You can now pay a tea-stall or a grocery store by scanning a UPI QR code and have the money come from your credit card instead of your bank account. That is what a UPI credit card is. There is no new type of card. It is an ordinary RuPay credit card that you link to your UPI ID, so the spend lands on your card statement and you get the interest-free period and rewards, with the convenience of a QR scan.
The catch is that the rules are narrower than most card pages admit. This guide explains how it works, what it cannot do, the limits, and which cards actually support it. Every card detail below comes from the issuer’s own page or an NPCI document, and was checked on 10 October 2026. Banks change fees and rewards often, so confirm on the issuer’s page before you apply.
NPCI describes the process in three steps. Your card is discovered from your issuing bank using your registered mobile number, you link it to your UPI ID on BHIM or another UPI app, and you pay by scanning a UPI QR code and entering your UPI PIN. The mobile number in the UPI app must match the number registered on the card.
A few practical details from the banks’ own pages:
This is where most people get stuck. NPCI states that cash withdrawal at merchants, person-to-person transfers, person-to-merchant payments to individuals and card-to-card payments are not permitted. Banks add their own blocked categories on top. Kotak’s FAQ lists lending platforms, digital account opening, IPO applications, mutual funds and foreign inward remittances. SBI Card lists wire transfers, credit card bill payments, betting and lotteries. A linked card also cannot receive money.
If a payment fails with an error, a blocked category or a payment to an individual’s QR code is the most likely reason.
NPCI’s circular says standard UPI transaction limits apply and does not state a rupee figure, so the exact cap depends on the app and the bank. Kotak’s FAQ gives the clearest numbers:
ICICI says each transaction is capped at the lower of the NPCI UPI limit and your card’s credit limit. Other banks can set lower caps, so check your own bank’s page. If you want to know what limit a card is likely to give you in the first place, try our credit card limit calculator.
The table lists the cards where I could confirm UPI support and the details from an official or issuer-run page. Blank spaces mean the page did not publish the figure.
| Card | Type | What the issuer states |
|---|---|---|
| Kiwi cards (YES Bank Klick, PNB Kiwi, AU KOSMO) | Virtual or physical RuPay, built for UPI | 1.5% cashback on UPI scan and pay, 0.5% on online spends. Optional paid Neon membership raises UPI cashback to 2%. Joining and annual fees are on each bank’s page. |
| Novio (Credilio, SBM Bank) | RuPay, secured against an FD | Credit limit is 90% of the FD. Joining fee nil. Annual fee ₹299 (virtual) or ₹499 (physical) from 23 October 2026, waived at ₹50,000 spend in the previous year. |
| ICICI Coral and HPCL Super Saver (RuPay) | Regular unsecured | Joining ₹500 + GST, annual ₹500 + GST. |
| ICICI Rubyx (RuPay) | Regular unsecured | Joining ₹3,000 + GST, annual ₹2,000 + GST. |
| ICICI Sapphiro (RuPay) | Regular unsecured | Joining ₹6,500 + GST, annual ₹3,500 + GST. |
| RuPay SBI Cards | Regular, add-on cards also eligible | Biometric authentication up to ₹10,000. SBI Card instant discounts and cashback offers do not apply to UPI spends. |
| Kotak RuPay cards | Regular, primary cards only | No charge to link or for UPI transactions. UPI spends earn points, except excluded categories. Add-on cards not eligible. |
HDFC Bank lists a “UPI RuPay Credit Card” and IDFC FIRST Bank lists several cards as UPI-ready, including Quantum+, FIRST Power and FIRST EARN. I could not verify their fees and reward rates from the pages I could open, so check each bank’s Most Important Terms and Conditions before applying.
Kiwi is an app that lets you get a RuPay credit card from a partner bank and use it for UPI payments. At the time of writing its partner cards are the YES Bank Klick Card, PNB Kiwi Card and AU KOSMO Card. Kiwi describes the cards as lifetime free, with 1.5% cashback on UPI scan and pay and 0.5% on online spends, and says payments work from ₹5.
Its optional Neon membership lists 2% on UPI scan and pay, 5% on spends over ₹1.5 lakh and lounge access. Kiwi does not publish the membership fee, cashback caps or eligibility on the card pages. Ask for those before you pay for a membership, and check the issuing bank’s fee schedule for the joining and annual fee of the specific card you are offered. See the Kiwi card offer.
Novio is a secured card, which means it is issued against a fixed deposit. SBM Bank’s key fact statement for the card says the credit limit is 90% of the FD. It lists nil joining fee, a late payment charge of ₹499, interest of 3.5% a month (42% a year) on purchases, and a 1% fee on rent and education payments. The annual fee of ₹299 or ₹499 starts on 23 October 2026 and is waived if you spent ₹50,000 or more in the previous year. Older pages may still say ₹0.
One thing to confirm before you apply. The key fact statement I read mentions UPI only as a way to pay the card’s outstanding, and the page did not describe UPI spending. The card is promoted as a RuPay credit card on UPI, so ask the Novio app or the bank to confirm UPI spends on your card before you rely on it. It is still a sensible way to build a credit history if you have an FD, and our guide to credit cards for first-time users covers the alternatives. See the Novio card offer.
It is worth it only if you pay the full bill every month. The cashback on a UPI scan, usually a percent or two, is far smaller than the interest of 3.5% a month that a card like Novio charges, and finance charges of 3.75% a month on the ICICI cards. One missed due date can wipe out several months of rewards.
Because QR payments feel like debit-card spending, they are easy to overdo. Treat the card as a way to postpone a payment you could already afford. Check also whether your bank excludes UPI spends from reward points or offers, as SBI Card does for its instant discounts.
Can I link a Visa or Mastercard credit card to UPI?
No. ICICI Bank and Kotak both state that only RuPay credit cards can be linked.
Can I send money to a friend using a credit card on UPI?
No. NPCI does not permit person-to-person payments from a credit card on UPI. Only payments to merchants are allowed.
Is there a charge for using a credit card on UPI?
Kotak says there is no charge for linking or for UPI transactions, and ICICI’s page lists no UPI-specific fee. Normal card fees, interest and late payment charges still apply.
Do I get reward points on UPI spends?
Usually yes, under the card’s normal structure, but banks exclude some categories, and some offers do not apply to UPI. SBI Card says its instant discounts and cashback offers do not apply to UPI transactions.
What is the UPI limit on a credit card?
NPCI follows the standard UPI limits. Kotak states ₹1 lakh a day (₹2 lakh in special cases) and ₹5,000 for the first 24 hours after linking, and all banks cap spends at your available credit limit. Check your own bank for any lower cap.
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This is general information, not financial advice. Card fees, rewards and limits change often, so confirm the current terms with the issuer before you apply. Sources: NPCI (RuPay Credit Card on UPI page and operating circular), ICICI Bank, SBI Card, Kotak Mahindra Bank, SBM Bank key fact statement for the Credilio card, and Kiwi’s partner card pages. Last checked 10 October 2026.
