IRCTC HDFC Bank Credit Card Review: 5 Points per ₹100 on Train Tickets

The IRCTC HDFC Bank Credit Card gives 5 Reward Points per ₹100 on train tickets booked on the IRCTC website, the Rail Connect app or SmartBuy, up to 1,000 points a month, and each point is worth ₹1, but only against train tickets on SmartBuy. It costs ₹500 plus GST, waived on ₹1.5 lakh of yearly spends, so it pays off for regular rail travellers and very little for anyone else.

By Rashmi Mandana · Content Writer Updated 5 November 2026 Reviewed by BankCreds Financial Experts

Key facts

Joining fee: ₹500 + GST
Annual fee: ₹500 + GST. Spend ₹1.5 lakh or more in a year before the renewal date to get the renewal fee waived.
Base reward: 1 Reward Point for every ₹100 spent on other spends, capped at 1,000 RP a month...
Best category: Train tickets booked via HDFC Bank SmartBuy: about 5% value
Lounge: Domestic: 8 complimentary IRCTC Executive Lounge (railway station) visits a year, maximum 2 per quarter; no airport lounge benefit International: None
Forex markup: 3.5% of the amount
Network: Not stated by the bank

Apply on HDFC Bank's site

Opens the bank's own page for this card. Approval and the credit limit are the bank's decision.

In short

A cheap and useful card for people who book trains every month, held back by points that can only be spent on more train tickets.

Best for

Families or commuters booking ₹3,000 or more of train tickets a month
Rail travellers who use IRCTC Executive Lounges at stations
People who spend ₹30,000 a quarter and want the ₹500 voucher

Skip it if

You rarely travel by train, since the points work only for train tickets
You want airport lounge access or a low forex markup
You want cashback against your statement, which these points cannot give

Highlights

Joining and renewal fee ₹500 plus GST
5 Reward Points per ₹100 on IRCTC and SmartBuy train bookings
1 point = ₹1 on SmartBuy train tickets, up to 70% of the fare
8 IRCTC Executive Lounge visits a year
1% IRCTC transaction charge reversed, up to ₹1,000 a month

The IRCTC HDFC card in brief

HDFC Bank issues this card with IRCTC, the railway's ticketing arm, for people who book train often enough to want something back. Tickets bought on the IRCTC website, the Rail Connect app or HDFC's SmartBuy portal earn 5 Reward Points for every ₹100, and other spends earn 1 per ₹100. The card is active and open to applications, at ₹500 plus GST a year.

Three things that shape its value

The points are rail money. A point is worth ₹1, but only when spent on train tickets through SmartBuy with Points + Pay. There is no statement cashback option at all.
SmartBuy pays twice. Book the same ticket on SmartBuy and a 5% cashback is added to the 5 points, each capped at 1,000 a month, points in one case and rupees in the other.
Small extras add up. The 1% IRCTC transaction charge is reversed up to ₹1,000 a month, a ₹500 voucher comes every calendar quarter with ₹30,000 of spends, and HDFC's 1% railway ticket fee, which hits its other cards, don't apply here.

What changed in 2025 and 2026

From 1 July 2025 online skill-based gaming stopped earning points, and wallet loads or gaming spends above ₹10,000 a month carries a 1% fee. The quarterly voucher moved to calendar quarters, for new cards from 1 October 2025 and for older cards from 1 January 2026. HDFC's bank-wide update of 15 May 2026 also brought the 1.75% markup on rupee payments abroad and the ₹199 reissue fee to this card.

HDFC doesn't state the network. Its terms cap points on UPI spends, which hints at a RuPay variant, but until the bank confirm it, don't take this card only to use it on UPI. We found no insurance cover either.

IRCTC HDFC fees, charges and the waiver

You pay ₹500 to join and ₹500 each year after, plus GST, so ₹590 a year at 18% (₹500 plus ₹90). Most HDFC cards bill the first-year fee on the 120th day, but this one does it on the 45th day after issue, so there's less time to try the card before paying. Add-on cards cost nothing.

Can a normal spender clear ₹1.5 lakh?

The renewal fee is waived when you spend ₹1.5 lakh in the year before the renewal date, which is ₹12,500 a month (₹1,50,000 divided by 12). A rail-only user with ₹3,000 of tickets a month won't get near it; groceries, bills and shopping has to go on the card too. The voucher target of ₹10,000 a month (₹30,000 divided by 3) is a step on the way, not the whole distance.

Interest and penalties

Revolving costs 3.75% a month, 45% a year, before GST. Leave a ₹6,000 bill unpaid for 30 days and the interest is about ₹222 (₹6,000 times 45% times 30, divided by 365), which wipes out most of the 300 points those tickets earned (₹6,000 at 5 per ₹100). Missing the minimum due draws a late fee by bill size, for example ₹750 plus GST on a bill of ₹5,001 to ₹10,000, and HDFC charge it only after 3 grace days.

Cash withdrawal: 2.5% or ₹500, whichever is more, plus interest from day one.
Foreign currency: 3.5% markup plus GST; rupee payments at overseas merchants carry 1.75% from 15 May 2026.
Railway tickets: no 1% railway fee, the one card HDFC exempt from it.
Rent 1% per transaction, capped at ₹4,999; utilities 1% once a month's total passes ₹50,000; education through apps like Cheq 1%.
Wallet loads other than PayZapp, and skill-based gaming: 1% when a calendar month goes over ₹10,000, capped at ₹4,999.
Fuel: 1% surcharge waiver on ₹400 to ₹5,000 fills, at most ₹250 a statement cycle; reissue ₹199; over-limit 2.5%, minimum ₹550, only with consent.

IRCTC: fees and charges

Joining fee	₹500 + GST
Annual or renewal fee	₹500 + GST
Annual fee waiver	Spend ₹1.5 lakh or more in a year before the renewal date to get the renewal fee waived.
Add-on card fee	Nil
GST	Charged on top of the fees and charges listed
In the bank’s words	Joining Fee: ₹500 plus Applicable Taxes (levied on the 45th day from issuance); Renewal Fee: ₹500 plus Applicable Taxes
Interest on unpaid balances	Up to 3.75% a month (45% a year)
Late payment fee	Late payment charges (excl. GST), basis the bill amount, w.e.f. 1 Aug 2024: nil up to ₹100; ₹100 for ₹101 to ₹500; ₹500 for ₹501 to ₹1,000; ₹600 for ₹1,001 to ₹5,000; ₹750 for ₹5,001 to ₹10,000; ₹900 for ₹10,001 to ₹25,000; ₹1,100 for ₹25,001 to ₹50,000; ₹1,300 above ₹50,000. Charged when the Minimum Amount Due is not paid; account is reported past due and late fee levied only after 3 grace days from the due date.
Cash withdrawal	2.5% of the amount withdrawn or ₹500, whichever is higher, plus finance charges at the revolving rate from the date of withdrawal until full payment.
Over-limit fee	2.5% of the over-limit amount, minimum ₹550, only with the cardholder's explicit consent.
Forex markup	3.5% of the amount
Other fees	Rent payments: 1% of the transaction amount on any applicable merchant, capped at ₹4,999 per transaction (w.e.f. 1 Jul 2025). Fuel: 1% on the whole amount of a fuel transaction above ₹15,000 (consumer cards), capped at ₹4,999 per transaction. Utilities: 1% on total utility spends when they exceed ₹50,000 in a calendar month, capped at ₹4,999 per month (insurance is not treated as utility). Education: 1% on payments through third-party apps such as CRED, NoBroker, Cheq, capped at ₹4,999 per transaction; direct payments to the school or college website or POS and international education are not charged. Wallet loading (excluding PayZapp): 1% on total wallet loads when they exceed ₹10,000 in a calendar month, capped at ₹4,999 per month (w.e.f. 1 Jul 2025). Online skill-based gaming: 1% on total gaming spends when they exceed ₹10,000 in a calendar month, capped at ₹4,999 per month (w.e.f. 1 Jul 2025). Railway ticket purchases: 1% of the transaction amount + GST (all cards other than IRCTC). Dynamic currency conversion markup: 1.75% on transactions in Indian rupees at an international location or with merchants located in India but registered overseas (w.e.f. 15 May 2026). Card reissue (lost, stolen, damaged or network change): ₹199 for non-metal cards; ₹3,500 for metal cards (w.e.f. 15 May 2026). Payment return: 2% of the payment amount, minimum ₹450. Cash processing fee: ₹100 for card payments deposited in cash at HDFC Bank branches or ATMs. Balance transfer processing: 1% of the amount or ₹250, whichever is higher. EasyEMI processing fee at merchants: up to ₹299 (w.e.f. 1 Aug 2024).

Reward Points on the IRCTC HDFC card, and three rail travellers

The earn has two layers. Train tickets on the IRCTC website or Rail Connect app, and train tickets on SmartBuy, earn 5 points per ₹100 (the 1X base plus 4X extra), up to 1,000 points a month and 12,000 a year. That cap fills at ₹20,000 of tickets a month (1,000 divided by 5, times ₹100). Book on SmartBuy and a 5% cashback is added, also up to ₹1,000 a month and ₹12,000 a year. Everything else earn 1 point per ₹100, with a ₹100 minimum.

Some spends have their own caps: grocery 1,000 points a month, UPI 500, utility and telecom 2,000 each. Fuel, wallet and gift card loads, rent, government, education, Smart EMI and skill-based gaming earn nothing.

Using the points

A point is ₹1 when paid towards a train ticket on SmartBuy through Points + Pay. You need 100 points minimum, points can cover up to 70% of the fare, and every successful redemption costs ₹99 plus GST, ₹116.82 at 18% (₹99 plus ₹17.82, which is 18% of ₹99). Redeem 200 points and the fee takes more than half; redeem 2,000 and it's under 6%. Points expire 2 years after your last earn or use, so a active card keeps them alive.

The milestone is a ₹500 voucher for each calendar quarter with ₹30,000 of spends, up to ₹2,000 a year (₹500 times 4). The product page talk about a ₹500 voucher on activation, but the terms limit it to lifetime-free cards issued from 1 October to 31 December 2025, so a card taken now should not count on it.

Three worked examples

Figures are for a year after the first, when the waiver can apply. Each point is valued at ₹1 on SmartBuy train tickets, and the refunded 1% IRCTC charge counts as a saving.

Per year	Light	Typical	Heavy
Train tickets a month	₹1,500 on the IRCTC app	₹4,000 on the IRCTC app	₹8,000 on SmartBuy
Other spends a month	₹6,500	₹14,000	₹27,000
Reward Points	1,680	4,080	8,040
SmartBuy cashback	Nil	Nil	₹4,800
IRCTC charge refunded	₹180	₹480	₹960
Quarterly vouchers	Nil	₹2,000	₹2,000
Annual fee with GST	₹590	Waived	Waived
Redemption fees	₹233.64	₹467.28	₹700.92
Net value	₹1,036.36	₹6,092.72	₹15,099.08

Light, ₹8,000 a month. ₹1,500 of tickets earns 75 points and ₹6,500 of other spends 65, so 140 a month and 1,680 a year (140 times 12). The refund is ₹15 a month (1% of ₹1,500), ₹180 a year (₹15 times 12). A quarter is ₹24,000 (₹8,000 times 3), short of ₹30,000, and the year's ₹96,000 (₹8,000 times 12) is short of the waiver. After the ₹590 fee and two redemptions (2 times ₹116.82), ₹1,036.36 is left (1,680 plus 180, minus 590, minus 233.64).

Typical, ₹18,000 a month. 200 points on tickets plus 140 on other spends make 340 a month, 4,080 a year (340 times 12). Each quarter's ₹54,000 (₹18,000 times 3) earns the voucher and the year's ₹2,16,000 (₹18,000 times 12) clears the waiver. Add ₹480 of refunds (₹40 times 12), take off four redemptions (4 times ₹116.82), and the year comes to ₹6,092.72 (4,080 plus 2,000 plus 480, minus 467.28).

Heavy, ₹35,000 a month, tickets on SmartBuy. ₹8,000 of tickets earns 400 points and ₹400 cashback, other spends 270 points (₹27,000 divided by 100), so 670 a month and 8,040 a year (670 times 12) and ₹4,800 cashback (₹400 times 12), both well inside the 12,000 caps. Refunds give ₹960 (₹80 times 12) and vouchers ₹2,000. Less six redemptions (6 times ₹116.82), that is ₹15,099.08 (8,040 plus 4,800 plus 960 plus 2,000, minus 700.92) on a fee that's waived.

IRCTC: higher-reward categories

Category	Rate	Cap
Train tickets on the IRCTC website / Rail Connect app and on HDFC Bank SmartBuy	5 Reward Points for every ₹100 (1X base + 4X additional)	capped maximum at 1000 Reward Points per month and 12000 Reward Points Annually, month
Train tickets booked via HDFC Bank SmartBuy	5% cashback in addition to 5X points, about 5% value	capped maximum at INR 1000 per month and INR 12000 Annually, month

IRCTC: how rewards work

Earned as	Reward Points
Base rate	1 Reward Point for every ₹100 spent on other spends, capped at 1,000 RP a month and 12,000 a year
Minimum spend rules	Minimum transaction ₹100; points on multiples of ₹100
No rewards on	Fuel Wallet, gift or prepaid card loads and vouchers Cash advances Payment of outstanding balance Card fees and charges Government and rent transactions Education Smart EMI / Dial an EMI Interest on merchant EMI Online skill-based gaming
Lower rewards on	Grocery: capped at 1,000 RP a month and 12,000 a year UPI spends: 500 RP a month Utility and telecom: 2,000 RP a month each Insurance: 2,000 RP per day (as written in the fair usage table)
Value of a point	Train tickets via HDFC Bank SmartBuy (Points + Pay): 1 Reward Point = INR 1; minimum 100 points; up to 70% of the fare; points usable only for train tickets on SmartBuy
Redemption fee	₹99 + GST per successful points redemption
Expiry	Reward Points expire 2 years after the customer's last transaction involving an eligible earn or use
Welcome benefits	₹500 gift voucher on activation (T&C: for lifetime-free cards issued 1 Oct to 31 Dec 2025, on 1 transaction within 37 days)
Milestone benefits	₹500 gift voucher every calendar quarter on spends of ₹30,000 or more (cards issued from 1 Oct 2025; older cards moved to calendar quarters from 1 Jan 2026) Renewal fee waived on ₹1.5 lakh annual spends
Lounge access	Domestic: 8 complimentary IRCTC Executive Lounge (railway station) visits a year, maximum 2 per quarter; no airport lounge benefit International: None Condition: Show the card and a valid train ticket; ₹2 validation charge; supplementary cardholders included
Fuel surcharge waiver	1% fuel surcharge waiver on transactions of ₹400 to ₹5,000; maximum waiver ₹250 per statement cycle
Insurance cover	Not published by the bank

Eligibility and how to apply for the IRCTC HDFC card

HDFC's published rules are modest. If you're salaried you should be 21 to 60 years old with a monthly income of ₹12,000. If you're self-employed the age band is 21 to 65 and your yearly income tax return should be above ₹6 lakh, which is ₹50,000 a month (₹6,00,000 divided by 12), a much more higher bar than the salaried one. Only Indian nationals can apply.

The document list on the card's page could not be read. HDFC's general guidance asks for proof of identity, address and income, and says existing HDFC customers may not need to send them again. You can apply online from the Apply Now button on the card page or walk into a HDFC branch, and the bank's FAQ says branch visit is not mandatory.

How the bank decides

Under the RBI's 2025 Directions for commercial banks, HDFC must judge whether you can repay from your own means and weigh every limit you already hold with other lenders.
Bureaus score you from 300 to 900. Experian say above 750 is generally good; CRIF puts the line at 700.
The bank alone decides. Agents can bring you the form but can't approve it, and a refusal must come with specific reasons in writing.
Nobody can issue or upgrade a card without your explicit consent, and unsolicited cards are banned.

IRCTC: eligibility and documents

Age (salaried)	21 to 60 years
Age (self-employed)	21 to 65 years
Income (salaried)	Monthly income of ₹12,000
Income (self-employed)	Annual ITR above ₹6 lakh
Other conditions	Indian nationals
Documents	Identity proof, address proof and income proof (HDFC Bank general guidance; the card page's document list could not be read) Existing HDFC Bank customers may not need to submit them again
How to apply	Online at applyonline.hdfc.bank.in (Apply Now on each card page), or at an HDFC Bank branch; FD-backed Pixel cards can be applied for in the PayZapp app. HDFC's FAQ says a branch visit is not mandatory.
Card customer care	1800 1600 / 1800 2600 (toll-free in India); +91 22 6160 6161 from outside India

These are the bank's published conditions. Meeting them does not guarantee a card: approval and the credit limit are the bank's decision.

IRCTC HDFC against other rail and travel cards

IRCTC SBI Card Premier

The IRCTC SBI Card Premier costs ₹1,499 plus GST, reversed on ₹2 lakh a year. It gives up to 10% value back as points on AC tickets (10 points per ₹100) with no monthly cap. SBI Card puts a point at ₹1, though it doesn't publish what a point fetches inside IRCTC's loyalty programme. Air tickets on IRCTC's air site earn 5 points per ₹125; the card page calls that 5% back, but by SBI Card's terms it is 4%. It also have 8 railway lounge visits a year, for the primary cardholder only. See IRCTC SBI Premier vs IRCTC HDFC.

Standard Chartered EaseMyTrip Credit Card

The Standard Chartered EaseMyTrip card costs ₹350 plus GST, waived on ₹50,000 a year. It gives 10 points per ₹100 on bookings made direct with an airline or hotel and 2 per ₹100 elsewhere, at ₹0.25 a point, plus instant discounts on EaseMyTrip bookings. Trains gets no special rate, but there are 2 domestic airport lounge visits a calendar year.

MakeMyTrip ICICI Bank Credit Card

The MakeMyTrip ICICI card costs ₹999 plus GST, waived on ₹3 lakh. It gives 25 myCash on every train booking on MakeMyTrip, 6% on hotels and 3% on flights there, with 1 myCash worth ₹1 on MakeMyTrip. Its forex markup is 0.99% until 9 November 2026 and nil from 10 November 2026, the same day spends abroad outside MakeMyTrip stop earning myCash.

Picking one

IRCTC HDFC for regular IRCTC bookers who want the lowest fee and SmartBuy's extra 5%.
IRCTC SBI Premier for frequent AC travellers whose tickets would run past HDFC's 1,000-point monthly cap.
SC EaseMyTrip for occasional flyers who book flights and hotels direct and want a ₹350 card.
MakeMyTrip ICICI for people who plan whole trips, hotels included, on MakeMyTrip.

Our best travel credit cards list has more options. See also all HDFC Bank cards, HDFC Bank customer care and the credit cards hub.

IRCTC against similar cards

Term	IRCTC HDFC Bank Credit Card This card	IRCTC SBI Card Premier	Standard Chartered EaseMyTrip Credit Card	MakeMyTrip ICICI Bank Credit Card
Bank	HDFC Bank	SBI Card	Standard Chartered	ICICI Bank
Joining fee	₹500 + GST	₹1,499 + GST	₹350 + GST	₹999 + GST
Annual fee and waiver	₹500 + GST. Spend ₹1.5 lakh or more in a year before the renewal date to get the renewal fee waived.	₹1,499 + GST. Spend based reversal of annual fee on spends of Rs. 2 Lakhs (MITC: annual spends of Rs. 2 lakh or more in the preceding year)	₹350 + GST. Renewal fee waived on annual spends of Rs 50,000 or more in the previous year (reversed within 60 days of levy)	₹999 + GST. Annual fee waived from the 2nd anniversary year if spends are ₹3,00,000 or more in the previous anniversary year (annual benefits then not given)
Base reward	1 Reward Point for every ₹100 spent on other spends, capped at 1,000 RP a month...	1 Reward Point per Rs (about 0.8% value)	2 reward points for every Rs 100 spent on other retail spends... (about 0.5% value)	1% myCash on domestic spends outside MakeMyTrip (excluding rent and EMI) (about 1% value)
Best category	Train tickets booked via HDFC Bank SmartBuy: about 5% value	Rail tickets on IRCTC website and app: about 10% value	Airline tickets and hotel bookings on standalone airline or hotel websites, apps or outlets: about 2.5% value	Hotel bookings on MakeMyTrip: about 6% value
Lounges	Domestic: 8 complimentary IRCTC Executive Lounge (railway station) visits a year, maximum 2 per quarter; no airport lounge benefit International: None	Domestic: 8 complimentary railway lounge visits a year in India (max 2 per quarter), primary cardholder only; no airport lounges listed International: None listed	Domestic: 2 complimentary domestic lounge visits per calendar year (Visa programme) International: None (international lounge access discontinued from 15 October 2024)	Domestic: 2 domestic airport lounge accesses per quarter (primary) on ₹75,000 spend in the previous quarter International: 1 complimentary international lounge access per calendar year (Priority Pass, primary)
Forex markup	3.5% of the amount	3.5% of the amount	3.5% of the amount	0% (no markup)
Network	Not stated by the bank	Visa, RuPay	Visa	Mastercard, RuPay
Published minimum income	₹12,000 a month	Stable income; SBI Card says the specific minimum varies by card and does not...	Stable monthly income (no figure published)	₹20,000 a month
Status	Taking applications	Taking applications	Taking applications	Taking applications

Frequently asked questions

What is the IRCTC HDFC Bank card fee and how is it waived?

The joining and renewal fees are ₹500 each, plus GST, which makes ₹590 at 18%. HDFC levies the first-year fee on the 45th day after the card is issued. The renewal fee is waived if you spend ₹1.5 lakh or more in the year before the renewal date, which works out to about ₹12,500 a month.

How much is an IRCTC HDFC reward point worth?

One Reward Point is worth ₹1, but only when you use it through Points + Pay for train tickets on HDFC Bank SmartBuy. You need at least 100 points, points can pay up to 70% of the fare, and each redemption costs ₹99 plus GST. The points cannot be taken as cashback against your statement.

Who is eligible for the IRCTC HDFC Bank credit card?

Salaried applicants should be 21 to 60 years old with a monthly income of ₹12,000. Self-employed applicants should be 21 to 65 with an annual income tax return above ₹6 lakh. The card is for Indian nationals, and HDFC decides each application after assessing your income and your existing credit.

Does the IRCTC HDFC card give lounge access?

Yes, at railway stations, not airports. You get 8 complimentary IRCTC Executive Lounge visits a year, with no more than 2 in a quarter. Show the card and a valid train ticket; a ₹2 validation charge applies, and supplementary cardholders are covered too. There is no airport lounge benefit, and foreign currency spends carry a 3.5% markup.

What changed on the IRCTC HDFC card in 2025?

From 1 July 2025 online skill-based gaming stopped earning points, and wallet loads or gaming above ₹10,000 a month attract a 1% fee. From 1 October 2025 new cards earn the ₹500 milestone voucher by calendar quarter on ₹30,000 of spends; cards issued earlier moved to calendar quarters from 1 January 2026.

Is there a welcome benefit on the IRCTC HDFC Bank card?

Do not count on one. HDFC's product page mentions a ₹500 gift voucher on activation, but the card's terms limit that voucher to lifetime-free cards issued between 1 October and 31 December 2025, with one transaction within 37 days. A card issued now carries the ₹500 joining fee, so check with HDFC before expecting the voucher.

Sources

HDFC Bank: Part I Key Fact Statement cum Most Important Terms and Conditions (MITC), English, Version 4.18; Terms & Conditions – IRCTC HDFC Bank Credit Card; IRCTC HDFC Bank Credit Card Fees & Charges; IRCTC Executive Lounge Programme (FAQ); IRCTC HDFC Bank Credit Card (product page); How to Get a Credit Card in 3 Easy Steps (HDFC Bank blog); Credit Card Customer Care Number & Support

Last verified: 5 November 2026

Written by Rashmi Mandana, reviewed by BankCreds Financial Experts

BankCreds does not sell cards or take applications. Fees and rewards change; the bank's own terms on the day you apply are what count, and approval is the bank's decision.