Verified 5 Aug
Uday Jaiswal
Asked 2 May 2026
I've owned 4 cards over the last 7 years. The biggest lesson: a card that fits your spend pattern beats the 'most rewarding' card on paper. A 5% cashback card you actually use daily will give you 10x more value than a 10% card you use once a month.
The customer care experience matters more than people think. I've had two cards with similar rewards, and the one from the bank with better support saved me ₹18,000 when there was a merchant dispute. Don't underestimate this.
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The card network matters more than the bank for acceptance and forex. Here's how each one stacks up in India.
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A Mastercard premium tier card.
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A Mastercard basic card.
My HSBC credit card was approved yesterday. How many days does it usually take to receive the physical card at my address?
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.
