IndianOil Citibank Credit Card
HDFC-Platinum plus credit card
Citibank Cash back card
Don't have cash but want to buy the lovely shirt you just saw. You can do that if you have a Credit Card. But make sure you are able to pay off the entire amount due at the end of the month or you will be stuck with very high interest bills. While choosing your credit card find out about the joining fees, annual fees, add-on card fees, cash withdrawal fees, interest on cash withdrawal, interest rate if you are not able to pay the full amount due at the end of the month and freebies such as fuel surcharge waiver on filling petrol.
By filling in the form alongside you can choose from among the leading banks issuing credit cards in India. And compare their offerings.
Why I need a credit card - Advantages vs. Disadvantages
Advantage and disadvantages of credit cardsBasha Shaikh
29 Feb 2008
A credit card from VISA, MasterCard, or any other network allows you to pay for purchases or services by borrowing from the credit card company. You then repay by making monthly payments towards the amount borrowed. That is, you do not have to repay the whole borrowed amount in full at one go.
Then there are charge cards, such as the American Express card, that require full payment of the borrowed amount each month.
Either way, the credit card is
a very convenient alternative to paying by cash.
Essentially a credit card allows you to:
- Purchase products or services whenever and
wherever you want, without ready cash and paying for them at a later date.
- Have the option of paying only a part of the
total expenses. The balance amount can be
carried forward, with an interest charged.
- Withdraw cash whenever, wherever you are, through ATMs and other withdrawal centers.
- Enjoy a revolving credit limit without any
charges for a limited period (mostly 20 to 50 days)
- Transact money of more than one currency, from one country to another.
Other facilities afforded on a credit card include reward points on card usage, insurance cover against air and road accidents, loss of baggage, and so on. All credit cards have built-in safety features like signatures and personal identification numbers. International credit cards you financial flexibility when you travel abroad.
Advantages:
- They allow you to make purchases on credit
without carrying around a lot of cash. This allows you a lot of
flexibility.
- They allow accurate record-keeping by
consolidating purchases into a single statement.
- They allow convenient remote purchasing -
ordering/shopping online or by phone. They allow you to pay for large
purchases in small, monthly installments.
- Under certain circumstances, they allow you to
withhold payment for merchandise which proves defective.
- They are cheaper for short-term
borrowing - interest is only paid on the remaining debt, not the full loan
amount.
- Many cards offer additional benefits such as additional insurance cover on purchases, cash back, air miles and discounts on holidays.
Disadvantages:
You may become an impulsive buyer and tend to overspend because of the ease of using credit cards. Cards can encourage the purchasing of goods and services you cannot really afford.
Credit cards are a relatively expensive way of obtaining credit if you don't use them carefully, especially because of the high interest rates and other costs.
Lost or stolen cards may result in some unwanted expense and inconvenience.
The use of a large number of credit cards can get you even further into debt.
Using a credit card, especially remotely, introduces an element of risk as the card details may fall into the wrong hands resulting in fraudulent purchases on the card. Fraudulent or unauthorized charges may take months to dispute, investigate, and resolve.