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?

 

[Zacobite]

oh am hearing they are reversing the annual fee or retention offer

what offer have you heard.. i called.. didn't get sny.. although i have kept the card.. it is my backup for infinia

 

[Pavan]

what offer have you heard.. i called.. didn't get sny.. although i have kept the card.. it is my backup for infinia

Fee reversal two of my know contact have got

 

[sid16]

I think I am going to be forced into taking SC Ultimate now. Atlas no longer giving points on Advance Tax. IDFCFirst Wealth has made points go lower than the transaction costs. So I think apart from BizBlack and Kotak White, there is no other proper option for tax payments. Also, does wallet load on ultimate still give 3.33% rewards?

 

[SSV]

I think I am going to be forced into taking SC Ultimate now. Atlas no longer giving points on Advance Tax. IDFCFirst Wealth has made points go lower than the transaction costs. So I think apart from BizBlack and Kotak White, there is no other proper option for tax payments. Also, does wallet load on ultimate still give 3.33% rewards?

Actually there is nothing wrong with ultimate if you came find useful vouchers for your redemption from SC redemption portfolio…
First identify your suitable vouchers and then take a decision

 

[sid16]

Actually there is nothing wrong with ultimate if you came find useful vouchers for your redemption from SC redemption portfolio…
First identify your suitable vouchers and then take a decision

I am seeing all the vouchers, and I agree that they are not the best. But I don't understand one thing, people use Amex to gather points and finally use them in Marriott. SC has redemption options in Marriott and ITC. Also, the other offline options are not great in day to day life, but for gifting purposes or for special occasions, they do come handy. I also feel that lot of things are cyclical in banking. Just like many redemption options have been removed recently, they could put many redemption options back.

 

[SSV]

I am seeing all the vouchers, and I agree that they are not the best. But I don't understand one thing, people use Amex to gather points and finally use them in Marriott. SC has redemption options in Marriott and ITC. Also, the other offline options are not great in day to day life, but for gifting purposes or for special occasions, they do come handy. I also feel that lot of things are cyclical in banking. Just like many redemption options have been removed recently, they could put many redemption options back.

Completely agree with you..
If you find the redemption choices are relevant for your consumption, then SC ultimate can be considered a good choice without a doubt….

 

[sourpai]

Yes. Wallet is giving 3.3% as of now

 

[helloworld]

I am seeing all the vouchers, and I agree that they are not the best. But I don't understand one thing, people use Amex to gather points and finally use them in Marriott. SC has redemption options in Marriott and ITC. Also, the other offline options are not great in day to day life, but for gifting purposes or for special occasions, they do come handy. I also feel that lot of things are cyclical in banking. Just like many redemption options have been removed recently, they could put many redemption options back.

lets say, you pick this card and spend actively to redeem Marriott, ITC vouchers. After 2 years, when you finally have good amount of points, all of sudden they remove these vouchers and give you only Levi, or Planet fashion vouchers. And you waited another year hoping those vouchers back in stock but that never happened.

Now, you have to redeem points otherwise they'll expire.

People angry about it because of this reason, not only SC even people angry about redemption options in various banks and choosing cashback or fastway to accumulate points cards because no certainity about future.

Ideally, reward cards are meant to collect points and redeem at one go to have something special experience, but the way these banks treat is to remove the required options and making all those years purchases useless without any benefits.

2. Redemption in SC is not as per our wish but as per bank rule. I agree most banks do like that but do note in SC most of them need 10k points (=1L+ Spends).

3. Whatever you're seeing without login may not available after login, so do take into consideration along with denomination requirement.

4. ITC Vouchers work only when redeeming in luxury resort hotels (which usuallly charge 25k per night), so we'll end up paying even after redemption, which maynot go if not for that voucher and can stay in other hotels with less amount.

5. Marriott is decent redemption option, but as I said by the time we collect point this may disappear and currently for me this is the only valid option, I don't gift those cloth brand voucher which normally available buy 3 get 3 in their stores.

But for gifting or special occasions or you like those cloth brands which normally available at 20% discount in other places, whichever these vouchers relevant for you redemption, you don't have to worry and pick this card for your spends.

Spend requirement for Marriot vouchers:
1.26L in first year with Joining fee, you'll get 10k points = 7.92%
1.56L in second year with renewal fee, you'll get another 10k points = 6.41%

Will provide 20k marriott voucher on 2.82L spends = 7% //cover 2 nights

btw, this only when you consider fee paid 5900 as spend amount, I normally consider that to offset the rewards, so in my case its 3.5-4%.

Note: Some hotels maynot accept these e-gift cards on weekends, discount rate rooms or member rooms etc.