r2i forum

I am posting this message after searching in the forums about Credit card options in India. Surprisingly I didn't find any thread covering in details about available credit card options. There is one thread which has similar title but instead digresses to a different topic of how to apply while in US. http://www.r2iclubforums.com/forums/showthread.php/6417-Credit-card-after-R2I

Admins please excuse me if I am unable to find some thread already covering this. In that case please point me there.

It would be great help if ppl who have already settled down could help for new comers in determining which is the best Credit card options/ company available in India. I heard Citibank and ICICI are not good as there are too many fraud cases and gundas being sent to homes for recovering payments in cases where card was lost and big amounts were paid from those cards.

In that way HSBC/HDFC/Standard Chartard seem reliable to me.

Some of the features I am looking for are
(1) No fees if possible.(Joining,Annual, renewal) etc
(2) Don't care about interest rates as I regularly pay my monthly statements.
(3) Free online payments for monthly billers online (no charges on these online payments)
(4) Any cash back points / money will be good to have :)
(5) Dedicated and good customer service who can listen to properly about issues
(6) Zero fuel surcharges for Petrol (could be at some specific Petrol Pumps only)
(7) No hidden charges (I heard SBI is best for this as they don't sneak in any extra charges from time to time)
(8) Not interested in fancy features like discounts on restaurants/clubs/vacations etc. More interested in protection and safety.

Could some one provide some suggestions or personal experiences after R2I

Thanks

r2i2,

Am in the same boat..looking for a good CC after R2I. Please post back to this thread if you have found any..or your experience..

Thanks in advance

Hi Garu,

No I haven't found the best one yet which would meet my all needs. For now I am using HDFC and meets many of my expectations. I think Standard Chartard would be good as well. But you have to check, the problem is these card features keep on changing from time to time and hence benefits we get change. I had got AmexCard as it was giving 5% cash back on all the purchase which seemed attractive to me but just after 2 months of use I found that they had removed this benefit.

I think Citibank Credit card is a crook otherwise others are fine I think.

r2i2k;403022I think Citibank Credit card is a crook otherwise others are fine I think.

Can you please, tell why? I have one.

There customer support is a nuisaance. Unable to understand what I am trying to say. While applying also I had lot of troubles. My friend got lot of gunda calls to reclaim money. Apparently someone outside india misused his card and he got into big trouble for this.

May be its because my experience was bad.

Credit Card is needed only if you have purchases above 25,000 or 50,000 as debit cards (and gold debit cards) would cover those transactions and they still offer discounts on purchases. You might need them if you plan to travel and need to do hotel reservations. I have got an Amex card and have used it only for hotel bookings.

I have a Citibank Visa Platinum Rewards card and it has been great so far. They do have an annual fee, but it is waived once you spend Rs.10000 per annum. No cash back, but you get Citi Rewards (I am a points hoarder). I have called their customer service a couple of times and it has been a very good experience. They were efficient and quick. The best part for me is that online banking system is seamless and very convenient.

It has been only 4 months since I got the card, but things look positive so far.

r2i2k;408441There customer support is a nuisaance. Unable to understand what I am trying to say. While applying also I had lot of troubles. My friend got lot of gunda calls to reclaim money. Apparently someone outside india misused his card and he got into big trouble for this.

May be its because my experience was bad.

Couple of months back, I had noticed a duplicate entry in my wife's statement. They have a link on the website and I reported the transaction online.

Their response was to reverse the transaction and ask me(her) to fax back a written complaint within x number of days, otherwise they would have to reapply the debit. I did exactly that and that was the last I heard about it.