Five credit cards offering year-end schemes for shopping and travelling

• Some credit cards have a joining fee, but the welcome offers that one gets may make the joining fee worthwhile.
  
• In some cards, one can get the joining fee waived off if one spends a certain amount of money within a given time.
  
• Before getting a credit card, it is important to understand the reward and redeeming structure.
  

Credit cards are like a double-edged sword. If used wisely, they can bring a lot of benefits. But when not used judiciously, they can become a burden. With such a lot of options available, it is often difficult to find the right credit card, as every credit card comes with its own set of offers. We picked 5 credit cards for you across types and spending categories, that you can take a look at if you are planning to go for a new credit card.

HDFC Infinia Credit Card Metal Edition

For a joining/renewal fee of ₹12,500 this metallic card offers a range of benefits. You may enjoy complimentary nights and buffet offers at select ITC hotels along with a first-year Club Marriott membership that grants up to 20% discounts on dining and stays in the Asia-Pacific region.

Plus there is unlimited access to airport lounges worldwide for both primary and add-on members. You can earn 5 reward points for every ₹150 spent and relish a 1+1 complimentary buffet at participating ITC hotels when you book a 3-night stay.

Moreover, there are perks like unlimited complimentary golf games and coaching at various courses in India and globally. You can also benefit from a low 2% markup fee on foreign currency transactions.

The card provides round-the-clock global personal concierge services, offering assistance for golf bookings, itinerary planning, private dining, international gift delivery, event planning, airport VIP services, and more.

Amazon Pay ICICI Bank Credit Card

The Amazon Pay Credit Card has some great offers especially if you shop on Amazon. It does not have any joining fees or annual charges. Also, rewards accrued using this card come without any limit or expiration. These rewards, earned through transactions, hold significant flexibility, allowing their use across a vast selection of over 10 crore products on www.amazon.in and at more than 100 associated merchant partners.

Prime members of Amazon can get a 5% cashback on transactions executed at www.amazon.in when utilising this card, while non-Prime customers still benefit, earning a 3% cashback on similar transactions.

Additionally, cardholders receive a 2% cashback when engaging with over 100 Amazon Pay merchant partners via this card. For all other payments, a 1% cashback is assured, on the top of any existing offers. Importantly, these earnings materialise as an Amazon Pay balance, so that they can be redeemed easily.

SBI Card Elite

At a joining/renewal fee of ₹4,999 this credit card offers various benefits. Users receive a welcome e-Gift Voucher worth ₹5,000, applicable across various travel and lifestyle brands. Additionally, they enjoy annual free movie tickets, earning up to 50,000 bonus reward points yearly, with extra points for specific spending milestones. The card provides 5X reward points on dining, departmental store, and grocery purchases, and 2x reward points on other expenses, excluding fuel.

Cardholders gain access to the priority pass program, including international and domestic airport lounge visits. Furthermore, they receive Club Vistara Silver membership, earning points for flight spends and receiving an upgrade voucher.

The card offers low foreign currency mark-up charges of 1.99% and rewards for international transactions. Specialised assistance for flower and gift delivery, along with online doctor consultations, is also provided.

Axis Bank ACE Credit Card

The Axis Bank ACE Credit Card has a joining fee of ₹499 which is waived off if you spend more than ₹10,000 in the first 45 days of card issuance . It entitles users to unlimited cashback on various expenditures. There is a 5% cashback on utility bill payments made through Google Pay and a 4% cashback on orders placed through Swiggy, Zomato, and Ola. For all other expenses, there is a 2% cashback.

Moreover, cardholders enjoy complimentary access to domestic airport lounges, providing up to four free visits annually. The card further grants a fuel surcharge waiver, enabling a significant 1% waiver on fuel transactions at Indian fuel stations, applicable for transaction amounts ranging from ₹400 to ₹4,000. The maximum monthly benefit is capped at ₹500.

Standard Chartered Manhattan Credit Card

This credit card has some cool reward points for shopping. Upon payment of the joining fee of ₹999, cardholders receive a welcome with 5,000 reward points, kicking off their rewards journey right from the start.

For those frequenting supermarkets, the card offers an attractive 5% cashback deal, subject to certain conditions and caps. You can also get 15% off on e-vouchers of top brands and 25% discount at Easemytrip till 31 January, 2024.

Additionally, every expense adds up in the form of reward points. Cardholders earn 3X reward points for every ₹150 spent on all other transactions, allowing them to accumulate points swiftly and effortlessly across various purchases, beyond the specified categories. They can redeem these points for products at the 360 Degree Rewards portal.

Furthermore, the card provides an opportunity for renewal fee reversal. By spending ₹1,20,000 in a year, users can enjoy the benefit of having the renewal fee waived off.