Use Utility Bill Payments on the Right Card for 5X Rewards

Most cards exclude utility bills from rewards. These 6 cards reward them at the standard rate or better.

By Harshil Vaja

Reviewed by Rahul Dabhi

5 min read

12 February 2026

Updated 22 July 2026

Harshil Vaja

Rewards Utility Bills Strategy

Use Utility Bill Payments on the Right Card for 5X Rewards

What you'll do

1
HDFC Infinia: 5 reward points per ₹150 on all retail spends, including utilities. ~3.3% return at full value.
2
HDFC Diners Club Black: 5X via SmartBuy gift cards — buy utility gift cards on SmartBuy to unlock 5X.
3
ICICI Emeralde: 4 points per ₹100 with no category exclusions (capped at ₹20K monthly from April 2026).
4
Amazon Pay ICICI: 3% back on bill payments via Amazon Pay — electricity, gas, water, mobile, broadband, DTH all qualify.
5
Axis Atlas: 2 EDGE Miles per ₹100 on utility spends (5X via SmartHub travel portal).

Important disclaimers

T&Cs apply. We don't endorse anything that violates a bank's T&Cs. If a trick stops working after a T&C change, the post is archived and an [Updated] post is published.

Cards that unlock this trick

ICICI Bank

ICICI Times Black Credit Card

Ultra-premium metal card — unlimited global lounge access (1,300+ lounges, 600+ cities), 1.49% forex markup, 12X points on hotels via iShop (verified 2026).

Annual Fee

₹20,000

Reward Rate

12X on hotels; 6X on flights & shopping; 2.5% on international; 2% on domestic (verified from Times Black, 2026)

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Written by Harshil Vaja

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Frequently asked questions about this trick

Is "Use Utility Bill Payments on the Right Card for 5X Rewards" still working in 2026?

Every trick on FinWiz24 is re-tested during the 30-day data-refresh cycle. The "Last reviewed" date at the top of this page is the date of the most recent verification — if a trick stops working after a bank changes its T&Cs, the post is archived and an Updated post is published instead.

Does this trick work on every credit card?

No — most tricks require a specific card feature (reward accelerator, milestone benefit, partner-network spend, etc.). The "Cards that unlock this trick" section below lists 12 cards that currently support this approach. If your card is not on the list, the trick does not apply and following it may not deliver the expected reward.

Does this trick violate any bank's terms and conditions?

Every trick listed on FinWiz24 is screened against the issuer's published T&Cs before publication. If a trick were to violate T&Cs, the bank could claw back rewards, suspend the card, or close the account. We don't publish tricks that cross that line; the Important disclaimers block above lists the conditions under which a trick may be reclassified or withdrawn.

How much can I save by following this trick?

It depends on your monthly spend and the cards in the unlock list. The reward calculators at /calculators can simulate a specific scenario: feed in your monthly category-wise spend, your card's reward rate, and the trick's expected incremental reward, and you'll get a rough annual value. Use the lifetime savings calculator for the break-even point at which the trick more than pays for the annual fee.

Do I need to pay annual fees to use this trick?

Some tricks require paid cards; others work on lifetime-free cards. The unlock-cards grid below is annotated with annual fee and lifetime-free flag (visible on each card tile). If you only want lifetime-free options, filter the full card catalog for that flag and re-check the unlock list against your filtered results — there is usually at least one eligible card.

What you'll do

Important disclaimers

Cards that unlock this trick

ICICI Times Black Credit Card

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