The CardBuzz blog
Card-by-card write-ups from our team, features, fees, lounge access and who each card actually suits. For the numbers after every cap and exclusion, head to the card pages.
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How-To GuidesEMI Planning for Freelancers with Irregular Income
EMI schedules assume something freelancers do not have: a fixed monthly salary. The instalment is due on the same date every month; freelance income arrives in lumps, late, and sometimes not at all. This mismatch does no
How-To GuidesBrand and Cardless EMI vs Credit Card EMI: The Honest Comparison
At checkout, the EMI options multiply: the brand's own EMI plan, a cardless EMI offer, and the credit card's EMI — sometimes all three on the same product page. They are not the same product, and the differences hide in
How-To GuidesRunning Multiple EMIs: The Budgeting Rule That Keeps You Safe
One EMI is a plan. Three EMIs are a portfolio — and portfolios need management. Indian households routinely carry several concurrent EMIs: a phone, an appliance, a laptop, each on its own tidy monthly plan. Individually
Credit HealthRecovering from a Utilization Spike: The 90-Day Plan
The festive bill arrives, the utilization ratio is alarming, and the score has dipped. This is the most common credit scare in India every October — and the most recoverable. Utilization has no memory: it reflects the la
Credit HealthHard Enquiries: Timing Card Applications to Protect Your Score
Every credit card application triggers a hard enquiry — the issuer's pull of the credit report, recorded on the file. One enquiry is trivial. Several in quick succession tell a story the scoring models dislike: someone u
Credit HealthSelf-Employed Credit Building Without a Salary Slip
The credit system was designed around salary slips, and the self-employed — freelancers, consultants, shop owners, creators — build credit without them. It is entirely doable, but the path has different gates: income pro
Credit HealthSalary Delays and Missed Payments: The Damage-Control Playbook
The salary is delayed, the card bill is due, and the savings are thin. This is the most common route to a missed payment in India — not recklessness, but a timing gap between income and obligation. The damage from a miss
Credit HealthYour Second Credit Card: The Credit-Building Strategy
The first credit card builds the credit file; the second card builds the credit profile. One card demonstrates that someone can handle credit; two cards, managed well, demonstrate depth — more history, more available cre
Buying GuidesFestive Electronics Under Rs 25,000: The Small-Ticket Card Strategy
The festive sales are marketed around flagship phones and big-screen TVs, but most households' festive electronics list is humbler: a microwave, a mixer grinder, earbuds, a smartwatch, a small kitchen appliance. Individu
Credit HealthFestive Sale Card Limits: Managing Utilization When Spending Spikes
Festive sales spike spending, and spiked spending spikes credit utilization — the ratio of balances to credit limits that the bureaus watch closely. A cardholder who sails through the year at modest utilization can hit a
How-To GuidesThe Festive EMI Calendar: Planning Big Purchases Across Sale Season
Festive season concentrates big purchases — and therefore EMIs — into a few weeks. Each EMI feels manageable in isolation; together, they form a monthly obligation that can surprise even careful buyers. The EMI calendar
Deals & OffersYear-End and New Year Sales: The Cardholder's 2026-27 Preview
The festive sales dominate October, but the sale calendar does not end with Diwali. Year-end and New Year sales run through December into January, with a different character: less frenzy, deeper clearance intent, and cat