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Shuaib Azam

Shuaib Azam

Marketing & Growth
Shuaib is a Marketing & Growth lead at Hubble. When he isn't working on growth initiatives, Shuaib writes fiction and doodles space monkeys.

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Shuaib Azam

Payment Cards

What are the types of payment options in India?

A payment method is a way that you use to pay for a product or service. Read this article to know all payment options available in India.
5 min read

Ever since India started its Digital India Movement, Indians’ adoption of digital payments has gone up steadily. Cashless transaction has been embraced across the board all the way down to chaiwalas with whom you can complete your payment using your phone, without fumbling for change in your wallet.

PayTM and PhonePe, that function using UPI are widely popular for daily transaction. There are many more options available in India beyond these.

What is a payment method?

A payment method is a way that you use to transact money as payment for a product or service. Cash, credit card, debit card, cheques, UPI etc. are various payment methods that are common in India.

Let’s look at an almost exhaustive list of payment methods you can use in India.

Types of Payment Methods

i. UPI

UPI - Unified Payments interface is a revolutionary system that has enabled Indians to access multiple bank accounts within a single interface. Users can seamlessly transfer money to businesses and other users using an app. All you need is an active bank account with a participating bank and you’ll be able to create a UPI id for yourself.

Just like an email, a UPI id allows people to send money directly to you, into your bank account. With 0 transaction fees, UPI is the most accessible payment method available for Indian smartphone users.

Popular UPI Apps In India

  1. Google Pay
  2. Phone Pe UPI
  3. BHIM UPI

ii. Digital Wallets

Digital Wallet, sometimes referred to as ‘e-wallet’ is a virtual account in which you can keep money to transact from. You could transfer money from your bank account to your digital wallet, which you can use as a payment method.

Why use a digital wallet, when you have UPI? Digital wallets operators such as PayTM, Amazon, Airtel etc. offer exclusive discounts for transactions using their digital wallets. You could avail those exclusive benefits by using such digital wallets.

Popular Digital Wallets in India

  1. Paytm
  2. ICICI Pockets
  3. MobiKwik
  4. Amazon Pay
  5. Airtel Money
  6. Freecharge
  7. PhonePe
  8. Jio Money
  9. HDFC PayZapp

iii. Net Banking

Internet banking, or Net Banking as known popularly is an electronic system that allows you to access your bank account and other banking services online.

Within Net Banking, there are a few ways that you can transact money.

  1. NEFT
  2. RTGS
  3. IMPS

iv. Mobile Banking

Mobile banking is net banking, accessed through your bank’s mobile app on your Android or iOS device.

It is essentially the same thing as net banking, but it allows for some personalised features.

v. Physical Cash

Cash is still a dominant payment used in India. As the use of digital payment methods are becoming more and more prevalent, Indians are getting more and more comfortable with not carrying cash.

vi. AEPS

AEPS - Aadhaar Enabled Payment System is a way Indians with Aadhaar card can do transactions. If your Aadhar card is registered with your bank account, you can start using this service.

How to use AEPS?

All you need to use AEPS is your Aadhaar card number. You’ll have to quote this number and initiate the transaction. As simple as that.

Vii. Credit Card and Debit Cards

All banks in India offer debit cards when you open an account with them. You will be able to access funds in your account using this debit card. Withdrawing of funds can be done through either the same bank’s ATM or other ATMs.

When you can demonstrate that you have continuous income, the same bank will be interested in offering you a credit card too. Credit cards can also be obtained by opening a Fixed Deposit and pledging the same.

viii. Pre Paid Cards

A prepaid card is an instrument that can be used just like a credit card or debit card. The only difference is that a prepaid card needs to be ‘recharged’ or loaded with money before hand.

It is not connected to your bank in any way and it provides an easy way to manage expenses especially for dependents in a family.

iX. Other instruments

Banking instruments such as a cheque or DD is still very much widely used in India. They have their own benefits and use cases. Having said that, even businesses are slowly embracing digital payments for all their operations.

Which Payment Method is best suited for you

  1. If you’re an avid mobile user: UPI/ Wallets/ Mobile banking
  2. If you are like to plan your purchases: debit cards/ Net banking/ Hubble
  3. If you’re a wallet/purse/handbag nerd (Physical wallet): Cards, and Cash
  4. If you are a business owner: Credit card/cheque book / Demand Draft

Benefits of Digital Payment Options in India

  1. It is infinitely more convenient. Thanks to digital payments, India’s collective anxiety over whether the ATM machine where your are heading to is functioning or not has eased.
  2. Plenty of benefits for users in the form of discounts, cashbacks and exclusive offers.
  3. It makes it easy to keep record of all your past transactions, which used to be an entirely manual operation before.
  4. Paying bills on time is also easier now because most utilities accept payments directly on your digital payment apps.
  5. Very low processing fee.

Payment Options Available with Hubble

We are working towards bringing as much flexibility as we can in your Hubble experience. Currently we allow deposit and withdrawals through UPI.

Net banking and Digital Wallet payments are being worked on at the moment and we plan to release them any time soon.

Shopping

Non Embarrassing Gifts to Give this Diwali

Save yourself from the embarrassment of becoming a Soan Papdi gift-er this Diwali and try these unique festive-themed products!
5 min read

The festive season is upon us and we are starting to plan Diwali gifts for our loved ones. One things all the Diwali memes have taught us is that gifting Soan Papdi is as bad as sharing Soan Papdi memes.

But we get the challenge. Finding interesting and meaningful Diwali gifts for friends and family can be tricky. To save you from the embarrassment of becoming a Soan Papdi gift-er, we went out and found unique festive themed products from awesome Indian brands you can buy for yourself and your loved ones this season.

#1 Araku Coffee

Araku coffee brings single-origin pure Arabica coffee grown by a collective of local farmers in the unique geography of north eastern Andhra Pradesh. The award winning Araku team has a rich culture of sustainable farming, growing business through cooperatives and product innovation.

Source: https://www.arakucoffee.in/

Try their Signature Blend for a coffee which everyone will like or go with Araku Selection if you are in the mood for a hot cappuccino on a cold evening.

#2 Naagin Sauce

Replace your childhood Diwali memories of burning the snake cracker with memories of enjoying Naagin Hot Sauce.

One of India’s first hot sauce companies, it was started with the aim of giving Indian chilies their rightful place on our plates. They have specially designed dips, sauces, chili oils, all created for the Indian palate to help you upgrade your food. Check out the Bhoot Jholakia Hot Sauce if you are in a particularly courageous mood or go for the versatile “The Original” which pairs well with everything.

#Sirohi Décor

Pick up sustainable décor items to spruce up the home for the festive season. Sirohi is a collective helping women from low income backgrounds in rural Haryana and Uttar Pradesh to connect with buyers for their unique handwoven décor and furniture products. Check out the Gauhar Dhoop Box Combo or the  Pinot wine box. Bring some elegance into your annual pooja ritual.

Source: https://www.instagram.com/sirohi.in/

#4 Oorjaa Lights

Lights are what brings out the spirit of Diwali and Oorjaa has beautiful designs made from sustainable materials such as paper, jute, mesh and concrete. Oorjaa is a paper studio started with the mission of making spaces glow. Each light they create is made by an artisan and is as unique as a fingerprint.

Source: https://www.instagram.com/oorjaadesign/

#5 Beco Cleaning Products

Diwali is the traditional Indian spring cleaning time.\

You can make your annual Swachh Bharat drive into a sustainable activity by using products from Beco. The cleaning products are affordable, plant based and eco-friendly, with no use of plastic in their packaging.

Source: https://letsbeco.com/

Try the Diwali essential hamper which will cover all your deep cleaning needs or check out their grooming essentials hamper which would make for a great gift.

Hope you found interesting Diwali gifts to send it your friends and family. Wishing you a Soan-Papdi-Free Diwali!

Payment Cards

How does No Cost EMI work?

A no-cost EMI is an offer by companies for their products where you can pay in equal monthly installments until the end of the tenor, but with no interest.
5 min read

Buying a dream phone may be an impossible dream for many if you had to pay the whole price upfront. Banks used to offer consumers the opportunity to take out a loan and pay the principal and interest together in equated monthly installments or EMI.

Banks later started offering loans for purchases without any interest, calling it no cost EMI. Big purchases are more tempting now, now that you seemingly don’t have to pay interest.

Let’s try and understand how this works.

What is No Cost EMI?

A loan that you borrow for a large purchase typically has an interest component that is charged separately. A no-cost EMI is an offer by companies for their products where you continue to pay equal monthly installments until the end of the tenor, but with no interest.

What it means is that you will only be paying the total cost of the product, with no extra payments.

How are banks able to offer No Cost EMI?

There are two ways in which no-cost EMIs work

Let’s look at them both.

  • The first one is to do away with the discount they would have typically offered you, if you chose to pay upfront. When they charge you the full price, the discount they would have offered you goes towards the payment of interest to a bank.
  • The second way is that they ‘bake in’ the cost of the interest into the price of the product.

Most online shopping platforms usually pad up offer price and the interest cost in some way is passed on to the customers.

Let’s look at an example.

Assume that you’re in the market for a new phone that costs INR 30,000. You find an offer for a zero-cost EMI for 3 months.

Then the interest component works out to INR 4,500.

In the first scenario, the discount is taken away.

In the second scenario, the interest is inbuilt into the price of the phone.

Now that we have understood that no cost EMIs are not really no cost, let us look at their pros and cons.

Pros of No Cost EMI

  • Builds a healthy credit score if you are prompt with payments.
  • Allows you to make expensive purchases without paying in one go.
  • No interest is charged on the advertised price of the product.
  • Helps you plan your budget when you split the costs over a few months.

Cons of No Cost EMI

  • Missing a payment or a delayed payment will negatively affect your credit score.
  • You will be paying a little more than if you paid the full price upfront.
  • Processing fee is usually levied on the products.
  • A credit card may be needed to make the purchase.
Shopping

5 Money-Saving Shopping Tips Every Shopping Enthusiast Needs!

Read this blog to learn 5 simple yet powerful tips to save your hard earned money without actually saying no to shopping.
5 min read

The excitement of a new offer on your favourite website, the melodious chime when your UPI payment goes through, the flutter in your heart when you spot something you love - if you’re an avid shopper, you know nothing really beats these moments! However, as thrilling as it is to bring home something new, it’s important to practise fiscal responsibility so that a fun habit doesn’t turn into a major liability.

Fortunately, it’s easier than it sounds! Check out these money-saving shopping tips that are super simple to follow!

1. Choose your sources carefully

It’s quite tempting to rely on your favourite ecommerce website whenever you need anything. But, did you know that many popular websites add their own markups to products?

Here’s an example: You might spot a pastel pink ceramic casserole dish on Website A  priced at ₹650. Save the image and try a Google Image Search (wherein you can search items by uploading their images). The results will show you different websites that offer the same product.

Website B and Website C may have sourced the same dish from the same vendor, but their own markups might be lower. This is a great way to get what you want without overspending.

2. Use a monthly budget planner!

The ease with which digital payments work can make it harder to keep track of your spending. Using a monthly budget planner (whether a digital budget planner or a good, old-fashioned notebook) can really go a long way.

Ideally, your planner should have a column dedicated to expenses, and one dedicated to earnings. Money spent on meals, household essentials, salaries, and any form of shopping should go under the expenses column so that you’re always aware of where each rupee is going.

Determine your monthly budget at the beginning of the month and use the expense tracker to make sure you’re sticking to it.

3. Find a great savings app!

Remember those piggy banks you had as a kid? Wouldn’t it be great if you could use them to save money for specific needs? A money saving app that works like a piggy bank can be the ideal solution for you.

Hubble Money is a great example of a money saving app that lets you save at your own pace. What’s more, you can earn 10% guaranteed rewards on all your savings, no matter how large or small the amount may be. The app lets you plan purchases and withdraw money anytime, without any applicable charges. You can redeem your savings to buy any product from their partner brands in electronics, appliances, fashion, beauty and jewellery.

4. Don’t rely on sales!

As inviting and exciting as those large banners with impossibly low prices are, the truth is that sales often cause us to spend more money. We’re more likely to get swept up by the excitement of a 50% Off tag and end up buying three pieces of an item we don’t need, instead of just one. As a result, instead of spending 100% of the original amount, we end up spending 150%.

The only time you should rush into a store during a sale is when you’re absolutely sure of what you want. If you’re just browsing, trust us, you’re going to end up with a lot of impulse purchases!

5. Try the 30-day rule!

Finally, this one for all you shoppers who cannot resist the impulse to purchase, well, anything. The 30-day rule is a great one to follow if you need help understanding whether you really want something, or are just buying it for the sake of it.

It’s simple. When you see something you like, wait 30 days before making a purchase. If your heart still yearns for that item, you should buy it. But if you’ve practically forgotten about it, the chances are that you never really needed it in the first place.

These simple tips will make it so much easier to save money without actually saying no to shopping! To start saving for specific purchases, check out Hubble Money today!

Spending Account

Why you shouldn’t mix saving and investing

It is common to confuse saving and investing. Learn about how they differ and when it is a good idea to save or invest your hard-earned money.
5 min read

It is a common mistake to think saving and investing are the same thing. Before we go ahead and say that they aren’t, it is important that we first understand why it is that we think they are the same thing.

Saving and investing, both include the process of putting aside a set amount of money from your income. That’s about where their similarities end. They both have different goals.

Saving is a goal focused focused activity. You set a savings target for yourself and you save towards it. Completion of that goal is marked by a transaction.

Investing is what you do with capital. It involves some risk and it anticipates a reward. Portions of your savings that you are willing to expose to risk, in return for a possibility of higher returns is your investment capital.

It is common for people to save for an investment, such as a downpayment on a house. You save to hit that goal and then you allocate it towards that investment.

Why you shouldn’t mix investing and saving

Social media spaces like Linkedin and Twitter were rife with talk about how people’s stocks and crypto portfolios took a beating in the recent market turns. If history has taught us anything, it is that that is just what markets do. There are periods of exhilarating highs and soul crushing lows. Seasoned investors are well aware of this and they don’t depend on their investments for their purchase commitments.

When the market goes up and up, new investors who taste profits start planning their purchases based on the uptrend. You and I know at least one person who saved for something in the stock market. They ended up with lesser than how much they had saved when the markets turned.

When to save and when to invest

In the long run, even modest investments outperform savings. But, like anything, they have their own use cases and it has to do with how much time you have and how much risk you can take.

Your needs, like paying for your children’s education, downpayment for you car, upgrading your electronics are things that are time bound. It makes most sense to save for these as you anticipate these transaction before a certain date as per your plan or need.

Uncertainties like a job loss or a large medical expense are things that can shake anybody’s core. It is important to have savings that you can access for such times. It is not wise to put the money that you have saved for something as important as education into your investments. You may get hit with a market crash and you will be forced to sell at a loss to recover your investment.

To sum up, if you can and don’t mind waiting for good returns, you invest.

If you need the money in the near future, you save.

Lifestyle

Gift ideas for women who have everything!

Here's the list of ideal gifts that you can give to any special woman in your life to express your love & gratitude.
5 min read

It might be difficult to choose the perfect present for the special woman in your life, whether it's your wife, girlfriend, mother, grandma, or sister. She frequently claims she wants nothing when you try to choose the ideal present for her, leaving you wondering what on earth to get her. Or you'll waste days, maybe even weeks, trying to come up with a special gift because she seems to have just about every other trendy item on the market. Thankfully, you won't have as much anxiety the next time you go shopping thanks to this list of unique, important, and enjoyable gifts.

Top gift ideas for women

Here are some gift suggestions for the lovely lady in your life, ranging from clothing and jewelry to kitchenware, subscription gifts, and much more.

  1. Digital photo frame

A person with everything undoubtedly has a phone full of fantastic pictures. With a digital photo frame that displays thousands of images, people may recover their favorite pictures. Digital photo frames are easy to assemble and with a clear, vibrant display, high-quality digital photo frames are available. And a proprietary app makes it work flawlessly on iOS and Android. The software allows anyone with access to your account to upload photos, and once they do, they will appear in the frame. This is a terrific method to share recent photos with loved ones who live far away.

  1. Customized gift box

A personalized gift box comes with candles, bath bombs, sweet treats, and more, making it a great choice for a birthday or get well soon presents. You just need to choose the occasion-appropriate box, and you're good to go. If you're looking for a gift for ladies under 1000, customized wooden gifts under Rs. 1,000 are an excellent choice. A variety of personalized wooden medals, decorations, notebooks, puzzle wall art, wooden kitchenware, and carved wooden posters & signages are available in the market.

  1. Air pods

It can be challenging to give a gift to someone who seems to have everything. A gift of Air Pods is suitable for practically everyone. She can use them while running, traveling, or going about her daily business. You may be sure that the important woman in your life will adore these.

  1. Travel case + jewelry box

If she wears jewelry frequently and you don't want to take the chance of giving her something that is identical to something she already owns, you might offer her a jewelry box or travel case. All women purchase jewelry in large quantities, yet they lack a suitable box to store it in. They can keep all of their jewelry in one place with the aid of this organizer. It contains separate compartments for bangles, neckpieces, earrings, and finger rings. If you are looking for a gift for gf under 1000 Rs. Then this will be the ideal present for a woman who enjoys keeping her jewelry organized.

  1. Alarm clock with wake-up light

This wake-up light with an alarm clock is a perfect gift idea for women who have everything. This sunrise simulation lamp, which is so much more than that, enables them to awaken with the sun even on the darkest of mornings. It has seven natural sounds to help to fall asleep even simpler than before. It also serves as a nightlight and an alarm clock.

  1. Instant Camera by Fujifilm

She'll adore this choice from Fujifilmif she's constantly snapping images of her friends and family or replacing old photos in frames with new ones. It not only enables her to capture photos in a vintage manner but also prints them right away. With the newest instant camera from Fujifilm, users may experiment with colored lens filters or use the Polaroid app to add even more creativity to their photos. Light painting, double exposures, and even remote use are just a few of the many functions that are available on the app.

  1. Portable Bluetooth speaker

Consider giving the JBL Flip 6 Portable Bluetooth Speaker to someone who enjoys listening to music or podcasts if you're buying for someone. It's the most affordable portable Bluetooth speaker, it's sturdy and waterproof also, allowing for year-round use. It's always a good idea to have a portable speaker to use at home or when out hiking, and they're especially useful for outdoor events.

  1. Headphones with noise cancellation

Although headphones are at the upper end of the market, you can find noise-canceling models at any price point. Whether an audiophile or not, your gift recipient may use a little more silence in their lives. Give them the freedom to step away from the noise of modern life whenever they choose and create a bit more space for themselves, even if only temporarily.

Conclusion

The real difficulty comes not from picking the ideal gift but from figuring out how to express your love and gratitude when the recipient already has everything they could possibly want or need. Since it's the sentiment that counts, giving thoughtful attention to services, experiences, and presents that demonstrate your concern is far more meaningful than buying someone the most expensive gift. Come up with a gift that has real meaning by thinking outside of the mall or gift baskets.