Analysts say the changes made by banks on credit cards this year reflect the new reality after the sharp 250-basis point increase in interest rates by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) since May 2022 to restrain inflation. One basis point is 0.01 percentage point. ET analysed credit card rewards and charges for HDFC Bank, SBI Card and Axis Bank, which together make up more than 50% of the outstanding cards in the market.