Add on credit card: who can get one and what they share

Who can get an add-on credit card?

A family member you name, usually a spouse, parent, child or sibling. The RBI's card directions for commercial banks, updated as on 1 October 2026, say add-on cards go only to people the principal cardholder specifically identifies. Each bank sets its own list of relatives.

The lists differ at the edges. ICICI also names in-laws, Axis names a life partner, and Kotak adds other close relations you declare. Kotak's MITC says it relies on your declaration and is not responsible for verifying it. Some cards have no add-on at all, including ICICI's PM SVANidhi card and IDFC FIRST's FD-backed WOW! card.

Read at each bank's add-on page, FAQ or MITC on 31 October 2026. Not stated means the document read does not say, not that there is no rule. Fees can differ by card, so check your own.

What is the minimum age for an add-on card?

18 at HDFC, SBI Card, Axis and Kotak, and 12 at ICICI. ICICI's Plus card page says the applicant must be at least 12, and its FAQ says the age may depend on the card type and bank policy.

HDFC is the only one of these that states an upper limit: its add-on page gives 18 to 80 years. One Axis page disagrees with the rest. The IndianOil Axis product page says over 15 years, while Axis's add-on FAQ and cardmember agreement both say 18, so ask Axis if that matters to you.

How much does an add-on card cost?

Often nothing, but not always. HDFC's MITC, updated 29 October 2026, lists the add-on fee as lifetime free, and SBI Card's FAQ says there is no additional fee for up to three. ICICI's MITC, updated 9 October 2026, shows Rs 199 a year on most cards and nil on Emeralde, Emeralde Private, Amazon Pay, Diamant and Mine.

An example. You hold an ICICI Coral card and add three family members. The fee is Rs 199 per card. GST at 18% adds Rs 35.82, so each card costs Rs 234.82 a year. Three cards cost Rs 704.46 a year.

IDFC FIRST's Millennia page lists Rs 499 plus GST per add-on, as a joining and an annual fee.

Does an add-on card get its own credit limit?

No. It shares the primary card's limit, so every rupee spent on either card reduces what both can spend. HDFC, SBI Card, ICICI, Axis, Kotak, RBL, YES Bank and AU all say so in their documents.

You can often cap what the add-on holder spends. HDFC and SBI Card let the primary holder set spend limits, and Kotak's MITC allows a sub-limit for each add-on, at the bank's discretion.

A limit increase also runs through the primary card. HDFC's FAQ says enhancement is only for primary cards, and Axis's MITC says a change to the primary limit applies to all its add-ons automatically. See how to raise a card limit.

Who pays if the add-on holder does not?

The primary cardholder. The RBI's directions for commercial banks say, at paragraph 18, that liability for dues rests solely with the principal cardholder and not with add-on cardholders. Its 2025 card directions for non-bank finance companies use the same words. Documents from HDFC, SBI Card, Axis and Kotak put the bill on the primary holder too.

An example. Your HDFC Regalia Gold card has a Rs 2,00,000 limit. You spend Rs 20,000 and your sister spends Rs 40,000 on her add-on. Your available limit falls to Rs 1,40,000 and your statement shows Rs 60,000 due. If you miss the minimum, HDFC's late fee on more than Rs 50,000 is Rs 1,300. GST at 18% adds Rs 234, for Rs 1,534 charged to you, before any interest. HDFC's MITC excludes Infinia cards from this fee. The late payment guide explains how that interest works.

One HDFC document reads differently. Its online application consent text says each add-on applicant is liable for charges on the add-on card jointly and severally with the primary holder. HDFC's add-on page puts liability on the primary holder. If you hold an HDFC add-on, ask the bank which applies.

The add-on depends on the primary card. SBI Card and Axis end add-ons along with the primary, and HDFC's MITC says a card reported lost invalidates the primary and other add-ons on that account. A primary holder can cancel an add-on in writing at RBL and American Express. RBL's MITC says the primary stays liable for all charges on the add-on and gives no cut-off date. American Express's MITC says the primary is liable up to the date it receives the notice. See how to close a credit card.

Do add-on cards get lounge access and rewards?

Rewards usually yes, and they go to the primary holder's account. Lounge access depends on the card. HDFC's add-on terms say lounge entitlements are shared between primary and add-on, Kotak White and ICICI Sapphiro give free visits to the primary holder only, and ICICI's Plus card page limits complimentary lounge access for add-ons to the Diamant, Emeralde Private Metal and Times Black cards.

On lounges, HDFC's MITC gives Infinia add-on holders a complimentary Priority Pass. The Axis and SBI Card add-on pages read here do not cover lounges, so check your card. The lounge access guide has the wider rules.

On rewards, HDFC and ICICI credit points to the primary account. Kotak's MITC says add-on spends earn under the add-on card's own programme, and only the primary holder can redeem.

Other benefits often stop at the primary card. HDFC's add-on terms exclude milestone benefits, golf access and CashBack, and limit insurance to the primary holder. Axis's FAQ excludes welcome benefits, though add-on holders can use other offers. IndusInd's MITC does count add-on spends toward its spend-based annual fee waiver.

Does the add-on holder get a statement and OTPs?

OTPs yes, and a statement usually no. HDFC, Axis and ICICI send transaction OTPs to the add-on holder's mobile, while HDFC and Axis send the monthly statement to the primary holder only.

SBI Card and ICICI also describe one consolidated statement, and HDFC's shows separate sections for primary and add-on spends. An Axis add-on holder gets no e-statement, can see their transactions in the mobile app, and sees a total that includes the primary card's spends. Only the Axis primary holder can convert a transaction to EMI.

Does an add-on card affect credit history?

It can, and the risk runs both ways. CIBIL's FAQ says a default in payments reflects in the credit report of both the primary and the add-on holder, even though the primary holder is responsible for the charges.

Banks do report on these accounts. RBL's and DBS's MITCs say they report add-on cardmember account data to CIBIL and other bureaus, and Axis's cardmember agreement says it may share add-on cardmember information, including defaults, with credit bureaus.

Building a score is less clear. ICICI's FAQ lists a Plus card as an option for someone new to credit, and says add-on users need no income documents. None of the documents read for this guide says how on-time payments count toward an add-on holder's own score. If you are starting out, read getting a first card with no credit history.

How do I apply, including for a parent?

The primary cardholder applies, and the add-on applicant usually completes KYC. SBI Card takes its app or website, ICICI its app, net banking or website, Axis its app, internet banking, phone banking or a branch or RM, and HDFC its app, NetBanking or PhoneBanking, or a physical form if the add-on member has no HDFC Bank account. Parents qualify at HDFC, SBI Card, ICICI, Axis and Kotak, with the age and fee rules in the table above.

SBI Card requires the applicant's Aadhaar, and says you cannot apply without one. Axis needs PAN and Aadhaar. Its add-on FAQ says the applicant must be an Indian resident, while its cardmember agreement also covers NRIs and foreign nationals working in India, so ask Axis if this applies to you. HDFC's terms say the add-on member must have PAN updated in the savings account.

If your HDFC card is a phased-out variant, HDFC's MITC says it accepts the request but issues a new current primary and add-on in its place.

Axis's FAQ blocks a new application while one is pending. Compare fees for your own cards in My Cards, or browse by feature with Find a card.