Recently, one of my Businessmen friends sent a goldfish to his son in India as a birthday gift. My friend was away in London working on his overseas project. Still he was determined to make his presence felt. With the help of a credit card of a multinational bank, he made it possible. Really, it has become a matter of past where flashing a gold credit card was considered to be a status insignia. Now, the colour-coded plastic or a metallic black among the affluent Indians is in vogue. Platinum and black are the new names of credit cards for premium customers and this section accounts for half a million as against the total base of 25 million credit cards in India. Holding these credit cards means getting instant access for a sold-out Zubin Mehta show, or owning an expensive Longines watch as a free gift from your credit card company and many more.

As the income levels of people rise, the urge for upgradation of their credit card with relevant features becomes manifold. While most companies might offer free credit cards, these affluent and premium cards come for a price as these are aiming to meet the needs of its high-end customers. The premium credit cards have a sharp fee structure. Credit card giants like Citibank and American Express charge a one-time joining fee of Rs 50,000 for their premium and affluent cards while Standard Chartered and ICICI Bank charge comparatively lower fees but an annual fee. These charges are subject to changes from banks to banks and ongoing offers are added keeping the credibility of the customer into account.

The amount you pay as fees often comes back to you as there are attractive gifts to be won or a lucrative reward point structure associated with these premium cards. The gift may include attractive gifts like Longines Watch, two Kingfisher Class round-trip tickets. So go for the premium cards and make your style signature more profound.