Is Standard chartered Ultimate really worth ?

[sauchadh]

I see many of you hold Standard chartered Ultimate credit card. Is it really the worth ? 1st of all it is a paid card and we get equivalent 5000 points every year. Ofcourse GST we need to pay from our pocket. I see there are not many reward redemption option. Can someone throw light on this on how they redeem their points ? Are we getting an equivalent benefit in terms of fees we are paying ?
Also if you spend 150Rs you get 5 points. How about if someone spends less than 150 Rs would we still get points ? I am thinking if I should take this card or not . Any thoughts ?

 

[saiki4116]

Thanks for confirming. Makes it a great card for jewellery spends. Just hoping they give a good limit enhancement soon

Citi and SC are very miserly with limits, their risk evaluation is very conservative.

 

[sumitkr85]

Another advantage to apply SC card. Received my oneplus-nord-buds today for SC Ultimate

Offer for Eligible Credit Cards Terms and Conditions – OnePlus Nord Buds

www.sc.com

 

[Wealth is my birth right!]

I see many of you hold Standard chartered Ultimate credit card. Is it really the worth ? 1st of all it is a paid card and we get equivalent 5000 points every year. Ofcourse GST we need to pay from our pocket. I see there are not many reward redemption option. Can someone throw light on this on how they redeem their points ? Are we getting an equivalent benefit in terms of fees we are paying ?
Also if you spend 150Rs you get 5 points. How about if someone spends less than 150 Rs would we still get points ? I am thinking if I should take this card or not . Any thoughts ?

The beauty of SCB:
Even if u spend 35 rupees on card u will get 1reward point credited

 

[Darshanc14]

Citi and SC are very miserly with limits, their risk evaluation is very conservative.

Yeah experiencing the same. SC rejected credit limit enhancement over email. Citi did the same. Also, both not allowing card to card limit enhancement so going to be stuck at low credit limit for sometime.

 

[akshay_m]

Another advantage to apply SC card. Received my oneplus-nord-buds today for SC Ultimate

Offer for Eligible Credit Cards Terms and Conditions – OnePlus Nord Buds

www.sc.com

You got this on a new card application or spend based. Couple of my friends also got this, but they have been holding this card for the past 4 months now. Is anyone aware if this is based on spend?

 

[saiki4116]

You got this on a new card application or spend based. Couple of my friends also got this, but they have been holding this card for the past 4 months now. Is anyone aware if this is based on spend?

I applied on June, supposed to be fulfilled in 2 months, but they didn't do it and I had to raise a complaint regarding this. They have the worst support, took 15 working days and no answer and after a month got the watch ( later got changed to buds).
First transaction has to be more than the value they have specified.
I have to raise ticket for joining fee points as well, even they delayed that.
SC customer care gives competition to Axis, SBI in terms who is worse. Be prepared for that, but normal points have been posting on time without any issues, you just have to hope that you wouldn't deal with their CC.

 

[Gautham]

You got this on a new card application or spend based. Couple of my friends also got this, but they have been holding this card for the past 4 months now. Is anyone aware if this is based on spend?

Yes, It is based on spend that would be communicated in the offer page based on the date you applied. I just got my watch after 90 days period.

 

[sumitkr85]

You got this on a new card application or spend based. Couple of my friends also got this, but they have been holding this card for the past 4 months now. Is anyone aware if this is based on spend?

Check the above link. It has all the details

 

[kalyana36]

What is the process for requesting priority pass once the Ultimate card is issued?

 

[saiki4116]

What is the process for requesting priority pass once the Ultimate card is issued?

I got it along with the card

 

[DK10]

As I enquired with CS that would take 3 months to credit joining bonus points.

So, I paid the fees in the month of Dec. Should I wait until March for the joining bonus points to be credited?

 

[Wealth is my birth right!]

I applied on June, supposed to be fulfilled in 2 months, but they didn't do it and I had to raise a complaint regarding this. They have the worst support, took 15 working days and no answer and after a month got the watch ( later got changed to buds).
First transaction has to be more than the value they have specified.
I have to raise ticket for joining fee points as well, even they delayed that.
SC customer care gives competition to Axis, SBI in terms who is worse. Be prepared for that, but normal points have been posting on time without any issues, you just have to hope that you wouldn't deal with their CC.

Fact
I did an Independence Day spending on card for extra rewards and waited till December but didn’t get points
So started writing them in January 23 and finally got my extra points last week
Being an mnc bank they can improve a bit not sure how their other countries operation lol

 

[supperman]

So, I paid the fees in the month of Dec. Should I wait until March for the joining bonus points to be credited?

Yes, it'll be credited by March. Takes a long time. May not be exactly 90 days. Could get done a bit faster, but generally not before 2 months.

 

[paresh22]

Can one easily get this card by online application or one need to go for entry card and then go for Ultimate card? I am salaried, good cibil score person.

 

[faraaz303]

I do have link but I think it's login based. However, major options for vouchers include Big basket, Myntra, Croma, shoppers stop, hotels, lifestyle, pantaloons, Westside, Cleartrip, Makemytrip, Tanishq, Kalyan gold, Titan and many more!!

Don't think Tanishq is available anymore. Last I checked wasn't reflecting.

 

[Wealth is my birth right!]

Can one easily get this card by online application or one need to go for entry card and then go for Ultimate card? I am salaried, good cibil score person.

@deep@vie pls help

 

[sharad131]

I beg to differ from the overall views above that it is a great card. I was holding SC ultimate from past 4 years and closed that last month. Below are few thoughts from my personal experience:

1. First of all, it is a myth that this card gives flat 3.3% return on everything. The vouchers which are available for redemption are availabale on Axis GiftEdge and HDFC Smartbuy at ~15-30% discount which reduces the real return from 3.3% to around 2.6%

2. At above reward rate , if you do the maths, just to recover the GST on 5K annual fees you need to make a spend of around 35000/- (obviously you will do this spend on categries where your other cards doesn't give you points (for eg. wallet load etc.....for which Amex MRCC has better offer and Amex is happy to give that LTF after few years of membership)

3. Lounge access is not unlimited and quite restrictive (you need to spend and cross threshold in previous month to be eligible for ONE international lounge visit next month. I mean who does that calculation with unlimited options available. I doubt with this if SC ultimate should even be categorized as super premium card.

4. Available vouchers for redemption is very limited. Haven't seen Amazon and Flipkart in last three years.

5. I doubt if any super premium card charges 99/- + GST as redemption fee. But SC ultimate does

6. SC is very miserable in giving good limit

7. Overall, card is bit hard to get, which I believe is just artificially created by SC to give some virtual premium feel

I agree to disagree with any contradictory thoughts, but above were the pointers in my mind when I closed this card few weeks back

 

[Wealth is my birth right!]

I beg to differ from the overall views above that it is a great card. I was holding SC ultimate from past 4 years and closed that last month. Below are few thoughts from my personal experience:

1. First of all, it is a myth that this card gives flat 3.3% return on everything. The vouchers which are available for redemption are availabale on Axis GiftEdge and HDFC Smartbuy at ~15-30% discount which reduces the real return from 3.3% to around 2.6%

2. At above reward rate , if you do the maths, just to recover the GST on 5K annual fees you need to make a spend of around 35000/- (obviously you will do this spend on categries where your other cards doesn't give you points (for eg. wallet load etc.....for which Amex MRCC has better offer and Amex is happy to give that LTF after few years of membership)

3. Lounge access is not unlimited and quite restrictive (you need to spend and cross threshold in previous month to be eligible for ONE international lounge visit next month. I mean who does that calculation with unlimited options available. I doubt with this if SC ultimate should even be categorized as super premium card.

4. Available vouchers for redemption is very limited. Haven't seen Amazon and Flipkart in last three years.

5. I doubt if any super premium card charges 99/- + GST as redemption fee. But SC ultimate does

6. SC is very miserable in giving good limit

7. Overall, card is bit hard to get, which I believe is just artificially created by SC to give some virtual premium feel

I agree to disagree with any contradictory thoughts, but above were the pointers in my mind when I closed this card few weeks back

Wow a real life experience
Upvoted dude I too now re think even if scb offers an upgrade to my card

 

[saiki4116]

I beg to differ from the overall views above that it is a great card. I was holding SC ultimate from past 4 years and closed that last month. Below are few thoughts from my personal experience:

1. First of all, it is a myth that this card gives flat 3.3% return on everything. The vouchers which are available for redemption are availabale on Axis GiftEdge and HDFC Smartbuy at ~15-30% discount which reduces the real return from 3.3% to around 2.6%

2. At above reward rate , if you do the maths, just to recover the GST on 5K annual fees you need to make a spend of around 35000/- (obviously you will do this spend on categries where your other cards doesn't give you points (for eg. wallet load etc.....for which Amex MRCC has better offer and Amex is happy to give that LTF after few years of membership)

3. Lounge access is not unlimited and quite restrictive (you need to spend and cross threshold in previous month to be eligible for ONE international lounge visit next month. I mean who does that calculation with unlimited options available. I doubt with this if SC ultimate should even be categorized as super premium card.

4. Available vouchers for redemption is very limited. Haven't seen Amazon and Flipkart in last three years.

5. I doubt if any super premium card charges 99/- + GST as redemption fee. But SC ultimate does

6. SC is very miserable in giving good limit

7. Overall, card is bit hard to get, which I believe is just artificially created by SC to give some virtual premium feel

I agree to disagree with any contradictory thoughts, but above were the pointers in my mind when I closed this card few weeks back

I have same thoughts and about to cancel it. The process to get Addon card is tedious and requires a bank visit, a lot more documentation than other banks and the add on card goes to the address of the add on card holder not the primary. They have wasted 2 months in to and fro for add-on card and didn't issue it.
People saying that you just have to pay the GST effectively, but that's not exactly the case . let's say you would redeem the 5K fees to Myntra, if you are not paying fees for this card, you could get the same voucher from Axis Gyftr at 10x if you have magnus and so the effective fees change as per the cards you have. If you are usage is going to be less, no point in having an additional card that too backed by one of the worst CC support.
I have not closed only due to rent payments still getting reward points and there isn't any surcharge yet.

 

[Bigde]

I have same thoughts and about to cancel it. The process to get Addon card is tedious and requires a bank visit, a lot more documentation than other banks and the add on card goes to the address of the add on card holder not the primary. They have wasted 2 months in to and fro for add-on card and didn't issue it.
People saying that you just have to pay the GST effectively, but that's not exactly the case . let's say you would redeem the 5K fees to Myntra, if you are not paying fees for this card, you could get the same voucher from Axis Gyftr at 10x if you have magnus and so the effective fees change as per the cards you have. If you are usage is going to be less, no point in having an additional card that too backed by one of the worst CC support.
I have not closed only due to rent payments still getting reward points and there isn't any surcharge yet.

Except the Ultimate, there is simply no card left which give 3.3% rewards on the rent, insurance and government payments.