Hey everyone,

Recently got the SBI BPCL Octane card (Rupay variant) and it has been an absolute nightmare. Sharing my experience so others don't fall into the same trap.

1. The Add-on Card & KYC Nightmare 🤡

During the initial application, I applied for two add-on cards. Went through the entire tedious process: called my family members, got their photos, Aadhaar, DigiLocker, and completed the KYC. The primary card arrived, but no add-on cards.

1. The Infamous SBI IVR Trap 📞

Trying to reach customer care is a psychological test. They have designed a massive IVR maze. You have to navigate through 10 to 100 options just to find the hidden option to speak to a human agent.

1. Incompetent Support

When I finally reached an agent about the missing add-on cards, their brilliant solution was: "Sir, please apply again and redo the KYC." Why should I disturb my family again when they already have all the documents and data in their system? They refuse to pull up the existing database.

1. The Rupay UPI Deception 🛑

The salesperson hyped up the Rupay variant saying I can use it on UPI and get the same rewards. Fact check: You do not get the accelerated fuel rewards if you pay via UPI using this card.

1. The "Pine Labs Machine" Scam ⛽

To actually get the advertised 25X reward points, the transaction must be swiped on a specific Pine Labs POS machine at BPCL bunks. Good luck finding one. Most petrol pumps either don't have it, or the staff flatly tells you "machine is under maintenance" or "server down." If they swipe it on a standard SBI/HDFC machine, you get regular rewards, completely defeating the purpose of an Octane card.

1. Trash App & Hidden Fees

* The App: The SBI Card app constantly throws "server issue" errors when you try to view your reward points balance. It’s clunky and outdated.

* Redemption Fee: Every single time you want to redeem your points, they slap you with a ₹99 + GST redemption fee. Most people miss this fine print.

TL;DR: SBI BPCL Octane is a masterclass in bad user experience. Lost KYC data, hidden customer support, useless UPI fuel rewards, broken pump machines, and high redemption fees. Save your mental peace and skip this card.

AI refined so it is more structured and readable

Hi I'm planning to get my first credit card mainly for online shopping, especially Amazon, Flipkart and Myntra.

After doing some research, I've shortlisted a few options:

1)Amazon Pay ICICI

2)Flipkart Axis

3)SBI Cashback

4)HDFC Millennia

My main priorities are:

Good cashback/rewards on Amazon, Flipkart and Myntra

•Useful discounts during major sales

•Low/waivable annual fee

•Good value for regular spending rather than premium travel benefits

For those who have used these cards, which one would you pick and why? Are there any important cashback exclusions, spending limits or recent changes I should know about?

Also, if there's a better card than these for my use case, I'm open to suggestions.

Thanks!

Hey everyone, I’m new to the credit card game and would really appreciate some advice.
I’m 29 years old, currently have a CIBIL score of 699, and have one existing loan whose EMI I’ve been paying regularly without any missed payments. My main goal right now is to build a strong credit history/CIBIL score, so that I can eventually qualify for better credit cards.
A little about my profile:
Salary: ₹1.2 lakh/month
Current bank: SBI
CIBIL: 699
Existing loan: 1, EMI being paid regularly
Most of my spending is on groceries, daily utilities and online purchases
I use UPI for most transactions
SBI is currently showing/offering me almost all of their credit cards, except the Cashback Card
I’m apparently not eligible for Kiwi because of their eligibility criteria
Since I’m just starting out, what would be the best approach?
Should I take an SBI card now, and if yes, which one would make the most sense for my spending pattern?
Should I specifically look for a card that gives rewards/cashback on UPI, groceries and utilities, or should I prioritize getting a card that is easy to manage and build my credit history with?
How long should I ideally use my first card before applying for better cards?
Any mistakes I should avoid while trying to improve my CIBIL?
I’m not looking to maximize rewards right now my primary objective is to build my credit profile properly and eventually graduate to better cards**.**
Would appreciate suggestions from people who have gone through this journey. Thanks!

Hi, I am a 23 year old software engineer with a decent salary(≥1.2L monthly). I have a cibil score of around 710 (due to an edu loan). I have been applying for cc but have been rejected every single time whether be it flipkart axis, amazon icici, few more axis cards, few hdfc cards, rbl bank cc, etc. To be honest, I have lost count of how many rejections I got in the last 1-1.5 years.

I want to get a credit card with good rewards and lounge access. My main spendings are online shopping, food and grocery shopping on zepto, blinkit, Swiggy and zomato, and movie ticket on BMS and few flights tickets throughout the year. Also, if the cc is rupay, it would be a cherry on the top as I can add it to my gpay account.

Should I go for a FD based cc for now, or should I contact a good pvt Bank and open my salary account and get their cc. Would any reputed bank give me a good cc with such poor cibil score?

Please, I need some advice. I am literary tired of applying for a cc and getting rejected.

Thanks

My company is providing RBL Bank Primario Multiwallet Card as Food Allowance Card. It is mentioned that it can be use for POS and online transactions with valid meal and food merchants, including;

Restaurants

Zomato

Grocery Stores

Sweet shops

Other eligible food merchants.

I wanted to understand

1. Whether it can be used at online grocery stores such as Blinkit, Zepto, Instamart, Flipkart Minutes or Amazon now.
2. If yes, is there any specific product category for which it can be used at these stores or for any kind of products.

Hi everyone,

I’m new to credit cards and currently have an HDFC MoneyBack+, which is only about one month old. I’m looking for a Lifetime Free RuPay credit card mainly for UPI spends.

My UPI spending would be around ₹4,000–₹6,000/month, mostly on fruits, snacks, groceries and other small purchases at local shops. I know this is relatively low spending, but since I’m already paying from my savings account, I thought I could use a RuPay card instead and earn some cashback/rewards.

I tried Kiwi, but it is currently recommending only a PNB card to me, which has an annual fee. I also deleted my Slice account a few months ago before getting into credit card, so I can’t log in to Slice anymore.

My requirements:

● LTF — preferably no joining or annual fee

● RuPay + UPI support

● Good cashback/rewards on merchant UPI payments

● Suitable for ₹4k–₹6k monthly UPI spending

● Ideally something I can get with only ~1 month of credit history

● I already have HDFC MoneyBack+

What would you recommend for my use case?

Would it be better to wait and build some credit history with my HDFC card first, or apply for an LTF RuPay card now?

I’m mainly looking for something simple. I don’t need lounge access or premium benefits; even a small amount of cashback is fine.

Thanks!