Best Credit Cards to Start Your Points & Miles Journey in India - 2025 Edition! 💳 Podcast By cover art

Best Credit Cards to Start Your Points & Miles Journey in India - 2025 Edition! 💳

Best Credit Cards to Start Your Points & Miles Journey in India - 2025 Edition! 💳

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 💳 Ready to travel for free without needing a super-premium credit card? Whether you’re just starting out or still figuring out which card to get, this episode of The Great Indian Points & Miles Show is your roadmap to kickstarting your travel rewards journey — no million-mile flexing needed!👥 Featuring Dhimant, Ameya, Aadil and our special guest Eshwar, a first-gen points enthusiast from Bangalore, we break down:🔹 The best starter credit cards in India for points and miles - 2025 Edition🔹 Real-life examples of redemptions — from Goa to Hong Kong🔹 The truth about credit score building, card ladders, and upgrades🔹 Top beginner cards: HDFC Marriott Bonvoy, Regalia Gold, ICICI Sapphiro & more🔹 How to use reward sliders, SmartBuy, and card-on-card tricks to level up fast🔹 Pro tips to maximize cashback, lounge access, and international travel – even on a modest salary🔥 If you’ve been thinking “this game isn’t for me because I don’t have a Magnus or Infinia,” this is the episode you can’t miss. It’s starter-pack energy, but with real ROI.Credit Cards mentioned in this episode (Some may be affiliate links):⁠HDFC Regalia Credit Card⁠ ⁠HDFC Diners Black Credit Card⁠⁠HDFC Diners Privilege Credit Card⁠⁠HDFC Club Miles Credit Card⁠⁠HDFC Millennia Credit Card⁠⁠HDFC Marriott Bonvoy Credit Card⁠⁠Axis Magnus Credit Card⁠⁠Axis Atlas Credit Card⁠⁠Axis My Zone Credit Card⁠ ⁠Axis Privilege Credit Card⁠⁠Axis Select Credit Card⁠⁠ICICI Coral Credit Card⁠⁠ICICI Emerald Credit Card⁠Timestamps:00:00 – What if I can’t get a super premium card? Whats the way forward?04:30 – Meet our special guest: Eswar from Bangalore06:00 – Eswar’s first card story: HDFC Diners Privilege08:00 – How cashback and LTF offers kickstart card journeys in India09:00 – Ameya’s first credit card: ICICI Coral & Diners Black nostalgia10:30 – Throwback to Jet Airways, Kingfisher, and co-branded cards13:00 – Aadil’s first card: Shopper’s Stop Citibank credit card story15:00 – How credit card behaviour evolved for Eswar post his first win17:00 – From Diners Privilege to ClubMiles to Diners Black19:00 – Understanding the credit limit journey and credit upgrades20:30 – 💡 The importance of credit score building for beginners22:00 – How to get your first card if you don’t qualify yet23:30 – Building a ladder strategy with upgradeable card families25:00 – Secured credit cards: FD-based cards for beginners26:30 – How IDFC WOW Card works and why it’s great for beginners27:00 – 🌍 What’s a good starter strategy? Ameya breaks it down28:30 – Why co-branded airline cards can be a smart entry point29:30 – Card recommendations from Ameya: Diners Privilege, ClubMiles, Millennia30:30 – How long to wait before expecting an upgrade?31:00 – HDFC Regalia + Regalia Gold card ladder explained33:00 – 💥 First wins matter: Use SmartBuy sliders to redeem early35:45 – Co-branded cards: Flipkart Axis, Amazon Pay ICICI, etc.36:30 – ROI vs. ROS (Return on Spend): Travel vs Cashback37:30 – Eswar’s card picks for beginners: Marriott Bonvoy & Swiggy39:30 – HDFC Swiggy Card: Earn ₹42K cashback on daily spends40:30 – HDFC Marriott Bonvoy Credit Card: Realistic redemptions and multiplier tricks42:30 – 🛏️ Best Marriott redemptions in South India44:00 – 2-card hack: How to get 2 free nights for ₹7,00045:30 – Why Regalia and Regalia Gold are killer value for beginners49:00 – 💡 Get that first win (flight/hotel) fast to stay motivated51:00 – Card-on-card applications: Use strong limits to get better cards55:30 – Domestic, international, or local? Choose your card by goal58:00 – Devaluations are inevitable: plan redemptions early59:00 – Inflation, redemption logic & why simplicity wins01:00:00 – Final Advice from the trio for beginners01:01:30 – Eswar reflects on his experience & favorite TGIPMS episode
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