AU Altura Plus Credit Card Review: The Smart Spender’s Cashback Mate

At a time when more of our spending than ever has been shifted to online transactions, the right credit card choice can mean the difference between passive spending and maximizing your rewards. This is where the AU Altura Plus Credit Card comes in, a product that is full of features from AU Small Finance Bank for someone who prefers real value - be it cashback, travel benefits or rewards on shopping and more.

This card is a great mix of low-cost, ease of access, and benefits if you spend well and often. Here, in our comprehensive blog, we will nutshell the AU Altura Plus Credit Card for you – its features, charges, rewards, uses, and the reasons why it could possibly be your go-to card if you are a smart spender in India.

Table of Contents

• AU Small Finance Bank Review

• AU Altura Plus Credit Card - Snapshot

• Key Benefits

• Cashback and Rewards Structure

• Fee Structure and Waivers

• Lounge Access & Travel Perks

• Security and Card Management Features

• Eligibility and Documentation

• Ideal Use Cases

• Pros and Cons

• Verdict: Who Should Get It?

• Final Thoughts

Introduction to AU Small Finance Bank

The AU Small Finance Bank has now become one among India’s most reliable retail segment financiers within a short span of time. "We are focused on rural and semi-urban markets and are working towards closing the gap between traditional banking and digital-first products," the bank said.

Its push into credit cards—especially with cards such as the Altura Plus—is a strong sign that AU Bank is looking to take on the big boys by providing high-utility, benefit-soaked products.

AU Altura Plus Credit Card: Pros and Cons

Key Benefits

✅ Affordable Entry Point

This card is available at ₹499, cheaper than most other premium cards with similar features and benefits. And with waiver options on the table, it’s often effectively free.

✅ Useful for Daily Spends

Whether it is eating, shopping online or commuting, the Altura Plus card is rewards that pay back on those everyday purchases.

✅ Easy to Acquire, Easy to Redeem

The simplified rewards structure means you don’t have to navigate complicated tiers or partner-only redemption options. The points are redeemable exactly like vouchers, merchandise, DTH recharges, and so forth.

Cashback and Rewards Structure

💰 1.5% POS Cashback

Get up to 1.5% cashback on your retail spends (POS). But there is a catch — it is capped at ₹100 per statement cycle. After you reach the cap, you earn reward points (1 point per ₹100) on all additional POS spends.

🌐 Online Spends = Reward Points

BOB Financial: Get 3 reward points for every ₹100 spent online and 2 reward points for every ₹100 on other transactions. And these are uncapped, it is a great card for online shopping and subscribe for OTT, food deliveries, and mobile payments.

🏆 Milestone Benefit

Spend ₹20,000 or more in a month, and you get an additional 500 bonus reward points. Not to mention, this is in addition to your regular cashback/rewards.

Fee Structure and Waivers

💳 Joining Fee

₹499 + GST
Waived on spend of ₹20,000 within 90 days of card membership.

🔄 Annual Fee

₹499 per annum (from 2nd year)
Waived on spending ₹80,000 or more in the anniversary year.

🧾 Other Charges Snapshot

Lounge Access & Travel Perks

For a ₹499 card – air lounge access might be lacking, but if you spend a lot of time traveling by train, it's a huge win.

You get 2 complimentary railway lounge visits per quarter at:

• New Delhi

• Jaipur

• Agra

• Ahmedabad

• Sealdah

• Madurai

Security and Card Management Features

🔒 Zero Liability Protection

Lost your card? AU gives you a zero-liability guarantee as long as any fraudulent use is reported straight away.

📱 Contactless & EMI Ready

Tap-and-pay up to ₹5,000 per transaction.
Transactions ₹2,000 and above can be converted into EMI via app or net banking.

🧠 Smart Control

Manage limits, block/unblock card, set spend alerts, and convert spends to EMI— all from the AU 0101 app.

Eligibility and Documentation

Documents Required:

• PAN Card

• Aadhaar Card (or other valid address proof)

• Income proof (salary slip/Form 16/ITR)

Ideal Use Cases

🛒 Everyday Essentials

Groceries, dining, shopping — 1.5% cashback + milestone bonuses
Ideal for those avoiding high annual fees

📦 Ecommerce Dominators

For regular online ordering (Amazon, Flipkart, Zomato etc), the 2 reward points per ₹100 spent will accumulate quite fast.

🚂 Railway Travelers

You might save ₹500–₹800 every few months via railway lounge access alone.

🎯 Budget-Conscious Professionals

If you don’t want to pay ₹2,000–₹5,000 for a premium card but want structured rewards, this card hits the sweet spot.

Pros and Cons

✅ Pros

• High-value for entry-level spenders

• Great milestone bonuses and welcome voucher

• Few places offer rail lounge access at this price

• Simple, low-effort fee waiver structure

• Easy EMI conversions

• Runs cashback and reward models simultaneously

❌ Cons

• ₹100 cashback per month limit is low

• No air travel lounge access

• Rewards store is limited to AU’s portal

• High foreign transaction fee (3.49%)

• Not suited for heavy or international spenders

Verdict: Who Should Get It?

The card is ideal for:

• Students

• Salaried professionals

• Beginners building a credit profile

It’s a strong pick if:

• You shop online or at stores regularly

• You want lounge perks (railway)

• You want fee waivers without high spending

• You want a smart low-cost card

But not ideal if:

• You travel internationally frequently

• You need air travel perks

• You expect high cashback ceilings or international reward partnerships

Final Thoughts

AU Altura Plus Credit Card is one of the most well-rounded entry-level credit cards in India right now. It offers:

• The ease of cashback

• Milestone bonuses

• Railway lounge privileges

And it does all this at a cost that’s often effectively ₹0.

Verdict: The Altura Plus is hard to beat if you're a smart spender looking for value on daily expenses without burning a hole in your wallet.