SC Ultimate (Standard Chartered Ultimate) Upgrade Suggestion

[anish1516]

Hello!!!

Recently I have been receiving calls to upgrade my Manhattan Card to Ultimate card. My Manhattan card is free and the Ultimate would cost Rs. 5000 plus taxes every year. Here they are offering 5000 reward points on every renewal without any conditions. So effectively the card costs me Rs. 900 approx. Now my query is should I go for it? Right now I have decent number of cards. Don't have too much utility expenses. Use my Infinia for offline shopping and SBI Cashback for Online. Please suggest if it's worth to pay fee for SC Ultimate?

 

[Pavan]

Levi’s is minimum 10K available.

I’ll wait for few more days for Uber/Firstcry vouchers otherwise will redeem for Urban Ladder and LP, and close the card.

Is LP redeemable offline ?

 

[Animal]

Is LP redeemable offline ?

Yes only offline.

 

[Zacobite]

Hello!!!

Recently I have been receiving calls to upgrade my Manhattan Card to Ultimate card. My Manhattan card is free and the Ultimate would cost Rs. 5000 plus taxes every year. Here they are offering 5000 reward points on every renewal without any conditions. So effectively the card costs me Rs. 900 approx. Now my query is should I go for it? Right now I have decent number of cards. Don't have too much utility expenses. Use my Infinia for offline shopping and SBI Cashback for Online. Please suggest if it's worth to pay fee for SC Ultimate?

not if u already have infinia and sbi cb card.. ultimate may give you some points on somw categories that are excluded by others but only if your spends there are v high.. can be avoided with your current cards covering most regular spends

 

[Pavan]

Yes only offline.

Only good thing i have heard

 

[anish1516]

How did you manage Manhattan as free?

Got it free long time back may be in 2016-17. SC guys had a camp in our office. Not only LTF they also gave freebies for applying the card 😂

 

[Pavan]

@helloworld @S S V
My agent again called today
Here are his statement
->SC will no more issue Manhattan, Digismart , Easymytrip cards
->Smart eligibility criteria will be increased from 1-04-2024 it will be hard to get now(he said axis effect)
->Biggest of all : SC ultimate card will get all new vouchers and new terms very soon.He was saying we might have cash redemption of 70 Ps per points

He justified all cards revamped on this month only ultimate was left : i told you need not change anything on ultimate there is nothing left to change are useless vouchers

 

[Desu Sarath]

@helloworld @S S V
My agent again called today
Here are his statement
->SC will no more issue Manhattan, Digismart , Easymytrip cards
->Smart eligibility criteria will be increased from 1-04-2024 it will be hard to get now(he said axis effect)
->Biggest of all : SC ultimate card will get all new vouchers and new terms very soon.He was saying we might have cash redemption of 70 Ps per points

He justified all cards revamped on this month only ultimate was left : i told you need not change anything on ultimate there is nothing left to change are useless vouchers

I don't think they stop EaseMyTrip and Manhattan.

Cash Redemption rumour is there from long time, Hope they make it possible this time. I feel they have some problems in their rewards portal, only Once they sort it out, this can happen.

 

[Pavan]

I don't think they stop EaseMyTrip and Manhattan.

Cash Redemption rumour is there from long time, Hope they make it possible this time. I feel they have some problems in their rewards portal, only Once they sort it out, this can happen.

Manhattan am sure they have removed even from website
Easemytrip also am guessing yes since they moved to PNB

Oh Cash Redemption rumour is a old news hope they do soon

 

[AlgoTrader]

I don't think they stop EaseMyTrip and Manhattan.

Cash Redemption rumour is there from long time, Hope they make it possible this time. I feel they have some problems in their rewards portal, only Once they sort it out, this can happen.

100% sure there wont be any new voucher or cash redemption

 

[sourpai]

Is it possible that agents are spreading this rumour that better vouchers are coming up so that their applications go up? If better vouchers had to come, they would have come already.

Even towards end of March there are no better vouchers. On the other portals even HP Pay started showing up and here nothing!

 

[AlgoTrader]

Is it possible that agents are spreading this rumour that better vouchers are coming up so that their applications go up? If better vouchers had to come, they would have come already.

Even towards end of March there are no better vouchers. On the other portals even HP Pay started showing up and here nothing!

exactly., they are just after their targets

 

[Desu Sarath]

SC agents are notorious liers while selling their cards. One has to be very careful while dealing with them.

I was bluffed by them on Cibil enquiries.

 

[Zacobite]

SC agents are notorious liers while selling their cards. One has to be very careful while dealing with them.

I was bluffed by them on Cibil enquiries.

I have been an scb customer for many years.. i am sure the f/b is reaching them.. they will chg.. i think they don't have the numbers on their premium card to negotiate vouchers.. as scb ult is not preferred by many so... lets see... hope for the best.. else they will need to reposition it soon..

 

[Desu Sarath]

SCB should understand that. I was ok to move my MF's to SC to get premium banking.

But, their bandit sales team, just to sell one card, bluffed me.

Now, I stopped moving my MF's to their investment account. RM assigned to me was crying literally after that. He told no one has any control on sales team.

 

[Zacobite]

Received the similar offer couple of weeks back when the SC executive reached out to me and offered SC Ultimate. Currently, I hold two cards from SC, EaseMyTrip and Smart. They offered upgrade on Smart, I simply refused stating that Smart offers more value than Ultimate as I simply get 2% cashback on most of the transaction whereas Ultimate doesn't make much sense after the recent devaluations. Also, mentioned about the not so useful rewards catalog, and lack of vouchers from Amazon and Flipkart.

Looks like a lot of folks have already cancelled their Ultimate and SC executives are now finding it difficult to push this card to the customers.

its a decent card.. part of my portfolio as back up.. one of the most hated cards by many.. but i think can be useful and scb relationship yields other benefits like accounts / loans etc if you use this card well.. many may disagree.. just my view..

 

[Zacobite]

SCB should understand that. I was ok to move my MF's to SC to get premium banking.

But, their bandit sales team, just to sell one card, bluffed me.

Now, I stopped moving my MF's to their investment account. RM assigned to me was crying literally after that. He told no one has any control on sales team.

MFs are expensive via banks.. always.. and once you reach a certain value then the 0.5-1% makes a huge diff.. sales or not.. stick to direct mfs

 

[Pavan]

get it FYF if allowed, or use it for a year then decide whether to continue or not.

Smart also not a good choice, because it need 1.25L spends everytime to redeem that cashback.. or 1.25L + 50K everytime to fill next enable redemption.

Digismart - gone long back

Manhattan - Average card for grocery and departmental stores. Problem it needs 10k every month which not possible and anything less reduces overall return which is 5% on these categories.

My suggestion get that SVT as LTF if possible, or try for a year that Ultimate and see whether you can use it or not.

Thanks @helloworld
No you and other members here have shared all the pros and cons owing to that am not interested for now

Yes a year ago it was my dream card @Bigde and i used to discuss how to get it

Now am happy with SC smart..i have got good cashback on my insurance and govt payments

 

[Pavan]

SC agents are notorious liers while selling their cards. One has to be very careful while dealing with them.

I was bluffed by them on Cibil enquiries.

In one way you are right

The agent whom am dealing i know him since three years
he was with axis he helped with ACE and airtel and got even 4 cards from axis

Now also am in non serviceable area for SC but my office is serviceable he got me two SC cards and even recent LE on SC

@AlgoTrader

 

[Pavan]

I have been an scb customer for many years.. i am sure the f/b is reaching them.. they will chg.. i think they don't have the numbers on their premium card to negotiate vouchers.. as scb ult is not preferred by many so... lets see... hope for the best.. else they will need to reposition it soon..

I have high hopes AXIS is not trust worthy
HDFC i have a long battle running (But still my fav)

In between what is "f/b reaching? "

 

[Desu Sarath]

I was NTB for SC. Their Agent named Herself as manager of sales bluffed me on that. She was saying "SC is international bank bla bla bla" and then i fell for it.