Regular purchases and payments for utility bills were earlier predominantly done through cash. With developments in technology and the intentions of the bankers to offer better services to their customers, cards have come into play – both debit and credit cards. The demonetizing of currency notes also gave a boost to using plastic money rather than using hard cash. All these developments have changed the economy completely. Credit cards specifically continue to aggressively bring in more and more offers to entice the customers
Judicious use of such credit periods and payments will enable you to earn some interest similar to interest on savings accounts. In addition, some banks issue credit card with cashback benefits.
Standard Chartered Bank has come up with a Smart Credit Card that takes credit card experience to the next level. It has features that not only provide attractive benefits but also add a lot of convenience to your life. In order to apply for a Standard Chartered Smart Credit Card, you need to be eligible for it first. Let’s understand the eligibility of a smart credit card:
Standard Chartered Smart Credit Card Application Eligibility:
Age – Applicant should at least be 18 years old and the maximum age should be 65 years. In case of supplementary credit card, the cardholder should be a minimum of 18 years of age.
Income – Applicant should be earning a stable monthly income, supported by the Income Tax Returns and salary slips.
Location – Should be in the card sourcing cities or the branches of the bank.
Documents – Applicant should provide documents like AADHAAR card, Electricity Bill, etc for address proof. One might also be required to submit your bank details, PAN Card, etc.
Along with the above-mentioned points, the applications should qualify in respect to all the credit card related policies of the bank.
Application Procedure:
- Application of Standard Chartered smart card can be done online via the bank portal.
- After KYC, your documents will be verified by the team.
- If there is anything missing in documents or if more supporting documents are required, the bank officials will ask you for the same.
- After document verification, you will receive the card at your address.
- You can later apply for an add-on card facility for your family members. This way, you and your family can together benefit from using your card.
Other things that you should know before you apply for a smart credit card:
Interest-free Periods:
After 18 to 25 days from the date of the statement, you should pay the monthly commitments, not less than the minimum amount due, as indicated in the statement. Therefore, you are sure to enjoy such interest-free credit periods ranging from 18 days to 48 days; further, basis the due date for payment, the minimum credit period will increase to 25 days, with a maximum of 55 days. You may plan your spending to enjoy such additional 7 days for grace periods.
Credit card with cashback
The maximum amount of cashback in a particular year is Rs. 18,000/-. You get a flat 2% cashback on online payments and 1% on offline transactions. If the transaction is online, the maximum per month is Rs. 1000. If the transaction is offline, the monthly maximum will be Rs. 500.
Ineligible transactions:
- Purchase made towards petrol and diesel
- Purchases returned or disputed
- Spends that are not transacted by the cardholder or fraudulent or unauthorised transactions
- Finance charges, other charges, fees, charged back transactions
- Cash, withdrawn from ATM/branches
- The maximum cashback per month relates to each card’s primary card separately and supplementary card separately.
- The spending on the card is not eligible for any reward points, though it may be allowed by banks under special circumstances like campaigns
Redemptions:
Only if the accumulations on all eligible transactions touch the minimum of Rs. 1000, you may apply for redemption. Further, the redemption should be in multiples of Rs. 500. You can also check the app for more vouchers and discounts. This will benefit you while you are shopping on any other app using the Standard Chartered smart card.
Sample plan to gain the maximum cashback:
- You may plan your spending to maximise the cashback gains (Rs. 1500 per month or Rs. 18000 per annum, out of the credit cards, in the following manner:
- Spends online and offline per month should be Rs. 50000, under each category.
- The amount claimed in the statement should be settled in full on the actual due date i.e., utilising the grace period in full.
- Not resorting to cash advances.
- Using the primary/ supplementary cards, in a planned manner – i.e. for transactions of Rs. 100000, each primary and supplementary card can be used for Rs. 50000 each, entailing a maximum of Rs. 2000, i.e., Rs. 1000 cashback in each.
- Redemption of cashback as and when it reaches Rs. 1000. It is wise to reach the limit every year to get the full benefit of the offer.
Choose and utilise the credit card prudently for shopping, utility payments, etc., which complements your best lifestyle. After the use of the basic card, you can upgrade your card and go for a higher version.