Add-on credit cards: liability, fees, shared limits
Updated 30 Oct 2026 · by SwipeWise editorial team · how we write
An add-on (supplementary) card is a second card on your account, usually for a family member. The RBI’s rules fix a few things for every issuer. Everything else, such as the fee, the rewards and the lounge access, is set by each bank in its own documents, and the documents differ.
What the RBI directions fix
The RBI Master Direction on credit and debit cards (2022) defines an add-on credit card as a supplementary card to the primary card, issued to persons with a predefined relationship with the primary cardholder, “within the credit limits and liability of the latter”. It also says:
- Add-on cards are issued only to persons the principal cardholder specifically identifies, “with the clear understanding that the liability will be that of the principal cardholder” (paragraph 7(e)).
- In the RBI’s FAQs, liability for dues rests solely with the principal cardholder and not with the add-on cardholder.
- For retail cards, consent (for example for activation) is sought from the principal cardholder, not the add-on holder. For blocking a card, either the actual cardholder or the principal cardholder can start the request.
- The MITC must state joining fees and annual fees for the primary cardholder and separately for add-on cardholders (paragraph 30(a)).
The directions do not say whether an add-on holder gets a credit record of their own. The MITCs we read do not say either.
What issuer documents say
| Issuer / card | Add-on fee | Shared limit? | Spends towards waiver or milestone | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HDFC Bank (MITC, all cards) | “Lifetime Free” | Yes, same limit as primary | Infinia continuation test: ₹18 lakh “Primary + Add-ons” per financial year | HDFC MITC |
| HDFC Infinia (lounge) | See above | Yes | Priority Pass membership for primary and add-on holders | HDFC MITC |
| Axis Magnus, Select, Atlas, Reserve | Nil | Yes; any limit change on the primary applies to add-ons | Not stated in the MITC | Axis MITC |
| Axis Primus | 1 card complimentary; then ₹25,000 each (cards issued after 31 Jul 2024), up to 4 | Yes | Not stated | Axis MITC |
| ICICI Sapphiro, Rubyx | ₹199 a year (from 15 Nov 2024) | Not stated in the part we read | Not stated; the MITC says “total spends on the credit card” | ICICI MITC |
| ICICI Times Black | ₹3,500 | Not stated | Not stated | ICICI MITC |
| ICICI Emeralde Private (and Emeralde) | Nil | Not stated | Not stated | ICICI MITC |
| HSBC Live+ | Nil | Not stated | Annual fee reversed if eligible spend across primary and add-on cards exceeds ₹2,00,000 in the anniversary year | HSBC Live+ MITC |
| HSBC TravelOne | Nil | Not stated | MITC fee table says spends “on the primary card” (₹8,00,000) | HSBC MITC |
| IndusInd Legend | Nil | Not stated | Waiver tests include combined spends of primary and all add-on cards (IndusInd’s note on spend-based waivers) | IndusInd MITC |
| Standard Chartered Smart | Not stated in the documents we read | Not stated | Cashback caps apply at client level, primary and supplementary together, from 21 Aug 2024 | SC Smart T&C |
| SBI Card | MITC says there “may be separate fees” for additional cards; no figure given | Yes, same limits as primary | Not stated | SBI Card MITC |
“Not stated” means the document we opened is silent, not that the answer is no.
- Default. ICICI’s MITC says the bank can forward a default report to credit bureaus, and that the card terms apply to supplementary holders as well. SBI Card’s MITC likewise says its terms apply to add-on holders.
- Lost or closed cards. HDFC says the add-on card is invalid once the primary card is reported lost, and that if an add-on card is reported lost the primary account and other add-ons are invalidated. SBI Card says closing the account on the cardholder’s written request terminates all cards, including add-ons.
- Cashback caps. Standard Chartered’s Smart terms carry an older line saying caps are per card. A later line, effective 21 Aug 2024, makes the cap client-level, primary and supplementary together.
- Lounge. Of the documents opened, only HDFC’s MITC states add-on lounge access (Infinia Priority Pass).
Worked example: add-on spend and a waiver
The HSBC Live+ MITC says the ₹999 annual fee, including GST, is fully reversed if total eligible spend across the primary and add-on cards in the anniversary year exceeds ₹2,00,000. The spends below are illustrative; the threshold is from the document.
- Primary card eligible spend: ₹1,35,000
- Add-on card eligible spend: ₹70,000
- Combined: ₹1,35,000 + ₹70,000 = ₹2,05,000
- Threshold: ₹2,00,000. ₹2,05,000 is ₹5,000 above it, so the ₹999 is reversed.
Without the add-on spend, ₹1,35,000 is ₹65,000 short. Only “eligible spend” counts. HSBC’s other MITC, which covers Live+ and TravelOne together, words the thresholds as spend “on the primary card” (₹2,00,000 for Live+, ₹8,00,000 for TravelOne). The two HSBC documents therefore differ, so the counting rule has to be confirmed in the document issued with the card. The annual fee waiver guide covers exclusions.
What to check in the MITC
- The add-on fee row, as the RBI requires it to be listed separately.
- Whether the limit is shared, and whether the add-on holder can have a sub-limit (none of the documents above mention one).
- Whether the waiver or milestone wording says “primary”, “primary and add-on” or “the card”.
- Whether lounge access is stated for add-on holders.
- What happens to the add-on card when the primary card is closed or blocked.
How to read a credit card MITC explains where these items sit.
Limits of this guide
Terms change, and add-on rules for cards not in the table were not checked. Card pages: Axis Magnus, HDFC Infinia Metal, ICICI Sapphiro, HSBC Live+, IndusInd Legend. For limits, see how banks set a credit limit; for spend against fees and rewards, use the calculator.
Sources
All accessed 2026-10-30.
- RBI Master Direction on credit and debit cards, 2022: add-on card definition, liability, consent, MITC contents (paragraphs 3, 7, 30 and FAQs).
- HDFC Bank MITC, v4.17 Oct 2026: add-on fee, shared limit, Infinia spend test, Priority Pass, lost-card rule.
- SBI Card MITC: shared limits, terms apply to add-on holders, separate fees for additional cards.
- ICICI Bank MITC, updated 9 Oct 2026: supplementary card fee column, default reporting wording.
- Axis Bank MITC: add-on fee column, shared limit clause, Primus fee.
- HSBC Platinum / Live+ terms: add-on fee, primary-plus-add-on waiver spend.
- HSBC MITC (TravelOne): add-on fee, waiver wording.
- IndusInd Bank MITC Premium: Legend add-on fee, combined-spend note.
- Standard Chartered Smart product T&C: client-level cashback cap including supplementary cards.