Table of Contents
Key Highlights
- Four cards launched simultaneously: Ananta (₹2,000), Laksya (₹1,000), Tejas (₹500), Prathama (₹100). All annual fees reversible on defined spend thresholds.
- Industry-first lounge access model: AU Ananta cardholders access lounges by booking flight tickets through the AU Rewardz portal - including for family members. Not triggered by card swipe at the lounge.
- AU Ananta: 8,000 welcome points, 5 RP/₹100 spend, 16 domestic lounge visits/year, travel insurance, up to 50,000 bonus points on ₹10L annual spend.
- AU Laksya: 4,000 RP or ₹1,000 voucher welcome, 15% instant discount on grocery + food delivery, BOGO movies monthly, 8 lounge visits/year.
- AU Tejas: 2,000 RP or ₹500 voucher welcome, up to 10% cashback on cabs, bills, grocery, movies, food delivery.
- AU Prathama: Entry-level card, ₹100 annual fee, reward points on daily spend, milestone incentives, fuel surcharge waiver.
- All four cards: No-cost EMI on travel, zero processing fees, spend-linked annual fee reversal. AU SFB serves 1.2 crore customers across 2,790+ touchpoints.
AU Small Finance Bank launched four new credit cards on 6 May 2026, introducing what it describes as a life-stage segmented portfolio: one card for affluent frequent travellers, one for Gen Z and digital-first professionals, one for young salaried workers, and one for first-time credit users. The launch comes days after AU SFB co-issued the CheQ AU LED Credit Card in April 2026, making May 2026 the most active period for AU SFB in credit card issuance.
The standout structural feature is how the AU Ananta card handles airport lounge access. Most credit cards grant lounge access when the cardholder swipes the card at the lounge entry. Ananta reverses this - cardholders access complimentary lounge entry by booking flight tickets through the AU Rewardz portal. The lounge benefit is triggered by the booking activity, not the lounge visit itself, and extends to family members booked on the same transaction. AU SFB describes this as an industry-first in the Indian market.
The four-card strategy reflects a deliberate decision to serve distinct customer profiles with purpose-built products rather than a single all-purpose card. AU SFB is the largest small finance bank in India and has received in-principle approval to transition into a universal bank - a context that gives this portfolio launch additional weight as the bank expands its retail product range.
For consumers, the most significant question is whether the reward structures are competitive against established players in each segment. CardInsider's independent review notes that while the card designs are modern and the segmentation is well-conceived, the rewards structures are 'fairly basic' relative to comparably priced cards from HDFC, Axis, and SBI. The lounge access innovation is genuine, but the earn rates - 5 RP/₹100 on Ananta and category-specific cashback on Laksya and Tejas - sit at or slightly below what competing mid-premium cards offer.
The Four Cards: Features at a Glance
| Card | Annual Fee | Target Segment | Key Benefit | Lounge Access |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AU Ananta | ₹2,000 | Affluent achievers, frequent travellers | 5 RP/₹100, 16 domestic lounge visits, travel insurance, up to 50,000 bonus points at ₹10L spend | 16 domestic/year - via AU Rewardz flight booking |
| AU Laksya | ₹1,000 | Mid-career, Gen Z, digital-first | 15% instant discount on grocery + food delivery, BOGO movies, 8 lounge visits | 8 visits/year |
| AU Tejas | ₹500 | Young salaried, everyday savings | Up to 10% cashback on cabs, bills, grocery, movies, food delivery | Not specified in launch details |
| AU Prathama | ₹100 | New-to-credit users | Daily spend rewards, milestone incentives, fuel surcharge waiver | Not applicable - entry-level card |
Source: AU Small Finance Bank press release, 6 May 2026. Business Standard, 7 May 2026. Some benefit details pending official product pages going live. Last verified: 9 May 2026.
AU Ananta: The Lounge-Booking Innovation in Detail
The AU Ananta Credit Card is the portfolio's flagship, priced at ₹2,000 annual fee - above the ₹499 CheQ AU card and competing in the ₹1,500–₹2,500 segment occupied by cards like BOBCARD Eterna (₹2,499), HDFC Millennia (₹1,000), and SBI SimplyCLICK (₹499).
The welcome benefit of 8,000 reward points positions it modestly against competitors - BOBCARD Eterna offers 10,000 RP (₹2,500 value) plus the ₹48,000 FITPASS Pro membership in the same fee bracket. However, Ananta's 16 domestic lounge visits per year is a higher count than most cards at this price - Eterna offers unlimited domestic lounge visits subject to a ₹40,000 quarterly spend condition, while HDFC Millennia caps at 8 visits per year.
The up-to-50,000 bonus reward points structure (on ₹10 lakh annual spend) is a milestone benefit that rewards high spenders. At 5 RP/₹100 base rate, a ₹10 lakh annual spender earns 50,000 base RP plus the 50,000 bonus - assuming 1 RP has a value consistent with industry norms of ₹0.20–₹0.25, that represents a meaningful annual return at the premium spend level.
The Lounge-by-Booking Model: What It Means in Practice
Most Indian credit cards grant lounge access at the terminal - show card at entry, access is granted. AU Ananta's model requires booking the flight via AU Rewardz portal first. The lounge access is then tied to that booking and can include family members on the same itinerary.
This matters for frequent flyers who book through Google Flights, MakeMyTrip, or airline apps directly. Those bookings would not unlock the lounge benefit. The value of the lounge access depends on how consistently the cardholder routes flight bookings through AU Rewardz.
AU SFB has not published whether AU Rewardz offers competitive fares or adds a markup to bookings. This should be verified at au.bank.in before applying
Laksya and Tejas: The Gen Z and Salaried Segments
The AU Laksya card at ₹1,000 annual fee targets what the bank describes as 'digitally native customers' - users who spend heavily on food apps, grocery platforms, and entertainment. The 15% instant discount on grocery and food delivery is the headline benefit, along with a BOGO movie offer monthly. Eight domestic lounge visits per year at this fee point is competitive - HDFC Millennia at the same ₹1,000 fee also offers 8 visits.
AU Tejas at ₹500 annual fee sits in the same segment as SBI SimplyCLICK and the Flipkart Axis Bank Card. Its 10% cashback positioning on cab bookings, bill payments, and food delivery is strong for everyday spenders - though the precise structure (flat 10% vs tiered, and any caps) has not been fully detailed in the launch announcement. Full benefit documentation is expected when the card's product pages go live.
AU Prathama at ₹100 annual fee is an entry-level proposition for new-to-credit users - the lowest fee on any AU SFB card. The focus on milestone rewards and standing instruction bonuses is designed to build credit behaviour, not earn premium rewards. This card competes with FD-backed credit cards and zero-fee student card products.
Where AU SFB's New Portfolio Fits in the Market
AU SFB enters this segment with 9.8 lakh active credit cards as of February 2026 - a small base relative to HDFC (100M+ cards), SBI, and Axis Bank. The bank has historically issued one card per customer, a policy that limits volume but concentrates on quality. The four-card portfolio marks a strategic expansion of the product range to capture more of each customer's wallet.
The timing is notable. AU SFB is awaiting universal bank status - once granted, it will operate under the same regulatory framework as India's full commercial banks. The credit card portfolio expansion is positioning the bank's product suite ahead of that transition. The four launch cards - with their India-heritage names (Ananta meaning infinite, Laksya meaning goal, Tejas meaning brilliance, Prathama meaning first) - are designed to anchor a distinct brand identity in a market dominated by private sector banks.
Frequently Asked Questions
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only. All card features, fees, and benefits are subject to change. Data sourced from AU Small Finance Bank press release (6 May 2026), Business Standard, and CardInsider as of 7 May 2026. Some product-level details were pending official page publication at time of writing. Verify current terms at au.bank.in before applying.
