Verified 6 Aug
Sahil Bhandary
Asked 26 Feb 2026
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.
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.
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.
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A Mastercard premium tier card.
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A Mastercard basic card.
Banks say annual fee is waived if I spend ₹50,000 in the previous year. Does the spend include EMI, wallet loads, and reversals? Please clarify with examples.
