HDFC Bank has brought back one of its older promotions from 2019. This promotion lets customers earn many reward points by reloading their HDFC Bank-issued Forex Cards. The key change is that the promotion used to offer 10X points, but now it only offers 5X points.

HDFC Bank Credit Cards 5X Points on Foreign Exchange Card Reload

HDFC Bank has reintroduced its popular promotion, offering 5x reward points on reloading forex cards made through select HDFC Bank credit cards. This promotion incentivizes customers to use HDFC Forex Cards for their international spending. The promotion has been ongoing since January 1, 2025, and will be valid through March 31, 2025.

For the promotion to work, you need to be working with an HDFC Bank-issued Forex Card and reload it with an eligible HDFC Bank Credit Card. Only reloads with the following HDFC Bank Credit Cards will earn 5X points:

• Regalia First
• Regalia
• Regalia Activ
• Regalia Gold
• Diners Privilege
• Diners Black
• Diners Black Metal
• Infinia
• Infinia Metal

(Apply now for an HDFC Bank Credit Card) 

Your reload has to be a minimum of INR 15,000 to qualify for the promotion, and you can earn a maximum of 15,000 bonus reward points (4X points) per month for a reload. The eligible reload platforms are the following:

• hdfcbankprepaid.hdfcbank.com/hdfcportal/index
• getprepaidcard.hdfcbank.com/index.aspx
• hdfcbankprepaid.hdfcbank.com/hdfcportal/quickreloadnew

Transactions conducted through other platforms or links will not be eligible for this promotion.

Earning Potential

As I mentioned earlier, cardholders can earn up to 15,000 bonus points each month under this promotion. This has different value, though, for different cards of HDFC Bank. The table below illustrates the potential earnings based on different card types:

Card Type	Base Points / INR 150	Bonus Points/ INR 150	Total Points / INR 150	Points / INR 100,000	Total Points Earned (Smartbuy value)
Regalia First	3	12	15	9,990	2.99%
Regalia	4	16	20	13,320	6.66%
Regalia Activ	4	16	20	13,320	6.66%
Regalia Gold	4	16	20	13,320	6.66%
Diners Privilege	4	16	20	13,320	6.66%
Diners Black	5	20	25	16,650	16.67%
Diners Black Metal	5	20	25	16,650	16.67%
Infinia	5	20	25	16,650	16.67%
Infinia Metal	5	20	25	16,650	16.67%

For instance, using the Infinia card, a cardholder would earn 25 points per INR 150 spent, translating to a 16.67% return on forex spending.

Things to remember

Before you jump in to maximise your points payback with this promotion, here are a few things to remember. Firstly, there will be an applicable foreign exchange card issuance and reload fee. HDFC Bank is offering another promotion where reloads of USD 1,000 and above get a fee waiver.

Secondly, a foreign exchange markup is involved, which might make it a losing valuation rather than a winning proposition. It depends on how you look at it. For instance, the XE.com rate when writing this article is 1 USD = 87.48 INR. The rate at which HDFC Bank will (re)load a card today is INR 88.94, which is a 1.67% spread already, and this does not include the GST, which will be extra. However, if you can hold USD and this is a good opportunity to earn 5X, it is a good idea.

Bottomline

HDFC Bank’s 5X Reward Points promotion on forex spending provides a good opportunity for HDFC Bank Credit Card cardholders, especially those with premium cards like Diners Club Black and Infinia. By leveraging this offer, customers can significantly enhance their reward earnings on international spending. However, be mindful of the associated fees.

Will you partake in the HDFC Bank 5X promotion for reloading cards for foreign spending?

Apply for an HDFC Bank Credit Card Here. Instant Approval 

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