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.
6094 posts · Page 316 of 508 · View the full archive
How-To GuidesFee-waiver calls and retention desks: how they actually work in India
Every year, cardholders across India pick up the phone and ask their bank to waive the annual fee — and every year, some walk away with the fee gone and others with nothing. The difference is rarely charm. It is understa
How-To GuidesDowngrading co-brand cards: the quirks nobody warns you about
Co-brand cards — the airline cards, the shopping cards, the fuel cards — follow the same broad downgrade rules as regular cards, with a few extra twists baked in by the partnership behind them. The quirks are small but c
How-To GuidesProtecting your credit history and card age when you downgrade
Your credit report is a story about your borrowing behaviour, and one of its quieter chapters is how long you have been borrowing. When you downgrade a card, that chapter is usually preserved — when you cancel, it eventu
How-To GuidesWhat happens to your reward points when you downgrade or cancel
Points feel like money in an account, but they are loyalty currency issued on the bank's terms — and the terms change when you change the card. Whether you downgrade or cancel, your points have a specific fate, and getti
How-To GuidesThe annual-fee decision: keep, downgrade or cancel
The renewal fee has posted, and the card is sitting in your wallet asking a question you keep postponing: is it still worth it? Guessing is how people end up paying for three cards they never use. A simple decision frame
How-To GuidesWhat you actually lose when you downgrade your credit card
A downgrade keeps your account alive and usually kills the fee — which makes it feel like a free move. It is not. The cheaper card is cheaper because something has been taken away, and the things taken away are exactly t
How-To GuidesHow to ask your bank for a credit card retention offer
Your card's renewal fee is due next month, and you are not sure the card still earns its place. Before you downgrade or cancel, there is a middle path worth trying: asking the bank for a retention offer. Banks would rath
How-To GuidesShould you downgrade or cancel your credit card?
Every premium card has a shelf life. The lounge visits taper off, the travel slows down, and suddenly the renewal fee arrives on a card you barely touch. At that point most people land on one of two options: downgrade th
How-To GuidesQuarterly vs annual milestones: a calendar playbook
Some cards measure milestones quarterly, others annually — and the two demand completely different strategies. Quarterly thresholds reward steady, even spending; annual ones reward concentration and timing. This guide co
How-To GuidesWhen milestones become a spending trap: the maths
Milestone benefits are designed to make you spend more — that is their commercial purpose. Most of the time the nudge is harmless, but near a threshold it can turn expensive: the last stretch of spending to unlock a bene
How-To GuidesHow anniversary rewards work on co-brand cards
Co-brand cards — issued with an airline, a retailer, or a shopping platform — handle anniversary rewards differently from regular bank cards. The rewards are denominated in the partner's currency and shaped by the partne
How-To GuidesMilestone benefits or welcome bonus: which to prioritise
New cards dangle two kinds of rewards: a welcome bonus for spending a set amount in the first months, and milestone benefits that unlock over the year. When your natural spending can only chase one properly, which deserv