The HDFC Bank 10X Reward Points for the Smartbuy programme were rumoured to be over in March 2019, and instead, a new 5X Rewards Points programme was implemented for a very brief moment. Then, the 10X Rewards programme was brought back for April 2019 and then renewed for May 2019.
Last month, the new HDFC Bank 10X promotion was posted. Unlike the last years where the rules were the same for all cards, and the value changed only for the points per card, the new Smartbuy 10X promotion has now made it a promotion which is different for different products. This is now shown with the new banner for the 10X Reward points promotion.
When you click through to the promotion, you would see, the HDFC 10X Smartbuy promotion has the date of June 2019 for now. Unlike earlier, the 10X promotion is now only limited to Infinia, Diners Club cards and the Regalia card. Everyone else gets 5% cashback.
That means you could earn 10X points for the following activities with HDFC SmartBuy here on:
- Flight Booking
- Hotel Booking
- Shopping via Flipkart and Amazon
- Comparison shopping via the SmartBuy website
Different credit cards now, however, have a different ceiling on the number of points you can earn.
- Infinia has a ceiling of earning 25,000 HDFC Reward Points per month.
- Diners Club Black cards have a ceiling of earning 15,000 HDFC Reward Points per month.
- Other Diners Club/ Regalia cards have a ceiling of earning 5,000 HDFC Reward points per month.
- Other Credit/Debit cards will get a 5% cashback, capped at INR 1,000 per month.
Also, with respect to EMIs, the whole look out has changed. Now, Smartbuy 10X is applicable only for EMI Transactions (on flights / Hotels / Flipkart store) on Infinia or Diners Club or Regalia only. Not applicable on EMI transactions on any other card.
The promotion has been significantly watered down now. So, primarily, the Smartbuy site can now be used in the following manner to maximise the promotion:
- Infinia: Maximum Spend of INR 83,333 at Smartbuy will get you 25,000 bonus Reward Points in June 2019 at the rate of 33% cashback (30% bonus and 3% regular, each point earned is INR 1)
- Diners Club Black: Maximum Spend of INR 50,000 at Smartbuy will get you 15,000 bonus Reward Points in June 2019 at the rate of 33% cashback (30% bonus and 3% regular, each point earned is INR 1)
- Diners Club Miles/Premium/Regalia: Maximum Spend of INR 20,835 at Smartbuy will get you 5,000 bonus Reward Points in June 2019 at the rate of 12% cashback (Each point earned is INR 0.5)
- Diners Club Rewardz: Maximum Spend of INR 27,779 at Smartbuy will get you 5,000 bonus Reward Points in June 2019 at the rate of 6% cashback (Each point earned is INR 0.3)
These are over and above the reward points towards the usual 10X period every month with partner brands for Diners Club products only, if it will be renewed.
What do you think about this new move from HDFC Bank Credit Cards?
Why is HDFC Bank so confused with the 10X rewards offer? Would like to understand from the product head why can there be no longer term view – they change tie ups every month keeping customers in suspense and affecting planning of purchase of big ticket items. Which other bank changes tie ups every month? Your diners black card customers are fed up and may move to Amex and other stable cards…
Any hope the 10X partner brands of Diners Club will be back soon ? Already 14 days of July are down.
Hey guys, I’m new here (to the blog, and to the world of driving CC based reward points as well). I have been using my HDFC Diners Black card this year dedicatedly looking to maximize my points at their partner sites. All my spends on Amazon are supposed to qualify for 10x points after 90 days but my problem is they havent. Thier call center says it is normal for the points to be delayed even after 90 days. Have any of you faced this ? If yes how long is normal ? And what other escalation options do I have. Thanks in advance.
Any update on 10x points on Partner Brands like Makemytrip, Tatacliq etc…
No more on partner earning program closed on 30JUN2019
Had check on HDFC DINERS WEBSITE
10X on partner brands is getting revamped. Existing 10X Rewards on partner brands ended on 30 June 2019. Will soon update when we launch the new edition of 10X Rewards.
Isn’t 83k max spend wrong? Shouldn’t it be 75k max spend on infinia of which 33% (10x) rewards would be 25000 ie max capped
@carpediem.shu I’ve answered this question in the past, the only clue I get you is, you are thinking of it in very simplistic terms.
What Ajay is essentially pointing towards is consider month M and month M+3 – if you spend Rs 83333 on smartbuy in M, you get 2777 RP in M and remaining 9x RP of 25k in M+3, by assuming you don’t do any smartbuy transacation in M+3, thereby not violating the 25k maximum points clause for M+3.
Ofcourse, in a steady state, where one is trying to maximise RP earning all the way between M and M+3, the maximum spends would be 75K per month, except for the last month M+3, where they would again be 83333 since M+6 won’t have the spends (assuming 10X offer ended in M+3).
But hey, none of us want the party to end over some 2xxx points, right?! 😀
If I understood this correctly, I can’t spend 83k per month and get 25000 points per month till the offer is valied?? Because for eg. I did a transaction on Infinia on Smartbuy. Booked a flight ticket on 28th June, value – 10200, normal points – 340, 9X points – 3060. Statement generated – 4th July. I got those 9X-3060 points in the July statement itself. Confirmed it with the Infinia customer care. And they also informed me that 9X points get credited the next day after the merchant settles the transaction.
Yes, as I said, if you want to do on every month, 75k is the spend limit, except the last month when you want/are forced to stop spending where it will be 83.3k.
Also, except Amazon Smartbuy (which takes proper 90 days), rest Smartbuy transactions get their 9X deposited in 2-3 days from the transaction date typically. Even the Diners merchant 10X get credited within 2-3 days of statement creation.
10X for Partner brand extended upto 31st July on BMS website
There has also been an update (read – unattractive) to the Forex Loading Offer – https://offers.smartbuy.hdfcbank.com/offer_details/9651
Now one has to Load >$1000 to be eligible for the 10X Reward. Hence the Cashback is approx. 7% on Infinia / DCB.
I agree, they’ve become wiser
Why 7% ? You still get 33% reward points on dc and infinite right?
Mr/Ms Carpediem.shu – your calculations and understanding of the above offers is not correct. Pl do not take all these offers on face value, and do some calculation on your own.