HDFC Bank Diners Club Privilege is the newest addition to the Diners Club family of credit cards. Positioned above the Diners Club Miles card, it offers similar rewards and benefits. The card features an updated design resembling the Diners Club Black card. It serves as a stepping stone towards upgrading to the Diners Club Black card in the future, similar to how the Regalia card functions for the Infinia card. Here is a review of the HDFC Bank Diners Club Privilege credit card.
Eligibility:
HDFC Bank has set high eligibility criteria for the Diners Club Privilege credit card. However, these criteria are relaxed for individuals who already have a savings account or some other relationship with HDFC Bank.
- Salaried: Net Monthly Income > Rs 70,000
- Self Employed: ITR > Rs 8.4 Lakhs/Annum
Fees and Charges:
In most cases, the Diners Club Privilege card is issued as a Lifetime Free (LTF) card. Currently, HDFC Bank is issuing LTF Diners Club Privilege credit cards.
- Joining/Renewal Fee: Rs 2,500 plus GST
- Welcome Benefit: Complimentary annual memberships of Amazon Prime, Zomato Pro, MMT Black, BB Star, and Times Prime Smart
- Renewal Fee Waiver: Achieve Rs 3 Lakhs spend in a membership year
Rewards:
The Diners Club Privilege credit card earns 4 reward points for every Rs 150 spent. Each reward point is worth between 20 paise to 50 paise based on redemption options, resulting in a 1.3% return on regular spending.
Additionally, there are milestone rewards and Smartbuy rewards that offer up to 5% cashback, increasing the overall reward rate.
- Rewards: 4 Reward Points per Rs 150 spent
- Wallet Loads: No Rewards
- Redemption Value: 20 paise to 50 paise per reward point
- Return on spends: 1.3% if points are used for booking flights/hotels on Smartbuy
Monthly Milestone Benefits:
Spending Rs 40,000 in a calendar month provides the option to choose from the following rewards, which add an additional 1.25% value if the spend criteria are fulfilled:
- 1 month Ola Select
- 1 month Cure.Fit Live
- Rs 500 BookMyShow Voucher
- Rs 500 TataCLIQ Voucher
Smartbuy Rewards:
To enhance the reward rate, the Diners Club Privilege card offers accelerated rewards for shopping on select merchants through Smartbuy. The Smartbuy cap for the Diners Club Privilege credit card is 4000 reward points per calendar month.
- Shopping Category: Rewards (Value at 1RP = 50 paise)
- IGP.com: 10X (13.3%)
- Amazon: 5X (6.6%)
- Flights (Cleartrip and Yatra): 5X (6.6%)
- Hotels (Cleartrip): 10X (13.3%)
- MakeMyTrip (Hotels): 10X (13.3%)
- IRCTC: 3X (3.9%)
- Redbus: 5X (6.6%)
- Instant Voucher: 5X (6.6%)
- Apple Tresor: 5X (6.6%)
- Flipkart: 3X (3.9%)
2X Rewards on Weekend Dining:
Unlike the super-premium Infinia card, the Diners Club Privilege card offers 2X rewards on weekend dining, with a cap of 500 reward points per day.
Airport Lounge Access:
The Diners Club Privilege credit card provides 12 complimentary airport lounge accesses in a year. Access is granted directly through the credit card without the need for a separate pass. The list of lounges is available through HDFC Bank.
Rewards Redemption:
Reward points earned on the Diners Club Privilege card can be redeemed on the Smartbuy redemption portal. HDFC Bank allows redemption for products from its catalog, booking flights/hotels, gift vouchers, or cash. However, the value of each reward point differs for these redemption options. When booking a flight or hotel, each reward point has a value of 50 paise. For products, gift vouchers, or cash, the value drops to 20 paise. For those who travel, the best option is to book flights on Smartbuy using reward points or transfer them to one of the Airmiles partners.
Conclusion:
HDFC Bank Diners Club Privilege is comparable to the Regalia card on many levels. This is not surprising as they both fall below the super-premium Infinia and Diners Club Black cards in HDFC Bank’s card range. However, the Diners Club Privilege card outshines the Regalia card in certain areas. It offers 10X rewards on partner brands and 2X rewards on dining. However, acceptance at offline stores can be an issue for the Privilege card.
HDFC Bank credit cards are generally known for their rewarding features, and the Diners Club Privilege card lives up to this expectation. With the monthly milestone benefits, Smartbuy rewards, and 10X rewards on partner brands, the reward rate can range from 2% to 4% on spends, which is commendable. Another advantage of this card is the potential to upgrade to the Diners Club Black card in the future.
For individuals who are not frequent travelers and prefer better cashback redemption cards, the Millennia or Ace credit cards would be better options to consider.