u/Extreme_Cobbler4921

Current CIBIL: Negative/No history since I’m basically a newcomer in India from a credit perspective. No loans and no previous Indian credit card history.

Age: 37

Employment Status & Income:
Working abroad (Gulf). Can comfortably maintain around ₹20k+ monthly usage/spends on the card, and higher during travel/shopping periods.

Existing Banking Relationships:

• ICICI → Primary usage currently
• HDFC → FD + savings + mutual funds
• Axis → Oldest account, mainly random purchases

Monthly / Regular Spend Categories:

1. Swiggy/Zomato
2. Amazon shopping
3. Movies/BookMyShow
4. Travel & airport usage
5. International spends during travel

Annual/Higher Spend Categories:

1. Flight tickets
2. Family shopping during India visits
3. Electronics/appliances
4. Dining
5. Online shopping/festive purchases

Reward Preference:
Cashback preferred, but cashback + reward points combination is also fine.

Lounge Access Required:
Yes.

• Domestic lounge access important
• International lounge access preferred if possible within reasonable fee/spend criteria

Preferences / Other Needs:

• Annual fee ideally within ₹1k-2k range
• Fine with quarterly spend-based lounge eligibility
• Okay with FD-backed cards if approval is easier for NRIs
• Prefer stable cards with good real-world usability over flashy marketing
• Looking for good offers on Swiggy, Amazon, movies, and travel

Would genuinely appreciate guidance from experienced members here, especially fellow NRIs or people who started with low/no CIBIL history.

Any practical suggestions, combinations, or beginner-friendly approaches are welcome. Even if it’s not from the banks I mentioned, happy to hear honest experiences.

Thank you in advance, and God bless you all.

Current CIBIL: Negative/No history since I’m basically a newcomer in India from a credit perspective. No loans and no previous Indian credit card history.

Age: 37

Employment Status & Income:
Working abroad (Gulf). Can comfortably maintain around ₹20k+ monthly usage/spends on the card, and higher during travel/shopping periods.

Existing Banking Relationships:

• ICICI → Primary usage currently
• HDFC → FD + savings + mutual funds
• Axis → Oldest account, mainly random purchases

Monthly / Regular Spend Categories:

1. Swiggy/Zomato
2. Amazon shopping
3. Movies/BookMyShow
4. Travel & airport usage
5. International spends during travel

Annual/Higher Spend Categories:

1. Flight tickets
2. Family shopping during India visits
3. Electronics/appliances
4. Dining
5. Online shopping/festive purchases

Reward Preference:
Cashback preferred, but cashback + reward points combination is also fine.

Lounge Access Required:
Yes.

• Domestic lounge access important
• International lounge access preferred if possible within reasonable fee/spend criteria

Preferences / Other Needs:

• Annual fee ideally within ₹1k-2k range
• Fine with quarterly spend-based lounge eligibility
• Okay with FD-backed cards if approval is easier for NRIs
• Prefer stable cards with good real-world usability over flashy marketing
• Looking for good offers on Swiggy, Amazon, movies, and travel

Would genuinely appreciate guidance from experienced members here, especially fellow NRIs or people who started with low/no CIBIL history.

Any practical suggestions, combinations, or beginner-friendly approaches are welcome. Even if it’s not from the banks I mentioned, happy to hear honest experiences.

Thank you in advance, and God bless you all.

Need some guidance from experienced members here regarding NRI credit cards.

I work outside India and currently maintain NRO relationships with:

• ICICI (main usage currently)
• HDFC (FD + savings + mutual funds)
• Axis (oldest account, mostly for random purchases)

I travel between Gulf ↔ India frequently, so lounge access is one of the main priorities, especially international lounge access.

My expectations are realistic:

• Okay with annual fees around ₹1k-2k max
• Or cards with quarterly/monthly spend criteria
• Okay to maintain premium banking relationship if worth it
• FD-backed cards are also fine if approval is easier for NRIs

Additional preferences (priority-wise):

1. Swiggy/Zomato offers
2. Amazon shopping benefits/cashback
3. Movie ticket offers (BookMyShow etc.)
4. Airport lounge access
5. Good forex markup/rewards for international spends

Main things I’m looking for:

• Reliable domestic + international lounge access
• Good NRI support and approval experience
• Decent rewards for international spends
• Reasonable forex markup
• Stable benefits without too much devaluation

Not looking for ultra-premium ₹5k-10k fee cards unless the value is genuinely exceptional.

From actual experience:

• Which bank has treated NRIs better overall?
• Which specific card would you recommend in my situation?
• Is FD-backed route worth it for lounge/reward cards?
• Any recent issues with spend-based lounge eligibility?

Would appreciate practical feedback rather than brochure comparisons.