One such offer is for Hongkong Bank credit card holders. The bank calls it the `Tastes of the World' gourmet dining offer. The programme is on till December 30, 1999. So before the Y2K snag hits you in some way or the other, have a great time eating, drinking and making merry. That seems to be the idea behind the various discounts that hotels and restaurants are dishing out to Hongkong Bank card holders.

As many as 154 restaurants and hotels all over India are participating in the programme with Hongkong Bank. The idea is simple: When you settle your bills with your Hongkong Bank card at any of these restaurants, you'll receive a discount of up to 15per cent. The only condition is that you must mention that you are a Hongkong Bank card holder while placing your order. And that's it, you're part of the `Tastes of the World'.

There's more. You can win a complimentary lunch or dinner by entering the bank's slogan contest. The form is available at any Hongkong Bank branch. The exciting part about the contest is that it's not a one-time event. Rather, winners will be selected every month till December in an ongoing process. And each restaurant visit entitles you to one entry. So play on.Here's a sample of what various restaurants are offering in the tie-up with Hongkong Bank. In Bangalore, the offer is valid at 22 restaurants, but the extent of the discount varies from restaurant to restaurant. Among the deals, Black Cadillac (Mohan Towers) will give you 12 per cent off on lunch and beverages; Far Pavilions (St Mark's Hotel) 10 per cent; The Regency 15 per cent on lunch and 10 per cent on dinner; Royal Derby (Welcomgroup) 10 per cent on food and beverages;Downtown Pub (Residency Plaza) 5 per cent on food and beverages for bills between Rs 500-Rs 2,000 and 10 per cent for a bill above Rs 2,000.

Similarly, Calcutta has discounts going at 23 venues. These include elite names such as Chinoiserie, Esplanade and La Patisserie in Taj Bengal; Saffron, Atrium Cafe and Zen in The Park; and even more commonplace names like Taaja's Creative Cuisine and Waldorf. The discounts in Calcutta typically range from 10 to 15 per cent.

Chennai has the deal on at 23 restaurants, Kochi at three, Mumbai at 38, New Delhi at 25, Thiruvananthapuram at one and Visakhapatnam at 19. Taj, Welcomgroup, Ambassador, Holiday Inn, Claridges, Le Meridien and Radisson Hotel are among the prominent names figuring on the list in these cities.But dining discounts is not the only way that a card issuer keeps its customers satisfied. American Express Corporate Services, for example, has an arrangement with the Oberoi Hotels and Resorts for complimentary rooms. Meant only for corporates, this is agreat way to save money. For every Rs 75,000 spent collectively by American Express Corporate card-members in any company between April 1 and September 30, 1999, the company receives one complimentary room-night certificate. The specified amount must be spent at the participating hotels and the payments must be made through the Amex Corporate Card. The participating hotels in this case are The Oberoi Grand, Calcutta; The Oberoi, New Delhi; The Oberoi, Mumbai; The Oberoi Towers, Mumbai; The Oberoi, Bangalore; Rajvilas, Jaipur; and The Cecil, Shimla.Here's how the complimentary certificate can be put to use. Every quarter, between April 1 and September 30, 1999, Amex will use its Corporate Card System to send a statement of your organisation's cumulative spend to Oberoi Hotels and Resorts. Based on this, complimentary room-night certificates will be mailed directly to the designated person in your company. The room nights can be redeemed any time between July 15 and December 15, 1999, by presenting thecomplimentary certificate(s) at the participating hotel of your choice, at the time of check-in.

The Oberoi-Amex understanding is again at work in offering all Amex card members one additional night's stay at an Oberoi property, along with its summer and weekend packages. The scheme is valid till September 30, 1999. The places where you can avail of this discount include Delhi, Shimla, Khajuraho, Bhubaneswar, Agra, Chennai, Jaipur, Udaipur, Kochi, Bangalore, Calcutta, Hyderabad and Mumbai.

Looks like this is the right time to cash in on your credit card. For once, the credit card is letting you save, so don't throw away the chance.