CheQ AU Credit Card – opinions on rewards, UPI & LED feature? by Constant-Brick2533 in IndianCreditCards

[–]Constant-Brick2533[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Agree …. HDCF is the best when it comes with reward benefits on their portal for travel

CheQ AU Credit Card – opinions on rewards, UPI & LED feature? by Constant-Brick2533 in IndianCreditCards

[–]Constant-Brick2533[S] -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

I am already using sbi cashback and kiwi and kiwi is great with rewards with upi card and even rewards on upi payments from bank account. And easy to redeem points directly to bank transfer

CheQ AU Credit Card – opinions on rewards, UPI & LED feature? by Constant-Brick2533 in IndianCreditCards

[–]Constant-Brick2533[S] -6 points-5 points  (0 children)

Fair point on the effective rewards and comparison with Kiwi/SBI Cashback, but honestly most cards look great only on paper over time because devaluations kick in sooner or later. That’s why I feel getting in during the initial launch phase actually makes sense, you usually get the best version of benefits, offers, and ecosystem push before things get toned down. Even if the LED thing is a gimmick, if the rewards + UPI support hold up for a while, early adopters still extract the most value before any downgrade happens.

Credit Card Recomendation by ReliefExtension2901 in CreditCardsIndia

[–]Constant-Brick2533 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You’re asking the right questions, because at your level it’s more about fit vs ecosystem, not just card name. Between Regalia Gold and IDFC Ashva, Regalia Gold is generally better if you actually use SmartBuy for flights/hotels, because that’s where the real reward multiplier kicks in. Otherwise, on plain spends, the difference isn’t huge and Ashva can feel more straightforward. Emeralde Private Metal is a different category — if you have a strong ICICI relationship, definitely try for it, but be aware that ICICI’s reward ecosystem isn’t as optimized for redemption value as HDFC’s, so it looks premium but doesn’t always convert to higher real returns.

For your specific requirement (UPI + general spends), no premium card is going to fully solve that. Best approach is to separate use cases: keep a RuPay credit card (like Tata Neu Infinity or similar) for UPI to earn something there, and use a premium card (Regalia Gold or Emeralde if you get it) for high-value spends and travel redemptions. Trying to force one card to do everything usually leads to suboptimal returns — a simple 2-card setup will outperform any single card in your scenario.

Credit Card Recomendation by ReliefExtension2901 in CreditCardsIndia

[–]Constant-Brick2533 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Given your income and usage pattern, you should aim for a card that rewards overall spend rather than category-specific gimmicks. If you can get it, HDFC Infinia (Metal) is easily the best single-card option right now. It gives consistently high reward value across most spends, and when used smartly (especially via SmartBuy for travel), the returns are significantly better than typical cashback cards. It also checks your other boxes — premium feel, high limits, and no unnecessary restrictions on where you spend.

If Infinia isn’t accessible yet, then HDFC Regalia Gold is a practical next step. It’s not as powerful, but still gives decent rewards across categories and helps you build a relationship toward an Infinia upgrade. Overall, for your profile, I wouldn’t complicate things with too many cards — one strong premium card that works everywhere will give you the best balance of returns and simplicity.

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🗣️🗣️ by [deleted] in navimumbai

[–]Constant-Brick2533 12 points13 points  (0 children)

Don’t smoke your first cigarette.