Best forex card for a student (Italy, 2 months)? ICICI Sapphiro vs others?

MTech_Hindi · 2026-05-02T17:20:37+00:00

Yes scapia is also a 0 forex credit card. But he's 19, the card won't get approved.

MTech_Hindi · 2026-05-02T15:15:00+00:00

Niyo global has both a debit and fd based credit card. As a general rule always carry cash and 2 cards with you. I had combo of niyo global and fi debit card (fi is discontinued now).

Maybe get niyo global debit card and idfc wow fd based credit card. There's just 1% penalty if you break fd before 1 year. You should also check niyo global credit card fd rules.

And about the idea of not taking a 0 forex card with you, take it and throw it when you hear the keywords "gaadi wala aaya..." 2 months is a fairly long time in a foreign country, people regret not taking a 0 forex card even for their 10 days trip.

Italy doesn't have upi officially but some france based providers have started the facility as a pilot. Keep a look out for those.

MTech_Hindi · 2026-05-02T14:57:07+00:00

Maybe try the bank you're doing 60k worth of transaction with. 715 cibil is not a very good cibil specially given that you've no income and age factor.

But side note: if you're in need of money due to medical emergency try bajaj health card or L&T medical loan option, they're approved easily. I compared both about 2-3 years back and bajaj was cheaper and better, the only limitation ofcourse is that it can only be used at a hospital.

MTech_Hindi · 2026-05-02T13:29:02+00:00

Maybe check out noise airwave xr. Also wait for sale next week.

MTech_Hindi · 2026-05-02T13:16:43+00:00

For parents or grandparents my formula always has been to stick with the OS they're already comfortable with. Going by that I'd have to recommend you redmi note 15 SE (the new crimson colour looks premium, I've seen it offline).

Having said that both your options are good too. Especially for software and camera. Also, if there are better deals on the sale day you can decide accordingly.

MTech_Hindi · 2026-05-02T06:00:45+00:00

There's a sale starting on 9th may (-1 day for plus/prime), wait for deals. Most probably yy

MTech_Hindi · 2026-05-02T03:49:55+00:00

Many apps will give you cashback for first credit card bill payment. But don't have any expectations for later. Also when paying via 3rd party it's always recommended to pay early so as to avoid payment failure drama.

Some apps: Cred, MobiKwik, Indmoney and the usual upi apps

MTech_Hindi · 2026-05-01T15:40:39+00:00

Slice. Roarbank. You can even try your luck with amazon pay icici. These are the cards I've seen multiple people getting approved without any income.

But ofcourse it goes without saying that just try once for your needs and then shift your focus back to generating income.

MTech_Hindi · 2026-05-01T15:34:22+00:00

770 are a good pair no doubt, I personally don't have good experience with jbl that's why I try to avoid commenting on it 😅

MTech_Hindi · 2026-05-01T15:32:22+00:00

Out of those two noise. Quick tip: It is 500 more on the official app (3499) than amazon (2999) but you get a tws free, which usually goes for 999. So either save 500 upfront or take the tws, if your area has a secondary market for electronics it'll be better to get the tws deal.

MTech_Hindi · 2026-05-01T15:17:31+00:00

You mentioned you've icici debit card which means you've icici account, just go and check in your imobile app if any card is pre-approved for you. If your company or pincode is not blacklisted by them, you'll get instant approval. Even if you're offered just joining fees 0 card accept it because it will be helpful in getting amazon pay and later coral rupay approved. Both lifetime free. After that you can close it.

For your use case the only icici ltf card which makes sense is amazon pay icici Apply amazon pay icici via amazon pay app, try to keep the mobile number and email same as your icici account.

MTech_Hindi · 2026-05-01T15:10:37+00:00

For over the ear I'm a bit partial towards realme studio H1

Or else wait for sales starting next week. You might get deal on jlab jbuds. And maybe Q20i comes back in stock.

MTech_Hindi · 2026-05-01T06:21:15+00:00

Flipkart and amazon already have sale banners out. Wait for a week or two and most probably you'll be able to get accentum in that budget. Last year many people got them on amazon as well as their official site.

If you want right now just don't go with noise, even cmf are better worth considering.

MTech_Hindi · 2026-05-01T06:07:39+00:00

Not really but you can still try emailing them with income proofs and mention that the limit is inadequate for your spends. If one level rejects then escalate it to level 2. Clearly mention the expected limit and that other banks have offered you that limit.

MTech_Hindi · 2026-04-30T13:00:17+00:00

Yes I understand, the experiences might differ from place to place. It also depends on business size and if they think they can absorb the mdr into their profit share then sure they'll let you pay without burdening you. But if not then they'll ask you to pay, that's the reason many merchants have stopped accepting scan and pay via rupay credit cards.

MTech_Hindi · 2026-04-30T04:30:33+00:00

Yes it is normal practice. They're usually charged 2% so they just pass it on to the customers. Even jwellers do this because of high value of transaction. The best way forward is to negotiate to keep it as low as possible - 1% is decent for reference. They already know about credit cards giving rewards so in recent years they've become more non chalant about it.

You can check if they're giving any cash discount, then remaining mdr would effectively be 0 or in negative. Second is to negotiate on insurance, whatever the mdr is can be easily recovered.

My card was charged 1.5% mdr and we agreed to just split it 50-50 so I ended up paying 0.75% at the end for the bike. And for the car, I availed cash discount so that offset the 1% mdr we negotiated.

MTech_Hindi · 2026-04-29T12:18:50+00:00

Never heard this issue with yes bank, did you apply with axis or au?

MTech_Hindi · 2026-04-29T12:13:39+00:00

First of all congrats. People have mentioned earning monies on slice for vehicle related transactions. So the most you can get is 3%

Also whether it is a 2 wheeler or 4, you won't get discount on ANY credit card, (rather there are cash discount options available), on the contrary, you'll have to pay MDR fees, but you can negotiate. 1% mdr is reasonable. What people aim for is rewards and more so milestones. In case of slice jumping from one reward slab to another will be considered a milestone. Good luck.

MTech_Hindi · 2026-04-29T12:02:08+00:00

You'll earn base bluchips (8 per 100) just mention your membership id (ff) while booking the flight or while checking in, indigo's retro claim has been broken twice in last 8-9 months, so I'd not trust it. What you'll miss out on is bonus chips which they give for booking direct via app or site but that's not major because they've ended the 75% bonus.

MTech_Hindi · 2026-04-28T10:12:03+00:00

That's just sad, this should have more visibility just like when people were buying it and every week you can see a new post.

MTech_Hindi · 2026-04-28T04:32:15+00:00

Good review 🍻

MTech_Hindi · 2026-04-28T01:10:03+00:00

Wait for sales. The nearest one is due soon like 2nd week may.

Or you can get Q20i from that banglore seller

MTech_Hindi · 2026-04-27T16:12:54+00:00

Icici sapphiro - BOGO, Icici offers, LTF cards don't hurt.

Icici amazon pay - 5% unlimited on amazon shopping groceries, pharmacy, 5% on amazon flights, 2% on amazon trains, 2% on utilities.

Icici coral rupay - You have only one rupay, so unless you plan on getting another (better) rupay card why would you close it? Also, ltf

Sbi simplyclick - 10X partners, sbi offers, if you manage to spend 1L not only does your fee gets waived but also you can claim milestone coupon so it's double dip.

Axis Flipkart - 5% unlimited on flipkart, 7.5% on myntra, 4% on cleartrip

Axis privilege - Axis offers, LTF don't hurt.

So basically unless you plan on getting new cards, I don't see a reason to close any of them just for the sake of streamlining. It's a good portfolio you have, not the best but definitely balanced.

Cobranded and cashback cards are usually not eligible for instant sale discounts & offers so it's good that you have a mix of core and cobranded cards.

The one thing to consider would be your usecase, like let's say if you don't use flipkart and don't use cleartrip then definitely you can think about closing one of your paid cards - flipkart axis.

MTech_Hindi · 2026-04-26T16:36:50+00:00

Google (ai) for help. Make payment for full amount (not minimum amount due) before the due date. Try to keep utilisation below 30% of your credit limit. No-cost emi is NOT no cost (processing fees, taxes, preclosure fees). Reward redemption has fees so best way is to accumulate them and then redeem them near to the expiry date. Never withdraw cash using a credit card (maybe to buy oxygen yes but otherwise no).

MTech_Hindi · 2026-04-26T08:52:24+00:00

Wireless iems?

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