CardAgent Blog

Writing on Indian credit cards

Scoring methodology, fee math, category quirks and wallet strategy — from the team behind CardAgent.

21 Jul 20267 min readRBI rulesRegulation

RBI Credit Card Rules 2026: What the Master Direction Actually Protects

Every Indian credit card runs on one RBI rulebook. Here are the rights it actually gives you in 2026 — activation consent, capped late fees, free card closure with ₹500-a-day compensation — and the exact escalation when a bank breaks one.

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16 Jul 20266 min readCard newsDevaluation

PhonePe SBI Card SELECT BLACK & PURPLE Devaluation: New Reward Caps and Exclusions (July 2026)

SBI Card has quietly capped reward points on its PhonePe co-branded cards and cut a long list of categories to zero. If you carry a PhonePe SBI Card SELECT BLACK or PURPLE, here is what changed on 1 July 2026 and which CardAgent-listed alternatives are worth a look.

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14 Jul 20266 min readCard newsDevaluation

BOBCARD Eterna & Tiara Devaluation: Finance Charges Up, Insurance Gone, Lounge Access Gated (July–October 2026)

Bank of Baroda is quietly reworking BOBCARD's premium cards: costlier interest, no more accidental death cover, conditional HPCL fuel rewards, and a doubled lounge-access spend bar. Here is the full timeline and what it means if you hold an Eterna or Tiara card.

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12 Jul 20266 min readCard newsLounge access

HDFC Regalia Gold & Diners Club Privilege: Lounge Access Is No Longer Free (July 2026)

HDFC has quietly turned a flagship perk into a spend-gated one. From July 2026, Regalia Gold and Diners Club Privilege cardholders need ₹60,000 of prior-quarter spend just to keep their lounge visits. Here is the mechanics, and three cards that still don't ask.

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2 Jul 20266 min readWallet strategyRewards

How to Pick the Best Card in Your Wallet for Every Purchase

You already own the best cards. The hard part is remembering which one to swipe at the counter. Here is a framework — and an AI agent that does it for you.

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24 Jun 20267 min readFeesGST

Credit Card Fees in India: Why 18% GST Changes Every Comparison

The joining fee on the brochure is not the number on your statement. Here is how 18% GST, milestone waivers and welcome benefits combine to determine the real cost of a credit card in India.

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15 Jun 20269 min readBest cardsRankings

Best Credit Cards in India 2026: A Transparent, GST-Inclusive Ranking

Most 'best card' lists in India rank whichever card pays the highest affiliate commission. Here is how CardAgent ranks 240+ cards on a single, public formula — with GST-inclusive fees.

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