CheQ and AU Small Finance Bank launch India’s First Co-branded LED Credit Card

CheQ, India’s leading credit management platform, today announced the launch of the CheQ AU Credit Card in partnership with AU Small Finance Bank (AU SFB), India’s largest Small Finance Bank. This first-of-its-kind co-branded credit card aims to simplify payments, maximise rewards, and bring together credit experiences aligned with the evolving spending habits of India. The launch marks CheQ’s entry into the credit card issuance ecosystem, expanding its evolution from a credit card bill payment platform to card issuance and rewards-driven commerce.

Built on insights from over 15 million credit cards and 4 million users, the CheQ AU Credit Card addresses key gaps in today’s credit experience, where rewards are fragmented, redemption is complex, and traditional cards have not evolved in step with changing consumer behaviour.

The CheQ AU Credit Card is India’s first co-branded credit card to feature an LED-powered tap interaction. With every tap, the card lights up through an embedded LED, offering instant visual confirmation powered by the POS terminal’s NFC field – without requiring any battery. This creates a simple yet intuitive feedback moment at checkout, making payments more visible, modern, and engaging.

“For something people use every day, credit cards have remained largely unchanged,” said Aditya Soni, Founder and CEO, CheQ. “That’s exactly what we set out to challenge at CheQ by staying deeply focused on real user problems and behaviours. This card is a natural extension of that thinking, built on years of insight and brought to life with AU Small Finance Bank. The LED is a small but deliberate shift to make the experience more visible and intuitive, but behind it is a system designed for how people actually spend today, with rewards that are simple and genuinely usable.”

Sanjay Agarwal, Founder, MD & CEO, AU Small Finance Bank, said, “AU SFB’s partnership with CheQ marks a significant step in advancing our customer-first banking philosophy through meaningful innovation. With this LED credit card, we are introducing a product that engages new-age, high credit-worthy customers with a differentiated value proposition – setting new benchmarks in innovation, smart rewards, and design. As AU continues to expand its nationwide footprint and serve customers across diverse geographies, our focus remains on building a bank of choice for a digitally confident India by delivering world-class financial solutions that are accessible, relevant, and future-ready.”

Real rewards, one ecosystem

Beyond innovation, the CheQ AU Credit Card is focused on delivering tangible customer value. All rewards are brought together into a single, unified system within the CheQ app, eliminating complexity and fragmentation. Customers earn:

• 12% rewards on Apple products powered by Unicorn (online & in-store), Amazon, Flipkart, Zomato, BigBasket, CheQ Travel, and bill payments via CheQ
• 5% rewards on everyday spends such as food delivery, online shopping, quick commerce, and travel
• 2.5% rewards on CheQ UPI spends via the RuPay card
• 1% rewards on all other spends

All rewards accrue as CheQ Points – a single rewards currency that can be seamlessly redeemed across the CheQ ecosystem.

Cardholders can redeem points for gift cards across 40 leading Indian brands, or directly on CheQ Travel, an integrated travel platform available exclusively for CheQ AU Credit Card holders, enabling seamless flight and hotel bookings within the app. Rewards can also be used against credit card and utility bill payments. With instant redemption at checkout and a lowest price guarantee, CheQ Travel converts everyday spending into meaningful travel experiences.

One card, every experience

The CheQ AU Credit Card offers two variants of the card to all customers that work seamlessly across use cases by integrating:

• Visa for global acceptance and online transactions
• RuPay to power UPI and everyday spending needs

Whether it’s scanning a QR code, shopping online, or planning your next trip, one card powers every experience.    

Applications for the CheQ AU Credit Card will open on the CheQ app from 28 April 2026. The card carries an annual fee of ₹499, which is reversible on annual spends of ₹3 lakh. Cardholders will also receive a welcome benefit worth ₹695 in the form of an EazyDiner membership. An additional one-time fee of ₹999 applies for the LED version of the card, which is waived until 31 May 2026 for CheQ customers.