[Aroy]

Originally Posted by navin

I also got an Epicure card with mine so that helps.

................................
I have two credit cards (a Visa and an Amex). I also carry a dollar-denominated (zero markup or bank charges) Forex card (along with an inactive supplementary card in case the Forex card is lost or stolen) for my travels.

Do these points you collect expire? Or can you collect points over 10 years? What do you use these points for?

Thanks.

I also have an ICICI Visa card and an AMEX Charge card.

For AMEX, I collect the points and then redeem them. Previously, I had redeemed them for Airfare to Bangkok and a 10-day hotel stay. Now, I am redeeming them against spending. Though that is not as good as flights and hotels, I no longer travel.

Regarding 10 years, just check with the card issuer.

[pareshraheja]

Guys,

Any credit card which still offers reasonable RP's for education payment specially via 3rd party app/portal?

I am assuming that these RP's will have a decent value only in the premium card category

Cheers

[navin]

Originally Posted by Aroy

Now, I am redeeming them against spending. Though that is not as good as flights and hotels, I no longer travel.

I was wondering if there is a credit card that is useful for airlines and hotels.

[gupta_chd]

Originally Posted by navin

I was wondering if there is a credit card that is useful for airlines and hotels.

If you like to keep things simple, get SBI cashback card. You get 5% cashback for most online payments including airlines and hotels. The cashback is credited automatically to the card itself at month end.

[shipnil]

Originally Posted by navin

I was wondering if there is a credit card that is useful for airlines and hotels.

There is a ton of information on this thread how to extract most out of credit cards, but you have to read through many pages. To help, let me list few points and recommendations.

1. Your belief that you would not be able to extract rewards more than 2% is incorrect. But to extract most, you'll have to do a lot of jugglery, which I am not sure you'd be willing to. (I recall GTO commenting on one of the threads, "Navin is loaded")
2. Most of the rewards from cards are about encashing the reward points to buy flight tickets/hotels/vouchers etc.
3. If you are looking for upfront benefits, as suggested by another member, you can go for cashback card. But the benefit is only limited to 5% and there is max amount cap that you can get as benefit. I think for SBI Cashback, it is Rs. 5,000 per month @5% rate, for transactions done online. So max spend of Rs. 100,000 would accrue that.
4. If you are willing to play the reward points earning game, for your usage of booking flights and hotels, based on the recommendation of this thread you can go for Axis Atlas (flights) and Amex Platinum (hotels)
5. If you have HDFC Bank relationship, you can ask for Infinia. Again you'll have to earn the bonus reward points to get max out of this card.

[Highh5]

Originally Posted by shipnil

There is a ton of information on this thread how to extract most out of credit cards, but you have to read through many pages. To help, let me list few points and recommendations.

4. If you are willing to play the reward points earning game, for your usage of booking flights and hotels, based on the recommendation of this thread you can go for Axis Atlas (flights) and Amex Platinum (hotels)

Axis Atlas is even handy for hotels like Accor and Amex Platinum travel is widely used for Marriott redemptions though there are other redemption options also available for hotels and flights.

[Sandy2345]

Hi guys!

I've a couple of questions regarding HDFC Regalia Gold credit card that is now being offered to me as an upgrade to the Millenia.

1. I currently have around 6k reward points in my Millenia. What happens to those points when I upgrade to Regalia Gold? (P.S.: Millenia offers 1:1 cash redemption whereas Regalia offers just 10:2.
2. I see you earn 20 points for every Rs.150 if you spend using the Regalia Gold in stores like Reliance Digital, Nykaa and so on. I'm planning to buy a Bravia 7 in Reliance Digital. So you get around 33,000 points for that purchase. However is it still valid if I purchase the product in EMI? Because the cashback offer for the TV is valid only via EMI purchase.

Please clear these doubts for me.

Thanks in advance!

[navin]

Originally Posted by shipnil

1. Your belief that you would not be able to extract rewards more than 2% is incorrect. But to extract most, you'll have to do a lot of jugglery, which I am not sure you'd be willing to. (I recall GTO commenting on one of the threads, "Navin is loaded")
2. Most of the rewards from cards are about encashing the reward points to buy flight tickets/hotels/vouchers etc.
3. If you are looking for upfront benefits, as suggested by another member, you can go for cashback card. But the benefit is only limited to 5% and there is max amount cap that you can get as benefit. I think for SBI Cashback, it is Rs. 5,000 per month @5% rate, for transactions done online. So max spend of Rs. 100,000 would accrue that.
4. If you are willing to play the reward points earning game, for your usage of booking flights and hotels, based on the recommendation of this thread you can go for Axis Atlas (flights) and Amex Platinum (hotels)
5. If you have HDFC Bank relationship, you can ask for Infinia. Again you'll have to earn the bonus reward points to get max out of this card.

Firstly, I don't know where GTO got that idea. I am retired, and the best I can say is that although I have made several mistakes (and some god-awful ones), my investments afford me a lifestyle that includes a European holiday each year.

Secondly, I did try to read through this thread and got lost with all the cross-recomendations. I was hoping someone would distill this information, especially when the terms and conditions of these credit cards constantly change. I have never encashed the points I have earned. I figured I would buy something nice one day, but as you age, your needs reduce, so I have realized I don't need anything nice.

Lastly, I like to keep my sanity, so I have no intention of playing games with credit card companies; their rules and regulations are too fluid for my liking.

I do not need any upfront benefits. I am happy to collect my benefits. This is what I understood from your post.

1. Get SBI Cash Back for 5% cash back on spends up to 1L per month.
2. I need an Axis Atlas card for airlines and should continue to use my Amex Platinum for hotels.

FYI: I have used big chain hotels but prefer small boutique hotels. I usually fly European airlines because they offer non-stop service; hence, I use Air France for Paris, KLM for Amsterdam, Lufthansa for Munich/Frankfurt, SwissAir for Zurich, etc.

Originally Posted by Highh5

Axis Atlas is even handy for hotels like Accor and Amex Platinum travel is widely used for Marriott redemptions though there are other redemption options also available for hotels and flights.

Thanks. I have used both chains when it is convenient, but I won't remember which hotel chain prefers which card.

[Noctis]

Originally Posted by navin

Thanks. I have used both chains when it is convenient, but I won't remember which hotel chain prefers which card.

Both cards can be used anywhere, upto 4l/year on Plat travel for the bonus and rest on Atlas (especially when using the card for direct flight/hotel bookings).

If you want to keep things simple I would recommend transferring all amex points to Marriot on a yearly basis and Axis Atlas points to either an airline you use frequently or ITC (which can further be transferred to Marriot with a 50% bonus, but thats adding complications again.)

[ghodlur]

I have a SBI Vistara Prime credit card which is due for annual renewal in Feb 2025. There are lot of positives for this card like payment of rent, society charges, govt taxes etc and all other expenses for which I would not get any reward points from HDFC Infinia card. I have been able to get till date 2 vouchers from Vistara and 2 from Air India (transferred from Vistara) with 1 upgrade voucher as well. The only downside is the credit limit is 1L which has not been enhanced inspite of my requests thrice. At times when my expenses go beyond 1L, I am forced to use Infinia without any RPs.

Any card which can give all the benefits of SBI but with an enhanced credit limit.

[navin]

Originally Posted by Noctis

If you want to keep things simple I would recommend transferring all amex points to Marriot on a yearly basis and Axis Atlas points to either an airline you use frequently or ITC (which can further be transferred to Marriot with a 50% bonus, but thats adding complications again.)

Thanks. I have to apply for an Axis Bank Atlas Card now. Since I do not have any other relationship with them, they might not even approve my application so all this effort and advice might be mute.

[uchun]

I was searching for a credit card which provides rewards for fuel purchases for my friend. His fuel spends come close to 15-20k a month.

I came across this list,

https://cardmaven.in/forum/threads/c...-for-2025.910/

Does anyone have any personal experience on any of the mentioned cards? Any recommendations?

[freakmuzik]

Hi, I am looking to reshuffle my list of credit cards as the rules have changed and I am not getting the same Lounge benefits anymore. Most of them which gave free lounge access have introduced a spend limit that I will not reach each month or quarter.

I primarily use the following for large ticket shopping online (appliances, tickets, etc.) and had made use of its lounge benefits as well.

1. ICICI Sapphiro - spend 75k per quarter for 4 Domestic Lounge access per quarter
(also got a free DreamFolks card with 1 International Lounge access per annum)
2. ICICI Coral - spend 75k per quarter for domestic lounge access
3. IndusInd Legend - 1 free Domestic Lounge access per quarter
4. IDFC First Select - spend 20k per month for 2 Domestic Lounge access
5. Bank of Baroda Premier - spend 20k per quarter for 1 Domestic Lounge access

Other than these, I also use

1. ICICI Amazon Pay - for all amazon purchases and other shopping
2. Federal Bank Scapia - the card I love the most - 0 forex markup, unlimited Domestic lounge access if I spend 10k per month.

The requirement:
What I am looking for is a Credit card that offers me a Priority Pass for International lounge access without spend limit criteria as some of my travel happens pretty quick. I'd love the cards also offer other benefits like conversion to miles for flights and hotels. I don't have SB accounts with HDFC or AXIS at the moment.

For domestic lounge access, I absolutely love the Scapia as it now lets me choose between a Lounge and a full coins refund for a meal at the airport. I also use the app to book the low cost flights that don't get any offers elsewhere. I have booked two flights with the rewards I generated last year.

Looking forward to your help.

[sagarpadaki]

Originally Posted by sagarpadaki

I do not have an addon card and the travel is in a few days. So, even if I apply, I will not get. Will give him my card. If it works, well and good

Well, it worked . The lounge attendant did not cross verify the name on the card vs boarding pass. Since the number of people were less, my father got a sleeping pod and had a good sleep for a couple of hours. He did not eat anything at the ungodly hour though.

Thanks everyone for your help!

[Highh5]

Originally Posted by navin

Thanks. I have used both chains when it is convenient, but I won't remember which hotel chain prefers which card.

Well, it is not about the hotel chains prefer which card, it's about which card can be used for which hotel chain redemption.

Axis -- ITC and Accor. Through ITC, you can also transfer points to Marriott
AMEX -- Marriott, but you get decent transfer rate even for Hilton (1:.9) if you have the use case for that.