Choose a Credit Card that Matches Your Personality

Your credit card offers numerous dining benefits but you seldom dine out, you are more of a movie buff. On the other hand, your friend likes shopping a lot but her credit card offers airline privileges more than shopping benefits. This is true for most of us. We own a credit card that is not aligned with our purchase habits, without being aware that there are credit cards out there that suit our lifestyle much better.

To make it easier for you to know what kind of a credit card you should have in your wallet, we have profiled six different personalities and the type of card they should own-

1- The Travel Enthusiast

If you are one of those who mark long weekends on their calendars months in advance to plan their next travel, whose Facebook is full of pictures from travel, you are the real travel aficionado. But is your credit card suited to help you get benefits from your travelling? You need a credit card that offers amazing travel rewards. Some premium cards have tie ups with airline brands and provide huge rebates if you book a flight with that particular brand. Some credit cards also come with excellent rewards on hotel bookings and provide free access to airport lounges. However, if you are more loyal to the best deals than airline brands, you need to look for credit cards that offer good rewards and cashbacks on travel spends. Also, learn about the Credit Card’s Travel Insurance whether it offers coverage against theft, lost luggage or cancelled trips.

Recommended- The American Express® Platinum Travel Credit Card

With Amex Platinum Travel Credit Card, you can make your journey more rewarding. Some of its travel benefits include-

• Welcome Gift of 5,000 Milestone Bonus Membership Rewards Points which can be redeemed to get Travel Vouchers worth Rs 4000.
• Enjoy 4 complimentary visits per year to 29 airport lounges in nine cities across the country including Delhi, Bengaluru and Mumbai.
• Get complimentary Priority Pass Membership with the $99 annual membership fee waived off.
• Get travel vouchers worth Rs 7,700 on spending Rs.1.90 Lakh in a year.
• On spending Rs 4 Lakhs in a year, get travel vouchers worth Rs 11,800. Also, get Rs 10,000 voucher from Taj Group.
• Also stand eligible for American Express Selects Dining Programme and enjoy a good meal on your trips.

2- The Fashion Lover

Smart attire is all about where you shop and smart finances are all about how you shop. If you are a fashion lover and visit your favourite store several times a month, you should look for credit cards that offer store-branded benefits. With such credit cards, you not only get excellent discounts on every purchase but will also get loyalty reward points. Find a card that offers such extra benefits on fashion purchases but does not compromise on common privileges like fuel surcharge waiver and extra reward points on online shopping.

Recommended- SBI StyleUP Credit Card

This card by SBI is meant for the fashion lovers. Launched in association with FBB (Fashion at Big Bazaar), it offers a number of benefits, such as-

• Welcome gift of Rs 500 from FBB.
• Get 10 times reward points when you shop at Big Bazaar, Standalone FBB and Food Bazaar.
• Also get 10 times reward points on all your dining spends.
• Enjoy Flat 10% discounts when you shop for apparels, backpacks, footwear and accessories at FBB with no cap on daily, monthly or yearly discounts.
• Avail 1% fuel surcharge waiver on every transaction ranging between Rs 500 and Rs 3,000

3- The Retail Roger

You are retail roger if the retail store loves you and you love it back. So the next time you drop in for your retail therapy session, do it smartly with your smart credit card. Find a card that lets you buy all you want and gives back a portion of it in the form of cashbacks or rewards points. Also look for bonus rewards that you can redeem at retail stores.

Recommended- Citibank® Rewards Card

This rewards card by Citibank is perfect for those who go for frequent retail shopping. It offers benefits such as-

• Get 1,500 bonus points on your first credit card spend made within 30 days of card issue.
• Earn 10 times more reward points when shopping at departmental stores
• Get 1,000 bonus points on your first spend of Rs. 1000 within 60 days of card issue.
• Get 2,500 bonus points on card activation.
• Spend Rs 30,000 or more in a month to get 300 bonus reward points.
• Reward points never expire so you can save them to redeem later for a better value.
• Redeem the reward points as direct cash credit into the statement.

4- The Fine-Dine Connoisseur

“One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well.”

Do you go by this Virginia Woolf quote? If yes, you must have a taste for all the fine things that life has to offer; dining being the most important of all. You need a credit card that satiates your hunger for good food without burning a hole in your pocket. A number of credit cards come with excellent cashback and rewards when you dine at the banks’ partner restaurants across the country. Some offer discounts up to 20% on your restaurant bill while others provide complimentary drinks, desserts or appetizers. Premium lounge access is also available on certain credit cards.

Recommended- American Express® Platinum Reserve Credit Card

The Platinum Reserve Credit Card by American Express offers great fine dining benefits, such as-

• Get a Welcome Gift of 11,000 Bonus Membership Rewards Points.
• Enjoy complimentary access to American Express Lounges and other domestic lounges across the country.
• Enjoy some chosen privileges at Taj Hotels, Resorts and Palaces and Oberoi Hotels & Resorts.
• Be a part of American Express Selects Dining Programme and savour discounts at some of the best restaurants in the country.
• Take your culinary journey to a whole new level with Taj Epicure Membership. Enjoy 25% on the food and beverages spend as loyalty Points on the Dining Card, which can be redeemed in the subsequent visits.
• Get a complimentary Priority Pass Membership with membership fee waived off.

5- The Penny-Pincher

Are you extremely cautious with your money? If the answer is yes, you must get a credit card that brings back most of the amount you spent. Cashback credit cards are the best for this as you can get what you spent in the form of direct cash or by converting the rewards you earn into statement credit. Credit cards that offer discounts on popular brands, complimentary benefits and annual fee reversal can also help you save a lot. The mantra is to know how you can earn while spending. So you must dig deeper to find cards that offer highest rewards, discounts and other direct monetary privileges.

Recommended- SimplyCLICK SBI Card

SBI SimplyCLICK credit card comes with numerous privileges in the form of e-vouchers, extra reward points and annual fee reversal. Some of its key benefits include-

• Get Amazon Gift Card worth Rs 500 at the time of joining
• Earn e-voucher worth Rs 2,000 on spending more than Rs 1 Lakh annually online
• Again get e-voucher worth Rs 2,000 when online spends reach Rs 2 Lakh in a year
• Earn 10 times more reward points when shopping at partners like BookMyShow, Amazon, Cleartrip, Foodpanda, OLA, Lenskart and more.
• Get 1% fuel surcharge waiver for each transaction between Rs 500 and Rs 3000
• Spend Rs 1 Lakh and get annual fee of Rs 499 reversed into your statement in the subsequent year.

6- The Extravagant Spender

Luxury and extravagance are the two words that describe your lifestyle, anything less is not acceptable. Then, you deserve a credit card that pampers your indulgence- a card that offers privileges on premium dining at elite restaurants, airline benefits and best-in-class rewards programme.

Recommended- HDFC Regalia Credit Card

HDFC Regalia credit card makes you a member of their elite circle and offers world-class privileges. Some of its key benefits are-

• Get complimentary Silver Membership to Club Vistara (CV) that offers unmatched benefits like 9 CV points on every Rs 100 spent on all Vistara flights, priority check-in and waiting clearance and 5 kg extra baggage allowed.
• Free access to more than 1,000 airport lounges across the world.
• Get exclusive dining privileges at premium restaurants across the country.
• Get 4 reward points on every Rs 150 spent on retail purchases and 8 reward points on dining and flight bookings.
• Choose from a variety of redemption options including Air Miles conversion, gifts and travel bookings.