How to Use Credit Cards & Shop like a King this Diwali

By | November 2, 2018

As Deepavali is around the corner, you might already be in shopping spree by making use of the raining festive promos back to back along with Flipkart BBD & amazon Festive sale. Yet, here are some inputs from my end which may be further helpful to find new ways to save more while spending less.

How to Shop like a King this Diwali (Image Credit: CNBC)

#1 Pantaloons Offer

Yes, this is not a Credit card offer, but worth a lot. Every year pantaloons has been running the festive promo wherein you get complimentary gifts like Trolley/other gift items on shopping X amount with them. This year too they were running a similar promo across various cities with different offers.

In Salem, we have this offer: Purchase for Rs.10k or above on any brand (7k with limited brands) in pantaloons to get the Trolley worth Rs.6500. That’s more than 50% value back and also as my current trolley is getting old, this came in right time.

What’s even more exciting is i didn’t spend this 10k from pocket, rather used the 10K Pantaloons voucher which i received from SBI Prime (3K welcome voucher + 7k milestone voucher).

Pantaloons offer 2018 Diwali

I love giving shopping treats to my family at pantaloons and infact this is the second time i’m shopping at Pantaloons in this year. Early 2018 too i used a 10k voucher that i received from Indusind Iconia.

So on a bill of Rs.10,500, i got value worth ~Rs.16,500 (10.5k dress+ 6k trolley) on spending ~Rs.500. Me happy, family even more happy 😉

P.S. That ~Rs.500 too i paid with that Cash credit received from converting the points. 🙂

Total Savings: Rs.16,500 (100% Free)

#2 HDFC 10X Points

As you might know, HDFC has multiple 10X Promos (Smartbuy, Diners Merchants, Happy hours) running at the moment and i’ve made good use of it this Diwali. There is also 10X on Jewellery coming up.

I’ve stopped spending on 10X offers since past 1 year except on few small txns now and then as i’ve mentioned it on 2017 Year in Review but this time we did have real shopping needs in the family, so that was a nice 33% saving on Diners Black.

Total Savings: 33% as Points

#3 Indusind Accelerated Points

Indusind Bank Credit cards has 2X/3X/5X offer that are very lucrative especially because you can convert the points to cash. As i’ve comparatively low spend targets on Indusind Iconia, this comes very much handy to me for the spends that doesn’t fall under the HDFC 10X category.

Total Savings: ~10% as cashback

#4 ICICI Gold & Dining Vouchers

ICICI has the Marriott dining voucher promo on Amex co-branded cards wherein i can get Rs.5k Dining voucher on spending Rs.75k on top of the regular JPMiles i earn on ICICI Amex Jet Sapphiro Card.

That aside, they’ve also launched a new promo where you get Tanishq Gold vouchers which will anyway be covered if Marriott promo target is met.

Total Savings: ~15% + JPMiles/Points

Bottomline

Diwali season is the best season for shopping. Merchant’s throw lucrative offers hoping for high volume orders and credit card companies come up with raining spend based offers as they want you to use their cards & probably put EMI on it.

As a customer this will save us a huge amount at the end of the day. But make sure you don’t buy things just because its on offer, as the Oracle of Omaha rightly said:

If you buy things you don’t need, you will soon sell things you need” – Warren Buffett

While these are some of the high value returns that i get by spending during this Deepavali, there are also other set of Offers that you maybe interested in. To check all Diwali Offers this festive season, check out this link.

Shop to Save & burn less crackers to save the environment. Advance Diwali Wishes 🙂

Author: Siddharth

Helping Indians to choose right credit cards, pick right offers and enjoy luxury vacations for less. Day & night exploring the spiritual reality of our human existence.

12 thoughts on “How to Use Credit Cards & Shop like a King this Diwali

  1. Aayush Chawla

    I got the same trolley from Pantaloond 😀
    Used 7.5 K Prime vouchers as well 😀

    Reply
  2. Trilokesh

    In varanasi they were running a promo in which we have to spend 6000 and then we need to buy scratch coupon of 1000, which has trolley, juicer mixer grinder, microwave and samsung 43″ led tv. We shopped 12000 and bought 2 coupons, received 2 trolleys. 2nd time my wife shopped for 24000 and bought 4 coupons, received 1 trolley, 2 Maharaja juicer mixer grinder and 1 Samsung TV.

    We received gifts more than we shopped that too 10X rewards on regalia.

    Reply
  3. Vikram

    I have a 2 Credit Card, both more than 1 year old. Sbi Fbb card and kotak urbane.
    Before I had the Axis insta card. Had to close due to personal reason after 2 years.

    1. Today I check my cibil report and it showing my Axis card there.

    2. Before I was salary employee, now I am doing farming and income is exempt from Income tax. So I want to change my office address from cibil report and from bank. What I have to do.

    3. Can I get Sbi prime card. I have Income of 8lacs. I can fill volunteer Itr as it not mandatory for agriculture income.

    Reply
  4. Mouli

    I too got the trolley from Pantaloons by making use of 7000 voucher for achieving 5L spend in SBI PrimeCard

    Reply
  5. Amann

    Hi Sid

    A little over a year ago Yes Bank upgraded all the cards in my family to Yes First Exclusive Credit Card. A few days ago, all but one of my family members got a call to increase their limits & the same is already being processed. For the one that didn’t get it, I called customer care and got response that there wasn’t any offer to increase the limit on that card. However, they asked to hold the call and came back with possibility to increase the limit by 1 lac which isn’t bad at all.

    So this Diwali call YES BANK and check for a limit increase even if they haven’t already offered it.

    Happy Diwali to all.

    Reply
  6. Rajesh

    Hello Amann,

    I am using Yes First Preferred for 5 months now. I was given a very low limit (35K). I am spending roughly 40-50K in a month and making pre-payments.

    Any tips how can i get the Auto LE?

    Reply
    1. Amann

      Hi Rahesh

      Before making pre payment (say your card limit is 70-90% used), talk to customer care for limit. Don’t say anything else or explain. They will on their own tell you if they can or not. Or you can wait a year (7 more months in your case) for auto limit enhancement.

      Reply
  7. Mouli

    This year Pantaloons offer is announced,shop for 8000 and get American Tourister trolley for 49 and 1000 rs voucher.
    Expecting Amex,SC to announce Diwali offer in another 2 weeks

    Reply
    1. Siddharth Post author

      But this year the trolley isn’t as attractive as last year’s 😐

      Reply
      1. Mouli

        Not Sure whether all Pantaloons location has the same offer and look is not that good but quality wise should be better than last year skybags trolley

        Reply
        1. Ashu

          What is the End Date of the Offer ?? And is Trolley the only Prize or is it like Scratch card based among 3-4prizes ??

          Reply

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