[Fx14]

Originally Posted by JithinR

I have never heard of this and suspect that she is just trying to meet her quota. Is there anything I can do here to get the card updated as LTF as originally promised?

In view of the conflicting commitments given, you would be better off with mailing them and get the commitment in writing.

[kavensri]

Originally Posted by gupta_chd

Postpaid bill payment is legitimate method for annual fee waiver by HDFC if the same is not otherwise LTF. Many of my colleagues have used it in past for regalia card. I guess enabling auto-pay for those bills is must to fullfill the criteria.

When I was using Regalia card, even I had to go through the same process (paying of bills through smartpay option) to get it converted to LTF. I guess, this is still valid for Millenia credit card as well.

[mithun]

Originally Posted by AZT

The reason I avoid using my Millennia card is because of the 99 rs redemption fee to redeem the points. This is an archaic system and for some reason HDFC still clings to it.

IIRC, it's not limited to HDFC, SBI & ICICI is also following the same practice.

[Guite]

I recently applied and got Axis Bank credit card. I have just paid the first bill. During this time I have used online on Razorpay, LIC and Amazon India. I had disabled international transactions. For the past three days there has been attempts daily to do international online transaction of same amount each time, at same time of the day. Seems like some automated attempts. I have now blocked the card. I am still wondering where the compromise happened.

User experience has also not been satisfying so far. While attempting bill payment their website spit back errors, pay button on the mobile app is greyed out and not working, customer id which is supposed to be written on the welcome letter is not available.

[gupta_chd]

Originally Posted by Guite

I recently applied and got Axis Bank credit card. I have just paid the first bill. During this time I have used online on Razorpay, LIC and Amazon India. I had disabled international transactions. For the past three days there has been attempts daily to do international online transaction of same amount each time, at same time of the day. Seems like some automated attempts. I have now blocked the card. I am still wondering where the compromise happened.

User experience has also not been satisfying so far. While attempting bill payment their website spit back errors, pay button on the mobile app is greyed out and not working, customer id which is supposed to be written on the welcome letter is not available.

I am using Axis Bank Flipkart credit card for more than a year with 30-50 transactions every month, mix of online and offline. Never faced any such issue. Though I pay my bills from ICICI Bank INB, which reflects in account in 1 hour or so.

[fazayal]

Originally Posted by mithun

IIRC, it's not limited to HDFC, SBI & ICICI is also following the same practice.

Most of the credit card companies following this. Most likely to discourage customers to redeem small amounts. Kind of defeating the purpose of reward points.

[haridsv]

Any suggestions on what card to use for making ULIP payments? I have 4 cards (all life time free): 1) Amex MRCC 2) HDFC Regalia 3) Standard Chartered Infinite, 4) Standard Chartered Super Value Titanium. Amex clearly says no points for insurance payments, but Regalia says "including insurance" and I couldn't find any wording on the other 2 cards, so need to call them up. I am willing to apply for another card even if it is not life time free as ULIP payments alone should cover the min yearly payments to make it free.

[condor]

Continuing on my earlier point regarding charges on credit cards when used to pay for fuel:

While the card issuer companies refund the surcharge, the 2.5% charge looks to be difficult to get around due to card brand being different from the swiping machine provider.

The simple reason: PayTM seems to have captured the swiping machine market at the bunks. Pretty much every bunk has PayTM machines, and when we use our cards, this 2.5% charge will remain, and we lose that.

It's like getting a litre less for each full tank.

The only work-around in this situation is using UPI. (Thanks to Varun who shared about him using GPay for fuel, which made me look again at the swiping machines at the bunks).

[shipnil]

Originally Posted by condor

While the card issuer companies refund the surcharge, the 2.5% charge looks to be difficult to get around due to card brand being different from the swiping machine provider.

May be I am missing something. Previously too we discussed this and it was clarified by many members that the surcharge is reversed except the GST bit.

I checked my statement again just now and for a fuel fill of 1000, my statement is charged 1010 but there is reversal of 8.47 immediately. This is HPCL bunk. Not sure what 2.5% you are referring to.

[condor]

Originally Posted by shipnil

May be I am missing something. Previously too we discussed this and it was clarified by many members that the surcharge is reversed except the GST bit.

This is HPCL bunk. Not sure what 2.5% you are referring to.

Yes on first part. And fellow members have also highlighted the extra charge that I have mentioned in my post.

There is an additional 2.5% charge when the card is swiped on a different provider's machine. Example: A SBI card swiped on a HDFC card reader machine attracts additional charge. SBI will reverse the surcharge (Minus GST), upto the limit they have. (Each bank has a different limit of purchase for such reversal. SBI says that surcharge is waived upto fuel purchases of 3k, HDFC says 4k, etc).

My posts were based on:
1. Amount on the sale receipt
2. Charge on the card for that purchase
3. Reversal.

#2 was higher than #1 all the time, even after accounting for the GST in #3.

I am now checking between amount debited for the UPI purchase vs amount on sale receipt, and the equation looks better.

[thanixravindran]

Originally Posted by shipnil

May be I am missing something.. Not sure what 2.5% you are referring to.

Originally Posted by condor

Yes on first part. And fellow members have also highlighted the extra charge

I am now checking between amount debited for the UPI purchase vs amount on sale receipt, and the equation looks better.

Please google Payment architecture diagram and get to know about issuing bank/provider and acquiring bank, MDR concept if not done already. Generally all of this is invisible to us and covered under the margin of merchant. But fuel being very low margin business, this is allowed to be charged from customer. The surcharge and reversal you are seeing as separate line item is from your card issuer. Depending on the agreement between issuer and acquirer, acquiring entity can also levy surcharge to cover the transaction cost. It will not be seen as separate entity as it will be done in backend during transaction settlement. This is why the charge slip and statement amount differs.

Most banks have inter bank agreement and they don't levy it. It is like a mobile call termination or inter connect charges. Some banks absorb these charges. My Citi debit card never charged me and has 1.3% as reward points equivalent to cashback. Few don't absorb it and passed to consumers. It is always better to get the same POS machine of your card bank to be sure to reduce the margin of error. Most big bunks have multiple bank accounts and train staff to use appropriate POS machine.

In UPI, MDR is not charged to customer or merchant (upto a limit) and compensated by Government to banks. RBI recently issued a draft paper to MDR regime in UPI. For Rupay debit cards, it is waived till 2000INR I believe. Once a critical mass is reached, eventually it will be charged. If you use your non rupay debit card, please ask the POS machine of same bank as that of your card.

[condor]

Originally Posted by thanixravindran

In UPI, MDR is not charged to customer or merchant (upto a limit) and compensated by Government to banks... Once a critical mass is reached, eventually it will be charged.

UPI and digital payments help track spending, but additional charges will mean people moving to cash to at least some extent.

But then again, banks are already charging for cash withdrawals beyond 2L per month. :(

[SilentEngine]

Originally Posted by condor

While the card issuer companies refund the surcharge, the 2.5% charge looks to be difficult to get around due to card brand being different from the swiping machine provider.

Originally Posted by condor

There is an additional 2.5% charge when the card is swiped on a different provider's machine.

My posts were based on:
1. Amount on the sale receipt
2. Charge on the card for that purchase
3. Reversal.

#2 was higher than #1 all the time, even after accounting for the GST in #3.

I am now checking between amount debited for the UPI purchase vs amount on sale receipt, and the equation looks better.

Is it really additional 2.5%? I don't think card issuing bank collects any surcharge. It's the acquiring bank (or merchant's bank) that collects the surcharge. That's why sometimes card issuers insist on using their own EDC.

It will probably help if you post a specific transaction (card, fuel brand, charged amount at POS, statement amount and reversal) here so others can comment on it.

Personally i have not come across any station in last few years where 2.5% is charged. If i remember right, after demonetization most banks reduced the surcharge from 2.5% to 1% at PSU fuel outlets.

I even checked some of my recent fuel transactions, and all i see is (1% + GST).

I don't fill at private bunks at all, so it's quite likely that they charge 2.5% even now.

Originally Posted by thanixravindran

Please google Payment architecture diagram and get to know about issuing bank/provider and acquiring bank, MDR concept if not done already. Generally all of this is invisible to us and....

All this is fine, but end of the day, each card issuer has specific agreement with different fuel brands, so as fuel consumers and card users, it's for us to figure out what makes sense for us depending on our own fuel preferences.

Citibank is very clear on reversals. If you use the card at any IOC station which is listed in their website, full surcharge is reversed. Doesn't matter which bank's EDC is used.

Amex is also very clear. At HPCL spends up to 5000, no surcharge is collected.

[Sahil]

Good card and good offer from Axis. I have just applied and asked them to match my limit of my HDFC Infinia, let's see if they manage to do so as the limit is high.

Taking this as my secondary card based on this review: https://www.cardexpert.in/axis-vistara-infinite-review/

Since Air India will soon absorb Vistara, it maybe a good time to start accumulating points as they will in all likelihood do a direct points swap/merger to air india points once the process is fully done. This although may take sometime.

[ballfry]

Can someone chime in on how long the approximate wait time is for Amex to process a new card application?

I am travelling internationally for a short while and would like to know if the card can be expected to arrive in about a week.