Major findings from SaveSage's pan-India survey indicate that approximately seven out of ten credit card users are not fully leveraging the rewards programs associated with their cards.
Breaking Down the Wasted Potential: SaveSage's Eye-Opening Survey on Indian Credit Card Habits in 2025
Get ready to dive into the not-so-sweet truth about how Indian consumers are handling their mighty credit cards, as SaveSage, India's top credit card reward and loyalty optimization platform, has stirred things up with the findings from its Nationwide Credit Card Rewards Usage Survey 2025. From February to March 2025, the survey gathered responses from more than 5,000 cardholders in nine major cities, shedding light on why over half of us are squandering precious savings on missed rewards and unmaximized benefits.
In this rapidly growing world of 109 million active credit cards (as of RBI, February 2025), the implications are massive. So, what's the deal? A whopping 70% of users are missing out big time on getting the most bang for their buck! The main culprits? Confusing information, a lack of knowledge, complication overkill, and a tedious redemption process. Let's belt out the gritty details.
The Dirty Dozen: Key Survey Findings
- 50% of responses revealed a redemption roadblock, often settling for cashback when juicy benefits like travel, merchandise, or exclusive partner offers are within reach.
- 50% of cardholders are tossing out potential savings as reward points expire thanks to a lack of know-how or tracking mechanisms.
- 60% are oblivious to all sorts of complimentary perks attached to their cards, such as lounge access, travel insurance, golf privileges, and concierge services—potential premium perks that come at no extra cost.
- 55% still prefer UPI or cold hard cash for day-to-day transactions, ignoring the advantages of credit cards when it comes to maximizing rewards and enjoying free credit periods.
- 60% mindlessly rely on social media influencers for credit card advice, raising eyebrows about credibility and the need for trustworthy, expert-driven guidance.
- 65% are keen on starting a fresh relationship with their primary credit card in search of better benefits, showing eagerness for personalized, high-value rewards.
These disconcerting numbers scream for a bridge between the swelling rewards landscape and their actual usage among Indian consumers. The solution? Improved education, simplified tools, and expert resources to help everyone level up and reap their credit card rewards to the fullest.
Ashish Lath, Chief Saver at SaveSage, had this to say on the matter:
"These findings powerfully reflect what we've long believed: way too many Indians are missing the boat when it comes to maximizing their credit card rewards. At SaveSage, we're committed to changing that. Whether it's through our AI assistant Savvy or personalized recommendations, our mission is to empower every user to unlock their credit cards' full earning potential—without the usual headache."
With credit-based financial products permeating Indian consumers' everyday lives, SaveSage stands out as a guiding star, helping users navigate this dynamic ecosystem.
Meet Your Super-Saver Sidekick: SaveSageSaveSage is like the cleaning crew for your credit card rewards, providing a one-stop solution to keep track of, manage, and optimize your credit card rewards and loyalty programs. Its algorithmic wizardry analyzes individual spending patterns and matches users with the credit card dream boat best suited to their needs, securing maximum rewards and benefits. Currently, SaveSage plays nice with over 750 credit cards and 75 loyalty programs. Its AI-powered expense buddy Savvy is the first of its kind and helps users maximize their credit card spending on the fly. SaveSage made its grand entrance in Oct'24 and has seen a growth of 50,000+ users by March'25.
Riding shotgun for SaveSage is an all-star lineup of investors, including iSEED, Atrium Ventures, LetsVenture Fund, along with some heavyweight angel investors—Bhavesh Gupta, Dr. Shriram Nene, Ritesh Malik, Ramneek Sehgal, Mayank Gupta, Rahul Mathur, Piyush Nangru, Utkarsh Kumar, Amit Goel, and others. For more details, scoot on over to www.savesage.club or drop us a line at [email protected].
In the rapidly growing world of credit cards, a significant number of users are missing out on maximizing their rewards. For instance, 50% of respondents revealed a redemption roadblock, and 50% of cardholders are throwing away potential savings as reward points expire. To tackle these issues, SaveSage, a credit card reward and loyalty optimization platform, encourages the need for improved education, simplified tools, and expert resources to help users navigate and optimize their personal-finance and business-related credit card benefits, including insurance, finance, and education-related perks.
