Verified 6 Aug
Daksha Gogoi
Asked 27 Apr 2026
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.
Credit score impact: each hard inquiry (which happens on card application) drops your score by 5-15 points temporarily. Applying for 3 cards in 2 months is fine IF you get all 3 approved. If 2 get rejected, you've taken a hit with nothing to show for it. Apply smart, not fast.
Two cards from the same bank usually share credit limit, not stack it. So if bank gives you ₹2 lakh total, splitting between two cards doesn't increase your available credit. That's a common misconception people carry when applying for their second card.
Credit score impact: each hard inquiry (which happens on card application) drops your score by 5-15 points temporarily. Applying for 3 cards in 2 months is fine IF you get all 3 approved. If 2 get rejected, you've taken a hit with nothing to show for it. Apply smart, not fast.
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.
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.
blog
The card network matters more than the bank for acceptance and forex. Here's how each one stacks up in India.
blog
Every swipe moves money across multiple rails. The network's fee is small per transaction but massive in aggregate.
blog
Every swipe you make generates 1.5% to 2.5% of revenue for the issuing bank. Here's where it comes from and where it goes.
glossary
A Mastercard premium tier card.
I just received my first Citibank credit card statement. Can someone explain the key sections — total amount due, minimum due, billing cycle, and grace period?
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.