Best Credit Cards in Mauritius: Fees, Rewards & Travel Benefits Compared

Choosing a credit card in Mauritius is less about finding one card that is “best” for everyone and more about matching the card to how you actually spend.

If you only want a simple card for everyday purchases, you can pay as little as around Rs230 per year. If you travel regularly, cards with airport lounge access, travel insurance or airline miles may justify a higher fee. And if most of your spending is on groceries, fuel and dining, a cashback card may be more useful than a premium travel card.

This guide compares some of the most useful credit cards currently offered by MCB, SBM, AfrAsia, MauBank, Cim Finance and Bank One. Fees and benefits were checked in September 2026.

Quick Comparison of Credit Cards in Mauritius

Fees shown are current published fees for primary MUR cards where available. Card approval, credit limits and eligibility depend on the issuer. Lounge and insurance benefits also have conditions, so always read the latest policy before applying.

Which Cards Are Worth Comparing?

MCB Classic is one of the simplest options if you just want a credit card for normal spending and online purchases. The current annual fee is only Rs230, and the card offers up to 45 days of interest-free credit when the balance is repaid in full under the applicable repayment arrangement. It works locally, internationally and online and can be managed through MCB Juice.

If travel benefits matter more, MCB Visa Signature is a very different product. Its annual fee is currently Rs2,875, but it includes six complimentary airport lounge entries per year through Visa Airport Companion, including admission for one guest per visit. It also includes extensive travel insurance, purchase protection, extended warranty and Visa concierge services.

MCB’s Visa Platinum sits between the two, currently costing Rs1,725 per year. It includes complimentary multi-trip travel insurance and purchase protection but does not offer the same complimentary lounge package as Signature.

SBM Sky-Smiles is worth considering if you regularly fly with Air Mauritius. The annual fee is currently Rs1,380. New cardholders can receive 5,000 KestrelFlyer miles, and everyday purchases earn additional miles. It also offers a discount on Air Mauritius lounge access rather than unlimited free lounge entry.

At the premium end, SBM Visa Infinite currently costs Rs3,850 per year. Its LoungeKey terms provide complimentary airport lounge access for the cardholder and one accompanying guest. Additional guests can incur a lounge charge. The card is aimed more at frequent travellers and higher-spending customers than someone simply looking for inexpensive credit.

AfrAsia Titanium Mastercard is one of the more interesting options for earning travel rewards. Resident customers currently pay Rs195.50 per month including VAT, equivalent to approximately Rs2,346 per year.

The card earns 1 XtraMile for every Rs45 spent and offers up to 48 days of interest-free credit when the account is repaid in full. It also includes travel insurance and access to more than 1,300 DragonPass lounges through Mastercard Travel Pass.

One important distinction: lounge entry on the Titanium card is not currently complimentary. AfrAsia lists the preferential lounge rate at USD32 per person per visit. If free lounge visits are one of your main reasons for getting a premium card, compare this carefully with MCB Signature, SBM Infinite or other cards that specifically include complimentary visits.

MauBank Visa Platinum is particularly interesting on price. Its current annual fee is Rs1,380, and it includes travel and medical insurance, purchase protection, extended warranty and Priority Pass airport lounge access.

The card has a minimum credit limit of Rs200,000 and a published interest rate of 1.80% per month. MauBank also offers cheaper Gold and Classic alternatives. The Classic currently costs only Rs230 per year, while Gold costs Rs920 and includes travel insurance.

Priority Pass membership and actual lounge visits are not necessarily the same thing, so check the current access conditions and any per-visit charge before choosing the card purely for airport lounges.

Cim Cashback is the card I would look at if your priority is straightforward cashback rather than miles. The old Cim Titanium product was rebranded as the Cim Cashback Credit Card in late 2025.

It currently offers 1% cashback at more than 800 Cim merchants and on qualifying purchases including groceries, fuel, dining and medical or pharmacy spending. Eligible cardholders can also receive up to four complimentary airport lounge visits through Mastercard Travel Pass when the relevant travel-ticket conditions are met.

The trade-off is cost. Cim currently charges Rs230 per month, or about Rs2,760 over 12 months, and its published interest rate on an outstanding balance is 2.1% per month, equivalent to 25.2% per year. For this card to make sense purely for cashback, you need to earn enough cashback and use enough of the additional benefits to justify the monthly fee.

Bank One Mastercard Platinum is another option worth adding to the comparison. Its published annual fee is currently only Rs345.

Benefits include purchase protection, e-commerce insurance, Mastercard offers and the ability to convert eligible purchases into 0% instalment plans at participating merchants. Bank One currently publishes a 24% annual interest rate and a 3% foreign-currency conversion fee for the card.

Bank One also offers a higher-end World Mastercard with complimentary airport lounge benefits, but its annual fee is considerably higher at Rs3,700.

Fees That Matter More Than the Annual Fee

The annual card fee is only one part of the cost. If you always repay the full statement balance on time, it may be the main fee you notice. If you carry debt from month to month, however, the interest rate becomes much more important.

Current published rates illustrate the difference. AfrAsia Titanium charges 20% per year on a MUR balance, MauBank publishes 1.80% per month, SBM publishes 24% per year for retail credit-card purchases, Bank One publishes 24%, and Cim Cashback currently charges 25.2% per year.

This is why a rewards card should not normally be used as a way of financing purchases over a long period. A 1% cashback reward is easily wiped out if you then pay more than 20% annual interest on the outstanding balance.

Cash advances are also expensive. Most banks charge a separate withdrawal fee, often around 2% to 2.5%, and interest may apply immediately. Using a debit card to withdraw your own money is usually more sensible than taking cash from a credit card.

You should also check the foreign-currency conversion fee if you travel frequently or shop on international websites. A 2.5% or 3% conversion charge can cost considerably more over a year than the annual card fee.

Which Type of Card Makes Sense?

If you simply want an inexpensive card for online shopping, bills and emergencies, a basic card such as MCB Classic or MauBank Classic keeps the annual fee around Rs230.

If you travel several times a year, compare MCB Visa Signature, SBM Visa Infinite and MauBank Visa Platinum. Do not compare them only by the word “lounge”. Check how many complimentary visits you actually receive, whether guests are included, and what conditions apply to travel insurance.

If collecting airline rewards matters more, AfrAsia Titanium earns XtraMiles while SBM Sky-Smiles is more closely connected to Air Mauritius and KestrelFlyer.

If your spending is mainly groceries, fuel, restaurants and everyday local purchases, Cim Cashback is easier to understand because the reward is cash rather than airline points. Just calculate whether the cashback you are likely to earn is greater than the Rs230 monthly fee.

For someone who rarely travels and always pays in full, paying thousands of rupees every year for premium travel benefits you never use rarely makes sense.

Applying for a Credit Card in Mauritius

Eligibility varies by bank, but applicants normally need a regular source of income and will be assessed before a credit limit is approved.

Typical documents include a National Identity Card or passport, recent proof of address, salary slips and bank statements. Expats may also be asked for their work or occupation permit and additional passport documents.

You do not necessarily need to choose the bank where you already have your current account, although holding your main account with the same bank can sometimes make the application and monthly repayments easier.

Before applying, check four numbers: the annual or monthly fee, interest rate, foreign-currency conversion charge and cash-advance fee. Then look at the benefits you will genuinely use rather than the longest list of advertised perks.

Final Thoughts

There is no single best credit card in Mauritius because the cards solve different problems.

For a basic everyday card, annual fees can be extremely low. For regular travellers, paying more for genuine complimentary lounge visits and useful travel insurance can make sense. Miles cards suit people who actually redeem travel rewards, while cashback works better for someone who prefers an immediate and easy-to-understand benefit.

The most important rule remains the simplest: pay the full balance by the due date whenever possible. Credit-card rewards are useful only when the value you receive is greater than the fees and interest you pay.

Official Card Pages

• MCB Credit Cards
• SBM Credit Cards
• AfrAsia Titanium Mastercard
• MauBank Credit Cards
• Cim Finance Credit Cards
• Bank One Mastercard Platinum

Disclaimer: Credit-card fees, eligibility criteria, rewards, lounge access, insurance benefits and interest rates can change. This guide was reviewed in September 2026 and is provided for general comparison only. Always confirm the latest tariff and terms directly with the card issuer before applying or borrowing.