Regulatory Disclaimer
Legal disclosures, Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Master Directions compliance standards, and non-banking research entity governance framework.
RBI Master Directions (2026 Edition) & MITC Governance Standards
CardIntel is an independent financial research and credit card intelligence platform. We are not a credit card issuer, scheduled commercial bank, non-banking financial company (NBFC), or direct sales agent (DSA). Card features, annual renewal fees, reward redemption ratios, welcome vouchers, forex markup percentages, and airport lounge access criteria are subject to periodic circular revisions by issuing banks.
In accordance with Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Co-Branding Master Directions, co-branded platforms partner with underlying legal banks who remain strictly authoritative for card underwriting, credit assessment, billing, and regulatory disputes (AGENTS.md Rule 4). Always verify official bank Most Important Terms & Conditions (MITC) schedules prior to application.
1Non-Banking & Non-Intermediary Status
CardIntel does not solicit, originate, underwrite, issue, or manage credit cards, debit cards, prepaid payment instruments (PPI), loans, or banking deposits. We do not act as an agent, broker, direct sales agent (DSA), recovery agent, or financial intermediary for any Indian or foreign banking institution.
CardIntel does not collect customer credit card applications, credit card numbers, CVVs, OTPs, PINs, or banking passwords. Any hyperlinks leading to bank application portals redirect cardholders directly to the verified primary domain of the respective RBI-regulated issuer.
2Separation of FinTech Brand Platforms vs. Legal Issuing Banks
Under RBI Master Direction – Credit Card and Debit Card – Issuance and Conduct Directions (updated 2026), co-branding FinTech platforms (such as Scapia, OneCard, Kiwi, Jupiter, super.money, etc.) are marketing, distribution, and technology partners.
The legal card issuer (such as Federal Bank, BOBCARD Limited, CSB Bank, South Indian Bank, SBM Bank India, etc.) is solely authorized and responsible for:
- Credit underwriting, credit limits, and credit line assignment.
- Customer onboarding, KYC (Know Your Customer) compliance, and reporting to credit information companies (CIBIL, Experian, CRIF High Mark, Equifax).
- Billing statements, interest rate charges (APR), finance charges, late payment fees, and GST calculation.
- Customer grievance redressal under the Reserve Bank - Integrated Ombudsman Scheme (RB-IOS).
CardIntel maintains strictly isolated records for each legal bank arrangement. Terms applicable to a Federal Bank variant do not apply to a BOBCARD variant merely because they share a common consumer brand name.
3MITC Schedules, Key Fact Statements (KFS) & Bank Revisions
All quantitative metrics, fee waivers, reward rates, airport lounge eligibility thresholds, and foreign currency markup percentages presented on CardIntel are sourced from official bank Most Important Terms and Conditions (MITC), Key Fact Statements (KFS), Schedule of Charges (GSFC), and publicly notified circulars.
Issuing banks routinely adjust spend criteria (such as minimum quarterly spends for complimentary lounge visits), merchant exclusion lists (such as fuel, rent, wallet loads, government transactions, education, or jewelry), and reward point redemption values. Cardholders must confirm prevailing terms on the issuing bank's official schedule before relying on historical terms.
4Deterministic Scoring & Absence of Commercial Influence
The CardIntel Score (0–100) and category ratings are computed deterministically through mathematical formula weights evaluating verified underlying facts.
CardIntel does not sell sponsored card placements, top-ranking spots, or editorial endorsements. Commercial partnerships, if any, do not alter scoring algorithms, valuation formulas, drawback callouts, or critical devaluation audits.
5Regulatory Grievances & Contact
If you identify a factual discrepancy between a card's listed parameters and an updated official bank circular or MITC schedule, please report it to our research desk for prompt provenance auditing: