Best lifetime free credit card in India for small business owners

Honestly, the annual fee is on the higher side. But if you spend consistently on the accelerated categories, the cashback more than offsets it. I did the maths on my own statement last year and came out ahead by about ₹3,200.

On credit limit increase: most banks auto-review every 6 months. If you use 30-70% of the limit and pay in full, you'll get an automatic increase. Don't call and ask for it explicitly — banks take it as a sign of credit hunger and sometimes lower the limit instead.

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.

I've been using this card for over a year now. In my experience, the rewards are decent but the real value is in the lounge access and the milestone benefits. Make sure to read the fine print on the welcome benefit — most banks only credit it after the first transaction, not on approval.