BRAC Bank Visa Cashback Credit Card Review: Worth It on a Dhaka Salary?

BRAC Bank’s Visa Cashback Credit Card is built around everyday spending: 10% back at supermarkets like Shwapno and Meena Bazar, 10% back at pharmacies like Lazz Pharma and Arogga, and a little back on bKash top-ups, worth up to Tk 8,400 a year. The annual fee is Tk 2,000, one of the lowest in BRAC Bank’s range. For many Dhaka households, it can pay for itself several times over. But the cashback has monthly caps and minimum spends, and the 25% interest rate can erase it in one missed payment. Here is how it works, and whether it is worth it for you.

How we reviewed this card

We read BRAC Bank’s Visa Cashback Credit Card page (welcome and lifestyle benefits, Credit Shield insurance, required documents and FAQs) and its Schedule of Charges for credit cards that includes the Visa Cashback card, in November 2026, along with The Daily Star’s report on the card’s launch. Cashback and cost examples are our own calculations. BRAC Bank did not review this article, and we have no commercial relationship with the bank.

The card at a glance

How the cashback works

The listed supermarkets are Agora, Amana Big Bazar, Apon Family Mart, Chaldal, Daily Shopping Needs, Fiza & Co., Khulshi Mart, Lavender, Masala Bazaar, Meena Bazar, Panshi Bazar, Prince Bazar, Shwapno, Trust Family Needs, Unimart, Utshab Super Market and Wholesale Club. Spending on primary and supplementary cards counts together.

Add up the three monthly caps and you get Tk 700 a month, or Tk 8,400 a year, which matches the figure BRAC Bank gave at the card’s launch, The Daily Star reported. New primary cardholders can earn up to Tk 900 more in the first three months.

The minimum spend rule matters

The cashback only applies to single transactions above a minimum: Tk 2,500 for groceries and Tk 2,000 for healthcare. Ten small Tk 500 trips to Shwapno earn nothing; one Tk 3,000 shop earns the full Tk 300. If you want the cashback, do one bigger monthly shop and buy medicines in one go.

The bKash cashback is not free money

Moving money from the card to a bKash wallet costs 1.5% plus 15% VAT, according to BRAC Bank’s schedule of charges. On a Tk 20,000 transfer that is about Tk 345 (our calculation). The bank describes the cashback as 1% “on bKash wallet transfer processing fee”, capped at Tk 200. Whichever way it is calculated, it gives back less than the fee you pay. So the bKash cashback reduces a cost; it does not make wallet transfers profitable. Ask the bank exactly how it is calculated, and whether interest starts from the day of the transfer.

Is it worth it on a Dhaka salary?

Three examples, all our calculations, assuming you pay the full bill on time every month and ignoring the bKash cashback:

If you can also cover the fee with reward points (1,500 points waive it in full), the numbers get better. But the lesson is clear: the card only pays if you already shop at the listed supermarkets and pharmacies, in amounts above the minimum.

One late payment wipes it out

The interest rate is 25% a year. Carry a Tk 20,000 balance for one month and you pay roughly Tk 417 in interest (our calculation), more than the monthly grocery cashback. Miss the minimum payment and there is a Tk 600 late fee as well. This card only makes sense if you pay the full statement balance every month.

Fees and charges

From BRAC Bank’s Schedule of Charges for credit cards, Visa Cashback column. VAT may apply.

Watch the small recurring items: the Tk 200 SMS fee per card is easy to miss, and together with the annual fee it raises the yearly cost to about Tk 2,200 before VAT.

Other benefits

• Welcome vouchers from Artisan, Gadget & Gear and Pickaboo, and 200 bonus reward points when you first activate the card in the Astha app.
• EMI on purchases of Tk 10,000 or more (POS, QR and online, not MFS): 6 months with a 2% processing fee and 0% interest; 12 months with no processing fee and 7% flat annual interest; 18 months with a 3% fee and 9% flat; 24 months with a 5% fee and 11% flat. The 6-month option is the cheapest way to spread a big purchase. Note that “flat” rates are charged on the original amount, so the true cost is higher than the number suggests.
• Reward points on spending, redeemable in the Astha app against recent retail purchases or the annual fee.
• Easy bill payment through Astha, auto-debit, MFS apps, ATMs, cash deposit machines, branches, agent outlets and BEFTN.

Credit Shield insurance

Credit Shield is optional and you must enrol to get it. It covers hospital stays at up to Tk 5,000 a night for up to 30 nights per incident, pays 2 times your outstanding balance (up to Tk 20 lakh) on natural death or permanent total disability, 4 times (up to Tk 40 lakh) on accidental death, and 50% of the balance (up to Tk 5 lakh) for critical illness. Ask what the monthly premium is before you sign up.

What it does not offer

• No airport lounge access, local or international. BRAC Bank’s FAQ says Balaka Lounge access is “not applicable” for this card.
• No cashback on general spending after the first three months; only the three categories earn cashback.
• Limited travel value: a 3% conversion factor applies to non-USD foreign transactions.

If travel perks matter more to you than grocery cashback, compare our reviews of the UCB Visa Signature and Dhaka Bank Visa Signature cards.

Documents you will need

Unsecured card: signed application form, NID copy, valid E-TIN certificate, a passport-size photo with your signature, completed CIB form and letter of undertaking, bank statement and visiting card or office ID as applicable. Some professions may need extra documents.

Secured card (backed by a deposit): application form, NID, E-TIN, photo and fund holding instruction documents.

The card page does not publish a minimum income, so ask the bank or check your eligibility when you apply.

Who it’s for, and who should skip it

Good fit: households who already do a monthly supermarket shop at Shwapno, Meena Bazar, Agora, Unimart or Chaldal, buy medicines from Lazz Pharma or Arogga, and pay their card bill in full every month. For them, the card can be worth several thousand taka a year after the fee.

Skip it if: you mostly shop at local bazars, often carry a balance, want to use the card to move money into bKash, or want airport lounges and travel benefits.

How to apply

1. Apply from the card page on BRAC Bank’s website, at a branch, or by calling 16221.
2. Submit your application form, NID, E-TIN, photo, CIB form and income documents.
3. Once approved, activate the card in the Astha app to get 200 bonus points.
4. Set up auto-debit for the full balance so you never pay 25% interest.

This review is for general information only and is not financial advice. Cashback offers, partner lists and charges change. Check the current terms with BRAC Bank before you apply.