Donald J. Trump
TF Premier
Hi everyone!
I’m seeking your recommendation on whether I should get the SBI PhonePe Black credit card. Currently, I pay all my utility bills using the Airtel Axis Bank credit card, but I’ve been facing a few issues. The option to pay utility bills using cc gets removed quite often from the app, and there’s a monthly capping of ₹250, which means the effective cashback isn’t really 10% anymore. Plus, there’s a convenience fee, and it feels like we’re at the mercy of Airtel and Axis Bank, as they can remove the payment option without notice.
My Current CC Portfolio:-
I’m currently paying an annual fee of ₹590 for the Airtel Axis Bank credit card, which I’ve kept for a couple of reasons. First, it allows me to pay my utility bills, although that option is often removed from the app and there’s a monthly cap of ₹250, which reduces the effective cashback. Sometimes there’s also a convenience fee, which can be a bit inconvenient.
Second, I get a 10% cashback on Zomato, Swiggy, and Big Basket. I already have an LTF HDFC Swiggy card, so that benefit isn’t as crucial, but I often dine out and use Zomato Pay, and that 10% cashback is quite valuable to me. I also use it for Big Basket purchases, though not a lot.
I also hold the HDFC Millennia card, which usually waives the annual fee if I meet the ₹1 lakh spend threshold annually. I’ve managed to meet that threshold for the past four years, but there’s always the possibility that the bank could change the criteria in the future, which would mean paying the fee. Rest all cards are LTF
So, in total, I’m paying about ₹1770 in annual fees right now, but ideally, I would be paying around ₹2950 if I didn’t meet the waiver threshold in Millennia. My monthly utility bills are around ₹3000 to ₹4000, and I’m wondering if the SBI PhonePe Black card, with an additional annual fee of about ₹1500 plus taxes (around ₹1770), would be beneficial in the long run.
I’ve also seen recommendations from @SSV about not piling up unnecessary cards, and I completely agree with that. That’s why I’m seeking your insights on whether the PhonePe Black card would be a worthwhile addition given my current spending and fees, such that I recover all these annual fees
There’s also the HDFC Bank Phonepe Ultimo credit card, and I was wondering if it’s equivalent to the SBI PhonePe Select Black card. If so, the annual fee is a bit lower at ₹999 plus GST, compared to the ₹1499 plus GST for the SBI card. So, I’m curious if there’s any catch or significant difference in benefits between the two.
Given that it’s often quite difficult to get an SBI card approved, would it make more sense to consider the HDFC Ultimo card instead—especially if there’s a possibility of obtaining it as a lifetime free card with HDFC Bank? If so, what are the realistic chances, and what would be the right way to apply for it?
Additionally, I recently closed my Tata Neu+ card permanently, and the customer care team informed me that I would not be able to apply for any HDFC Bank card for the next six months after this closure. Could you please confirm if this cooldown period is actually true?
I had applied for the SBI PhonePe Select Black card a few weeks ago but unfortunately got rejected. I noticed that @Ankush32 faced a similar situation, but later got it approved after reaching out to the Nodal Officer and the CS Head at SBI Cards.
@Ankush32 , could you please share your complete experience in detail — right from the rejection to the point where your card was finally approved? I believe this would be really helpful for me as well as for others who are in the same situation.
@Arkapal Sen @HumorSimpson
I’d really appreciate your opinion on this.
I’m seeking your recommendation on whether I should get the SBI PhonePe Black credit card. Currently, I pay all my utility bills using the Airtel Axis Bank credit card, but I’ve been facing a few issues. The option to pay utility bills using cc gets removed quite often from the app, and there’s a monthly capping of ₹250, which means the effective cashback isn’t really 10% anymore. Plus, there’s a convenience fee, and it feels like we’re at the mercy of Airtel and Axis Bank, as they can remove the payment option without notice.
My Current CC Portfolio:-
- Axis Privilege AMEX (LTF) + Airtel (Paid) - Rs. 4,00,000 combined
- Federal Bank - Imperio (LTF) - Rs. 2,13,000
- HDFC Bank - Rupay Millennia (Paid) + Swiggy (LTF) - Rs. 1,00,000 combined
- ICICI Bank Amazon Pay (LTF) + Coral RuPay - Rs. 3,40,000
- IDFC First Bank - Select (LTF) - Rs. 3,00,000
- Kotak Mahindra Bank - Zen Signature (LTF) - Rs. 50,000
- SBI Cashback (Paid) - Rs. 36,000
I’m currently paying an annual fee of ₹590 for the Airtel Axis Bank credit card, which I’ve kept for a couple of reasons. First, it allows me to pay my utility bills, although that option is often removed from the app and there’s a monthly cap of ₹250, which reduces the effective cashback. Sometimes there’s also a convenience fee, which can be a bit inconvenient.
Second, I get a 10% cashback on Zomato, Swiggy, and Big Basket. I already have an LTF HDFC Swiggy card, so that benefit isn’t as crucial, but I often dine out and use Zomato Pay, and that 10% cashback is quite valuable to me. I also use it for Big Basket purchases, though not a lot.
I also hold the HDFC Millennia card, which usually waives the annual fee if I meet the ₹1 lakh spend threshold annually. I’ve managed to meet that threshold for the past four years, but there’s always the possibility that the bank could change the criteria in the future, which would mean paying the fee. Rest all cards are LTF
So, in total, I’m paying about ₹1770 in annual fees right now, but ideally, I would be paying around ₹2950 if I didn’t meet the waiver threshold in Millennia. My monthly utility bills are around ₹3000 to ₹4000, and I’m wondering if the SBI PhonePe Black card, with an additional annual fee of about ₹1500 plus taxes (around ₹1770), would be beneficial in the long run.
I’ve also seen recommendations from @SSV about not piling up unnecessary cards, and I completely agree with that. That’s why I’m seeking your insights on whether the PhonePe Black card would be a worthwhile addition given my current spending and fees, such that I recover all these annual fees
There’s also the HDFC Bank Phonepe Ultimo credit card, and I was wondering if it’s equivalent to the SBI PhonePe Select Black card. If so, the annual fee is a bit lower at ₹999 plus GST, compared to the ₹1499 plus GST for the SBI card. So, I’m curious if there’s any catch or significant difference in benefits between the two.
Given that it’s often quite difficult to get an SBI card approved, would it make more sense to consider the HDFC Ultimo card instead—especially if there’s a possibility of obtaining it as a lifetime free card with HDFC Bank? If so, what are the realistic chances, and what would be the right way to apply for it?
Additionally, I recently closed my Tata Neu+ card permanently, and the customer care team informed me that I would not be able to apply for any HDFC Bank card for the next six months after this closure. Could you please confirm if this cooldown period is actually true?
I had applied for the SBI PhonePe Select Black card a few weeks ago but unfortunately got rejected. I noticed that @Ankush32 faced a similar situation, but later got it approved after reaching out to the Nodal Officer and the CS Head at SBI Cards.
@Ankush32 , could you please share your complete experience in detail — right from the rejection to the point where your card was finally approved? I believe this would be really helpful for me as well as for others who are in the same situation.
@Arkapal Sen @HumorSimpson
I’d really appreciate your opinion on this.
