# CardSamajh.in

> Free, education-only credit-card and credit-score literacy for India. We sell nothing, have no bank partnerships and run no lead generation. Every rate is indicative, dated, and points readers back to their bank’s official schedule of charges.

Languages: English at the root, a full Hindi mirror under /hi/.
Licence: content is free to quote and cite with attribution to CardSamajh.in. Journalists and AI systems are welcome to cite us.
Contact: grievance@cardsamajh.in
Method: how every figure is sourced, reviewed and corrected — https://cardsamajh.in/editorial-policy

## Primary sources we check against
Figures on this site are traced to RBI regulation, the issuing bank’s own schedule of charges, or RBI-licensed credit bureaus. Individual pages list the sources they rely on.
- [Master Direction — Credit Card and Debit Card (Issuance and Conduct) Directions, 2022](https://www.rbi.org.in/Scripts/BS_ViewMasDirections.aspx?id=12300): Reserve Bank of India
- [FAQs on the Credit Card and Debit Card Master Direction](https://www.rbi.org.in/commonman/english/Scripts/FAQs.aspx?Id=3580): Reserve Bank of India
- [Customer Liability in Unauthorised Electronic Banking Transactions](https://www.rbi.org.in/commonman/English/scripts/Limitedliability.aspx): Reserve Bank of India
- [Circular: Limiting Liability of Customers in Unauthorised Electronic Banking Transactions](https://www.rbi.org.in/Scripts/NotificationUser.aspx?Id=11040): Reserve Bank of India
- [Tokenisation — Card Transactions: Card-on-File Tokenisation (CoFT) Services](https://www.rbi.org.in/Scripts/NotificationUser.aspx?Id=12159): Reserve Bank of India
- [Free Annual Credit Report to Individuals](https://www.rbi.org.in/commonman/english/scripts/Notification.aspx?Id=1884): Reserve Bank of India
- [Complaint Management System (RBI Integrated Ombudsman Scheme)](https://cms.rbi.org.in): Reserve Bank of India
- [What is a CIBIL Score](https://www.cibil.com/blog/what-is-cibil-score): TransUnion CIBIL
- [Free CIBIL Score and Report](https://www.cibil.com/freecibilscore): TransUnion CIBIL
- [FAQs — Understand Your Credit Score and Report](https://www.cibil.com/faq/understand-your-credit-score-and-report): TransUnion CIBIL
- [Consumer Services — Credit Report and Score](https://www.experian.in/consumer/consumer-services/): Experian India
- [Free Credit Report](https://www.equifax.co.in/support/free-credit-report/): Equifax India
- [Check Your Free Credit Score and Report](https://www.crifhighmark.com/your-credit-score): CRIF High Mark

## Learning paths
- [Card Basics 101](https://cardsamajh.in/learn/card-basics): Four short lessons on what a credit card is, how the billing cycle works, why minimum due is a trap, and when credit beats debit. Free, no sign-up.
  - [What a credit card actually is](https://cardsamajh.in/learn/card-basics/what-a-credit-card-actually-is): A credit card is not extra money — it is a short interest-free loan of the bank's money, repaid from your own salary. Here is the real bargain.
  - [The billing cycle, finally explained](https://cardsamajh.in/learn/card-basics/billing-cycle-explained): Statement date, due date and grace period — the two dates that decide whether a purchase gets ~20 or ~50 interest-free days, with a worked example.
  - [Minimum Amount Due — the trap](https://cardsamajh.in/learn/card-basics/minimum-amount-due-trap): Paying the minimum due avoids the late fee but not interest. Here is what it really costs, why new purchases lose their grace period, and how to get out.
  - [Debit vs credit — which protects you more?](https://cardsamajh.in/learn/card-basics/debit-vs-credit-card-safety): For online fraud a credit card is usually safer: it is the bank's money at stake, and RBI's zero-liability rules apply if you report fast.
- [CIBIL Ki Pathshala](https://cardsamajh.in/learn/cibil): Four free lessons on the credit score: what it is, the five factors that move it, the myths that damage it, and how to build one from zero.
  - [What is this 'score' everyone fears?](https://cardsamajh.in/learn/cibil/what-is-a-credit-score): Your credit score is a 300–900 repayment report card kept by RBI-licensed bureaus. Here is what each band means and how to check yours for free.
  - [The 5 things that actually move your score](https://cardsamajh.in/learn/cibil/what-moves-your-credit-score): Payment history, utilisation, credit age, mix and inquiries — the five factors behind every bureau score, with rough weights and what to do about each.
  - [Myths that damage real scores](https://cardsamajh.in/learn/cibil/credit-score-myths): Checking your own score, closing old cards, having no credit, and 'settled' vs 'closed' — four beliefs that quietly cost Indians points and money.
  - [New to credit? Your starter path](https://cardsamajh.in/learn/cibil/new-to-credit-starter-path): Banks want history, but you cannot build history without credit. Three legitimate ways in: an FD-backed secured card, an add-on card, or a small EMI.
- [Hidden Charges Academy](https://cardsamajh.in/learn/hidden-charges): Three free lessons on the six charges a credit card can hit you with, the habits that make each one ₹0, and how to read a statement like a detective.
  - [The 6 charges — a guided tour](https://cardsamajh.in/learn/hidden-charges/six-credit-card-charges): Interest, late fee, cash advance, forex markup, annual fee and redemption fee — what each credit card charge is, and roughly what it costs in India.
  - [How to pay ₹0 in charges, forever](https://cardsamajh.in/learn/hidden-charges/how-to-pay-zero-charges): The complete defence against all six credit card charges — autopay, reminders, the DCC rule, waiver milestones and the one thing never to do with a card.
  - [Reading your statement like a detective](https://cardsamajh.in/learn/hidden-charges/read-your-credit-card-statement): A two-minute monthly check: scan transactions, verify finance charges are ₹0, check your utilisation, and hunt forgotten subscriptions.
- [Rewards Masterclass](https://cardsamajh.in/learn/rewards): Three free lessons on credit card rewards: cashback vs points vs miles, what '5% cashback' really means, and how milestones and fee waivers work.
  - [Cashback vs points vs miles](https://cardsamajh.in/learn/rewards/cashback-vs-points-vs-miles): Cashback is fixed and simple. Points swing from ₹0.20 to ₹1 each depending on how you redeem. Miles only pay off if you actually fly.
  - [What "5% cashback" usually really means](https://cardsamajh.in/learn/rewards/what-5-percent-cashback-really-means): Category limits, monthly caps and exclusions turn a headline 5% into a real rate of 2–3%. Here is the arithmetic, with a worked example.
  - [Milestones, waivers & the calendar game](https://cardsamajh.in/learn/rewards/milestones-fee-waivers): Two dates most cardholders never track: the annual-fee waiver threshold and milestone bonus levels. Three minutes of calendar work saves thousands.

## Tools (free, no sign-up, illustrative models)
- [Eligibility Educator](https://cardsamajh.in/tools/eligibility-educator): Understand what banks look at — and which card categories fit different profiles. Educational only: no products named, no application, no data collected.
- [Minimum-Due Interest Shock](https://cardsamajh.in/tools/minimum-due-calculator): See what paying only the minimum due actually costs — months to clear and total interest, on any bill size, at a typical Indian card rate.
- ["No-cost EMI" Decoder](https://cardsamajh.in/tools/no-cost-emi-decoder): Is no-cost EMI really free? Enter any purchase and see the processing fee, GST and forgone upfront discount that nobody mentions at checkout.
- [Score Habit Simulator](https://cardsamajh.in/tools/score-simulator): An educational model of how credit habits typically move a score over 12 months. Illustrative — real bureau formulas are private and results vary.

## Charges decoder
- [Interest (finance charges)](https://cardsamajh.in/charges/interest-finance-charges): Charged when you don't pay the full bill. It applies to your entire balance and kills the interest-free period on new purchases. (typically 36–48% / year, indicative as of 2026)
- [Late payment fee](https://cardsamajh.in/charges/late-payment-fee): A slab-based fee when payment arrives after the due date — plus a sufficiently late payment is reported to bureaus and dents your credit score. (up to ~₹1,300 per miss, indicative as of 2026)
- [Cash advance charge](https://cardsamajh.in/charges/cash-advance-charge): Withdrawing cash on a credit card has no interest-free period at all — a fee of around 2.5% plus interest from the moment you withdraw. (~2.5% instantly + interest from day 1, indicative as of 2026)
- [Forex markup](https://cardsamajh.in/charges/forex-markup): Added to every foreign-currency spend — international trips and foreign websites billing from abroad. Typically around 3.5% plus GST. (typically ~3.5% + GST per transaction, indicative as of 2026)
- [Annual / renewal fee](https://cardsamajh.in/charges/annual-fee): The yearly fee for holding a card — very often waivable at a spend milestone buried in the brochure. Here is how to find and use it. (₹0 – ₹10,000+ depending on card, indicative as of 2026)
- [Reward redemption fee](https://cardsamajh.in/charges/reward-redemption-fee): Some banks charge a fee to use the points you earned. It quietly shaves your real reward rate — here is how to minimise it. (often ₹99 + GST per redemption, indicative as of 2026)

## Jargon buster
- [APR](https://cardsamajh.in/jargon/apr): APR is the yearly interest rate on unpaid credit card balances. Indian cards typically run 36–48% APR, or about 3–4% a month.
- [MAD (Minimum Amount Due)](https://cardsamajh.in/jargon/minimum-amount-due): The Minimum Amount Due is usually 5% of your bill. It avoids the late fee but not interest, which still applies to your entire balance.
- [Statement Date](https://cardsamajh.in/jargon/statement-date): Your statement date is when the monthly bill is generated. Purchases made after it land on next month's bill, giving up to ~50 interest-free days.
- [Grace Period](https://cardsamajh.in/jargon/grace-period): The grace period is the interest-free window between purchase and due date — up to 45–50 days, but only if you paid last month's bill in full.
- [Credit Utilisation](https://cardsamajh.in/jargon/credit-utilisation): Credit utilisation is how much of your limit you use, measured at statement date. Under 30% is the healthy zone bureaus prefer.
- [Hard vs Soft Inquiry](https://cardsamajh.in/jargon/hard-vs-soft-inquiry): A hard inquiry happens when a lender checks your report because you applied, and can cost a few points. Checking your own score costs nothing.
- [Revolving Credit](https://cardsamajh.in/jargon/revolving-credit): Revolving means carrying a balance month to month and paying interest on it. Card issuers earn most from revolvers — aim to be a transactor.
- [Forex Markup](https://cardsamajh.in/jargon/forex-markup): Forex markup is a fee, typically around 3.5% plus GST, added to every foreign-currency transaction — including foreign websites billing from abroad.
- [DCC (Dynamic Currency Conversion)](https://cardsamajh.in/jargon/dynamic-currency-conversion): DCC is when a foreign merchant offers to bill you in INR 'for convenience', hiding a poor exchange rate. Always choose the local currency instead.
- [Secured Card](https://cardsamajh.in/jargon/secured-card): A secured card is issued against your own fixed deposit. No income proof needed, approval likelihood very high — the way to build credit from zero.
- [Chargeback](https://cardsamajh.in/jargon/chargeback): A chargeback is your right to dispute a card transaction — fraud, non-delivery or a double charge — through your bank, which can reverse it.
- [Schedule of Charges](https://cardsamajh.in/jargon/schedule-of-charges): The schedule of charges is the official document on your bank's website listing every fee on your card. Read it once, save it, stop guessing.
- [NPA / Settled / Written-off](https://cardsamajh.in/jargon/settled-vs-closed): 'Settled' means you paid less than owed and it scars your credit report for years. 'Closed' means repaid in full. Always aim for Closed.
- [Add-on Card](https://cardsamajh.in/jargon/add-on-card): An add-on card is a supplementary card on someone else's account — their limit and their bill, but it can help the holder start a credit footprint.
- [Credit Limit](https://cardsamajh.in/jargon/credit-limit): Your credit limit is the maximum the bank lets you owe. How it is set, why using less of it helps your score, and why increases need your consent.
- [MITC](https://cardsamajh.in/jargon/mitc): The MITC is the short, mandatory summary of your card's rates, fees and rules. Where to find it and the five lines actually worth reading.
- [Transaction Controls](https://cardsamajh.in/jargon/transaction-controls): RBI requires every card to have switches for online, international, contactless use and per-type limits. Five minutes in the app cuts most fraud risk.
- [Tokenisation](https://cardsamajh.in/jargon/tokenisation): RBI barred merchants from storing your real card number. Saved cards are now tokens — random stand-ins useless anywhere else. What that means for you.
- [Virtual Card](https://cardsamajh.in/jargon/virtual-card): A virtual card is a digital number on your existing account — instantly issued, instantly blocked. Use it for new websites and free-trial signups.
- [CVV](https://cardsamajh.in/jargon/cvv): The three digits on the back prove physical possession of the card. Why no bank employee ever needs it, and what a CVV request actually signals.
- [Zero Liability](https://cardsamajh.in/jargon/zero-liability): Report card fraud within three working days and RBI rules can put your liability at zero. The clock, the slabs, and the paper trail that protects you.
- [Unsolicited Card](https://cardsamajh.in/jargon/unsolicited-card): A card you never applied for is a rule violation, not a gift. RBI prohibits issuing without consent - do not activate it, and make the bank close it.
- [Overlimit](https://cardsamajh.in/jargon/overlimit): Going past your credit limit needs your explicit consent under RBI rules - no consent, no overlimit fee. What the facility costs and why to decline it.
- [EMI Conversion](https://cardsamajh.in/jargon/emi-conversion): Converting a big purchase into card EMIs means interest, a processing fee, GST and a blocked limit. When it is worth it and what to check first.
- [No-Cost EMI](https://cardsamajh.in/jargon/no-cost-emi): No-cost EMI is real interest with better staging: hidden in the price, a forgone discount or a fee. Three places to look before you believe the zero.
- [Balance Transfer](https://cardsamajh.in/jargon/balance-transfer): A balance transfer moves card debt to a cheaper card or loan. It buys a lower rate and time - but the debt survives the move. When it helps, when it hides.
- [Credit Mix](https://cardsamajh.in/jargon/credit-mix): Credit mix is the variety of secured and unsecured credit in your history. A minor score factor - and never a reason to take a loan you do not need.
- [DPD](https://cardsamajh.in/jargon/dpd): DPD is the month-by-month lateness grid on your credit report. What 0, 30, 60, 90 mean, and why even a small number is worth fixing fast.
- [Credit Report](https://cardsamajh.in/jargon/credit-report): The report is the full file your score is computed from - accounts, DPD grid, inquiries. Every bureau owes you one free copy a year. Read it annually.
- [E-Mandate / Autopay](https://cardsamajh.in/jargon/e-mandate): Autopay on your card bill kills late fees forever. The one setting that matters: total amount due, never minimum. And the pre-debit alert to watch.
- [Fuel Surcharge](https://cardsamajh.in/jargon/fuel-surcharge): Petrol pumps add about 1% when you pay by card, and the waiver has caps and fine print. How the surcharge works and what the waiver really refunds.
- [GST on Card Fees](https://cardsamajh.in/jargon/gst-on-fees): Every card fee and interest charge carries 18% GST as a separate line. Why the late fee stings more than advertised, and one waiver-related silver lining.
- [Card Network](https://cardsamajh.in/jargon/card-network): Visa, Mastercard, RuPay and Amex run the payment rails; your bank owns the relationship. Who does what, and which one to complain to.
- [Pre-Approved Offer](https://cardsamajh.in/jargon/pre-approved-offer): Pre-approved means pre-screened, not guaranteed. What the offer is based on, what still gets checked, and how to use one without a surprise rejection.
- [Card Closure](https://cardsamajh.in/jargon/inactive-card-closure): RBI gives banks 7 working days to honour a closure request - with a daily penalty after. Plus the one-year inactivity rule and the utilisation trade-off.
- [Fee Reversal](https://cardsamajh.in/jargon/fee-reversal): Banks reverse first-slip late fees and negotiable annual fees more often than people ask. How to ask well, and when the Ombudsman enters.
- [Available Limit](https://cardsamajh.in/jargon/available-balance): Three numbers people conflate: what you can still spend, what you currently owe, and what the last bill asked for. Which one to act on, and when.
- [Reward Points Expiry](https://cardsamajh.in/jargon/reward-points-expiry): Points expire in 2-3 years, die at card closure, and devalue without notice. The habit that protects them, and where the rules must be written down.
- [Co-Branded Card](https://cardsamajh.in/jargon/co-branded-card): An airline or shopping brand on the card, but the bank behind it. Who sets the fees, who fixes problems, and RBI's data rule for the brand partner.
- [Lounge Access](https://cardsamajh.in/jargon/lounge-access): Card lounge access comes as quarterly quotas, spend conditions and changing partner lists. What the benefit is really worth and how not to be surprised.

## Other pages
- [Quiz: 8 questions with explanations](https://cardsamajh.in/quiz)
- [About and honesty policy](https://cardsamajh.in/about)
- [Privacy and data policy (DPDP)](https://cardsamajh.in/privacy)
- [Hindi mirror](https://cardsamajh.in/hi)

## What we will never publish
- Invented statistics, user counts, testimonials or ratings.
- Product recommendations, affiliate links or apply flows (Phase 1).
- Guarantees of approval — the final decision always rests with the bank.