Honestly, you're already ahead of most people just by planning before the sale instead of scrambling during it. That alone will save you more than any card swap.
Okay so here's the deal. For Amazon specifically, the Amazon Pay ICICI Bank credit card is still the most straightforward option if you're a Prime member. You get 5% cashback on Amazon as a Prime member, and it's unlimited — no cap, no complicated reward point conversion. The cashback lands directly in your Amazon Pay balance, so it's basically instant usable money. No annual fee either. For your ₹25k-₹40k spend, that's ₹1,250-₹2,000 straight back.
But here's what most people miss — during the Great Indian Festival, Amazon usually runs an additional 10% instant discount with specific bank cards. HDFC, Axis, SBI, ICICI — they rotate every year. Last few years HDFC Debit/Credit cards had that 10% offer capped at ₹1,500 per transaction. If that pattern continues in 2026, you could stack your Amazon Pay ICICI 5% on top of whatever bank offer Amazon announces. But check the T&Cs carefully because sometimes the instant discount only applies to the bank's own cards and not co-branded ones.
Since your salary comes to SBI, the SBI SimplyCLICK card is also worth considering — it gives 10x rewards on Amazon and Flipkart. But the reward point redemption process is clunky and the value-per-point is lower than Amazon Pay cashback. Don't get distracted by big reward point numbers.
The Axis Flipkart card your colleague probably had is better for Flipkart, not Amazon. Don't port your Amazon shopping there just for the card.
Yes, Prime membership matters a lot. The 5% on Amazon Pay ICICI is exclusively for Prime members. Non-Prime gets only 3%. At your spend level, that 2% difference is ₹500-₹800 — Prime subscription pays for itself easily.
My clear recommendation: apply for Amazon Pay ICICI card now, get it before October so it's active. Also keep your SBI card handy in case Amazon announces SBI-specific sale day discounts like they sometimes do.