CheQ launches credit card with AU SFB partnership

By Aarav Garg

CheQ has launched the CheQ AU Credit Card in partnership with AU Small Finance Bank, marking its entry into the credit card issuance market.

The co-branded card is designed to simplify payments and enhance rewards, hoping to reflect changing consumer spending habits in India. The launch is also an expansion for CheQ, which previously focused on credit card bill payments, into card issuance and rewards-led commerce.

“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 product is said to be based on insights from more than 15 million credit cards and 4 million users. CheQ said it aims to address issues such as fragmented rewards systems and complex redemption processes that persist in traditional credit cards.

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.”

A notable feature of the card is its LED-powered tap interaction. When used for contactless payments, the card lights up using energy from the point-of-sale terminal’s NFC field, providing instant visual confirmation without requiring a battery.

The company said this feature is intended to make transactions more intuitive and engaging for users.