Learn the ropes
Guides & how-tos
Everything you need to choose and use a credit card well in India — written plainly, with no jargon and no sales pitch.
Basics
Why credit-card applications get rejected: check the stated reason
How to distinguish published age and income criteria from a bank’s approval decision, without invented score cutoffs.
5 min read
RBI credit-card protections: late payments, consent and complaints
Existing RBI protections on late-payment charges, consent and recovery conduct, with corrections to our earlier effective-date claims.
5 min read
How to Choose Your First Credit Card in India
A practical guide to picking your first credit card in India: eligibility, fees, rewards, and how to use it to build a strong CIBIL score.
6 min read
Understanding Your Credit Card Billing Cycle and Avoiding Interest
How the billing cycle, statement date, due date and grace period work — and exactly how to time spends and payments to never pay interest.
7 min read
Choosing a Card
Credit Score
How Your CIBIL Score Works and How to Improve It
Understand what a CIBIL score is, how it's calculated, what a good score looks like, and practical steps to build and improve your credit score in India.
7 min read
What CIBIL Score Is Needed for a Credit Card in India?
There is no universal credit-card approval score. Understand bank-specific criteria, income requirements and options when you have no credit history.
4 min read
Fees
Credit Card Fees in India Explained
Joining and annual fees, GST, forex markup, finance charges, fuel surcharge and cash advance fees on Indian credit cards — and how to avoid them.
7 min read
Is No-Cost EMI Really Free? The Three Charges You Still Pay
No-cost EMI hidden charges explained: 18% GST on interest, processing fees and forfeited discounts, with worked maths for a ₹60,000 phone on sale.
9 min read
Fuel surcharge waiver: rewards, refunds and what you actually save
Understand fuel surcharge waivers, GST, transaction limits and capped fuel-card rewards with a ₹5,000 monthly example.
5 min read
Credit-card annual fee waivers: thresholds and qualifying spend
How qualifying spend affects a fee waiver, with recorded card thresholds and a correction to the MY ZONE entry.
10 min read
The Minimum Amount Due Trap: How 36–48% Credit Card Interest Really Works
What the minimum amount due on a credit card really costs: how 36–48% interest accrues daily, a ₹50,000 worked example with GST, and smarter exits.
10 min read
Rewards
Credit cards for Swiggy and Zomato: compare eligible orders, caps and fees
A worked comparison of HDFC Millennia and Axis ACE, including GST, shared caps and the Swiggy card migration.
5 min read
Cashback vs Reward Points: Which Is Better?
Cashback or reward points on your Indian credit card? Compare value, simplicity, flexibility and redemption to pick the right type for how you spend.
6 min read
How to Maximise Credit Card Reward Points in India
Know your point value, beat the caps, hit milestones and redeem smart. A practical guide to squeezing maximum value from Indian credit card rewards.
7 min read
Best Credit Cards for Amazon Shopping in India: Up to 5% Back, Compared
The best credit card for Amazon shopping in India, compared: Amazon Pay ICICI, SBI Cashback, Amex SmartEarn and more, with fees, waivers and real maths.
10 min read
Travel
Credit Cards for International Travel: Forex and Lounges
Cut forex markup, use zero-forex cards, unlock airport lounges and Priority Pass. A practical guide to credit cards for international travel from India.
7 min read
Forex Markup Explained: Why 3.5% Is Really 4.13% — and the Cards That Charge 0–2%
Forex markup on a credit card is 3.5% plus 18% GST — about 4.13% per swipe. See verified Indian cards that charge 0–2% and the maths behind it.
10 min read