Chief Editor · PickMyCard
Vikram Warialani
IT professional by day, covering Indian credit cards as a personal obsession since 2012. PickMyCard is an accurate, up-to-date credit-card databank that anyone can use to see through a card before applying, and to get the most out of whichever card already sits in their wallet.
01
About me
I’m Vikram Warialani. My primary work is in the IT industry, where I manage a project team. Indian credit cards are a long-standing obsession of mine, and PickMyCard is where I do the editorial work on them. I’ve been routing my personal spending through them since I picked up my first card at the start of my career in 2012, and over the years I’ve held a long list of them across the spectrum, from a basic lifetime-free workhorse to super-premium products with five-figure annual fees.
I completed my MCA from Maharaja Sayajirao University in 2012, which steered me into the IT industry, and I went back to school in 2025 to sharpen the fintech side with a postgraduate degree from IIT Kanpur. Credit cards started as a side interest and became the kind of thing friends, family, and colleagues kept asking me about. PickMyCard is where I put the answers in one place.
02
Why PickMyCard exists
Most Indian credit-card content on the web is either a bank’s own marketing page or an aggregator listing that quietly mixes paid placement into the ranking. The numbers are often outdated, the “best card” lists are unfalsifiable, and the affiliate disclosure is usually buried at the bottom of the footer.
I write for PickMyCard because I had spent enough years stacking welcome bonuses, milestone rewards, and fee waivers to compound a meaningful amount of value from spending that would have otherwise paid plain bank fees, and because the answer to “which card should I get?” almost always begins with how the person spends, not which card sits at the top of an aggregator list.
The site exists to put that calculation in front of readers without the aggregator games.
03
What I bring to this
Two things. First, the habit of treating every reward rate, fee, and cap as a number to be verified, not a claim to be repeated. Every figure on the site is traced back to the issuer’s Most Important Terms & Conditions PDF, and the verifiedAt timestamp on each card row tells you when we last checked.
Second, fourteen years of actually carrying these cards in my own wallet. I know what it feels like to time a milestone spend in the last month of an anniversary year, to chase a welcome bonus that turned out to have a hidden MCC exclusion, and to redeem points through a partner programme rather than the issuer’s own catalogue when the math works out. Where that experience adds verifiable signal to a review, I mark it clearly and explain the workings.
04
Cards I’ve personally used
A list of cards that have been in my wallet long enough to know how they actually behave at the statement-cycle level, not just at the marketing-page level. Grouped by era of my wallet, not strictly by issuer.
Early years (2012–2016)
- 2012ICICI Coral: My first credit card at the start of my career. Held for 4-5 years through early career-building.
- 2014HDFC Regalia First (LTF): Got it as lifetime-free; used it extensively through 2016, then it went dormant as other cards came in. Upgraded to Millennia LTF in 2020, then to Regalia Gold LTF in 2024, and I still hold this card today.
Building the rotation (2017–2020)
- 2017Amex Platinum Travel: My most favourite card of all time, right up to its April 2026 devaluation. I hit every annual milestone and claimed Taj vouchers every year since I got it.
- 2018Amex MRCC (LTF): Amex offered it lifetime-free; I love it for the bonus 2,000 rewards every month on ₹20K spends, convertible to Taj or Marriott. Quiet workhorse for years.
- 2020Axis Ace: Held it for a few years, but SBI Cashback, Regalia Gold, and my Amex duo made this card redundant. Let it go for wallet cleanup in 2024 despite being a LTF card.
- 2020ICICI Amazon Pay: The no-brainer card for regular Amazon shoppers. Still in rotation.
Specialist plays and current rotation (2021–2026)
- 2021Citibank PremierMiles: Joined for a fabulous welcome offer; continued for three years only because Citibank gave me fee waivers plus a ₹2,000-3,000 Amazon voucher as a retention gift despite minimal usage. Migrated to Axis Horizon in 2023 (used briefly for Accor transfers), then closed during a wallet cleanup in 2024.
- 2022RBL Zomato Classic Edition: Mainly for Zomato credits and the unbelievable 10% birthday-cashback offer. The card was discontinued in 2023.
- 2022SBI Cashback: The most generous flat-cashback card at launch, with a ₹10,000 monthly cap that made hitting milestones on other cards deliberately harder. Devalued to a ₹5K cap, still strong; then the latest devaluation to a ₹2K online cap.
- 2023IDFC First Club Vistara: Joined specifically to pay college fees for the IIT Kanpur Fintech programme. My other cards would have maxed their rewards or earned nothing, but Club Vistara gave free miles and free tickets.
- 2023HDFC Swiggy Credit Card: 10% back on groceries and food, which offsets the ₹12-per-order Swiggy platform fee. Earns its keep one order at a time.
- 2024SBI Club Vistara: Same reasoning as IDFC First Club Vistara; additional Vistara mileage during the period.
- 2025HDFC Marriott Bonvoy Credit Card: Mainly just as a supplement for the free Marriott Night and for spends at Marriott. (No other spends.)
- 2026BOB Eterna (LTF): Mainly because it was lifetime-free, and BOBCard was one issuer I didn't yet have. Came with a free FitPass membership for a year and a strong welcome bonus. With SBI Cashback's recent devaluation, this felt like a useful fallback.
Briefly held
Cards where the sales pitch got me before I worked out the numbers. Once the math caught up with the welcome offer, the value did not hold up and I let them go:
- 2016HSBC Platinum
- 2017Tata Card
- 2018SBI Central Credit Card
05
Published work
51 postsLong-form posts on Indian credit-card mechanics: devaluations, comparisons, and the kind of edge-case maths that does not fit cleanly into a card review. Card reviews live on each card’s page, not here.
Devaluations·2026-07-21
BOB Eterna Lounge Access Cut: Which Credit Cards Still Offer Airport Lounge Visits
BOB Eterna's unlimited lounge access now needs ₹75,000 quarterly spend, up from ₹40,000. What changed, who it hits, and cheaper alternatives.
Read post →4 min read
Offers·2026-07-17
Marriott Bonvoy x Emirates Skywards: 5,000 Bonus Points on Your Next Stay
Earn 5,000 bonus Marriott Bonvoy points after one paid hotel stay, 15 Jul to 30 Sep 2026. Requires linked Emirates Skywards account.
Read post →5 min read
Guides·2026-07-14
HDFC Regalia to Regalia Gold: Should Existing Holders Upgrade?
HDFC no longer issues the base Regalia to new applicants. For existing holders being offered Regalia Gold, here is what actually changes and what doesn't.
Read post →6 min read
Guides·2026-07-10
Best Secured Credit Cards in India for a Low CIBIL Score (2026)
Three FD-backed secured credit cards in India that need no income proof or credit history: Stable Money Suryoday, IDFC FIRST WOW!, and AU NoMo, compared on fees, rewards, and deposit terms.
Read post →7 min read
News·2026-07-10
Why Banks Are Cutting Credit Card Rewards in 2026
SBI, HDFC and Axis have all trimmed rewards this year. The reasons: rising card defaults, costlier capital and a points bill banks no longer want to pay.
Read post →6 min read
Offers·2026-07-09
Amex Spend and Earn Offer (July-August 2026): Is It Worth Chasing?
American Express Spend and Earn: hit ₹2L or ₹4L by 22 Aug 2026 for a ₹5,000 or ₹10,000 voucher. It is targeted, so check yours first.
Read post →5 min read
News·2026-07-09
SBM Bank and Paisabazaar Launch Paisa+: A ₹2,000 FD Now Gets You a Credit Card
SBM Bank India and Paisabazaar launched Paisa+, an FD-backed credit card needing just ₹2,000. What it costs, what it pays, and who it actually helps.
Read post →7 min read
News·2026-07-08
Apple Pay in India 2026: Which Credit Cards Will Work, and What Changes
Apple has resumed card payments on India's App Store after five years, with Apple Pay talks under way at five banks. What it means for your cards.
Read post →6 min read
Offers·2026-07-08
HSBC Spend Fest 2026: Confirmed Dates, Spend Milestones and Rewards
HSBC India has launched the Spend Fest, live 9 July to 9 August 2026. Registration is mandatory and cardholders unlock milestone rewards up to ₹4 lakh. Here are the confirmed mechanics.
Read post →7 min read
Devaluations·2026-07-08
IndusInd Bank Credit Card Changes 2026: New Charges and What Cardholders Should Do
IndusInd cut the fuel surcharge threshold on standard cards to ₹30,000, doubled DCC fees, and added a transport charge, all effective 15 June 2026.
Read post →5 min read
Guides·2026-07-07
Best Super-Premium Credit Cards in India 2026: Which Flagship Fits You
Five super-premium Indian credit cards worth their ₹5,000 to ₹12,500 fee in 2026, ranked by the spender each one actually pays off for.
Read post →10 min read
Devaluations·2026-07-01
HDFC SmartBuy Voucher Cap 2026: Infinia, Diners Black and Regalia Gold Hit
From 1 July 2026 HDFC caps accelerated points on SmartBuy gift vouchers at 3,000 a month. Infinia loses 80% of its voucher earning. What to do now.
Read post →6 min read
Guides·2026-06-26
Amex Centurion Lounge Mumbai Closes July 2026: Platinum Members Move to the Adani Business Class Lounge
Amex closes its Mumbai T2 Centurion Lounge from 1 July 2026. Platinum members shift to the Adani Business Class Lounge. What changes for cardholders.
Read post →5 min read
Guides·2026-06-26
RBI 2027 Rules: New Mis-Selling, CIBIL and Fraud-Compensation Norms for Credit-Card Users
From January 2027 banks cannot bundle or mis-sell without a refund, credit data updates weekly, and card-fraud victims get a 5-day shadow credit plus a compensation route. What all three mean for cardholders.
Read post →12 min read
Offers·2026-06-19
Amex 50% Points Back Offer 2026: Worth Redeeming?
Amex is giving up to 50% Membership Rewards points back from 18 June to 18 July 2026. The real per-point math, the redemption cap, and who should use it.
Read post →7 min read
Devaluations·2026-06-19
Amex MR Drops Etihad Guest (June 2026): What Value Is Left
Amex is reportedly removing Etihad Guest as a Membership Rewards transfer partner from 30 June 2026. What it costs MR cardholders, and what is left.
Read post →8 min read
Guides·2026-06-18
Best HDFC Credit Cards in India 2026
A use-case guide to HDFC's 2026 credit cards, from the ₹250 Pixel Go to the ₹3,000 Marriott Bonvoy, sorted by who each card actually suits.
Read post →10 min read
Guides·2026-06-11
Best Fuel Credit Cards in India 2026: Ranked by Value-Back
I rank India's six dedicated fuel credit cards for 2026 by real value-back and name the two to skip. The leaders return 7.25% to 8.5% per fill-up.
Read post →8 min read
Guides·2026-06-11
Visa Power Travel: How to Stack Rewards on Overseas Spends in 2026
Visa Power Travel pays 0.5% plus a 10% tap-to-pay bonus and a ₹10,000 milestone on overseas spends until 30 September 2026. Here is how to stack it.
Read post →7 min read
Offers·2026-06-09
IndiGo Axis Premium: Double Joining Bonus Ends July 31
Axis Bank doubled the IndiGo Premium credit card joining bonus to 10,000 BluChips, extended through July 2026. Standard card gets 2,400 BluChips. Offer ends July 31.
Read post →6 min read
Comparisons·2026-06-09
IndiGo Credit Card Comparison: Axis vs IDFC First Dual 2026
Axis IndiGo Standard, Premium, and IDFC FIRST Dual rated side by side: earn rates, lounge access, and which fee tier fits your IndiGo flying pattern.
Read post →8 min read
Offers·2026-06-09
Scapia Refer and Earn July 2026: ₹30,000 Tanishq Card, Marshall Speaker & Amazon Voucher
Scapia Refer and Earn July 2026: ₹1,000 Amazon Voucher at 2 referrals; a ₹30,000 Tanishq gold card or Marshall Acton III at 6. Start date, T&Cs and friend flight discount explained.
Read post →9 min read
Offers·2026-06-06
HSBC ALL Accor Bonus Points Festival: What to Expect
HSBC India officially announced the ALL Accor Bonus Points Festival on 23 May 2026. Here is the full story, which cards qualify, and how to be ready.
Read post →9 min read
Devaluations·2026-06-02
Jupiter Edge+ Devaluation 2026: The 10% Cashback Is Now About 7%
Jupiter cut the Edge+ Jewel value from ₹0.20 to ₹0.14 from June 2026, trimming its 10% cashback to about 7%. What changed and whether to keep the card.
Read post →5 min read
Devaluations·2026-06-01
ICICI Credit Card Devaluation 2026: iShop Cut and New Fees
ICICI slashed iShop returns (Emeralde 18% to 3%) and added fees on gaming, wallet loads and transport from January 2026: what changed and what to do.
Read post →4 min read
Devaluations·2026-06-01
Scapia, IDFC First and Yes Bank Devaluation 2026
Scapia doubled its ₹10,000 lounge bar to ₹20,000, IDFC First moved to ₹200 a point, and Yes Bank scrapped overlimit across its cards in 2026.
Read post →6 min read
Devaluations·2026-05-31
Amex Platinum Travel Devaluation 2026: ₹4L to ₹7L
Amex reset the Platinum Travel milestone on 9 March 2026: the ₹4 lakh tier lost its Taj voucher and most of its points; the full reward now needs ₹7 lakh.
Read post →8 min read
Devaluations·2026-05-31
HDFC Credit Card Devaluation 2026: Swiggy, Tata Neu, Fees
HDFC's 2026 devaluation split the Swiggy card into Ornge and BLCK, closed the Tata Neu cashback loophole, and gated lounge access behind quarterly spend.
Read post →7 min read
Devaluations·2026-05-30
Axis Bank Credit Card Devaluation 2026: Magnus and Atlas Both Gutted
Axis Bank cut Accor, Marriott Bonvoy and Qatar from Travel Edge on 2 April 2026. Magnus best-case yield fell from ~9% to ~2%, Atlas from ~8% to ~1%. What's still usable.
Read post →7 min read
Devaluations·2026-05-30
Credit Card Devaluations in India 2026: The Complete List
Axis, HDFC, American Express, SBI and ICICI all devalued credit cards in 2026. The complete list of what changed across rewards, lounges and fees.
Read post →8 min read
Devaluations·2026-05-29
HDFC Regalia Gold Devaluation 2026: Spend-Gated Lounges
HDFC cut the Regalia Gold base rate and put domestic lounges behind a ₹60,000 quarterly spend gate from July 2026. What changed across the Regalia family, and what to do.
Read post →5 min read
Guides·2026-05-28
How to Build a 780+ CIBIL Score Using Just One Credit Card
A 780+ CIBIL score takes one well-chosen lifetime free card and four habits, held for roughly two years. The playbook, with what counts and what doesn't.
Read post →7 min read
Comparisons·2026-05-28
Kiwi vs Jupiter Edge+ CSB: Which Should You Get?
Both Kiwi and Jupiter Edge+ CSB Bank are lifetime-free RuPay cards, but Kiwi pays 1.5% on UPI scan-and-pay while Jupiter Edge+ earns up to 7% on Amazon and Flipkart.
Read post →9 min read
Comparisons·2026-05-27
BOBCARD Etihad Guest vs Etihad Guest Premium: The Rs 2,500 Gap and What It Actually Buys
BOBCARD's two Etihad co-branded cards sit Rs 2,500 apart on annual fee. The Premium earns twice the miles, waives forex entirely, and fast-tracks cardholders to Etihad Guest Gold on one Etihad.com transaction.
Read post →6 min read
Offers·2026-05-15
Air India Maharaja Club Points Fest 2026: where the 50% bonus actually lands
Air India's Maharaja Club Points Fest runs through May 2026, with tiered bonuses up to 50% on partner-bank reward point transfers.
Read post →6 min read
Reviews·2026-05-10
Axis Bank Ace Credit Card Review: Still the Best Bill-Payment Card in India?
Axis Ace pays 5% on Google Pay bill payments with a ₹500 monthly cap. After SBI Cashback's April 2026 cuts, whether it still belongs in a 2026 wallet.
Read post →6 min read
Guides·2026-05-07
Starting Your First Job? Why You Need a Credit Card Early
Why a lifetime free credit card in your first salaried year sets up your CIBIL score, future home loan rate, and a few useful perks along the way.
Read post →8 min read
Offers·2026-05-04
American Express Platinum Reserve: Does Referral Cover the Fee?
Amex Platinum Reserve referral pays 19,000 MR points across two spend milestones, nearly covering the ₹10,000 joining fee in year one. The math and verdict.
Read post →7 min read
Guides·2026-05-03
Best Lifetime Free Credit Cards in India 2026: The Five That Actually Cost Nothing
Five Indian credit cards that are structurally lifetime free in 2026, plus one paid card currently waived under a Limited Period offer.
Read post →8 min read
Guides·2026-05-03
When Fee Waivers Actually Save You Money in 2026
How fee waiver thresholds work, which cards have realistic ones, and how to calculate whether the waiver makes the card pay you back.
Read post →7 min read
Guides·2026-04-30
How I Earned ₹22,000+ in Zomato Credits in One Birthday Month
A first-person account of using the RBL Zomato Edition Classic on a single birthday-day 10% offer, before the NPS card-payment route closed in August 2022.
Read post →8 min read
Comparisons·2026-04-29
Axis LIC Platinum vs Signature: Which Should You Get?
Both cards are free and pay the same LIC reward rate. The Signature has exactly one advantage over the Platinum. Whether that one thing matters to you decides everything.
Read post →6 min read
Comparisons·2026-04-28
IndianOil Axis Visa vs RuPay: Which Variant Wins for Fuel?
Same fee, same fuel rate, different networks. The IndianOil Axis Bank Visa and RuPay variants compared, with our pick for fuel-heavy drivers.
Read post →6 min read
Comparisons·2026-04-27
Axis Flipkart vs HDFC Millennia: Which Wins Online Shopping?
Which card pays more on Amazon, Flipkart, Myntra, Swiggy, and Zomato? A real-merchant comparison with fees, lounges, and a clear pick.
Read post →10 min read
Reviews·2026-04-27
Federal Scapia Credit Card Review: Is the Unlimited Lounge Claim Real?
An honest take on the Federal Scapia card. Unlimited domestic lounges at zero fee, the Scapia app dependency, and where it fits in your wallet.
Read post →5 min read
Comparisons·2026-04-27
RBL IndianOil vs Xtra: Which IndianOil Fuel Card Is Right for You?
RBL Bank offers two IndianOil co-branded fuel cards. One at INR 500, one at INR 1,500. We compare both so you know exactly which one earns you more on your fuel spends.
Read post →6 min read
Guides·2026-04-24
Best Credit Cards for Salaried Professionals in India 2026
Card recommendations sorted by income tier for Indian salaried professionals. Real spending profiles, fee waiver math, and what to skip at each level.
Read post →7 min read
Comparisons·2026-04-24
HDFC Millennia vs SBI Cashback Card 2026: Which One Wins
Side-by-side comparison after SBI Cashback's April 2026 devaluation. New caps, real cashback math, and which card wins each spending profile.
Read post →9 min read
Devaluations·2026-04-23
SBI Cashback Card Devaluation 2026: What Changed, What to Do
What the SBI Cashback card looks like after the April 2026 cap restructure and exclusion-list expansion, and whether the card is still worth the ₹999 fee.
Read post →5 min read
Guides·2026-04-22
Best Credit Cards for Airport Lounge Access in India 2026
How airport lounge access actually works in India, plus the cards offering the most lounge value across free, mid, and premium fee tiers.
Read post →6 min read
Guides·2026-04-22
How Credit Card Cashback Works in India: A Plain-English Guide
How cashback is calculated, why monthly caps matter, what 'unlimited' really means, and how the money actually shows up in your account.
Read post →6 min read
06
Get in touch
I’m happy to chat about credit cards with anyone who reaches out. The fastest way is a DM on X, @vikramwarialani. If you’d rather email, hello@pickmycard.in reaches the editorial inbox, or vikram.warialani@gmail.com for something more personal.
I’m not currently offering professional consulting; my day job in IT keeps me busy enough. But I read every email and respond as time permits. Blog comments are also a good place to start a conversation.
How we work
The full methodology
Where the numbers come from, how reviews are scored, and the re-verification cadence.
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Professional history, talks, and the occasional credit-card thread.
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Email the card name and a link to the issuer page that shows the right number. Corrections are made same-day.
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