SCB Ultimate vs Axis Ace

[sd.ac]

I realize this is a comparison between an entry level card and a premium card but I am confused

I recently got the SCB Ultimate card. So far, I have used the Axis Ace for utilities at 5% and at 2% for offline spends. I do not want two paid Visa cards. If I were to give-up the Axis Ace card, what would be a good approach to paying electricity and utility bills using the SCB Ultimate card?

Amazon pay does not allow loads with a credit card (anymore). I could buy APay gift vouchers from Amazon using the Ultimate card for 3.3% returns, load APay and then pay my bills. Any suggestions to do this with better returns?

Thank you

 

[sd.ac]

Returning to my original post in this thread: I recently found out that there is a Rs. 99 redemption fee for the SCB Ultimate. So, if I redeem 10,000 points for a Rs. 10,000 voucher I would forfeit Rs. 100 or 1%. Doesn't this put in on par with the Ace card (3.3%-1% ~ 2%)?

Am I missing something? Obviously, for points > 20,000 or so, the card wins over the Ace - but then there is the pain of going through the redemption process vs. direct cashback...

 

[Wealth is my birth right!]

All SCB cards have 117/- redemption fee even if u buy a 100 rupee voucher and yes its almost 11.7% loss for those mostly opt for a 1k voucher

 

[CMG]

Returning to my original post in this thread: I recently found out that there is a Rs. 99 redemption fee for the SCB Ultimate. So, if I redeem 10,000 points for a Rs. 10,000 voucher I would forfeit Rs. 100 or 1%. Doesn't this put in on par with the Ace card (3.3%-1% ~ 2%)?

Am I missing something? Obviously, for points > 20,000 or so, the card wins over the Ace - but then there is the pain of going through the redemption process vs. direct cashback...

₹5,00,000 spend on ace will give you ₹10,000 cashback (2%)
₹5,00,000 spend on SCB ultimate will give you ₹16,500 (3.3%) - ₹117

 

[sd.ac]

₹5,00,000 spend on ace will give you ₹10,000 cashback (2%)
₹5,00,000 spend on SCB ultimate will give you ₹16,500 (3.3%) - ₹117

thank you. I see the advantage clearly for a 5L spend. large spends, for me, go on my infinia. I have these two cards (Ace and Ultimate) for smaller/other spends. At a spend of Rs 9,000 they give the same reward. I think the Ultimate would make sense for me only as a primary card - not as a backup (unless fuel spends or wallet loads were the focus).

 

[sd.ac]

Perhaps SCB should advertise the card as ‘up to 3.3%‘ reward rate - slightly misleading (only slightly, ha ha)

 

[Gautham]

Perhaps SCB should advertise the card as ‘up to 3.3%‘ reward rate - slightly misleading (only slightly, ha ha)

you are totally missing the point. you can accumulate RPs and redeem later. redemption charges applicable for 90% of the cards.

 

[Wealth is my birth right!]

you are totally missing the point. you can accumulate RPs and redeem later. redemption charges applicable for 90% of the cards.

agreed the fact if one redeem for 10k its nothing the 117/- but we need some GVs for 1.5k or 2.5 k when we cross that particular brand in mall lol

 

[hariselio]

is ACE still worth for comparison?

 

[manikP]

Returning to my original post in this thread: I recently found out that there is a Rs. 99 redemption fee for the SCB Ultimate. So, if I redeem 10,000 points for a Rs. 10,000 voucher I would forfeit Rs. 100 or 1%. Doesn't this put in on par with the Ace card (3.3%-1% ~ 2%)?

Am I missing something? Obviously, for points > 20,000 or so, the card wins over the Ace - but then there is the pain of going through the redemption process vs. direct cashback...

I think your calculation is wrong, its 1% of 3.3% not 1 % of total spends.

So 3.3 - 1% =3.267

 

[sd.ac]

I think your calculation is wrong, its 1% of 3.3% not 1 % of total spends

if I have to pay Rs 100 against a total redemption of Rs 10,000 ( = 10,000 points ), I’ve lost 1% of the total amount

 

[sd.ac]

agreed the fact if one redeem for 10k its nothing the 117/- but we need some GVs for 1.5k or 2.5 k when we cross that particular brand in mall lol

this is the point. I would like to redeem a few thousand points when I see a need - not do a ton of homework after accumulating 20,000 points - figuring out a redemption ‘bouquet’

 

[CMG]

if I have to pay Rs 100 against a total redemption of Rs 10,000 ( = 10,000 points ), I’ve lost 1% of the total amount

It is still 3.26% reward rate instead of 3.3%.

 

[sd.ac]

Yes, we lost 1% here. Same applies to HDFC, ICICI, SBI, IDFC, YES when redeemed for gift vouchers.

true but with an Infinia or DCB the main use case is for travel where there is no redemption fee (a points-limit exists but no fee). Here - for the SCB Ultimate - the voucher is the main use case so it ought to be without a fee…

 

[manikP]

if I have to pay Rs 100 against a total redemption of Rs 10,000 ( = 10,000 points ), I’ve lost 1% of the total amount

Assuming you spent 300000 and got 9900 points (3.3%) you gave 117 rs redemption fee so 9783 are remaining points.

So 3.261% reward rate instead of 3.3-1%=2.3% reward rate like you mentioned.

 

[sd.ac]

It is still 3.26% reward rate instead of 3.3%.

Perhaps I am missing something? If I spend Rs. 10,000 on the Ultimate card, I recieve 10,000*3.3/100=330 points. If I choose to redeem these 330 points, I will need to pay Rs. 116 as the fee, so my net gain is 330-116=114.

i think what is being pointed out is that the reward rate varies a lot depending on the amount being spent/redeemed - i agree.

 

[CMG]

Perhaps I am missing something? If I spend Rs. 10,000 on the Ultimate card, I recieve 10,000*3.3/100=330 points. If I choose to redeem these 330 points, I will need to pay Rs. 116 as the fee, so my net gain is 330-116=114.

i think what is being pointed out is that the reward rate varies a lot depending on the amount being spent/redeemed - i agree.

330-116=214 not 114

It totally depends on the spends. You can see in the graph that when spends increase reward rate increases (due to 117 redemption cost)

 

[CMG]

Perhaps I am missing something? If I spend Rs. 10,000 on the Ultimate card, I recieve 10,000*3.3/100=330 points. If I choose to redeem these 330 points, I will need to pay Rs. 116 as the fee, so my net gain is 330-116=114.

i think what is being pointed out is that the reward rate varies a lot depending on the amount being spent/redeemed - i agree.

Your net gain is 214 - i.e 2.14%. still better than Ace

 

[sd.ac]

Your net gain is 214 - i.e 2.14%. still better than Ace

yep, sorry the 114 was a typo

 

[Vishnu]

Your net gain is 214 - i.e 2.14%. still better than Ace

I dont feel you can conclude so easily, especially when you factor in the difference in annual and renewal fee, as well as the flat 5 percent statement credit when it comes to utility payments through gpay. If you look in that perspective reward rate of ace is definitely more than 2 percent, but one can only ascertain absolute reward rate considering their individual statement. Best idea is to fully use ace and no other credit card for two months (considering the effect of possible bi-monthly billing) for all spends, similarly use Ultimate for the next 2 months, take out the extraordinary transaction (incurred for specific non recurring transaction) if any and calculate the reward rate after considering redemption fee and annual fee.

My last month ace bill was ₹20,900 and cashback earned was ₹756. Note that i have an airtel axis card, so my swiggy, zomato,phone, electricity and gas upto the ceiling limit of airtel card is fully utilised and balance if any is only spend by me for axis ace. Also I only have fixed charge (₹160) as electricity bill because of Solar connection. My reward rate is 3.61 percent for this particular billing month.
Note- I didnt incur any insurance, fuel or wallet spends in my last billing cycle through my axis ace card.

 

[CMG]

I dont feel you can conclude so easily, especially when you factor in the difference in annual and renewal fee, as well as the flat 5 percent statement credit when it comes to utility payments through gpay. If you look in that perspective reward rate of ace is definitely more than 2 percent, but one can only ascertain absolute reward rate considering their individual statement. Best idea is to fully use ace and no other credit card for two months (considering the effect of possible bi-monthly billing) for all spends, similarly use Ultimate for the next 2 months, take out the extraordinary transaction (incurred for specific non recurring transaction) if any and calculate the reward rate after considering redemption fee and annual fee.

My last month ace bill was ₹20,900 and cashback earned was ₹756. Note that i have an airtel axis card, so my swiggy, zomato,phone, electricity and gas upto the ceiling limit of airtel card is fully utilised and balance if any is only spend by me for axis ace. Also I only have fixed charge (₹160) as electricity bill because of Solar connection. My reward rate is 3.61 percent for this particular billing month.

I agree. My analysis was based on the previous messages. i.e. spends on 10,000 on ace vs scb u on 2% and 3.3%(with 117 redemption fee)