American Express SmartEarn Credit Card: Fees, Rewards & Benefits
Travel card
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The SmartEarn is a cheap, beginner-friendly Amex with attractive 10x accelerators on popular online platforms, but the low monthly caps (500/250 points) keep the real earnings modest. With an easy Rs. 40,000 fee waiver it is a sensible low-cost online-shopping card, though the 0.5% base rate, lack of lounge access and 3.5% forex markup limit it to a secondary role.
Travel card
The Bottom Line
The American Express SmartEarn is built for online shopping regular and budget amex starter. With a ₹495 annual fee that is waived on ₹40,000 yearly spend, it offers 5% rewards on flipkart, uber, myntra, ajio, nykaa, blinkit, pvr, bookmyshow (shopping) and a welcome benefit worth ₹500. It makes the most sense if your spending matches online shopping regular and budget amex starter.
It earns a base reward rate of 0.5% and stacks best when your spending lines up with Online shopping regular, Budget Amex starter. The renewal fee gets easier to justify once you can hit ₹40,000 in yearly spend.
Who Should Get This Card
Use this as a quick filter before comparing rewards or fees in detail.
Best fit for
IdealSomeone who concentrates Flipkart, Myntra, Amazon, Uber and food-delivery spends here to milk the 10x/5x accelerators within the monthly caps.
A first card buyer wanting the Amex ecosystem cheaply, with the Rs. 495 fee easily waived at Rs. 40,000 spend.
Probably not for
SkipThe tight 500/250-point monthly caps on accelerated categories mean big spenders quickly hit a ceiling and earn only the 0.5% base.
No lounge access and a 3.5% forex markup make it a poor travel card.
Is It Worth It For You?
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Reward Rates
American Express SmartEarn offers 0.5% basic reward rate.
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Welcome Offer
INR 500 cashback as a Welcome Gift on spending INR 10,000 on eligible purchases in the first 90 days of Cardmembership. Available only in the 1st year on payment of the annual fee.
Milestone Benefits
Voucher worth INR 500 on reaching INR 1.20 lakh spend milestone in a Cardmembership year.
Voucher worth INR 500 on reaching INR 1.80 lakh spend milestone in a Cardmembership year.
Voucher worth INR 500 on reaching INR 2.40 lakh spend milestone in a Cardmembership year.
Renewal/annual fee waiver on eligible spends of INR 40,000 or more in the previous Cardmembership year.
Fees & Charges
Eligibility
- Min Income: ₹6 Lakhs
- Min Credit Score: 750
- Age 18+, resident Indian; min Rs 4.5L annual income (salaried) or Rs 6L (self-employed); good credit history; available in select cities.
Exclusions & Terms
Forex markup
- Foreign currency markup
Cash Transactions
- Does not earn Membership Rewards Points.
EMI conversion at Point of Sale
- Does not earn Membership Rewards Points.
Frequently Asked Questions
2 data-backed answers from our card database
Ready to apply?
₹495 annual fee. Apply on the American Express website.
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