Can I get a credit card with ₹25k salary? Which bank should I try?

Question

Hi everyone, I'm Meena, working as a junior accountant in Chennai. My in-hand salary is ₹25,000 per month. I've been trying to get a credit card for over 6 months now but keep getting rejected. Tried HDFC and Axis both said no. My friend said my salary is 'too low' for most cards but I see ads all the time saying 'salary starting ₹15,000' so I'm confused.

I don't have any existing loans or credit history at all. Never taken a loan, no EMIs nothing. I'm not looking for some fancy card, just something basic so I can build credit and maybe use for online shopping and emergencies. Is ₹25k actually too less? Which banks are more lenient? Should I try a secured card? I don't really understand how those work either. Any help would be really appreciated, feeling a bit stuck here.

Answer 1

Honestly, your problem isn't your salary — it's the zero credit history. Banks are more scared of someone with no track record than someone earning less. HDFC and Axis are notoriously strict about this. You went to the hardest places first.

Here's what I'd actually do in your situation:

**Step 1 — Get a secured credit card immediately.** Go to SBI or IDFC First Bank. SBI SimplyCLICK or the SBI secured card against FD is your easiest entry point. You put a fixed deposit of say ₹20,000-₹25,000, and they give you a card with 80-90% of that as your credit limit. You're basically borrowing your own money initially, but that's fine. The point is CIBIL starts building.

**Step 2 — Use it lightly and pay in full every month.** Don't use more than 30% of your limit at a time. So if your limit is ₹20k, don't spend more than ₹6k in a billing cycle. Pay the full amount, not minimum due. This one habit alone will get your CIBIL to 750+ within 12 months. Most people get the card and then pay only minimum — that's the trap.

**Step 3 — After 9-12 months, apply for a proper card.** By then you'll have a credit score. Try IndusInd Platinum or IDFC First Millenia — both are very approachable for ₹25k salary range with decent history. Even Amazon Pay ICICI card is easy to get and has good cashback for online shopping which you mentioned.

One thing most people get wrong — they keep applying to multiple banks when rejected. Every hard inquiry drops your CIBIL score a little. You've already done HDFC and Axis, stop applying randomly now. Go the FD route, build history, then apply properly after a year.

At ₹25k salary in Chennai you're fine. Plenty of cards exist for you. Just need that credit history first. Go open that SBI FD this weekend itself.

Answer 2

Meena, I'll slightly disagree with the 'go secured card immediately' advice — not because it's wrong, but there's actually a faster route worth trying first.

Check if your salary account bank offers you a pre-approved card. Whichever bank your salary gets credited to — go to their app or nearest branch and ask specifically about pre-approved offers. Banks with your salary transaction history trust you more than a random applicant. Many people don't know this. I got my first card this exact way from Kotak, no CIBIL check even.

Also look at **OneCard** or **Slice** — these are fintech cards that are much more lenient with new-to-credit customers. Slice especially has given cards to people with literally zero credit history. The limits start low, like ₹2,000-₹5,000, but that's all you need to start.

The FD secured card is a solid backup plan but you're locking away ₹20-25k which at your salary is a significant chunk. Try the salary bank and fintech route first. If both say no within 2-3 weeks, then do the FD card.

One thing I agree with — stop applying to HDFC, Axis, ICICI cold. Those rejections are actually hurting you now. And definitely don't go through any 'agent' who promises guaranteed approval, they'll charge fees and probably apply to 5 banks at once destroying your score further.

My suggestion: check your salary bank app today for pre-approved offers, apply for Slice or OneCard this week, give it 30 days. That's your fastest path without locking funds.