Credit card EMI vs personal loan — which is cheaper?
Mani Sisodia
Asked 11 May 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?
4 Answers
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.
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.
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.
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.
Your Answer
Sign in to post your answer and help the community.
Sign in to postWhy sign in? We moderate Q&A to keep it spam-free.