How to convert a American Express credit card purchase to EMI?

Don't blindly apply based on YouTube recommendations. Pull your latest CIBIL score first — most premium cards need 760+. If your score is in the 700-750 range, start with a lifetime free card and upgrade after 12-18 months of clean history.

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.

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.