HDFC Bank Credit Cards 2026: What the 15 May Points Change Means

Which HDFC card fits which spend

Start with where most of your money goes each month, then check the cap, because on HDFC cards the cap usually decide the real return more than the headline rate. The table is the short version and the notes under it work through the numbers.

Online shopping and cashback

Millennia pays 5% at Amazon, BookMyShow, Cult.fit, Flipkart, Myntra, Sony LIV, Swiggy, Tata CLiQ, Uber and Zomato, up to 1,000 CashPoints a calendar month, and a CashPoint is ₹1 against your statement. The cap is reached at ₹20,000 of spend at those merchants (1,000 divided by 5%), so anything more only earn 1%, which has its own 1,000 cap. The ₹1,000 fee goes away on ₹1 lakh a year, roughly ₹8,333 a month (₹1,00,000 divided by 12). Buying through SmartBuy or PayZapp at the same merchants drops you to 1%.

Swiggy Ornge is the better pick if food delivery and Instamart are a big part of your month. Its 5% covers the Swiggy app plus a long merchant list, capped at ₹1,500 per billing cycle, which fills at ₹30,000 of spend (₹1,500 divided by 5%). Everything else earns 1% up to ₹1,000, and the total is held to ₹2,500 a cycle. The ₹500 fee is waived from the second year on ₹1.5 lakh of annual spend.

PIXEL Play let you choose two 5% packs in the PayZapp app, for example Dining and Entertainment or Grocery, with 500 CashPoints a month across the selected packs, plus 3% on one platform of your choice for another 500. Its ₹500 fee is waived on ₹20,000 in the first 90 days, and the renewal on ₹1 lakh a year.

Groceries and everyday bills

MoneyBack+ give 10X CashPoints at Amazon, BigBasket, Flipkart, Reliance Smart SuperStore and Swiggy, up to 2,500 CashPoints in a calendar month. Since 1 November 2025 a CashPoint is worth 20 paise as statement credit, so the full 2,500 is ₹500 a month (2,500 multiplied by ₹0.20). The ₹500 fee is waived at ₹50,000 a year.

For a small budget the UPI RuPay card is the one to look. It's a virtual card with no plastic that you link to any UPI app, and HDFC lists 3% CashPoints on groceries, dining and PayZapp up to 500 a month, plus 2% on utility bills up to another 500. With a CashPoint worth ₹0.25, each 500-point ceiling is ₹125 of statement credit (500 multiplied by ₹0.25). The ₹99 fee is waived from the second year on ₹25,000 of spend.

Tata brands

Tata Neu Infinity pays 5% back as NeuCoins on partner Tata brands (1.5% base plus 3.5% extra) and 1.5% on other brands, and one NeuCoin is ₹1 on Tata Neu. UPI through the RuPay version earns up to 1.5%, capped at 500 NeuCoins a month. The ₹1,499 fee is waived on ₹3 lakh a year, and the first-year fee come back as 1,499 NeuCoins after a first transaction within 30 days. Tata Neu Plus is the cheaper cousin at ₹499, with 2% on Tata brands and 1% elsewhere.

Fuel and rail

The IndianOil HDFC Bank card earns 5% as Fuel Points at IndianOil outlets, but only up to 250 points a month in the first 6 months and 150 after. Redeemed as fuel through XTRAREWARDS a point is worth ₹0.96, so the long-run fuel ceiling is about ₹144 a month (150 multiplied by ₹0.96). Groceries and bill payments add up to 100 Fuel Points each. Keep in mind HDFC charge 1% on any single fuel payment above ₹15,000.

IRCTC HDFC Bank gives 5 Reward Points per ₹100 on train tickets booked on the IRCTC website, Rail Connect app or SmartBuy, up to 1,000 a month, and each point is worth ₹1 when used for train tickets on SmartBuy. There are also 8 IRCTC Executive Lounge visits a year at railway stations, at most 2 a quarter, and the 1% IRCTC transaction charge reversed up to ₹1,000 a month.

Travel, lounges and hotels

Regalia Gold is the mid-premium pick at ₹2,500. It earns 5 Reward Points per ₹200, and the value swing a lot by redemption: ₹0.65 on the Gold Catalogue, ₹0.5 on flights and hotels, only 15 paise as cashback. At ₹0.5 that is 1.25% back (5 points at ₹0.5 is ₹2.50 on ₹200), at 15 paise just 0.375% (5 points at ₹0.15 is ₹0.75 on ₹200). Three domestic lounge visits a quarter need ₹60,000 of spend in the previous quarter, there is also 6 Priority Pass visits a year outside India and a 2% forex markup.

Marriott Bonvoy HDFC Bank cost ₹3,000 with no waiver, but the fee buys a Free Night Award each anniversary once the renewal fee is levied, plus 12 lounge visits in India and 12 abroad. It earns 8 Marriott Bonvoy points per ₹150 at Marriott hotels and 4 on travel, dining and entertainment. Milestone free nights come at ₹6 lakh, ₹9 lakh and ₹15 lakh of spend in an anniversary year.

For heavy spenders, INFINIA Metal (₹12,500, by invitation) and Diners Club Black Metal (₹10,000) both earns 5 Reward Points per ₹150, give unlimited lounge access in India and abroad, charge a 2% forex markup and only 1.99% a month interest. INFINIA's fee is waived at ₹10 lakh a year and the Diners card's at ₹8 lakh. A value of ₹1 a point on flights and hotels for INFINIA was reported by Business Standard, because HDFC's own page could not be read in full.

Secured cards and UPI

No credit history yet? HDFC issues cards against a fixed deposit with a limit of 90% of the FD. Its FD page says the minimum deposit is ₹15,000 and ages 18 to 75 are accepted with no income proof or credit score needed, though tax-saver, NRI, minor's, lien-marked and sweep-in deposits doesn't qualify. The PIXEL Play FD route asks for a deposit of ₹56,000 to ₹5,00,000 and is only for people who don't already hold an HDFC credit card.

For UPI, the RuPay versions of Freedom, MoneyBack+, IndianOil, the Tata Neu cards, PIXEL Play and the UPI RuPay card can be linked, and UPI purchases earn at most 500 points a calendar month on HDFC cards. To put two of these next to each other, use our card comparison page.

Charges that apply across HDFC cards

HDFC keeps one MITC for its consumer cards, version 4.18 updated on 31 October 2026, and the figures below comes from it. GST at 18% is added on every fee, interest and charge, so read each figure as plus GST.

Interest and cash

Revolving a balance cost 3.75% a month, 45% a year, on all regular cards. INFINIA, INFINIA Metal, Diners Black, Diners Black Metal, BizBlack Metal and the UPI RuPay Mega Saver card charges 1.99% a month (23.88% a year). Interest runs daily, so ₹20,000 carried for 30 days at 45% a year is about ₹740 (₹20,000 multiplied by 45%, multiplied by 30, divided by 365), with about ₹133 of GST on top (18% of ₹740). At the premium rate the same balance comes to about ₹393 (₹20,000 multiplied by 23.88%, multiplied by 30, divided by 365).

Cash withdrawals carry 2.5% of the amount or ₹500, whichever is higher, plus interest from the day you withdraw. On ₹10,000 the 2.5% is only ₹250, so the ₹500 minimum applies instead. Going over the limit costs 2.5% of the excess, minimum ₹550, and only if you have opt in for it.

Late payment

The late fee, in force since 1 August 2024, depend on the bill amount and is charged only when the minimum due isn't paid, after 3 grace days from the due date. Reading from the top: ₹1,300 above ₹50,000, ₹1,100 for ₹25,001 to ₹50,000, ₹900 for ₹10,001 to ₹25,000, ₹750 for ₹5,001 to ₹10,000, ₹600 for ₹1,001 to ₹5,000, ₹500 for ₹501 to ₹1,000, ₹100 for ₹101 to ₹500, and nothing up to ₹100. So missing the minimum on a ₹12,000 bill costs ₹900 plus ₹162 GST (18% of ₹900). INFINIA Metal is kept outside this table.

Fees on particular payments

The fuel and utility rules catch people out because the 1% falls on the whole amount once you cross the line, not just the part above it. Paying ₹50,000 of utilities in a month costs nothing extra, but ₹50,001 cost about ₹500 (1% of ₹50,001). Insurance premiums aren't counted as utilities, and school or college fees paid on the institution's own website or machine carry no fee.

Forex, conversion and smaller charges

• Foreign currency markup is 3.5% on most cards, Millennia, MoneyBack+ and Swiggy Ornge included, and 2% on Regalia Gold, Tata Neu Infinity, INFINIA Metal and Diners Club Black Metal. On ₹1 lakh spent abroad the gap is ₹1,500 (3.5% is ₹3,500, 2% is ₹2,000).
• Since 15 May 2026, paying in rupees at a foreign location, or to an India-based merchant registered abroad, attract a 1.75% conversion markup.
• Reward redemption costs ₹99 plus GST per catalogue request and ₹50 plus GST per cashback request, but not on INFINIA, Diners Black or the PhonePe cards, and Tata Neu cards pay nothing to redeem.
• Card reissue is ₹199, or ₹3,500 for a metal card, from 15 May 2026. A returned payment costs 2% of the amount with a ₹450 minimum, and paying the bill in cash at an HDFC branch or ATM cost ₹100.
• Add-on cards are free for life.

What HDFC changed from 2024 to 2026

HDFC tends to adjust its cards a few times a year, mostly by trimming how points are earned or adding a fee on one kind of payment. Below are the dated changes from the bank's own notices and MITC, oldest first, with what each one mean for you.

2024

• 1 August 2024: the new late fee slabs started, along with a ₹50 fee on every cashback redemption and 1% fees on rent, large fuel, large utility and third-party education payments. Turning small balances into cashback became a costly price, so redeeming in bigger lumps makes more sense.
• 1 September 2024: utility and telecom points were capped at 2,000 a month each, third-party education payments stopped earning, and Millennia stopped giving CashPoints on wallet loads and EMI. MoneyBack+ lose its 5X on merchant EMI on the same day.
• 1 October 2024: INFINIA's SmartBuy redemptions were limited to one Apple product a calendar quarter and 50,000 points a quarter on Tanishq vouchers.

2025

• 15 January 2025: the extra 5% NeuPass NeuCoins on Tata Neu cards began counting only for transactions from the primary cardholder's own Tata Neu account.
• 10 June 2025: Tata Neu lounge access turned into milestone vouchers that need ₹50,000 of spend in the calendar quarter.
• 1 July 2025: the rent fee cap went up to ₹4,999 per transaction, wallet loads and gaming above ₹10,000 a month started attracting 1%, and gaming stopped earning rewards altogether.
• 1 November 2025: cashback redemption values was cut, to 20 paise a point on MoneyBack+ and 15 paise on Regalia Gold. Someone redeeming 5,000 Regalia Gold points as cashback now gets ₹750 (5,000 multiplied by ₹0.15).
• 17 November 2025: Tata Neu cards stopped giving NeuCoins on the monthly EMI billing of SmartEMI and off-us merchant EMI, they are earned when an eligible purchase settle instead.
• 1 December 2025: every feature on the Indigo 6E Rewards cards ended.

2026

• March 2026: Swiggy Ornge and Swiggy BLCK arrived as the new versions of the Swiggy co-brand card.
• 15 May 2026: the biggest one. Most points cards now count Reward Points per ₹200 instead of per ₹150, for example Regalia Gold 5 points per ₹200 (it was 4 per ₹150), MoneyBack+ 2 per ₹200 and Freedom 1 per ₹200. INFINIA, Diners Black and the cashback and co-brand cards was left as they were. The same date brought the 1.75% conversion markup and the ₹199 and ₹3,500 reissue fees.
• 1 July 2026: Regalia Gold's 3 domestic lounge visits a quarter now need ₹60,000 of spend in the quarter before, and INFINIA's SmartBuy brand vouchers are capped at 3,000 accelerated points a month.
• 1 October 2026: new Marriott Bonvoy cardholders get the welcome Free Night Award only after the annual fee is levied.
• 31 October 2026: the PIXEL Play lifetime-free offer ended.
• 25 November 2026: Tata Neu NeuCoins stop being credited on their own. You will need to claim them in the Tata Neu App within 12 months of the statement they were earned in.

What the per ₹200 rule costs you

Take ₹30,000 a month on Regalia Gold. Under the old rule that was 800 points (₹30,000 divided by ₹150, multiplied by 4), now it is 750 (₹30,000 divided by ₹200, multiplied by 5). Fifty points less a month is 600 a year, which at ₹0.5 on flights and hotels is ₹300 of value gone. Small bills suffer more: a ₹350 purchase used to earn 8 points on two blocks of ₹150, but now it earn just 5 on one block of ₹200.

Who can get an HDFC card and how to apply

HDFC publishes eligibility card by card, and the income bar rises steep with the fee. For most cards the age band is 21 to 60 if you are salaried and 21 to 65 if self-employed, and the cards are for Indian nationals.

Few of these needs a footnote. For Millennia and Tata Neu Plus, the self-employed figure in the eligibility section of the bank's page differs from the ₹6 lakh in the card FAQ, and we've used the FAQ. The UPI RuPay card's eligibility text looks copied from Millennia, so HDFC has not really published separate criteria for it, and for PIXEL Play the unsecured criteria could not be found at all. INFINIA Metal is by invitation only.

Documents and the application

HDFC's general guidance asks for identity, address and income proof, though existing HDFC customers may not need to submit them again. You can apply online from the Apply Now button on each card page or at a branch, and HDFC's FAQ says a branch visit is not mandatory. FD-backed PIXEL cards is applied for inside the PayZapp app, where the deposit gets booked during the application.

Approval depends on more than the income line. Under RBI's rules HDFC must judge your own capacity to repay and set the limit after looking at the credit limits you already hold with other lenders, from your declaration or from bureau data. If it say no, it has to give you the specific reasons in writing.

Protections you have as an applicant

• HDFC is a commercial bank, so RBI's Commercial Banks credit card Directions of 28 November 2025 are the ones that apply to it.
• A card can be opened only with your clear written or digital consent, and silence never counts as a yes. Unsolicited cards or upgrades is banned.
• You get a one-page Key Fact Statement along with the application.
• Asked to close a card, HDFC must finish it within 7 working days once your dues are clear, or pay you ₹500 for every calendar day it is late.
• You can change your billing cycle at least once, picking a date that suit your salary.
• A new card can't be reported to credit bureaus before you activate it. If you don't activate it within 30 days, HDFC must ask for your OTP consent and close it free of cost if you don't give it.

HDFC credit card customer care

HDFC's card helplines are 1800 1600 and 1800 2600, toll-free within India. From abroad, the customer care page gives +91 22 6160 6161 while the MITC prints +91 22 6160 6160, so try the other if one don't connect. INFINIA and Diners Black customers has a dedicated 24-hour line listed on the website.

For a complaint that customer care didn't resolve, the MITC names a grievance redressal official on 044 6108 4900, from 9:30 am to 5:30 pm, Monday to Friday. If 30 days pass without a reply, or the answer is unsatisfactory, you can take it to the RBI Ombudsman. Our HDFC Bank customer care page keeps these numbers in one place.