earns nothing | - | earns nothing on this card | - |
| Insurance premiums | Earns nothing | - | earns nothing on this card | - |
| School and college fees | Earns nothing | - | earns nothing on this card | - |
| Wallet top-ups | Earns nothing | - | earns nothing on this card | - |
| Taxes and government payments | Earns nothing | - | earns nothing on this card | - |
| Spend abroad or in a foreign currency | 0.5% | No cap | The card's normal rate | - |
| Everything else | 0.5% | No cap | The card's normal rate | - |
Card data sourced via CardAdvisor.in, India Credit Card Facts, CC BY 4.0, adapted by SkyloFin.
Common Questions
When is a credit card worth its annual fee?
When the rewards you actually earn in a year are more than the fee plus 18% GST, or when you spend enough for the bank to waive the fee. This calculator works out both from the card's own published terms.
Why is GST added to the fee?
Card fees carry 18% GST, so a ₹1,000 fee costs ₹1,180. Where the bank already quotes the fee with GST, it is not added twice.
What does 'capped' mean?
Many cards limit the reward you can earn in a month in a category. Spending above the cap earns nothing extra, so the calculator stops counting there.
Is a lifetime free card always better?
Not always. A paid card with higher rewards can leave you with more once you spend enough. The break-even line shows the monthly spend where that starts.
