AU CS Credit Card Reward Points: How Company Secretaries Maximise Earnings on Dining, Travel, Tax Payments and More

The AU CS Credit Card reward points structure is deliberately tilted toward the spending categories that a working Company Secretary uses every month — dining for client meetings, travel for board work, tax payments on professional income, and software subscriptions for compliance tools. This guide walks ICSI members through the AU CS Credit Card reward points programme, the categories that earn accelerated rewards, the per-transaction and per-statement caps, the exclusions, and a practical playbook for maximising reward earnings on the AU CS Credit Card across the year.

Most credit card reward programmes are designed for general consumer spending. The AU CS Credit Card reward points programme is different. It is built around the spending pattern of a working Company Secretary — the dining at client meetings, the frequent domestic and occasional international travel for board meetings and statutory work, the tax payments on professional practice income, and the software subscriptions for compliance, MCA filings, secretarial standards and similar tools. By tilting the reward rate toward these specific categories, the AU CS Credit Card from AU Small Finance Bank ensures that ICSI member’s monthly reward earnings reflect the reality of CS work rather than a generic consumer model.

This guide is a complete walk-through of how to maximise AU CS Credit Card reward points. We cover the full reward points structure, the categories that earn accelerated rewards, the standard reward rate on retail, the lower rate on utility and telecom, the categories excluded from rewards, the per-transaction and per-statement caps that affect maximum earnings, the AU Rewardz redemption platform, and a month-by-month playbook for an ICSI member to build a meaningful AU CS Credit Card reward points balance through the year.

The AU CS Credit Card reward points programme runs on three tiers.

• Accelerated rate: Dining, travel, tax payments and software purchases — the highest earning rate on the AU CS Credit Card.
• Standard rate: General retail spends — the regular earning rate.
• Lower rate: Utility, telecom and insurance — a smaller earning rate.

The remaining categories — cash, rent, education and government, wallet, fuel, BBPS, quasi-cash — do not earn AU CS Credit Card reward points. The current published rate per category is on the AU CS Credit Card page on official AU Small Finance Bank website.

The four categories that earn accelerated AU CS Credit Card reward points are deliberately chosen to align with CS professional spending.

Dining

Restaurant spends and quick-service restaurant (QSR) transactions earn accelerated reward points. For an ICSI member who dines out for client meetings, ICSI chapter events, professional networking, or simply with family on a weekend, the dining category is one of the most consistently active reward-earning categories on the AU CS Credit Card.

Travel

Airline bookings and online travel agency (OTA) bookings — specifically flight and hotel bookings, not bus, train, cab pickups or other OTA categories — earn accelerated reward points. For a working CS, frequent domestic travel and occasional international travel for board work makes this category genuinely active.

Tax Payments

Eligible Merchant Category Codes for tax payments earn accelerated reward points on the AU CS Credit Card. For an ICSI member in independent practice, tax payments on professional income are a meaningful annual line item — earning accelerated rewards on these directly recognises CS professional reality.

Software Purchases

Software subscription payments and software purchases (eligible MCCs) earn accelerated reward points. Compliance software, secretarial standards tools, MCA filing utilities, and general productivity software — all the categories an ICSI member uses to run a practice — fall under this accelerated rate.

Quick Context: The accelerated category for travel covers airlines and online travel agencies on flight and hotel bookings only. Bus tickets, train tickets, cab pickups and drop-offs, and other OTA categories do not earn accelerated rewards under the travel category — they may earn standard reward points if the MCC qualifies, or no rewards if the MCC is excluded.

General retail spends across most eligible Merchant Category Codes earn the standard AU CS Credit Card reward points rate. Shopping at retail stores, e-commerce purchases on most platforms, and similar everyday spending all fall into this category. The standard rate is lower than the accelerated rate but applies across the broadest set of transactions.

Utility, telecom and insurance spends earn AU CS Credit Card reward points at a lower rate than retail or accelerated categories. These categories are recognised as reward-earning but at a reduced rate. The lower rate is typical of most reward credit card programmes in India — utility and telecom spends represent a different value proposition for banks compared to discretionary spending.

Certain transaction categories are excluded from reward points on the AU CS Credit Card.

• Cash withdrawals — ATM cash advances and cash transactions.
• Rent — Rent payment transactions.
• Education and Government — Education institution payments and government services payments (eligible MCCs).
• Wallet loadings — Loading money into digital wallets.
• Fuel — Fuel purchases at petrol pumps.
• BBPS through AU 0101 App — Bill payments through Bharat BillPay System on the AU 0101 App.
• Quasi-cash — Quasi-cash transactions as defined by the card terms.

These exclusions are typical of most reward credit card programmes in India. The full Merchant Category Code list and exclusion details are published on the AU CS Credit Card page on official website.

Two practical caps shape maximum AU CS Credit Card reward points earnings.

Per-transaction cap on utility and telecom

There is a maximum number of reward points that can be earned on a single utility and telecom transaction. This means a very high-value utility or telecom payment does not produce a proportional reward — the per-transaction cap kicks in.

Per-statement cycle cap on accelerated categories

There is a maximum number of reward points that can be earned in a single statement cycle on the accelerated categories (dining, travel, tax payments, software). Beyond this cap, additional spending in these categories still goes through but does not earn additional accelerated reward points in that cycle.

Pro Tip: Both caps shape the math of maximising reward earnings. Spread large discretionary travel and dining spends across statement cycles where possible. For utility and telecom, consolidating multiple small spends into one large bill does not necessarily increase rewards because of the per-transaction cap. 

AU Rewardz is the redemption platform for AU CS Credit Card reward points. Cardholders log in via their registered mobile number and redeem accumulated reward points across several categories.

• Flight and hotel bookings through the AU Rewardz travel section.
• E-vouchers from a wide range of brand partners.
• Merchandise from the AU Rewardz catalogue.
• Other redemption options published from time to time.

The redemption value per reward point varies by category — generally, travel redemptions and e-vouchers tend to offer the strongest per-point value, while merchandise redemptions may offer a different value. 

A practical, month-by-month playbook for an ICSI member to build a meaningful AU CS Credit Card reward points balance through the year.

Month 1: Activate and unlock welcome benefits

Activate the AU CS Credit Card immediately on receipt. Meet the welcome benefit spend thresholds — the first within thirty days unlocks bonus reward points, the second within thirty days unlocks SwiggyOne Quarterly Dining Membership. Front-loading these spends in the first month sets up the base reward balance for the year.

Months 2-12: Run professional spends through the card

Use the AU CS Credit Card consistently for the accelerated reward categories — dining for client meetings, travel bookings for board work, tax payments on professional income, software subscriptions. These categories are doing the heaviest lifting on reward earnings, and consistent use is what builds the balance.

ICSI Membership Fee renewal month

Whenever the ICSI Membership Fee renewal falls due, pay through the AU CS Credit Card to claim the ICSI Membership Fee Benefit cashback. This is a once-per-year benefit, but a meaningful one for an ICSI member.

Quarterly: lounge benefit and offers review

Use the complimentary domestic lounge access during travel each quarter, subject to the card being purchase-active during the quarter. Review the curated offers across MakeMyTrip, Times Prime and Alaya Stays each quarter and align upcoming bookings with these offers where they fit.

Annual: redeem accumulated reward points

At the end of the year, log into AU Rewardz and redeem the accumulated AU CS Credit Card reward points — ideally toward a flight or hotel booking, where the per-point value is typically strongest. Combining the redemption with an upcoming travel plan ensures the reward points convert into real, used value.

• Using a different card for accelerated categories. Dining, travel, tax payments and software earn accelerated rewards on the AU CS Credit Card. Using a different card for these categories means the cardholder leaves accelerated reward points on the table.
• Letting reward points expire. Reward points carry a validity window as per the card terms. Unused points beyond the validity window are forfeited. Review the balance periodically on AU Rewardz.
• Putting fuel, education, rent and wallet through the card expecting rewards. These categories are excluded from reward points. Putting them through the AU CS Credit Card does not earn rewards regardless of value.
• Missing the welcome benefit window. Welcome benefits are tied to spending thresholds in the first thirty days from activation. Delaying activation shortens the window and risks missing the benefits.
• Not using AU Rewardz for redemption. Accumulated reward points only become tangible value when redeemed. Set a quarterly or half-yearly reminder to log into AU Rewardz and either redeem or plan a redemption.

Conclusion

AU CS Credit Card reward points are structured deliberately for the spending pattern of a working Company Secretary — accelerated rewards on dining, travel, tax payments and software; standard rewards on retail; lower rate on utility and telecom; defined exclusions on cash, rent, fuel and similar categories. For ICSI members who use the AU CS Credit Card consistently across the accelerated categories, the annual reward balance accumulates to a meaningful value redeemable through the AU Rewardz platform. Combined with the ICSI Membership Fee Benefit, the welcome benefits, the lounge access, the comprehensive insurance and the curated offers, the AU CS Credit Card reward points programme delivers genuine professional value to every CS member who maps their spend to the right card. For the current reward rate per category, applicable caps, eligible Merchant Category Codes and AU Rewardz redemption options, the AU CS Credit Card page on www.au.bank.in is the authoritative source.

1. What categories earn the highest AU CS Credit Card reward points?

Dining (restaurants and QSR), travel (airlines and online travel agencies on flights and hotels), tax payments (eligible MCCs) and software purchases (eligible MCCs) earn the accelerated rate of AU CS Credit Card reward points.

2. Do utility and telecom spends earn reward points on the AU CS Credit Card?

Yes, at a lower rate than retail or accelerated categories. There is also a per-transaction cap on reward points earned in this category.

3. Which categories are excluded from AU CS Credit Card reward points?

Cash, rent, education and government, wallet loadings, fuel, BBPS via the AU 0101 App, and quasi-cash transactions. These do not earn reward points on the AU CS Credit Card.

4. How can I redeem my AU CS Credit Card reward points?

Through the AU Rewardz platform — log in via your registered mobile number to redeem reward points for flight and hotel bookings, brand e-vouchers, merchandise and other options

5. What is the per-statement cycle cap on accelerated rewards?

There is a maximum number of reward points that can be earned in a single statement cycle on the accelerated categories (dining, travel, tax payments, software).

6. Do reward points expire on the AU CS Credit Card?

Yes. Reward points carry a validity window as per the AU Small Finance Bank rewards policy. Unused points beyond the validity window are forfeited. Review your balance periodically on AU Rewardz.

7. Where can I see the current reward rate and Merchant Category Codes on the AU CS Credit Card?

On the AU CS Credit Card page carries the current reward rate per category, MCC list, exclusion list, applicable caps and AU Rewardz redemption options.

All AU Small Finance Bank products are offered subject to eligibility criteria, internal policies, and applicable terms and conditions. AU CS Credit Card features, reward points, cashback benefits, lounge access, insurance cover, fees and charges vary and are subject to the cardholder agreement and the current published terms on www.au.bank.in. Issuance is at the sole discretion of AU Small Finance Bank, subject to eligibility and credit assessment. For the latest features, eligible categories, reward point caps, MCC list, ICSI Membership Fee Benefit terms and current published rewards structure on the AU CS Credit Card, visit www.au.bank.in.