AU Laksya Credit Card Review: 5X Points on Groceries and Every Tap
The AU Laksya Credit Card costs ₹1,000 plus GST on activation and each year after, waived from year two if you spent ₹2,00,000 in the previous card year. It earns 5 Reward Points per ₹100 on groceries, up to 1,000 points a statement cycle, and on contactless taps with no cap, but AU publishes no rupee value for a point.
Key facts
- Joining fee
- ₹1,000 + GST
- Annual fee
- ₹1,000 + GST. For 2nd year onwards fee waiver: Rs.2,00,000 retail spends done in previous card anniversary year. No joining fee waiver.
- Base reward
- 2 Reward Points per Rs.100 on all other retail spends
- Best category
- Grocery and departmental stores: 5 Reward Points per Rs.100
- Lounge
- Domestic: 8 complimentary domestic airport lounge visits per calendar year (max 2 per quarter) International: None published
- Forex markup
- 3.49% of the amount
- Network
- Visa
Opens the bank's own page for this card. Approval and the credit limit are the bank's decision.
In short
A handy everyday card for people who tap to pay and buy groceries often, though its value rests on points AU has not priced.
Best for
- Shoppers who tap the card in stores, where 5 points per ₹100 has no cap
- Families with grocery bills of up to ₹20,000 a statement cycle
- People spending about ₹16,667 a month, enough for the waiver and lounge visits
Skip it if
- You want a known cashback value, since AU does not publish what a point is worth
- You pay mostly online or by UPI rather than by tapping a card
- You travel abroad often, with a 3.49% forex mark-up
Highlights
- Joining and annual fee ₹1,000 each plus GST; annual fee waived on ₹2,00,000
- 5 points per ₹100 on groceries (up to 1,000 points a cycle) and on contactless taps (no cap)
- Welcome choice of 4,000 points or a ₹1,000 voucher
- 8 domestic lounge visits a year, 2 a quarter after ₹50,000 of spends
- Fuel surcharge waiver up to ₹150 a statement cycle
Laksya in short: an everyday card that rewards the tap
AU Small Finance Bank launched Laksya on 6 May 2026, alongside Ananta, Tejas and Prathama, for what its press release call mid-career professionals and Gen Z customers. It is a ₹1,000 Visa card with an unusual twist: 5 Reward Points per ₹100 on contactless tap-and-pay transactions with no cap at all, the same 5 points at grocery and departmental stores up to a cap, and 2 points everywhere else.
AU's own papers spells the name two ways, Laksya and Lakshya; it is the same card. AU does not say whether a RuPay variant exist, so plan on using it as a Visa card, not on UPI.
What matters most
- The tap rate. Pay by tapping in shops and every ₹100 earn 5 points with no monthly ceiling.
- The grocery cap. Grocery points stop at 1,000 a statement cycle, which is reached at ₹20,000 of grocery spends (1,000 divided by 5, times ₹100).
- The price of a point. AU does not publish one. Its welcome offer lets you swap 4,000 points for a ₹1,000 voucher, hinting about ₹0.25, but AU never confirm it.
Status and changes
Laksya is active, and AU accepts applications online. Its only card-level change is the launch itself; since then AU's 1% fees on heavy transport (from 14 June 2026) and large fuel spends (from 1 July 2026) applies to it. One section of AU's card page still says the fuel waiver is up to ₹250, but the MITC and Key Fact Statement of 2 November 2026 both say ₹150 a statement cycle, and that is the figure we use.
Laksya fees and charges
Laksya charges a ₹1,000 joining fee plus GST on activation, ₹1,180 in all (₹1,000 plus ₹180), and there is no waiver for it. The ₹1,000 annual fee from year two is waived if your retail spends in the previous card anniversary year reached ₹2,00,000. Add-on card are lifetime free.
Can you keep the fee at zero?
₹2,00,000 a year works out to about ₹16,667 a month (₹2,00,000 divided by 12). That is reachable for a couple using one card for groceries, shopping and bills, and a stretch for the young earner on ₹25,000 salary. In year one, pick the ₹1,000 voucher as welcome gift and only the ₹180 of GST is really out of pocket.
Interest, late fee and cash
- Interest: 3.75% a month, 45% a year. A ₹15,000 balance carried for 45 days cost about ₹832.19 (₹15,000 x 45% x 45, divided by 365), plus GST.
- Late payment: 15% of the Total Amount Due, from ₹10 to ₹1,300, plus GST. Miss a ₹3,000 bill and the fee is ₹450 (15% of ₹3,000).
- Cash advance: 2.5%, at least ₹500, with interest from the day of withdrawal. The cash limit is 20% of your card limit, so ₹10,000 on a ₹50,000 limit, and drawing that ₹10,000 costs ₹500 because the minimum beat 2.5% (₹250).
- Over-limit 2.5% (minimum ₹500) only with consent; returned payment 2% of the total due or ₹500, whichever is higher.
Forex, fuel and the usage fees
Forex mark-up is 3.49% plus GST: ₹20,000 spent abroad add ₹698 plus ₹125.64 of GST, so ₹823.64. The fuel surcharge waiver is 1% on fills of ₹400 to ₹5,000, up to ₹150 a statement cycle, which a ₹15,000 cycle of such fills uses up (₹150 divided by 1%).
- Domestic rent: 1% per payment, minimum ₹99, and no points.
- Fuel from 1 July 2026: 1% on all the month's fuel if a single fill exceeds ₹10,000 or the month exceeds ₹25,000.
- Utilities above ₹50,000 in a month: 1%. School or college fees through an app such as CRED, PhonePe or Paytm: 1%, minimum ₹99.
- Transport codes 4111, 4112 and 4784 from 14 June 2026: 1% on the full month's amount once it is over 50% of the limit or ₹25,000, whichever lower.
There is no wallet-load fee in AU's schedule. Laksya's card page offers Xpress EMI with zero processing fee, while AU's general schedule says 1% (minimum ₹99) plus GST, so ask before converting.
Laksya: fees and charges
| Joining fee | ₹1,000 + GST |
|---|---|
| Annual or renewal fee | ₹1,000 + GST |
| Annual fee waiver | For 2nd year onwards fee waiver: Rs.2,00,000 retail spends done in previous card anniversary year. No joining fee waiver. |
| Add-on card fee | Nil |
| GST | Charged on top of the fees and charges listed |
| In the bank’s words | Annual Card Membership fee: Rs.1,000 + applicable taxes; joining fee Rs.1,000 + GST charged on card activation. Lifetime-free add-on cards. |
| Interest on unpaid balances | Up to 3.75% a month (45% a year) |
| Late payment fee | 15% of Total Amount Due (minimum Rs.10, maximum Rs.1,300), plus 18% GST |
| Cash withdrawal | 2.5% of amount withdrawn, minimum Rs.500; interest (charges on revolving credit) from the date of withdrawal until full payment; cash limit 20% of card limit |
| Over-limit fee | 2.5% of over-limit amount, minimum Rs.500 (over-limit only with the cardholder's explicit consent) |
| Forex markup | 3.49% of the amount |
| Other fees |
|
How Laksya earns
| Spend | Points per ₹100 | Cap |
|---|---|---|
| Contactless (tap and pay) | 5 | No cap |
| Grocery and departmental stores | 5 | 1,000 points a statement cycle |
| Other retail | 2 | None stated |
| Insurance, utility, telecom | 1 | 100 points a transaction on utility and telecom |
| Cash, rent, education and government, EMI, fuel, BBPS, transport, quasi-cash | 0 | Excluded |
Two things AU leaves unclear. It does not say whether a tap at a grocery store falls in the capped grocery line or the uncapped tap line, and it does not say what grocery spend earn once the 1,000-point cap is full. In the examples we count spend above the cap at nothing.
Value, expiry and the welcome gift
AU publishes no rupee value for a Laksya point. The welcome benefit, given for activating and transacting within 30 days of issue, is a choice of 4,000 points or a ₹1,000 brand voucher, which suggest about ₹0.25 a point; treat that as a hint only. Points last 2 years, lapse after 12 months of no use, and each redemption costs ₹116.82 (₹99 plus ₹17.82 GST). There are no milestone bonuses.
Partner discounts adds a bit each month: 15% off Amazon Fresh or Amazon Now and 15% off Zomato orders, each up to ₹250 on a bill of at least ₹500, and buy-one-get-one movie tickets on District up to ₹250. A 15% saving hits ₹250 at about ₹1,667 (₹250 divided by 15%).
Three worked examples
| Per month | Light: ₹12,000 | Typical: ₹25,000 | Heavy: ₹50,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Groceries at 5 per ₹100 | ₹5,000: 250 | ₹12,000: 600 | ₹25,000: 1,000 (capped) |
| Contactless taps elsewhere at 5 per ₹100 | ₹4,000: 200 | ₹6,000: 300 | ₹15,000: 750 |
| Other retail at 2 per ₹100 | ₹3,000: 60 | ₹5,000: 100 | ₹8,000: 160 |
| Utility at 1 per ₹100 | None | ₹2,000: 20 | ₹2,000: 20 |
| Points a year | (250 + 200 + 60) x 12 = 6,120 | (600 + 300 + 100 + 20) x 12 = 12,240 | (1,000 + 750 + 160 + 20) x 12 = 23,160 |
| Annual fee from year two | ₹1,180 | Waived | Waived |
| Break-even value a point | ₹0.19 | Any value is a gain | Any value is a gain |
Light. ₹12,000 a month is ₹1,44,000 a year (x 12), short of the ₹2,00,000 waiver, and ₹36,000 a quarter (x 3) misses the lounge rule. 6,120 points have to beat ₹1,180, so each must be worth about ₹0.19 (₹1,180 divided by 6,120). If the ₹0.25 hinted by the welcome swap is right, they fetch ₹1,530 (6,120 x ₹0.25), a small gain, but AU have not confirmed it.
Typical. ₹25,000 a month is ₹3,00,000 a year and ₹75,000 a quarter (x 3), so the fee goes and 2 lounge visits come each following quarter. 12,240 points would be ₹3,060 at the hinted rate, and using the Amazon Fresh and Zomato discounts to their ₹250 limits adds ₹6,000 a year (₹500 x 12) on top.
Heavy. The grocery cap bites: ₹25,000 of groceries earns only the 1,000 points of the first ₹20,000, and the other ₹5,000 is counted at nothing. The taps keep paying with no ceiling though, so 23,160 points a year, ₹5,790 at the hinted ₹0.25 (23,160 x ₹0.25). Whether a tap at the grocery till counts as contactless is worth asking AU, because that decides if the extra ₹5,000 earns anything.
Laksya: higher-reward categories
| Category | Rate | Cap |
|---|---|---|
| Grocery and departmental stores | 5 Reward Points per Rs.100 | Maximum 1,000 Reward Points on grocery and departmental store spends in a card statement cycle, ₹1,000, statement cycle |
| Contactless (tap and pay) transactions | 5 Reward Points per Rs.100 | There is no maximum capping on Contactless/Tap and Pay transactions |
Laksya: how rewards work
| Earned as | Reward Points |
|---|---|
| Base rate | 2 Reward Points per Rs.100 on all other retail spends |
| Minimum spend rules | Points accrue in multiples of Rs.100 |
| No rewards on |
|
| Lower rewards on |
|
| Value of a point |
|
| Redemption fee | Rs.99 + GST per successful redemption |
| Expiry | 2 years from the date of accrual |
| Welcome benefits |
|
| Milestone benefits | None published |
| Lounge access | Domestic: 8 complimentary domestic airport lounge visits per calendar year (max 2 per quarter) International: None published Condition: 2 visits each quarter on spending Rs.50,000 in the previous quarter |
| Fuel surcharge waiver | 1% waiver on Rs.400 to Rs.5,000, up to Rs.150 per statement cycle (MITC) |
| Insurance cover | Card liability cover, credit shield and device protection plan (amounts not published on the card page) |
Getting a Laksya card
AU's published rules are the same as for its other retail cards. Applicants must live in India as residents, salaried ones aged 21 to 60 and self-employed ones 25 to 65; add-on holders must be over 18. AU does not give a income figure, only "minimum monthly income as specified by the bank", so the bar for Laksya is unknown until AU review your file. It call the criteria indicative and decides on approval itself.
- Documents: valid proof of identity, address and income.
- Apply: through Apply Now on AU's Laksya page, which takes you to the online onboarding portal where the status can be tracked. For help there are AU branches, the AU 0101 app and the 24x7 line, 1800 1200 1500.
New to credit?
AU aims Laksya partly at Gen Z customers, and a first-time borrower may have no credit record at all. CRIF gives a person with no data an "NH" (No History) report, and codes 11 to 18 on a CRIF report are exclusion codes, not scores; code 15, for example, means insufficient history. Issuers usually point such applicants to a card against a fixed deposit, and AU's own option is AU NOMO, issued against an AU FD. See also our guide to cards without credit history.
How the decision is made
Only AU decides, agents who sell cards can just solicit and service. RBI's 2025 Directions require AU to weigh your independent financial means and the limits you already have elsewhere, and if it rejects you it must tell you the specific reasons in writing.
Laksya: eligibility and documents
| Age (salaried) | 21 to 60 years |
|---|---|
| Age (self-employed) | 25 to 65 years |
| Income (salaried) | Minimum monthly income as specified by the bank (no figure published) |
| Income (self-employed) | Minimum monthly income as specified by the bank (no figure published) |
| Other conditions | Resident Indian; add-on cardholder over 18 years. Criteria are indicative; AU decides on approval. |
| Documents |
|
| How to apply | Online through the 'Apply Now' link on each card page (AU credit card onboarding portal, cconboarding.au.bank.in); application status can be tracked online. NOMO needs an AU fixed deposit. Support also at branches and on the AU 0101 app. |
| Card customer care | 1800 1200 1500 |
These are the bank's published conditions. Meeting them does not guarantee a card: approval and the credit limit are the bank's decision.
Is Laksya the right card for you?
Laksya suits someone who still pays in shops with a card and does it by tapping. That habit earns 5 points per ₹100 with no cap, and with groceries at the same rate up to ₹20,000 a cycle, a lot of ordinary household spending get the top rate. Spend ₹50,000 in a quarter and the 2 lounge visits the next quarter make the ₹1,000 fee feel small, if it is not already waived.
It is more weak for people whose spending is mostly online or on UPI. Online shopping only earns 2 points, and AU says nothing about a RuPay variant for UPI. Anyone who wants to know the value of their reward in rupees before spending should also hesitate, because AU's only clue is the welcome swap.
The trade-offs: no milestone bonuses, insurance covers whose amounts AU doesn't publish, and a 3.49% mark-up abroad. On the plus side the partner discounts on Amazon Fresh, Zomato and District are worth up to ₹750 a month (₹250 x 3) for a person who uses all three, which for some households are worth more than the points.
Pros
- 5 Reward Points per ₹100 on contactless taps with no cap
- 5 points per ₹100 on groceries for bills up to ₹20,000 a statement cycle
- Welcome choice of 4,000 points or a ₹1,000 voucher, close to the fee before GST
- 8 domestic lounge visits a year on a ₹1,000 card
- 15% monthly discounts on Amazon Fresh and Zomato, up to ₹250 each
- Annual fee waived on ₹2,00,000 a year, about ₹16,667 a month
Cons
- AU publishes no rupee value for Laksya points, and each redemption costs ₹99 plus GST
- No joining fee waiver: ₹1,000 plus GST is charged on activation
- Grocery points stop at 1,000 a statement cycle
- No milestone bonuses
- Lounge visits need ₹50,000 of spends in the previous quarter
- Insurance amounts are not published, and forex is 3.49%
Laksya against three grocery and everyday cards
All three below reward groceries; the table on this tab put their fees, caps, lounges and forex next to Laksya's.
RBL Bank Shoprite
The Shoprite Credit Card is more cheap: RBL charges a ₹500 annual fee plus GST from the first year rather than a joining fee, and waives the next year's fee on ₹1.5 lakh of eligible spends. Its 20 points per ₹100 on groceries are worth 5% at RBL's up to ₹0.25 a point, but only on ₹5,000 a calendar month (1,000 points divided by 20, times ₹100), and other spends earn just 0.25%. No lounges, 3.5% forex.
HSBC Live+
The HSBC Live+ costs ₹999, reversed with its GST above ₹2,00,000 of yearly spends, and pays 10% cashback on dining, food delivery, grocery, shopping and utilities up to ₹1,200 a month, a cap that fills at ₹12,000 of such spends (₹1,200 divided by 10%). Most other spends get 1.5%. It gives 2 domestic lounge visits and 1 international a year, and forex is 1.99%. HSBC wants ₹6 lakh a year of salary, and only if you lives in one of its listed cities.
SimplySAVE SBI Card
The SimplySAVE SBI Card is the low-fee choice at ₹499, waived on ₹1 lakh. It earns 10 points per ₹150 on dining, movies, departmental and grocery stores, 1.67% at 4 points to ₹1, up to 5,000 points a month, which takes ₹75,000 of such spends (5,000 divided by 10, times ₹150). It have a RuPay version for UPI but no lounges, and forex is 3.5%.
Who should pick which
- Laksya: tap-to-pay shoppers who want lounge visits and can live with unpriced points.
- Shoprite: small grocery bills of about ₹5,000 a month and a very low fee.
- Live+: known cashback on food and groceries, for earners in HSBC's cities.
- SimplySAVE: UPI payments and the lowest fee.
Compare more on best grocery credit cards, see the full AU Small Finance Bank range, or start from the credit cards hub.
Laksya against similar cards
| Term | AU Laksya Credit Card This card | Shoprite Credit Card | HSBC Live+ Credit Card | SimplySAVE SBI Card |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bank | AU Small Finance Bank (AU Bank) | RBL Bank | HSBC India | SBI Card |
| Joining fee | ₹1,000 + GST | ₹500 + GST | ₹999 + GST | ₹499 + GST |
| Annual fee and waiver | ₹1,000 + GST. For 2nd year onwards fee waiver: Rs.2,00,000 retail spends done in previous card anniversary year. No joining fee waiver. | ₹500 + GST. Annual fee for the next membership year waived on eligible purchases of INR 1.5 lakh or more in a membership year | ₹999 + GST. Annual fee, including GST, fully reversed if total eligible spend across primary and add-on cards in the anniversary year exceeds Rs 2,00,000 | ₹499 + GST. Renewal Fee is reversed if annual spends for last year >= Rs. 1,00,000. |
| Base reward | 2 Reward Points per Rs.100 on all other retail spends | 1 reward point per INR 100 on other eligible purchases (about 0.25% value) | 1.5% unlimited cashback on most other spends (exclusions apply) (about 1.5% value) | 1 Reward Point per Rs. 150 spent on all other spends (about 0.17% value) |
| Best category | Grocery and departmental stores: 5 Reward Points per Rs.100 | Grocery: about 5% value | Dining, food delivery, grocery, shopping and utility spends: about 10% value | Dining, movies, departmental stores, grocery and supermarkets: about 1.67% value |
| Lounges | Domestic: 8 complimentary domestic airport lounge visits per calendar year (max 2 per quarter) International: None published | Domestic: None listed International: None listed | Domestic: 2 complimentary domestic lounge visits a year, limited to 1 visit every 6 months International: 1 complimentary international lounge visit a year (from 1 September 2026) | Domestic: None listed on card page International: None listed on card page |
| Forex markup | 3.49% of the amount | 3.5% of the amount | 1.99% of the amount | 3.5% of the amount |
| Network | Visa | Mastercard, Visa | Visa | Visa, Mastercard, RuPay |
| Published minimum income | Minimum monthly income as specified by the bank (no figure published) | Not published by the bank | ₹50,000 a month | Stable income; SBI Card says the specific minimum varies by card and does not... |
| Status | Taking applications | Taking applications | Taking applications | Taking applications |
Frequently asked questions
What is the AU Laksya annual fee, and can it be waived?
How much are AU Laksya Reward Points worth?
Who is eligible for the AU Laksya Credit Card?
Does AU Laksya come with airport lounge access?
Is AU Laksya a new card?
Do contactless payments really earn 5 points with no cap?
Related
- AU Small Finance Bank Credit Cards 2026: LIT to Zenith+ Compared
- RBL Shoprite Credit Card Review: 5% on Groceries, Capped at ₹250 a Month
- HSBC Live+ Credit Card Review: 10% Cashback Capped at ₹1,200 a Month
- SimplySAVE SBI Card Review: 10X on Groceries, Dining and Movies
- Best Grocery Credit Cards in India 2026: The Monthly Cap Decides
Sources
- AU Small Finance Bank: Most Important Terms and Conditions (MITC) with Schedule of Charges, Version 2.23; Key Fact Statement, Version 1.9; AU Laksya Credit Card page (Internet Archive copy; live page refused automated fetch with a Cloudflare check); Cardmember Agreement (AU Small Finance Bank Credit Card); Credit Cards listing page (Internet Archive copy, 23 Oct 2026; live page refused automated fetch with a Cloudflare check)
Last verified: 5 November 2026
Written by Abhishek Kumar, reviewed by BankCreds Financial Experts
BankCreds does not sell cards or take applications. Fees and rewards change; the bank's own terms on the day you apply are what count, and approval is the bank's decision.