Maximizing The Benefits of the HDFC Credit Card: Comprehensive Information for Earning & Redeeming Reward Points
For millions of Indians, the HDFC Credit Card has proven to be more than just a secure transaction method; it opens doors to numerous exciting rewards and benefits. If you currently have an HDFC credit card, or you are contemplating to apply for one, it is very helpful to know how to earn and redeem reward points to help you save more and enjoy select exclusive benefits.
In this comprehensive blog, guide is to help you make the most of each reward point that you earn, by seamlessly walking you through the processes of accumulating and redeeming points for shopping, traveling, or cashback benefits. Whether you are a novice or an experienced individual, this guide will help ensure that you make the most of each swipe of the HDFC credit card.
Defining HDFC Credit Card Reward Points
Every time you use the HDFC credit card, eligible transactions earn you virtual points called reward points. These points accumulate and can be redeemed for a variety of products including vouchers, discounts, and airline miles.
With each type of HDFC credit card comes a different type of rewards system. As a general rule, premium cards yield a faster rate of point accrual. The first step in maximizing benefits is understanding the reward structures associated with the cards.
How to Earn Reward Points with an HDFC Credit Card
Let’s explore some of the ways to earn HDFC Credit Card reward points and to get the most value out of the card:
1. Everyday Purchases
It is a good idea to make your routine purchases like groceries and fuel using the HDFC credit card fuel. Many credit cards have special offers with additional reward points on certain categories of purchases during special times of the year.
2. Bonus Points in Specific Categories
Some of the HDFC credit cards do offer enhanced points for utility bills, dining out, travel bookings, and international spends. For example, some premium cards offer up to 5X points on airline tickets and hotel bookings.
3. Partner Merchants & Offers
You should look for partner brand outlets and online shopping portals. During festivals and sales, do not forget to check for extra bonus rewards while shopping with HDFC credit cards.
4. Milestone Bonuses
Some cards have additional points for a few monthly or yearly spending targets. Depending on the spending the card holder can earn additional bonuses just by spending a certain amount.
5. Smart EMIs and EasyEMI Transactions
Depending on the offer from the brand and merchant, using your HDFC credit card to pay for certain goods and services can earn you reward points if you pay using the smart EMIs or EasyEMIs.
6. Refer and Earn
A lot of HDFC credit card programs come with referral rewards, and by getting an HDFC credit card for your family and friends, you stand to gain extra points.
7. Utility and Bill Payments
Make sure to pay your recurring utility, electricity, phone or DTH bills with an HDFC credit card to earn points for the months. Make sure to check if your card has rewards for these categories.
8. Festive and Seasonal Promotions
On some HDFC holidays or during HDFC campaigns, the issuer of the credit cards rewards additional points for spending over a certain limit on some categories. Participate actively to get maximum benefit for your spending.
A reminder tip: Do not forget the points structure and other updates on your HDFC credit portal. Multipliers and other such offers may be available for limited time.
Tracking Your HDFC Credit Card Reward Points
Using the official HDFC portal, customers with credit cards are able to see and check their rewards. Here are two options that can help you check your data.
NetBanking:
As long as you remember your password and username, you can easily access your account at the HDFC NetBanking portal. On the homepage, under the ‘Cards’ section, you can click on your card and a summary with your reward points will be shown with your last few transactions.
HDFC Mobile App:
Via the official HDFC Bank mobile app, checking the summary of your rewards, the redemption catalogue and the next milestones for earning points can be done in a few taps.
Monthly Statement:
With your HDFC Credit Card, a detailed summary of the reward points accumulated, redeemed, and your current balance is available in the reward section of your statement.
Ways to Redeem HDFC Credit Card Reward Points
It is easy to redeem your HDFC reward points. Below are some of the most common ways to redeem HDFC credit cards points:
1. HDFC Credit Card Rewards Portal
Please log in to your account on the HDFC NetBanking portal and navigate to the rewards section. You can find the redemption catalogue that contains:
E-vouchers for shopping sites like Amazon, Flipkart, Myntra and others
Home appliances, electronics, and gourmet items
Merchandise and Gifts
2. Direct Refund
For some HDFC credit cards, points can be redeemed directly to a statement balance. While the cashback value might be lower, in comparison to vouchers or items, redemption through cashback is simple and convenient. With some cards, cashback can be more efficiently redeemed rather than saved.
3. Travel
Use the HDFC travel redemption portal to redeem points for flight and hotel bookings. For those who travel regularly, using redeemable points for booking is a better value option.
4. Frequent Flyer Program
You can link HDFC credit card points with partner airline frequent flyer programs like JetPrivilege or KrisFlyer. Each card has its own rate and eligibility, so check details on the HDFC webpage.
5. In-Store Reward Point Redemption
Reward points can be redeemed at the till using your HDFC credit card at specific partner outlets. This gives you an option to enjoy the product or service at the moment without waiting.
How to Redeem HDFC Reward Points through Banking Online Steps
- Access HDFC NetBanking.
- On the header, click ‘Cards’ and select your HDFC credit card.
- Click on ‘Redeem Reward Points.’
- View diverse categories and select a desirable reward.
- Confirm the delivery details and make the final check.
While phone banking redemptions via customer care are available, the online methods are usually more efficient and offer more options.
Essential Guidance on Getting the Most out of HDFC Credit Card Reward Points
- Keeping abreast of relevant information:
Special earning opportunities and promotional events are available from time to time.
- Spend Consolidation:
Using an HDFC card to make large purchases will help you reach the achievement bonuses more quickly.
- Check Point Expiry:
Always check the expiry stamp of your HDFC credit card points. Most of the points earned are valid for a period of 2 years from the time they are earned. Create reminders to ensure you redeem them before the expiry date.
- Select a more useful guide to redeem the points:
Some of the redemption options value the points more than others. Make a comparison before you redeem.
- Review of Card Charges:
As with any premium HDFC credit cards, there are higher annual fees attached to them, but their associated reward rates are much better. Assess whether the premium fees are beneficial according to your rewarding spending habits.
- Pay Your Dues on Time:
Sticking to the deadlines ensures your benefit suspension does not occur and points are being accrued.
2025 HDFC Credit Card Rewards Catalogue Overview with Categories
The 2025 HDFC credit card reward catalogue includes earning and spending reward points across multiple brands and services and includes merchandise, e-voucher, travel, cashback, and air miles options.
Reward Catalogue Categories
- Instant Vouchers/E-Gift Cards: Redeemed points can be used to receive e-gift vouchers from brands such as Amazon, Myntra, Flipkart, Big bazaar, Swiggy, and Croma and can be used to shop online or in-store.
- Travel (Flights & Hotels): Flights and hotels can be booked domestically and internationally through the HDFC SmartBuy portal, and monthly travel volume limits with respect to tiered card levels can be used.
- Merchandise: Appliances, electronics, and kitchen fitness equipment, luggage, and other lifestyle products can be selected and shipped to the user’s address.
- Cashback/Statement Credit: Points can be converted to cashback or credit toward a bill, which applies to some cards and requires a lower rate for conversion.
- Air Miles/Travel Loyalty Partners: Reward points can be transferred to a loyalty program from a major airline or hotel (for instance, InterMiles, Singapore Airlines, British Airways, Club Vistara).
- Charity/Donations: Points can be redeemed for donations to select ngO/ social causa organizations.
- Specialty Redemptions: Gold catalogues, premium experience vouchers, and milestone premium tier gifts for cards.
| Category | Redemption Options |
|---|---|
| E-Gift Cards | Amazon, Flipkart, Myntra, Big Bazaar |
| Travel | Flights, Hotels, Holiday packages |
| Merchandise | Electronics, Appliances, Luggage |
| Cashback | Bill adjustment/statement credit |
| Air Miles | InterMiles, Club Vistara, KrisFlyer |
| Charity Donations | Partner NGOs and causes |
| Specialty/Gold | Premium, limited-edition gifts |
Redemption Guidelines for 2025
- You may redeem rewards through HDFC NetBanking or SmartBuy with point redemptions starting from 500 points.
- Using rewards for most vouchers or items grants the ability to cover the majority (70%) of the payment for the item, with the remaning balance being required to be paid via card.
- Redemptions on travel, however, have caps on what can be redeemed each month. Notable examples include: Infinia: 1,50,000 points (monthly); Diners Black: 75,000 (monthly); while others have even stricter limits.
- There may be a minor charge around roughly ₹99 when redeeming from a catalogue, but the cashback program is generally free of recharge fees.
- You may check online for the most recent catalogue that has been updated across multiple categories that can be confirmed easily.
Lastly, to see the most recent catalogue as well as to obtain a list of active partners, you may visit HDFC NetBanking, the SmartBuy portal, or consult the official catalogue of rewards as catalogue partners tend to rotate.
HDFC credit card reward points:
- HDFC offers/netbanking rewards
- HDFC credit card offer
- Points redemption
- Best rated HDFC credit cards
- Shopping points
- Reward catalogue
- Statement credit
An HDFC credit card, intelligently utilized, ensures a treasure trove of privileges. By understanding the mechanisms of earning and burning HDFC credit card points, you can go on luxurious shopping sprees, travel at discounted rates, and save significantly. Stay on top of your reward balance and new offers—your journey with the HDFC credit card will only get better and better.
Tips to Maximize Earning HDFC Credit Card Reward
To optimize the HDFC Credit Card Reward particularly 5X on dining and 10X on SmartBuy focus on key spend categories and track bonus caps and promo periods accordingly. Use your card at the eligible merchants and portals.
Maximize 5X Rewards on Dining
- Target HDFC cards that have accelerated 5X dining such as Diners Privilege, Regalia Gold, and Freedom cards.
- Spend on Swiggy, Zomato and specific restaurants to maximize multipliers, and remember to always check for the eligible partner merchants.
- Some cards even have additional bonus offerings for dining out on weekends, thus for better reward rates, shifting your dine-out plans to weekends might be worthwhile.
- Be mindful of the monthly caps that some cards have on accelerated rewards, for example dining rewards might be capped at 2,500–5,000 extra points/month.
- Track your bonus points accrual as well, and redeem your points before expiration for discounts, vouchers, or cashback.
Maximize 10X Rewards on SmartBuy
- To earn up to 10X reward points, use HDFC’s SmartBuy portal for flights, hotels, and shopping at partner sites Myntra, Croma, Reliance Digital, or for gift vouchers at Gyftr.
- Strategically during promotional periods where SmartBuy tends to have reward multipliers, large purchases such as travel bookings, electronics, or vouchers would be worth planning.
- Bonus point caps vary by card type; for instance, Infinia and Diners Black have higher caps on a monthly basis, while others (Regalia, Privilege) have lower ones. Spend to the recommended amount to get the most value, avoiding going over the cap.
- Log into SmartBuy and select the appropriate partner, making sure to review that the transaction meets the bonus point requirements prior to completing the transaction.
- Adjust monthly spending for optimum value to meet reward cap thresholds, keeping in mind that SmartBuy hosts new offers frequently, as well as limited-time “10X” opportunities (like during the Diwali period for Myntra).
Maximizing Reward Potential General Suggestions
- Categorically spend on your different spending that is right to the card; for the most efficient earning, the card features should align with your typical spending habits.
- For the most effective point earning, schedule large purchases on Reward Multiplier promotion days or during point turnover billing cycles.
- Be on the lookout for reward point shifts, especially expiry timelines, redemption caps, and lapsed deadlines to avoid losing points. If you do redeem points, do it for more valuable options like cash back, airplane miles, or high-voucher redemption offerings for better value.
- Keep in mind the reward cap has a threshold for each month or calendar quarter, and it is a lower value for “base rewards” if overspending occurs, so use spend with caution.
- These do not usually count for bonus points, so avoid cash spend, fuel purchases, or non-qualified merchant transactions.
- Annual milestone benefits are also available with the reward-earning combination, like Marriott vouchers for quarterly thresholds or bonus flight vouchers for yearly goal attainment.
HDFC Credit Card Reward Categories
| Category | Multiplier | Best Cards | Monthly Cap | Portal/Partners |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dining (Swiggy, Zomato, Restaurants) | 5X (up to 20X promo) | Diners Privilege, Regalia Gold | 2,500–5,000 points | Swiggy, Zomato, select restaurants |
| SmartBuy Flights | 5X–10X | Infinia, DCB, Regalia | 1,50,000 (Infinia), 75,000 (DCB), 50,000 (Others) | SmartBuy |
| SmartBuy Vouchers | 5X–10X | Infinia, DCB, Regalia | Varies by product/card | SmartBuy > Gyftr |
| Myntra/Reliance Digital via SmartBuy | 5X–10X (limited period) | Infinia, DCB, Regalia | Bonus points per promo | SmartBuy > Partner Site |
| Weekend Dining | 2X | Diners Club cards | Varies | Eligible merchants |
Be sure to continue to check the HDFC and SmartBuy promotional pages to get the most recent additions and updates to the bonus events and their limits to maximize your monthly and annual rewards.