Best credit card for international travel with no annual fee

Dispute process that worked for me: I called customer care within 24 hours, raised a dispute via the netbanking portal (uploading the receipt showing I never visited the merchant), and got a provisional credit in 5 working days. Permanent credit came after the bank's investigation in about 30 days.

On the annual fee — most premium cards waive it if you spend ₹1.5L to ₹3L in the previous year. Wallet loads (Paytm, Amazon Pay balance) usually DON'T count. But utilities, fuel, and grocery do. Spend pattern matters more than absolute number.

Credit score impact: each hard inquiry (which happens on card application) drops your score by 5-15 points temporarily. Applying for 3 cards in 2 months is fine IF you get all 3 approved. If 2 get rejected, you've taken a hit with nothing to show for it. Apply smart, not fast.