Rupay cards were launched in 2012 by the National Payments Corporation of India, which also designed the UPI system. Think of RuPay cards as the domestic equivalents of international networks like Visa and MasterCard. You can get both debit and credit cards with RuPay.
Should you get a RuPay Card?
There are 2 big advantages and 1 disadvantage with RuPay cards. The advantages are:
Cheaper & Better Value For Money:
RuPay is a domestic system, so it’s definitely going to give you more bang for your buck since the transaction costs and processing costs are much lower in comparison to its foreign equivalents. Given the push towards local alternatives, especially when it comes to payments, RuPay cards offer much more value for money when compared to their international counterparts especially for fuel cashback.
Superfast Transaction Times & Made For India
Given their indigenous nature, they’re also seamlessly integrated into payment gateways. Rest assured they’re accepted everywhere. So transaction times are lightning-fast and they are more convenient to pay with on Indian payment gateways because they’ve been designed for India. Overall, it’s a card that’s customized for Indian audiences. But that customization is perhaps also the reason for its disadvantage.
Not for the travelling type
The goal behind introducing RuPay cards was to bring more Indians under the card system and reduce cash transactions. It’s a product for Bharat. So what that means is that if you travel internationally, your card’s not going to work. There are lifestyle benefits – RuPay cards bring a lot of offers, especially for Indian merchants and D2C brands like Myntra, Giva, HomeCentre, The Mom’s Co etc, but none of them stretch to International merchants nor do they extend to international travel (no air miles or hotel points). So if you’re in the market for travel-related perks, you’ll be left disappointed.
Yes For Bharat, No For Lifestyle
Overall, RuPay cards are a great choice if your primary usage is in India and your preferred reward mechanism is cashback. But if you’re someone who travels/transacts internationally or is looking to score points for your next international trip, this isn’t the card for you.
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