Credit card EMI vs personal loan — which is cheaper?
Rohit Parmar
Asked 29 Apr 2026
I need to finance a purchase of ₹25,000. Should I convert the transaction to credit card EMI or take a personal loan? Which is actually cheaper after all charges?
3 Answers
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.
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.
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.
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