HDFC Bank is India's largest credit card issuer with over 20 million active cards. It offers one of the most comprehensive card portfolios in the country — from a ₹500 entry-level card to a ₹12,500 ultra-premium metal card. This guide covers every major HDFC card, what it offers, and exactly who should hold it.
The HDFC Bank credit card ecosystem
HDFC cards operate across four tiers, each with increasing income requirements, annual fees, and benefits. The key advantage of the HDFC ecosystem is the upgrade path — once established as an HDFC cardholder, moving to a higher-tier card is significantly easier than applying fresh.
HDFC uses a rewards currency called "Reward Points" on most cards (except Millennia, which earns CashPoints). Points are redeemed through HDFC's SmartBuy portal or by calling the rewards helpline. The standard redemption rate is ₹0.50 per point, but flight bookings through SmartBuy can yield ₹1 per point — making the effective travel reward rate double the stated rate.
Entry tier: HDFC MoneyBack+ (₹500/year)
The HDFC MoneyBack+ is the entry point to HDFC's card portfolio. Annual fee of ₹500 waived at ₹50,000 annual spend — achievable for most working adults. Earns CashPoints: 2% on online and EMI transactions, 0.5% on all offline spends.
The main value of MoneyBack+ is not its reward rate (which is modest) but its position as an HDFC starting card. After 12 months of responsible use, HDFC typically offers an upgrade to the Millennia or Regalia depending on income. It is also one of the easiest HDFC cards to get approved for — accepted from ₹25,000/month income.
- Annual fee: ₹500 (waived at ₹50,000 spend)
- Online spends: 2% CashPoints
- Offline spends: 0.5% CashPoints
- Lounge access: None
- Fuel surcharge waiver: Yes
- Min income: ₹25,000/month
- Best for: First-time applicants who bank with HDFC
Mid-tier: HDFC Millennia Credit Card (₹1,000/year)
HDFC Millennia is the most popular HDFC card for digital-first spenders. It earns 5% CashPoints on 8 preferred online merchants: Amazon, Flipkart, Myntra, Swiggy, Zomato, BigBasket, Ola, and BookMyShow. 1% on all other spends. Annual fee ₹1,000 waived at ₹1 lakh spend.
The critical caveat: the 5% rate is capped at ₹1,000 cashback per quarter per category (₹333/month). This cap is hit at ₹6,666 of spend per category per month. For moderate spenders who spread their shopping across these 8 merchants, Millennia is excellent value. Heavy users of a single merchant may find the cap limiting.
- Annual fee: ₹1,000 (waived at ₹1L spend)
- Online merchants (8): 5% CashPoints (capped ₹333/month/category)
- All other spends: 1% CashPoints
- Lounge access: 8 domestic airport visits/year
- Fuel surcharge waiver: Yes
- Min income: ₹35,000/month
- Min CIBIL: 700
- Best for: Online shoppers who spread spending across multiple merchants
Premium tier: HDFC Regalia Gold Credit Card (₹2,500/year)
HDFC Regalia Gold is the sweet spot in HDFC's lineup for professionals earning ₹1 lakh+ per month. Annual fee ₹2,500 waived at ₹4 lakh annual spend. Earns 4 reward points per ₹150 spent on general spends (approximately 2% at ₹0.50 per point), and 20 points per ₹150 on travel and dining (approximately 10% rate — though point valuations make the effective cashback ~3.3% when redeemed for flights).
The Regalia Gold includes 12 complimentary airport lounge visits per year (domestic and international combined), Dineout Passport membership (up to 20% off at 2,000+ restaurants), comprehensive travel insurance up to ₹1 crore, and concierge access. At ₹4L+ annual spend, all these benefits come at zero fee.
- Annual fee: ₹2,500 (waived at ₹4L spend)
- Travel & dining: ~3.3% effective (via SmartBuy redemption)
- All other spends: ~2% effective
- Lounge access: 12 visits/year (domestic + international)
- Dineout Passport: Included
- Travel insurance: ₹1 crore air accident cover
- Min income: ₹1 lakh/month
- Min CIBIL: 750
- Best for: Frequent travellers and diners earning ₹1L+ monthly
Super-premium: HDFC Regalia First and HDFC Diners Club Black Metal (₹10,000/year)
HDFC Regalia First targets business travellers who want unlimited domestic lounge access alongside a strong reward rate. The Diners Club Black Metal is positioned for those who travel internationally and prefer the Diners Club acceptance and travel network. Both earn at the 3.33% effective rate on travel via SmartBuy.
The Diners Club Black Metal is also known for its "smart buy" 10x rewards — on the first Friday of every month (known as Friday10x), HDFC Diners Club cardholders earn 10x reward points on SmartBuy bookings. For frequent flyers who plan around this date, the effective rate on travel can reach 15%+.
Ultra-premium: HDFC Infinia Credit Card (₹12,500/year)
HDFC Infinia is invite-only and represents the pinnacle of HDFC's card portfolio. The annual fee of ₹12,500 + GST comes with unlimited domestic and international lounge access, 3.33% reward rate on all spends (redeemable at ₹1 per point for flights), unlimited golf rounds at partner courses, dedicated relationship manager, and priority customer service.
Infinia's 3.33% on all spends makes it the highest general-purpose reward rate available on an Indian credit card. A cardholder spending ₹5 lakh per year on this card earns rewards worth ₹16,650 — more than the annual fee. At ₹10 lakh annual spend, the net rewards are ₹33,300 after fee. This is why it is valued highly by high-income professionals.
- Annual fee: ₹12,500 + GST (no waiver)
- All spends: 3.33% effective (5 points/₹150, redeemable at ₹1/point for flights)
- Lounge access: Unlimited domestic + international
- Golf: Complimentary at partner courses across India
- Availability: Invite-only (existing HDFC customers, high spend, high income)
- Best for: High earners spending ₹10L+ per year who travel frequently
Which HDFC card should you get?
- You earn ₹25,000–₹40,000/month and bank with HDFC → MoneyBack+ to start
- You earn ₹40,000–₹80,000/month and shop online regularly → HDFC Millennia
- You earn ₹80,000–₹1,50,000/month and travel or dine out often → HDFC Regalia Gold
- You earn ₹1,50,000+/month and travel frequently for work → HDFC Diners Club Black Metal
- You earn ₹1,75,000+/month and HDFC invites you → HDFC Infinia
Browse all HDFC Bank credit cards on SingleVerdict, ranked by reward rate, to find the right card for your current spending level and income.