My younger son got his first job offer in January 2024.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u20b96.5 lakh per annum. Bangalore based startup. He was excited.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then reality hit. “Dad, I need a credit card. Everyone at work uses cards for everything.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He had zero credit history. Banks wouldn’t even look at his application.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
HDFC rejected him. ICICI wanted a fixed deposit. SBI asked for income proof for 6 months.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He had been on the job for 3 weeks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This is the problem young professionals face. You need credit to build credit. But you can’t get credit without credit history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That’s when we looked at new age credit cards built specifically for this problem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
OneCard<\/a> and Uni Card<\/a> both launched around 2020. Both target young professionals. Both approve based on alternate data, not just traditional credit scores.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I helped my son get both cards. He’s been using them for 10 months now. I’ve been tracking his experience closely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After watching a 20 year old navigate modern credit cards, here’s what actually works.<\/p>\n\n\n\n OneCard launched in 2020 from Pune. Built by FPL Technologies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n They partner with Federal Bank and other banks to issue actual credit cards. Not prepaid. Not wallets. Real credit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n My son got approved in 12 minutes. Credit limit of \u20b940,000 to start.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The approval process was different. They looked at his job offer letter. His salary account. His UPI transaction history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Traditional banks don’t do this. They just want credit score and income tax returns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n OneCard’s pitch is simple. Metal card. Mobile first experience. 5X rewards on top spending categories.<\/p>\n\n\n\n My son’s top categories became food delivery and online shopping. He gets 5% back automatically. No activation needed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The card arrived in 8 days. Actual metal. He was impressed. “Feels premium,” he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Similar to how I chose credit cards after returning to India<\/a>, starting with the right card matters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The catch: OneCard gives 5X rewards only on your top 2 categories. Everything else gets just 1%. You need to spend strategically.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Uni Card is different. They call it a pay 1\/3rd card.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Built by Uni Cards and Payments, backed by Lightspeed Venture Partners. They partnered with SBM Bank initially.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The concept confused me at first. It’s not a traditional credit card. Not exactly a buy now pay later service either. Something in between.<\/p>\n\n\n\n My son got his Uni Card in June 2024. Approval took 8 minutes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n How it works: Every purchase gets split into 3 parts automatically. You pay 1\/3rd immediately. The other 2\/3rds over the next 2 months. No interest if paid on time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The credit limit isn’t traditional either. It adjusts based on your payment behavior. Starts lower. Grows as you use responsibly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What attracted my son? The 1% cashback on everything. Plus additional rewards through their “Uni Coins” that can be used for bill payments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The app is gamified. Missions. Challenges. Rewards for completing tasks. Very Gen Z.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When I was setting up my banking after returning<\/a>, these kinds of innovative products didn’t exist. Would have made life easier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Let me show you what matters for young professionals starting their careers.<\/p>\n\n\n\nWhat is OneCard?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
What is Uni Card?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Head to Head Comparison<\/h2>\n\n\n\n