Best credit card for fuel surcharge waiver in India

Two things nobody tells you: (1) GST is charged on the annual fee, so a ₹1,000 fee becomes ₹1,180. (2) Reward points usually have an expiry of 2-3 years. Set a calendar reminder to redeem before they lapse.

Forex markup comparison: Amex = 3.5%, HDFC Infinia/Diners Black = 2.0%, Axis Atlas = 3.5% but with milestone fee waivers, ICICI Emeralde = 3.5%, Standard Chartered = 3.5%. If you travel more than twice a year, the math favours Infinia or Diners Black.

Two cards from the same bank usually share credit limit, not stack it. So if bank gives you ₹2 lakh total, splitting between two cards doesn't increase your available credit. That's a common misconception people carry when applying for their second card.

I've been a customer for 6 years. The biggest upside is the customer service. The biggest downside is the slow mobile app. If you do most banking on the app, test the app at a branch before applying — it's surprisingly old.