- Date : 08/11/2021
- Read: 5 mins
Credit cards allow you to acquire reward points and save on expenses. Here are six such cards that make your shopping experience smooth and cost-effective.
How good you think your credit card depends entirely on what purpose you use it for. There are credit cards that are a great match for your overall lifestyle, be it dining, online shopping, or travel. Then there are premium credit cards that are very niche and expensive but open doors to the finest lounges and upmarket addresses.
For those who want to make the most of their frequent flyer miles, there are credit cards tailor-made for travellers. Similarly, when it comes to shopping, there are credit cards that are best for online as well as retail shopping. Let’s take a look at five such credit cards:
1. SBI Simply Click Credit Card – This card has become a favourite among online shoppers for a variety of reasons. You get Amazon gift cards as joining gift, e-vouchers of Rs 1000 and Rs 2000 on annual spends in excess of Rs 1 lakh and Rs 2 lakh respectively, 2.5% off as fuel surcharge waiver, cashback on domestic flights booked on Cleartrip, and other rewards on online spends. You can avoid the annual membership fees by spending over Rs 75,000 per annum and get an interest-free credit period of 20-50 days. With this credit card, you can enjoy 10x rewards by shopping online with its partners – Amazon, BookMyShow, Foodpanda, Cleartrip, Ola, Lenskart, Zoomcar etc.
Related: How to come out of credit card debt
2. ICICI Bank Coral American Express Credit Card – This card has a very low joining fee of Rs 199, while its annual fee is waived for the first year and is Rs 199 thereafter. Users get up to 10000 PAYBACK points every anniversary year and 50% more reward points on online spends. There are attractive benefits like two complimentary movie tickets every month through BookMyShow and 15% savings on dining bills at over 2500 restaurants across India. This card also gives you access to select airport lounges in India and a complimentary railway lounge access every quarter.
Related: Taking a loan against your credit card? Here are some things you must know
3. HDFC Bank Solitaire Credit Card – Most women love shopping, so a credit card for women makes perfect sense. This card provides attractive rebates on shopping and access to elite clubs across India. It has a competitive annual fee of Rs 500 which is waived if you spend Rs 10,000 within 90 days of receipt of the card. The annual fee is waived if you spend more than Rs 50,000 during the year. If the spend is more than Rs 75,000 in six months, you get Rs 1000 in shopping vouchers. To the delight of the ladies, this card offers a 10% discount while shopping on Nykaa. It offers 50% more reward points on dining and grocery spends, and the reward points can be redeemed as cashback against the outstanding bill.
4. Citibank Rewards Credit Card –This card offers handsome benefits, particularly when it comes to rewards. You can earn 10x reward points on shopping done at apparel and departmental stores. Points are earned for every Rs 125 and can be redeemed instantly with selected partners. Another attraction of this card is that its redemption points never expire. It offers easy EMI options on purchases made on Amazon and Snapdeal. The annual fee is a bit high but is waived if you shop for just Rs 30,000 during the year. The overdue interest on extended credit period is 3.25% per month.
Related: How is credit card interest calculated?
5. First Citizen Citibank Titanium Credit Card – This card is specifically designed for shoppers who love to shop at Shoppers Stop. You get a welcome gift of two vouchers worth Rs 250 along with another Shoppers Stop gift voucher of Rs 500. You also get a 15% discount on every Rs 2000 worth of shopping done at Shoppers Stop and 7 reward points for every Rs 100 spent. These reward points can be redeemed at the counter against bills or for gift vouchers. The annual fee of Rs 500 is waived if you spend more than Rs 30,000 in a year. There is a joining fee of Rs 500 and the interest-free credit period is 17-23 days.
6. The Everyday Spend American Express Gold Credit Card – This card has a variety of shopping benefits to offer, along with rewards, cash back, and a renewal fee waiver. Earn 5X and 10X membership reward points while shopping at select merchants on groceries, online shopping, movies, and cabs. You can also earn cashback worth Rs 500 on a spend of Rs 10,000 during the first 90 days of the card membership. Eligible spends of Rs 39,999 in the previous year help you waive off the renewal fee for the next year. The annual fee comes up to Rs 495 + Applicable Taxes as well as the renewal fee of Rs 495 + Applicable taxes, respectively.
Of course, every bank and credit card company has its own flagship products, which have carved a niche in the market and gained a loyal band of shopaholic admirers. Apart from these features, rewards, and benefits, you may also enjoy using a card for a variety of other reasons such as ease of use, uncluttered online interface, good customer service, extensive acceptability, transparency etc.
How good you think your credit card depends entirely on what purpose you use it for. There are credit cards that are a great match for your overall lifestyle, be it dining, online shopping, or travel. Then there are premium credit cards that are very niche and expensive but open doors to the finest lounges and upmarket addresses.
For those who want to make the most of their frequent flyer miles, there are credit cards tailor-made for travellers. Similarly, when it comes to shopping, there are credit cards that are best for online as well as retail shopping. Let’s take a look at five such credit cards:
1. SBI Simply Click Credit Card – This card has become a favourite among online shoppers for a variety of reasons. You get Amazon gift cards as joining gift, e-vouchers of Rs 1000 and Rs 2000 on annual spends in excess of Rs 1 lakh and Rs 2 lakh respectively, 2.5% off as fuel surcharge waiver, cashback on domestic flights booked on Cleartrip, and other rewards on online spends. You can avoid the annual membership fees by spending over Rs 75,000 per annum and get an interest-free credit period of 20-50 days. With this credit card, you can enjoy 10x rewards by shopping online with its partners – Amazon, BookMyShow, Foodpanda, Cleartrip, Ola, Lenskart, Zoomcar etc.
Related: How to come out of credit card debt
2. ICICI Bank Coral American Express Credit Card – This card has a very low joining fee of Rs 199, while its annual fee is waived for the first year and is Rs 199 thereafter. Users get up to 10000 PAYBACK points every anniversary year and 50% more reward points on online spends. There are attractive benefits like two complimentary movie tickets every month through BookMyShow and 15% savings on dining bills at over 2500 restaurants across India. This card also gives you access to select airport lounges in India and a complimentary railway lounge access every quarter.
Related: Taking a loan against your credit card? Here are some things you must know
3. HDFC Bank Solitaire Credit Card – Most women love shopping, so a credit card for women makes perfect sense. This card provides attractive rebates on shopping and access to elite clubs across India. It has a competitive annual fee of Rs 500 which is waived if you spend Rs 10,000 within 90 days of receipt of the card. The annual fee is waived if you spend more than Rs 50,000 during the year. If the spend is more than Rs 75,000 in six months, you get Rs 1000 in shopping vouchers. To the delight of the ladies, this card offers a 10% discount while shopping on Nykaa. It offers 50% more reward points on dining and grocery spends, and the reward points can be redeemed as cashback against the outstanding bill.
4. Citibank Rewards Credit Card –This card offers handsome benefits, particularly when it comes to rewards. You can earn 10x reward points on shopping done at apparel and departmental stores. Points are earned for every Rs 125 and can be redeemed instantly with selected partners. Another attraction of this card is that its redemption points never expire. It offers easy EMI options on purchases made on Amazon and Snapdeal. The annual fee is a bit high but is waived if you shop for just Rs 30,000 during the year. The overdue interest on extended credit period is 3.25% per month.
Related: How is credit card interest calculated?
5. First Citizen Citibank Titanium Credit Card – This card is specifically designed for shoppers who love to shop at Shoppers Stop. You get a welcome gift of two vouchers worth Rs 250 along with another Shoppers Stop gift voucher of Rs 500. You also get a 15% discount on every Rs 2000 worth of shopping done at Shoppers Stop and 7 reward points for every Rs 100 spent. These reward points can be redeemed at the counter against bills or for gift vouchers. The annual fee of Rs 500 is waived if you spend more than Rs 30,000 in a year. There is a joining fee of Rs 500 and the interest-free credit period is 17-23 days.
6. The Everyday Spend American Express Gold Credit Card – This card has a variety of shopping benefits to offer, along with rewards, cash back, and a renewal fee waiver. Earn 5X and 10X membership reward points while shopping at select merchants on groceries, online shopping, movies, and cabs. You can also earn cashback worth Rs 500 on a spend of Rs 10,000 during the first 90 days of the card membership. Eligible spends of Rs 39,999 in the previous year help you waive off the renewal fee for the next year. The annual fee comes up to Rs 495 + Applicable Taxes as well as the renewal fee of Rs 495 + Applicable taxes, respectively.
Of course, every bank and credit card company has its own flagship products, which have carved a niche in the market and gained a loyal band of shopaholic admirers. Apart from these features, rewards, and benefits, you may also enjoy using a card for a variety of other reasons such as ease of use, uncluttered online interface, good customer service, extensive acceptability, transparency etc.
