[shipnil]

Originally Posted by searacer932

One question to members -
[list][*]What is a good SBI credit card and is there any Life-Time free SBI credit card available?

Primary purpose : Online retail/e-commerce shopping.

You can go for SBI Cashback card. It is good for cashback on online portals. It has annual fee of Rs. 999 which is waived off if your spends cross 2,00,000 in one year.

[Dushyanth]

Hello people,

So my wife has been using an ICICI bank rubyx credit card so far with a credit limit of 5 lakhs. Which she is currently utilising 1.5-2 lakhs a month for all expenses in which fuel is the primary with around 75000 per month. I went through the perks of axis Magnus and was tempted to apply while cancelling the current card as the icici card which she currently holds has no reward benefits whatsoever. She has a net income of 21 lakhs and has excellent credit history.

Also, as we live in an undivided family and we have a huge spending on fuel as we have a lot of vehicles at home. It would be of great help if someone could help me understand if fuel spends can accumulate reward points on Axis Magnus? If yes, then is there a limit per transaction or limit per month that one can spend on fuel to get reward points?

Because there is no specific mention of not getting reward points on fuel anywhere on their website or other third party websites. And help/advise on the above will be really appreciated.

[pickdj]

I have been using HDFC Infinia for all international travel spends and realized that the forex conversion rates plus GST add up really fast! A friend suggested the IDFC Mayura Metal card which is supposed to have zero mark up fees for forex transactions. It was a quick transaction and I received the card today. Simple and easy application process.
Hopefully this works. Has anybody had any experience with the card? Any feedback will be welcome.

[Crow]

Originally Posted by pickdj

A friend suggested the IDFC Mayura Metal card which is supposed to have zero mark up fees for forex transactions.
Hopefully this works. Has anybody had any experience with the card? Any feedback will be welcome.

I researched this card and it’s on my list. The fee is quite high (6k/year if I remember correctly) so you need to spend enough to actually recover the cost of the card. As an example, assuming 4-4.5% including GST forex markup charges for a normal credit card, you’ll break even if you spend ₹1.4lakhs or thereabouts on IDFC. The reward rates are quite mediocre so I haven’t yet got this card.

Having said that, for large forex spends this is great. I was abroad for some time and really regretted not knowing about this card before I left. You can also consider RBL World Safari credit card. Offers zero forex fees at 3.5k per year or so, but their customer service may not be as good, according to reviews I’ve read online.

[SoumenD]

Originally Posted by pickdj

I have been using HDFC Infinia for all international travel spends and realized that the forex conversion rates plus GST add up really fast!

Can you elaborate a bit on this? I have both Infinia metal and Scapia. I was thinking since infinia continues to give 3.3% RPs on foreign transactions as well while charging 2% markup, it effectively gives 1.3% RPs? Is that not the case? Scapia doesn't give any RPs for foreign transactions but doesn't charge any mark up either.

If Infinia doesn't really give the 1.3% RPs, I might as well use the Scapia card while abroad.

[pickdj]

Originally Posted by SoumenD

Can you elaborate a bit on this? I have both Infinia metal and Scapia. I was thinking since infinia continues to give 3.3% RPs on foreign transactions as well while charging 2% markup, it effectively gives 1.3% RPs? Is that not the case? Scapia doesn't give any RPs for foreign transactions but doesn't charge any mark up either.

If Infinia doesn't really give the 1.3% RPs, I might as well use the Scapia card while abroad.

Bro I honestly didn't think about the RP since I don't track them. You may be right. All I saw was the huge fees I paid for forex charges and went WHOA! People with more knowledge on the matter may comment please.

[SoumenD]

Originally Posted by pickdj

Bro I honestly didn't think about the RP since I don't track them. You may be right. All I saw was the huge fees I paid for forex charges and went WHOA! People with more knowledge on the matter may comment please.

I think you can figure it out from your statement right? RPs are mentioned right next to the spend item. Sum it up and then subtract the forex fees. That should give you the correct picture.

Am actually about to move out of India and planning not to change my HDFC account to NRO as I don't want to loose out on the Infinia metal card which I got after months of pestering my RM

[thanixravindran]

Originally Posted by SoumenD

I think you can figure it out from your statement right? RPs are mentioned right next to the spend item. Sum it up and then subtract the forex fees. That should give you the correct picture.

Am actually about to move out of India and planning not to change my HDFC account to NRO as I don't want to loose out on the Infinia metal card which I got after months of pestering my RM

HDFC Infinia has Global Value Program as well which gives 1% cashback upto 1000 INR per month. So for 2% forex markup, one can get 1% back as cashback and 3.3% as rewards.

Just ensure you transact with international currency and not in INR. It won't give any cashback but instead will be hit by DCC. Also, ensure your international spends are not on reward points excluded categories like rent, fuel, etc.

I remember GoI was planning to bring CC also LRS, that means after 7.5L per annum(?), TDS is applicable. Not sure whether it is implemented but I am sure you don't want get into tax trouble with different resident status just for reward points or cashback.

[callvvijay]

Friends, need some inputs here. Am not a heavy credit card user and got myself a Axis Select card which was delivered today.

Weirdly, the CVV number is "the most easiest" number in the world - I have never experienced such a stuff / come across a more easier 3-digit number in any of my cards. Considering that it's been ages since I got a new card for myself, just wondering if this is any new norm that I'm missing..

Secondly, any idea about this Axis Select card? The RM who called me for some bank related stuff asked me if I need this card - and I said okay.

Cheers!

[manowar]

Originally Posted by Dushyanth

It would be of great help if someone could help me understand if fuel spends can accumulate reward points on Axis Magnus?

Their website says that spends on fuel MCCs will not be eligible to earn EDGE rewards.

https://www.axisbank.com/retail/card...RewardsProgram

[meerkat]

Originally Posted by callvvijay

... any idea about this Axis Select card?

Hope you got it LTF, -- because it is a pretty useless card in my view, and certainly not one that one should pay for.
.

[aadiaksh]

Originally Posted by century

The answer for income tax, gst and utility payments is HDFC BizBlack card. This is the only sensible card from HDFC for these payments.

0.72% + gst i.e. 0.85% charges on IT and gst payments (I don't know about charges on electricity payments as MVVNL don't support Diners).

I got this card a while back but couldn’t see the value. GST and IT payment is 1% per annum aapx. Are the benefits more?

Utilities payment has additional 1% over and above payment gateways fee for anything above 75K which for me is always.

If you could guide, it would be great.

[dust-n-bones]

I would like to share a sharp practice by American Express cards. I have held a 'Membership Rewards' card for some 4 years, and have mainly used gpay to make payments against statements. It has worked fine, however, recently (~3 months ago), Amex has silently switched its UPI VPA.

• Earlier, payments were honoured via the billdesk payment gateway.
• More recently, they've switched to AEBC3XXXXXXXXXXXXXX@SC, and silently stopped honoring billdesk.

The payments do succeed via the earlier billdesk gateway, but are silently returned after 3-4 days to your bank account. There is no trace of the payment on your subsequent statement, and so you will get a rude shock in the next cycle due to no fault of yours.

Why I think this is a sharp practice:

• Amex has not removed the billdesk interface for payments, nor did they advise me to cease using it.
• The payments still go through successfully, only to be silently returned later. There is no notification from any party that this has happened.
• Amex clearly knows about it. When I raised it with their payments team, they immediately knew the root cause, but claimed innocence in managing what third parties do. This is a little rich. It is their payments' interface, they should be able to manage it. The least they can do is advise customers, and be proactive in informing customers if payments are being returned.

I don't buy their 'we are so innocent that all we can do is twiddle our thumbs' story. If I have to hazard a guess, it may not be intentional, but just sloppy/lazy customer service. I am thinking of raising this with the RBI ombudsman.

Moral: customers beware.

[Sohail_91]

Originally Posted by callvvijay

Secondly, any idea about this Axis Select card?

I just use this card to get 500 off on my monthly BigBasket grocery orders of 3,000 or more.
It’s lifetime free for me, as it was offered complimentary with my Axis Burgundy account.

[CU23]

Guys I need a quick clarification,

1) If I use my Axis’s Atlas card in the BLR International lounge, is it counted as International lounge visit or domestic visit.

2) Can I take guests along with me to the lounge using Atlas.

TIA