Bank Alfalah credit cards compared: fees, limits and which to pick

A Bank Alfalah credit card comes in six personal types: Visa Classic, Visa Gold, Visa Platinum, Visa Ultra Cashback, Mastercard Optimus and American Express Gold. As of the bank’s July to December 2026 schedule, the annual fee runs from Rs 7,000 for Classic to Rs 23,000 for Platinum, before tax. An unpaid balance costs 45% a year (46% on Classic), so the right card depends mostly on how much you spend and whether you pay in full.

What are the Bank Alfalah credit card types and annual fees?

The table puts the six cards side by side. Fees are from the Schedule of Bank Charges for 1 July to 31 December 2026. Credit limits are from the bank’s January to June 2026 key fact sheet, the latest one we could find.

All fees exclude FED (Federal Excise Duty), which the bank adds on top. On 1 July 2026 the fees for Gold, Ultra Cashback and Optimus each rose by Rs 1,000 and AMEX Gold by Rs 500, compared with the January to June 2026 schedule. Classic and Platinum stayed the same.

Which Bank Alfalah credit card is best?

None is best for everyone. Bank Alfalah doesn’t publish which income gets which card: every card page shows the same minimum income table. So on the bank’s own terms, the choice comes down to three things:

• How much you spend. The annual fee is waived if you spend enough in the first 2 months after activation or each card anniversary. If you’d hit Rs 200,000 in that window, Gold costs you only the FED. If not, Classic’s Rs 70,000 target is easier to reach.
• Travel. Platinum and Optimus both include CIP lounges at Pakistani airports. Only Platinum adds free international lounge visits.
• Spending categories. Ultra Cashback pays back on two categories you pick, but the cashback is capped (see below).

If you’ll often carry a balance, the perks matter less than the markup, which is 45% or 46% a year on every card. Compare with HBL’s cards in our HBL credit cards guide, or with other banks in credit cards compared.

By its own figures, Bank Alfalah is one of the largest card issuers in Pakistan. In August 2025 it reported about 440,000 cards, a 20% share by card count, and a 30% share of card receivables.

How do I get the Bank Alfalah credit card annual fee reversed?

Under the bank’s criteria effective 1 January 2026, the annual fee is reversed automatically if you spend a set amount within 2 months of activation or of your card anniversary.

Only shop and online purchases and cash advances count. Utility bills paid through Alfa, Alfa Mall, QR payments, instalment plans and balance transfers don’t. The basic and each supplementary cardholder must meet their own target, and the FED on the annual fee is never reversed.

What does the Bank Alfalah Visa Platinum credit card offer?

As of 1 July 2026, the Platinum annual fee is Rs 23,000 and each supplementary card is Rs 11,500, both before FED. Spending Rs 475,000 within 2 months of activation or your anniversary reverses the fee. Limits run from Rs 750,000 to Rs 7,000,000, but limits over Rs 3 million are only for Prime customers.

What you get, according to Bank Alfalah’s Platinum page:

• CIP lounges at Lahore, Islamabad, Multan and Sialkot airports and the Majestic Lounge in Karachi, with one guest per visit.
• 6 free international lounge visits a calendar year at 25+ lounges through Visa Airport Companion, for the cardholder only. You need at least US$5 of international spending in the previous 90 days.
• Orbits (reward points): 1 Orbit per Rs 200 spent locally and 2 per Rs 200 in foreign currency. Redeemed for travel, an Orbit is worth Rs 3, or Rs 6 for foreign spending.
• Gym and golf: 5 free Shapes gym visits a month in Karachi and Lahore, and 4 Karachi Golf Club visits a month.
• Up to 6 supplementary cards, and purchases of Rs 3,000 or more can be turned into instalments over 3 to 36 months, for a booking fee.

Is the Bank Alfalah Ultra Cashback card worth the fee?

Ultra Cashback pays up to 7% back on two categories you choose from six: supermarket, clothing, fuel, hotel, airline and hospital. You can switch categories through the helpline. Cashback is capped at Rs 500 per category a month, so about Rs 12,000 a year at most.

The annual fee is Rs 11,000 before FED, and the schedule also lists an Rs 11,000 issuance fee. You get a first-year waiver only, by spending Rs 75,000 within 2 months of activation. From the second year, the maximum cashback of about Rs 12,000 is only Rs 1,000 more than the fee before FED, and you get it only if you reach the cap in both categories every month.

What are Bank Alfalah credit card international transaction charges?

As of 1 July 2026, foreign transactions cost 4.5% of the amount or Rs 125, whichever is higher. The minimum was Rs 100 until 30 June 2026.

On top, the bank collects advance tax under section 236Y on card payments abroad. FBR’s withholding tax rate card, updated for the Finance Act 2026, sets it at 0.5% if you’re on the Active Taxpayer List and 1% if you’re not. Bank Alfalah’s July to December 2026 schedule still prints the old 5% (filer) and 10% (non-filer) rates. We follow FBR, which sets the tax; check what your statement shows. See filer vs non-filer for how to get on the Active Taxpayer List.

Card, online and cross-border use must be switched on in the Alfa app or through the call centre first. Each declined international shop or online transaction costs Rs 90.

What is the Bank Alfalah credit card markup?

As of 1 July 2026, Bank Alfalah’s service charges (its word for markup) are:

You pay no markup if you pay the full amount by the due date. The markup-free period is up to 51 days from the statement date to the next due date. You lose it if any part of the previous bill is unpaid, and cash advances and balance transfers are charged from the transaction date.

How much does Bank Alfalah charge for cash withdrawal on a credit card?

A cash advance costs Rs 1,200 or 3% of the amount, whichever is higher, as of 1 July 2026. An acquiring-bank charge of 1% also applies. Cash through a POS machine or the Alfa app costs up to 5% or Rs 1,500, whichever is higher.

Markup at 45% or 46% a year runs from the day you withdraw, with no markup-free period. You can withdraw up to 50% of your credit limit on every card listed in the key fact sheet.

What is the Bank Alfalah credit card limit?

The January to June 2026 key fact sheet gives a range for each card (see the table above). Classic starts at Rs 25,000 and Platinum goes up to Rs 7,000,000, though limits above Rs 3 million are only for Prime customers. We couldn’t find a July to December 2026 key fact sheet, so these ranges may have changed.

A credit line increase costs Rs 1,000. The bank sets your exact limit when it approves you.

What is the eligibility for a Bank Alfalah credit card?

Every card page shows the same table:

• Salaried: minimum gross income of Rs 50,000 a month, at least 1 month in your job, aged 21 to 60.
• Self-employed professionals and businesspeople: minimum income of Rs 75,000, at least 1 year in business, aged 21 to 70.

Instant Credit Card: this is offered in the Alfa app to pre-screened Bank Alfalah account holders. As of May 2025, you needed at least 1 year’s account relationship with the bank (or 6 months’ asset relationship), conventional or Islamic, and an average balance of at least Rs 50,000 over the last 6 months. We couldn’t find a newer version of that page.

How do I apply for a Bank Alfalah credit card?

For what banks check in general, including your credit record, see how to apply for a credit card.

Does Bank Alfalah have an Islamic credit card?

Bank Alfalah lists no Islamic credit card on its credit card page, as of the June 2026 version we read. Archived Bank Alfalah Islamic pages from 2025 and 2026 show debit cards only. We couldn’t confirm there is none at all, so ask a branch if you need a Shariah-compliant card.

Other Bank Alfalah card charges, as of 1 July 2026: card replacement Rs 1,500 (Classic, Gold, AMEX, Ultra) or Rs 2,500 (Platinum, Optimus, Signature), card maintenance Rs 1,000, and 0.75% plus FED for payments made with the card on the Alfa app or web. Utility bills paid by card cost Rs 50 below Rs 5,000 and Rs 65 above. SMS alerts are free.

More guides: HBL credit cards, credit cards compared, how to apply for a credit card, Money.