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 GuidesInternational ATM fees: the three charges behind every cash withdrawal
Cards work almost everywhere, but travel still needs cash — taxis, tips, small shops, rural towns. Withdrawing local currency from a foreign ATM is simple, but it is also one of the most fee-dense actions in travel: up t
How-To GuidesForex markup maths: worked examples of the markup-plus-GST chain
Every international card transaction passes through the same cost chain: the network converts the currency, your bank adds a markup fee, and the government adds 18% GST on that fee. Most people only feel the final number
How-To GuidesZero forex markup cards in India: what 'zero' actually covers
Forex markup is the fee Indian banks add on top of the card network's exchange rate whenever you spend in a foreign currency. A growing category of cards advertises zero forex markup — and the headline is genuinely valua
How-To GuidesAlways pay in local currency abroad: the dynamic currency conversion trap
You hand your card to a waiter in Paris, and the card machine offers a choice: pay in euros, or pay in Indian rupees. It feels helpful — even reassuring to see the amount in your home currency. But that friendly offer, k
How-To GuidesNew credit card strategy: the first 12 months that earn bigger limits
The limit you are assigned on day one is rarely the limit you keep. Banks review accounts continuously, and the first 6 to 12 months are effectively a probation period: behave well and the bank will often raise your limi
Credit HealthBalance chasing: why banks cut your limit as you repay and how to fight back
Balance chasing is one of the nastier dynamics in credit cards. You owe a large balance, you diligently pay it down month after month — and the bank responds by lowering your credit limit in step with your payments, keep
Credit HealthCredit utilisation myths debunked: what actually moves your CIBIL score
Credit utilisation attracts more folklore than almost any other part of credit scoring. Some of the myths are harmless; others cost people real money or push them into worse behaviour. Here is what the mechanics actually
How-To GuidesSecured credit card limits: how FD-backed cards build your limit from zero
If you have no credit history — a student, a first-time earner, a freelancer without salary slips, or someone rebuilding after a rough patch — the standard credit card application is a closed door. The bank cannot assess
Credit HealthYour credit limit is not your budget: spending within your means
A credit limit is the maximum the bank is willing to lend you. Your budget is the maximum you can spend without damaging your finances. These are two completely different numbers — and treating the first as the second is
Credit HealthWhy your bank cut your credit limit and what to do about it
A credit limit decrease arrives as an SMS you did not ask for: your limit is now lower than it was yesterday. No application, no consent sought. Banks are within their rights to do this — card terms in India, including S
Credit HealthStatement cycle vs CIBIL reporting: the timing trick that lowers utilisation
Here is the scenario that confuses almost everyone. You spend heavily on your card, then pay the entire bill in full before the due date — yet your CIBIL report still shows high utilisation for that month. You did nothin
How-To GuidesAdd-on card limits: how your primary card limit gets shared
An add-on (supplementary) card does not come with its own fresh pool of credit. It draws from the primary cardholder's limit. That single fact explains almost every confusion families have about add-on cards: why the pri