Best credit card for international travel under ₹40,000 annual fee

Tip from someone who made this mistake: never max out the credit limit in the first 6 months. Banks track utilisation, and high utilisation right after approval often triggers a credit limit decrease or even an account review.

I've held this card for 3 years. Quick reality check: the welcome benefit is good, the first-year fee waiver is easy, but from year 2 onwards you really have to work for the milestone benefits. Don't keep it if your monthly spend drops below the milestone threshold.

I've owned 4 cards over the last 7 years. The biggest lesson: a card that fits your spend pattern beats the 'most rewarding' card on paper. A 5% cashback card you actually use daily will give you 10x more value than a 10% card you use once a month.