[s4ch]

Originally Posted by whitewing

Amex acceptability at bunks is iffy at best. In the bunks near my place - the acceptance was OK the past several years, but around an year back, the acceptance dipped dramatically with the usual "amex machine not working" excuse. Have switched to other card post that.

Originally Posted by indie_honda

Not sure about the acceptance but since I got a Amex Platinum travel card I have been using at all salt of joints like CNG only or regular bunks and I have never run into a situation where it was denied, may change as per geo location but In my observation all of them had the pine labs POS machines versus bank specific ones, even when they see the AMEX card they get the pine labs machine which has always work in my case.

Agree on this, never faced issues paying with Amex at petrol bunks. This is in cities though, not too sure how it will be in the middle of nowehere on the highway.

Originally Posted by whitewing

@s4ch
Do you mean to say that we can pay at bunks by redeeming the amazon pay vouchers from the amazon app directly or did you mean purchasing petrol vouchers?

Originally Posted by indie_honda

Regarding using Amazon pay, there's no petrol specific vouchers, all you need is purchase the Amazon pay vouchers which once redeemed the amount gets added in your Amazon pay balance and you pay it from there for anything and everything you need. Hope this helps

There is also the method of buying Amazon pay via reward multiplier, recharging ICICI fastag using Amazon Pay and then paying for fuel via fastag as mentioned here: https://www.icicibank.com/personal-b.../fuel-payments

We have tied up with Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd. (HPCL), Indian Oil Corporation Ltd. (IOCL) and Bharat Petroleum Corporation. (BPCL) for fuel based payments (petrol, diesel, compressed natural gas and lubricants)

[smrtdvl]

AMEX plat travel doesn't attract fuel surcharge? And do we get MR points for fuel transactions? Using AXIS (CITI)IOCL card from this month but it levies a fuel surcharge of 1% + GST and some transactions don't get reward points even though they are done at bunks.

[tejas08]

Originally Posted by VWAllstar

That's really measly! Do you or anyone know of a better CC for fuel? I have 2 diesel cars which need a full tank every month. Later part of the year, I go on few road trips so will need atleast 5-6 full tanks a month during those few months.

Amex Platinum Travel - Good for Fuel Spends upto 4 Lacs a year. 7-8% Rewards on 4 Lacs Spends in a year depending on how you redeem it. Best used on HPCL fuel bunk for less than 5K Transactions to ensure no fuel surcharge.

Might face some acceptability issues during Road Trips though.

Originally Posted by smrtdvl

AMEX plat travel doesn't attract fuel surcharge? And do we get MR points for fuel transactions? Using AXIS (CITI)IOCL card from this month but it levies a fuel surcharge of 1% + GST and some transactions don't get reward points even though they are done at bunks.

No Fuel Surcharge for Fuel Spends on HPCL bunks for less than Rs. 5,000. No MR Points on Fuel Spends but spends counted towards Milestone rewards.

1.18% Fuel surcharge on IOCL & BPCL Fuel bunks. 2.95% Fuel Surcharge on the likes of Shell, Essar, Reliance (Non-Government Fuel)

[s4ch]

Originally Posted by tejas08

Amex Platinum Travel - Good for Fuel Spends upto 4 Lacs a year. 7-8% Rewards on 4 Lacs Spends in a year depending on how you redeem it. Best used on HPCL fuel bunk for less than 5K Transactions to ensure no fuel surcharge.

Might face some acceptability issues during Road Trips though.

Just to add, if not able to cross 4L spends in a year then the Gold card may work out better as you do get points on the actual spend on fuel (or even better with the Amazon Pay gift voucher 5x multiplier). Especially for the first year where the annual fee is very low at Rs1000 when applied via referral.

I have mentioned a sample calculation a few posts above.

Originally Posted by smrtdvl

And do we get MR points for fuel transactions?

Amex Gold: Yes you get MR points on fuel transactions.
Amex Plat Travel: No MR points on fuel transactions but as Tejas mentioned it does count towards spend milestone of 4L.

[tejas08]

Originally Posted by s4ch

Just to add, if not able to cross 4L spends in a year then the Gold card may work out better as you do get points on the actual spend on fuel (or even better with the Amazon Pay gift voucher 5x multiplier). Especially for the first year where the annual fee is very low at Rs1000 when applied via referral.

My precedence in Amex Cards is:

1. Platinum Travel - for Rs. 4 Lac spends.
2. Membership Rewards Credit Card - Rs. 72K to Rs. 2.4 Lacs
3. Gold Charge - If both the above are maxed out already.

I hold all three of the above but barely use Gold Charge Card.

[s4ch]

Originally Posted by tejas08

My precedence in Amex Cards is:

1. Platinum Travel - for Rs. 4 Lac spends.
2. Membership Rewards Credit Card - Rs. 72K to Rs. 2.4 Lacs
3. Gold Charge - If both the above are maxed out already.

I hold all three of the above but barely use Gold Charge Card.

I also have all 3 with Platinum Travel as my No.1 till 4L.

However I use Gold Charge more than MRCC (after hitting 4L on Plat Travel), simply because of the 5x multiplier on Gyftr which is where I now route 75%+ of my spends.

Quick calculation on MRCC vs Gold for 20k spends on reward multiplier in a calendar month (2.4L a year), taking into account bonuses on both:

MRCC:
2 x (20,000/50) = 800 base points
+ 1000 (bonus for doing 4x1500 transactions)
+ 1000 (bonus for hitting 20,000 spends+
= 2800 points

Gold Charge:
5 x (20,000/50) = 2000 base points
+ 1000 (bonus for doing 6x1000 transactions)
= 3000 points

So Gold Charge beats MRCC by 200 points and will get exponentially more points once you cross 20k spends each month in this scenario. (Please correct my calculations if I have made a mistake).

However I understand this is a very specific use case of doing maximum spends via reward multiplier, which is not always possible for everyone, but if it is then nothing like it, especially as there are loads of retailers on there now. Either way as a fallback, you have Amazon Pay which is accepted on lots of payment gateways, and always on Razorpay gateways.

I know Smartbuy via HDFC Infinia may give more rewards but it is not as accessible as Amex for everyone.

So what I mean to say is that there is no one fixed rule for everyone (not implying at all that you said that, just putting it out there). Each one needs to evaluate and see what works for their particular spend pattern, It also took me a long time to work out the best system for my specific use case, and then I even had to adapt my spending pattern (e.g. switch to buying GV's on reward multiplier) to maximise rewards.

This last point is very important for anyone who wants to maximise their rewards from Credit Card spends.

[tejas08]

Originally Posted by s4ch

Quick calculation on MRCC vs Gold for 20k spends on reward multiplier in a calendar month (2.4L a year), taking into account bonuses on both:

MRCC:
2 x (20,000/50) = 800 base points
+ 1000 (bonus for doing 4x1500 transactions)
+ 1000 (bonus for hitting 20,000 spends+
= 2800 points

Gold Charge:
5 x (20,000/50) = 2000 base points
+ 1000 (bonus for doing 6x1000 transactions)
= 3000 points

So Gold Charge beats MRCC by 200 points and will get exponentially more points once you cross 20k spends each month in this scenario. (Please correct my calculations if I have made a mistake).

The calculation is correct but there are a few things that need to be taken into consideration while doing the comparison:

1. MRCC will get a fee waiver at those spends while Gold Charge Card will still have a fee of Rs. 5310. Talking to Amex Customer support, you might be able to get 50% waiver, but that still Rs. 2,655 additional against 2400 MR Points. Even on the First Year, Gold Charge still charges Rs. 1180 extra as compared to MRCC.

2. Considering all the transactions under 5X for calculation is also an extreme case scenario. You might pull it off, but for a good number of people, this is always difficult. Blended Transactions need to be considered.

3. If someone can spend 4 Lacs on Platinum Travel and then 2.4 Lacs on MRCC or Gold Charge card in a year, pretty sure the person is capable to get better cards from other card issuers, even if its not the Infinia. Axis Atlas, HDFC Diners Black are better cards than sticking to Amex alone and the eligibility for these isn't something exception. Anyways, with Amex's acceptability issues, a Visa / Mastercard / Diners is mandatory in the wallet.

[s4ch]

Originally Posted by tejas08

The calculation is correct but there are a few things that need to be taken into consideration while doing the comparison:

1. MRCC will get a fee waiver at those spends while Gold Charge Card will still have a fee of Rs. 5310. Talking to Amex Customer support, you might be able to get 50% waiver, but that still Rs. 2,655 additional against 2400 MR Points. Even on the First Year, Gold Charge still charges Rs. 1180 extra as compared to MRCC.

2. Considering all the transactions under 5X for calculation is also an extreme case scenario. You might pull it off, but for a good number of people, this is always difficult. Blended Transactions need to be considered.

3. If someone can spend 4 Lacs on Platinum Travel and then 2.4 Lacs on MRCC or Gold Charge card in a year, pretty sure the person is capable to get better cards from other card issuers, even if its not the Infinia. Axis Atlas, HDFC Diners Black are better cards than sticking to Amex alone and the eligibility for these isn't something exception. Anyways, with Amex's acceptability issues, a Visa / Mastercard / Diners is mandatory in the wallet.

Agreed on points 2 + 3. Specifically:

2. I believe Amazon Pay can be used in large majority of places by completing full KYC. You can then scan merchant UPI's and make payments from Amazon Pay to them via UPI, even if wallet has been loaded through GV's. I have not tried this personally but believe it can be done according to Amazon Pay FAQ's. But yes, best to consider blended transactions depending on individual use case.

3. Agreed. Axis Atlas is a good middle of the road card if Diners Black/Infinia is out of reach. Especially for travel spends and the 1:2 transfer ratio. Regarding Amex acceptability, I have noticed the situation has got much better recently but still 25% of places have issues, but Amazon Pay option above may solve that.

Regarding point 1:

1. Even considering 2nd year charges, the rewards may may be greater than the annual charges, depending on use case and how much you spend on reward multiplier. Even for annual charges of 5310 if you can make approx 6k points more on Gold than MRCC in a year then it may be more rewarding. Again depends on an individuals specific use case.


Appreciate all your inputs over the years, learnt a lot!

[indie_honda]

Axis Bank launched its newest card called Primus card; it's an invitation to an elite club with a joining fee of ₹5.9 lakh and an annual renewal of ₹3.54 lakh, Primus has positioned itself as India’s most expensive credit card. This ultra-premium offering is aimed squarely at the country’s elite, and its closest rival, the American Express Centurion, charges even more for membership, with a joining fee of ₹8.26 lakh and an annual fee of ₹2.95 lakh.

[SourPai]

Originally Posted by s4ch

2. I believe Amazon Pay can be used in large majority of places by completing full KYC. You can then scan merchant UPI's and make payments from Amazon Pay to them via UPI, even if wallet has been loaded through GV's. I have not tried this personally but believe it can be done according to Amazon Pay FAQ's. But yes, best to consider blended transactions depending on individual use case.

No this is not possible.

Amazaon pay wallet can be used for UPI payments after full KYC - It can be loaded only with cc/dc/upi

Amazon Pay GV balance cannot be used for UPI transactions, even for merchant UPI transactions. It can only be used via payment gateways

[Aroy]

Originally Posted by tejas08

Amex Platinum Travel - Good for Fuel Spends upto 4 Lacs a year. 7-8% Rewards on 4 Lacs Spends in a year depending on how you redeem it. Best used on HPCL fuel bunk for less than 5K Transactions to ensure no fuel surcharge.

Might face some acceptability issues during Road Trips though.



No Fuel Surcharge for Fuel Spends on HPCL bunks for less than Rs. 5,000. No MR Points on Fuel Spends but spends counted towards Milestone rewards.

1.18% Fuel surcharge on IOCL & BPCL Fuel bunks. 2.95% Fuel Surcharge on the likes of Shell, Essar, Reliance (Non-Government Fuel)

I normally use AMEX at HPCL COCO pumps in Delhi No surcharge at all.

[s4ch]

Originally Posted by tejas08

My precedence in Amex Cards is:

1. Platinum Travel - for Rs. 4 Lac spends.
2. Membership Rewards Credit Card - Rs. 72K to Rs. 2.4 Lacs
3. Gold Charge - If both the above are maxed out already.

I hold all three of the above but barely use Gold Charge Card.

A couple of questions on the Amex Platinum Charge Card.

1) Does it really offer many benefits over the Gold Charge card in terms of reward value?
2) The 125,000 bonus points for the first year fee seems enticing, but what about the 2nd year onwards?
3) What is the best path to upgrade from the above 3 cards to Platinum Charge?

Thanks.

[tejas08]

Originally Posted by s4ch

A couple of questions on the Amex Platinum Charge Card.

1) Does it really offer many benefits over the Gold Charge card in terms of reward value?
2) The 125,000 bonus points for the first year fee seems enticing, but what about the 2nd year onwards?
3) What is the best path to upgrade from the above 3 cards to Platinum Charge?

Thanks.

1. Only if you have a lot of spends under the Rewards XCelerator Brands or booking a lot of Luxury Hotels / Premium Flight Cabins on Revenue. Else, the primary focus for taking the Platinum Charge card is the Welcome Bonus. These are quick Miles accumulation at a decently low cost.

2. Nothing fixed for renewals. But you can call and check with Amex Representatives for any kind of retention offer against your annual fee.

3. Take Platinum Charge Card as the 4th Card. Its easy. I have 4 Primary Amex Cards and many others do.

[jomyboy]

With Axis taking over Citi cards, the credit card limits have doubled too. Your Citi credit card limit gets added to your pre-existing Axis card limit, woohoo! In the 2000s, my friend had bough a bike with a Citi card. I wonder if it is possible to buy a car with a credit card in today's times without having to pay extra 2.5% or whatever as convenience fee.

[ruskinash]

Originally Posted by jomyboy

With Axis taking over Citi cards, the credit card limits have doubled too. Your Citi credit card limit gets added to your pre-existing Axis card limit, woohoo! In the 2000s, my friend had bough a bike with a Citi card. I wonder if it is possible to buy a car with a credit card in today's times without having to pay extra 2.5% or whatever as convenience fee.

Yes, folks do buy cars with CCs. You'll have to negotiate the MDR fees with the showroom, generally about 0.5-1.5% depending on your negotiation skills.