Credit Cards !!!

Imagine a day without credit card?

Not much of a problem you can say - yes it is so but sometimes its just quite embarrassing to explain and things just stop when you don't have a credit card. Imagine a 28 year old person in India- obviously his wallet is loaded with cash and debit card but how can one miss the omnipresent credit cards - visa or master whatever especially when there are not very strong norms in India like Singapore to prevent young and financially overburdened people to fall in the credit card trap and worst of all they are for free - for life time or free for 10 years or they give you cash back or they want to give you a $100 voucher - it's a bloody story here. Just pump credit cards up the asses of masses :P

When you don't have a credit card or you use a debit card in India - you are forced to pay a surcharge. I know how banks works and the debit cards require no extra 2-3% but still people like to extort money everywhere - just like the autos in Bangalore on a rainy day or Monday hours. Maniacs isn't it - may be if you have internet in India to read this blog you will never feel what I say you probably have a credit card in your wallet.

Somethings you can't do without a credit card
a) book something online - reservation over phone/online to a hotel
b) pay pre-authorization amount - which credit cards only can pay

I never thought credit cards were mandatory !!

PS: I have lived comfortably in Singapore for more than three years only on debit cards. The government doesn't promote credit cards and you are required to have a minimum annual income of 25000 SGD to take a credit card home.
Banks readily issue debit cards for a fees of about $20 per annum if you do not spend about 1500-1600 SGD in a year trough the gateway.
They have there own private interbank payments gateway called NETS which is accepted all over Singapore by retailers and everywhere so that VISA and MASTER don't earn for every cent transacted.

Basic common sense or rather business sense.