1) Gloria Jeans Coffees
Faysal Bank:
15% Discount on Visa Gold, Visa Standard, Master Gold and Master Standard Credit Cards.
20% Discount on Visa Platinum, Visa Solitaire, Master Platinum and Master Solitaire Credit Cards.

HBL:
15% Discount on Visa Green, Visa Gold and Visa Platinum Credit Cards.

UBL:
20% Discount on Visa and Master Credit Cards.

2) Roasters Coffee House & Grill
Faysal Bank:
15% Discount on Visa Gold, Visa Standard, Master Gold and Master Standard Credit Cards.
20% Discount on Visa Platinum, Visa Solitaire, Master Platinum and Master Solitaire Credit Cards.

HBL:
10% Discount on Visa Green, Visa Gold and Visa Platinum Credit Cards.

Bank Alfalah:
10% Discount on Visa Classic, Gold, Platinum and Master Titanium Credit Cards.

3) KFC
Bank Alfalah:
15% Discount on Visa Classic, Gold, Platinum and Master Titanium Credit Cards.

4) Nandos
Faysal Bank:
Get Complimentary Starter OR Dessert on Visa Gold, Visa Standard, Master Gold, Master Standard, Visa Platinum, Visa Solitaire, Master Platinum and Master Solitaire Credit Cards.

5) Pizza Hut
HBL:
25% Discount on Visa Green, Visa Gold and Visa Platinum Credit Cards.

UBL:
25% Discount on Visa Platinum Credit Card.

Silk Bank:
Flat 30% Discount on Visa Gold and Platinum Credit Cards.

SCB:
25% Discount on Visa WorldMiles and Master Titanium Credit Cards.

6) FatBurger
Faysal Bank:
15% Discount on Visa Gold, Visa Standard, Master Gold and Master Standard Credit Cards.
20% Discount on Visa Platinum, Visa Solitaire, Master Platinum and Master Solitaire Credit Cards.

HBL:
15% Discount on Visa Green Credit Card.
20% Discount on Visa Gold Credit Card.
25% Discount on Visa Platinum Credit Card.

UBL:
20% Discount on Visa and Master Credit Cards.

SCB:
20% Discount on Visa and Master CashBack Credit Cards.

Askari Bank:
10% Discount on Master Credit Card.

7) Arizona Grill
Faysal Bank:
15% Discount on Visa Gold, Visa Standard, Master Gold and Master Standard Credit Cards.
20% Discount on Visa Platinum, Visa Solitaire, Master Platinum and Master Solitaire Credit Cards.

HBL:
10% Discount on Visa Green and Gold Credit Cards.

Bank Alfalah:
10% Discount on Visa Classic, Gold, Platinum and Master Titanium Credit Cards.

8) Burger King
HBL:
25% Discount Thursday till Monday on Visa Green, Gold and Platinum Credit Cards.
30% Discount on Tuesday and Wednesday on Visa Green, Gold and Platinum Credit Cards.

UBL:
15% Discount on Visa and Master Credit Cards.

SCB:
25% Discount on Visa WorldMiles and Master Titanium Credit Cards.

9) Johnny Rockets
Faysal Bank:
20% Discount on Visa Gold, Visa Standard, Master Gold and Master Standard Credit Cards.
25% Discount on Visa Platinum, Master Platinum and Master World Credit Cards.

Askari Bank:
25% Discount on Master Credit Card.

Silk Bank:
15% Discount on Visa Gold and Platinum Credit Cards.

HBL:
25% Discount on Visa Green, Gold and Platinum Credit Cards.

UBL:
20% Discount on Visa and Master Credit Cards.

SCB:
20% Discount on Visa and Master CashBack Credit Cards.

10) KababJees
HBL:
20% Discount on Visa Gold, Green and Platinum Credit Cards.

UBL:
30% Discount on Visa and Master Credit Cards.

11) Domino’s Pizza
Faysal Bank:
15% Discount on Visa Gold, Visa Platinum, Visa Solitaire, Visa Standard, Master Platinum, Master Titanium, Master Gold, Master Solitaire, Master World and Master Standard Credit Cards.

Askari Bank:
15% Discount on Master Credit Card

Bank Alfalah:
15% Discount on Visa Classic, Gold, Platinum and Master Titanium Credit Cards

SCB:
40% Discount on Visa and Master Credit Cards.

12) TGI Fridays
HBL:
25% Discount on Visa Green, Gold and Platinum Credit Cards.

SCB:
25% Discount on Visa WorldMiles, Visa Platinum and Master Titanium Credit Cards.

13) Butlers Chocolate Cafe:
UBL:
20% Discount on Visa and Master Credit Cards.

14) Bar B Q Tonight

Faysal Bank:
15% Discount on Visa Gold, Visa Standard, Master Gold and Master Standard Credit Cards.
20% Discount on Visa Platinum, Master Platinum, Visa Solitaire and Master Solitaire Credit Cards.

Bank Alfalah:
10% Discount on Visa Platinum and Classic Credit Cards.

HBL:
15% Discount on Visa Green and Gold Credit Cards.
20% Discount on Visa Platinum Credit Cards.

15) Pappa Roti

Silk Bank:
10% Discount on Visa Gold and Platinum Credit Cards.

So there you go folks, we’ve listed major cafes, restaurants and fast food outlets across Pakistan that offer discounts on various credit cards. While we think each bank is trying to give a decent catalogue of discounts to their patrons but HBL and Faysal Bank stand out with their discounts on majority of the eateries. SCB comes in at a close second for offering upto 40% discounts on various eateries. The next time you dine with your friends or family, make sure to pay via any of these credit cards to get fabulous discounts on your meals. If you wish to apply for a credit card please click here. Bon appetit!

Khurram Zahid

The post Best Credit Card In Pakistan Offering Discounts On Dining In 2016 appeared first on Smartchoice.pk.

So what is a prepaid debit card?
A prepaid card is a banking card that lets you pay for your purchases as you would do with any debit card. You can use it at POS (Point of sales) as well as at ATMs to get cash. Prepaid cards are available on the MasterCard as well as VISA payment networks. Due to its prepaid nature, it’s also known as a reloadable/rechargeable debit card. It’s a safer and convenient payment method as opposed to cash which carries risk of theft and loss. To get a prepaid card you don’t need to open a formal bank account, however all the transactions are recorded through the card provider i.e. a bank.  Unlike a regular debit card though, you can only spend as much money as you put in the card’s transaction account. In comparison to credit cards or regular debit cards, you pay before when you recharge your card and spend later, whereas in credit cards you spend before and pay later which is essentially borrowing money from the bank and you’re subject to various charges and interest in case you don’t pay off your bills on time. In debit cards you are paying at the moment of spending and money is deducted from the account associated with the debit card in real time by your bank/card provider.

Who’s the right audience for a prepaid debit card?
Prepaid cards benefit those the most who don’t have a bank account or don’t wish to have one. It could be a student planning to pay his tuition and examination fee online, or a corporate organization that’s planning to disburse bonuses, or as gift cards to be spent on shopping or dining. For those who have a bank account, prepaid debit cards can still be feasible and a great tool for money management as you can make expenditures without the worry of overspending from your account. Also since it’s your own money that you’re spending hence you’re not landing into the trouble of having to pay heavy interests. This is useful for people who have a fixed income, students and teenagers who get allowances or people visiting from abroad who temporarily wish to use a debit card.

Features of prepaid debit card:
Prepaid cards come with various features and benefits. For starters, due to the prepaid nature, there are multiple ways of recharging a card, usually by doing cash or cheque deposit at the bank or making an online transfer if you have an account in the same bank. You also get ATM withdrawal facility with a prepaid debit card. Another thing to note is that these cards are issued instantly and there’s no waiting times like there are usually with credit cards due to their checks regarding applicant’s credit history. While there are certain charges attached to using prepaid cards such as out of network ATM withdrawal or online usage, some charges are not levied or waived off altogether such as activation or transaction fee. These cards also don’t have a renewal fee as once expired you are issued a new card if you need one.

Limitations of prepaid cards:
With all the advantages that prepaid cards come with, there are several limitations that such solutions carry as well with them. The most obvious of them is that there is a certain recharge limit and your card cannot hold more cash than that whereas a debit card linked to your bank account will have access to all of the funds available in your bank account. Also there’s a certain spending limit per day and once you cross it your car remains unusable till the date on the calendar moves a notch ahead.  The next disadvantage is that these cards are not as secure as credit cards and thus cannot guarantee fraud protections. Even if your bank offers you purchase protection, it might be difficult to get refunds, correct errors and reverse wrong transactions.  Some more limitations are no access to online banking or funds transfer and no cheque book.

Who’s offering prepaid debit cards in Pakistan?
Currently, only United Bank Limited (UBL) is offering prepaid debit cards in Pakistan under the UBL Wiz brand. It offers various types of cards for people with specific needs such as UBL Wiz Internet card for those who like to spend online or UBL Wiz ACCA card for students who wish to pay their tuition and exam fee to ACCA in UK. There are also cards for teens, ladies and travelers which have different spending, reload and deposit limits. All you need to get a Wiz card is your CNIC and teens can get one if their guardian gets it on their behalf. A person can have one card of each type at a single time on his/her CNIC. Recently State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has issued regulations regarding the issuance and usage of prepaid cards which will hopefully urge more banks to start offering such solutions for the unbanked population of Pakistan.

We hope that this article serves in the benefit of those who are looking for a way to try out banking practices without actually going through the hassle of opening up a proper bank account. If you have any queries please let us know in the comments section below!

Khurram Zahid

The post All You Need To Know About Prepaid Debit Cards! appeared first on Smartchoice.pk.

The ceremony was attended by Mr. Ashraf Mehmood Wathra, Governor State Bank of Pakistan where an independent jury evaluated all the entries in eight different categories before finally announcing the winners.

The jury for the inaugural Pakistan Banking Awards included former SBP governor Syed Salim Raza, Pakistan Institute of Corporate Governance CEO Fuad Hashmi, State Life Insurance Corporation Chairperson Nargis Ghallo, former banking ombudsman Azhar Hameed, and former regional head for Citibank Middle East and Pakistan Shehzad Naqvi.

Speaking on the occasion, former SBP governor Raza highlighted the increased levels of banks’ investments in government papers.

United Bank Limited was awarded as the best bank for playing a major role in national development along with efficient management of its resources.

Habib Bank Limited clinched the Best Bank for Small Businesses and Agriculture Award for its strong performance, diversification and quality of small and medium enterprises (SME) and agricultural lending across the country. HBL also took the award for the Best Environment and Social Governance Bank for contributing the most in terms of the long-term sustainability of the environment, employees, customers and communities.

Next, Tameer Microfinance Bank bagged the Bank the Unbanked Award. It received the award for directing special focus to financial inclusion by increasing its outreach through rural and low-income urban penetration and diversification among all segments of account holders, including female account holders. It also got the Best Microfinance Bank Award for being the best all-around microfinance bank in terms of penetration, outreach, efficiency and access to low-income communities across Pakistan.

Best Bank for Corporate Finance and Capital Market Development award went to Muslim Commercial Bank for excelling in promoting capital market development, deepening secondary markets and providing advisory services to optimise the efficient use of industrial and commercial assets.

Pakistan Banking awards would’ve been incomplete without the inclusion of Islamic Banking as well. Here, Meezan Bank received the Best Islamic Bank Award for making the most progress in extending and expanding its Islamic banking franchise and raising public awareness.

Bank Alfalah won the best customer franchise award for its outstanding service delivery and attention on catering to customer’s requirements.

It’s great to see the banking sector enjoying a healthy environment and competition aimed at providing  banking consumers in Pakistan top quality services. We hope that the banks that failed to clinch an award this time around will strive hard to provide better services and become deserving for the awards next year!

Khurram Zahid

The post UBL Bags Best Bank At Pakistan Banking Awards 2016! appeared first on Smartchoice.pk.

Types Of Fuel Saving Credit Cards:
First of all we should let our readers know how various credit cards work to offer discounts on pretty much everything. For this case, there are three different ways in which credit cards offer these discounts:

1) There are dedicated cards that are made exclusively to spend on fuel and once you spend a set amount then you become eligible for the cash back which is a certain percentage of your total spending on fuel.

2) Next are cards that are not specific to fuel only but give cash back on various kinds of spending for e.g grocery as well as fuel.

3) Lastly come rewards card where you get reward points against your purchases and then you can redeem those reward points to get free fuel or other commodities as per the brands offered by your credit card provider.

Here are a few credit cards that offer cash back on fuel in 2016. This list includes cards that give cash backs on various kinds of services including fuel.

*PKR 1000 cap on cash back if refuel done from petrol pump other than PSO.
**1% cash back if refuel done from petrol pumps other than PSO.
All annual fees are exclusive of applicable FED.

Next come cards that offer reward points against spending which can be redeemed by getting various services available on your respective credit card. One of these is free fuel. Below listed are the Banks offering such credit cards:

Verdict:
Taking the above factors in consideration, we find that the cash back cards turn out to be a better value as they offer instant concessions against your purchases. In the cash back category we find that HBL Fuel Saver cards are the best as they provide the maximum amount of cash back. It’s definitely recommended for those who have a good amount of spending exclusively on petrol such as a case in which one has multiple cars that refuel for a good amount of money. If you think your usage is not specific towards one service only or if you’re spending is lesser then we think that Standard Chartered MasterCard Cash Back would be a good idea as it offers cash back on fuel as well as groceries which is a good idea for those with a family. Last but not the least, Faysal Bank mc² is a great alternative as well because it offers reward points on all types of spending be it shopping, dining or anything else. You can collect your reward points over a period of time after which you can redeem them to make free purchases from a list of brands that are onboard with Faysal Bank. Hence each card has its own suite of services that cater to various types of spenders and knowing your usage and then selecting a card is the best idea to gain maximum benefit.

Khurram Zahid

The post Best Fuel Saver Credit Card In 2016 appeared first on Smartchoice.pk.