HDFC Bank is carrying out an elaborate restructuring on card features and rewards for their members in the coming week. We usually love the HDFC Bank Diners Club Cards around here, but we do appreciate that a lot of our readers do use other HDFC Bank credit cards as well. The last round of devaluation happened last year, and the Bank did give a notice at that time as well.
HDFC Bank Regalia
This card is a darling of most Preferred Banking customers of the Bank, given it comes free for life to them. There are a lot of changes coming here as of August 15, 2017.
- Regalia points will be valued at INR 0.50 when redeemed on www.hdfcbankregalia.com. Currently, the value is INR 0.60, so that means a 17% devaluation of the points value. Last year, each point used to get you INR 0.75 value.
- Just like Diners Club devaluation, no more 2x reward points for dining or making use of the Regalia website mentioned above.
Although the official language just says flight bookings on Regalia website, I’d expect everything including Phone bills to go away with this. - No more 2x reward points for flights booked on Vistara’s website.
- Movie bookings and Mobile/DTH recharge options will be discontinued towards points redemption.
HDFC Bank Regalia First
- Regalia points will be valued at INR 0.30 when redeemed on www.hdfcbankregalia.com. Currently, the value is INR 0.40, so that means a 25% devaluation of the points value.
- Just like Diners Club devaluation, no more 2x reward points for dining or making use of the Regalia website mentioned above.
- Movie bookings and Mobile/DTH recharge options will be discontinued towards points redemption.
HDFC Bank Diners Club Black
- This card has been spared the bother of points devaluation for the moment. They already did a huge devaluation by nicking off all transfer partners.
- Golf lessons will be withdrawn, and a cap of 6 complimentary Golf games per quarter being imposed.
- Additionally, the capacity to earn reward points via 10X is truncated in the travel & lifestyle category as of now.
HDFC Bank Diners Club Rewardz
- Like we mentioned here, the value of points will go down to INR 0.30 when used for redemption at www.hdfcbankdinersclub.in. The earlier value used to be as high as INR 0.75.
- This was a god sent for those who wanted unlimited Lounge Access domestically. Now, no more complimentary lounge access after August 15, 2017.
- Like we noted here, no more 2x reward points for dining, supermarkets, Grocery, Airline ticketing or making use of the Diners Club website mentioned above.
- Massive devaluation on the transfer options as well. Right now, one point equaled 0.75 mile on transferring to JetPrivilege, Flying Returns or KrisFlyer. Again, this goes down all the way to 0.30 miles per point.
HDFC Bank Diners Club Premium
- The value of points will go down to INR 0.50 when used for redemption at www.hdfcbankdinersclub.in. The earlier value used to be as high as INR 0.75.
- Golf lessons will be withdrawn, and a cap of 6 complimentary Golf games per quarter being imposed.
- Unlimited lounge access withdrawn, and 6 complimentary trips to Domestic/International Lounges implemented per calendar year. Now that is a pittance.
- Devaluation on the transfer options as well. Right now, one point equaled 0.75 mile on transferring to JetPrivilege, Flying Returns or KrisFlyer. Again, this goes down all the way to 0.50 miles per point.
Further, there is also change to the Moneyback card (meh!), which is going down from an already low value of INR 30 moneyback for 30 points to INR 20. Go figure how much value left there.
Bottomline
You do have about a week to redeem your points at a higher value. There are tonnes of hotels and airline sales going on, and over the Independence day weekend I’d expect more of them to keep coming. Get rid of as many points or transfer them to an airline of your choice right now, because in a week the value will go down significantly. As for the Diners Black and Infinia holders, count your blessings this time around!
What are your thoughts on the upcoming devaluation of the HDFC Bank credit cards? Have we missed something? Keep us posted on your thoughts and feelings below.
Completely dissatisfied with removal of TV and mobile recharge using reward points.
Looks like real cost cutting.
Have around 11K points. When they reduced from .75 to .6, i was aware and redeemed most points for tata sky recharge. I din’t know this time :(. Now, only flights and hotels. Also, value on the other items is < 0.25 on the rewards catalog. Only thing I see useful is Reliance Gift card with ~0.35 value. I think I will reduce my spends on the regalia card and use SBI simply Click or Amex Gold instead. Amex give statement credit @0.41 which is way better I feel. I don't have much travelling needs so air miles are not useful for me.
Please don’t take any of these cards, I have one diners rewards, I made around 3 Lacs of transaction, they initially told to give .75 Rupee per point, but later they degraded it to .3 Rupee. Bullshit !
@Vivek, can’t blame them fully. You earn and burn, not earn and keep always!
So with the 10X offer expiring on 31st Oct 2017 (as of now) ….
does it make any sense in applying for this card?? I was thinking of getting one now….However not sure if its better to wait it out….
Any advice on this?
Cheers
CS
@C.shah, I’d expect the promotions to continue at least another 6 months. Don’t know what HDFC Bank has in mind, but this is their golden goose and they may devalue it but won’t kill it. Or so I hope.
Yes! Hope so too as I am applying for this Card ….. bit late to the party. Considering I am already kinda annoyed at how they suddenly devalue the card. Using my Premier Miles right now….. and not very happy with that one they way it has been going !
Any new travel card u wud recommend??? I scoured everywhere and am so thoroughly disappointed with the Indian travel credit card scene.
Anyways….this is an excellent forum to talk about these things! Thanks Ajay….
Cheers
The way HDFC is devaluing Regalia twice in last 2 years is very disappointing. I use this card for all my spends. Now this card is no longer interesting me. Do you suggest a better card to this? My average spend on my CC is appx. 1-1.25 L a month. I like to redeem my points on air tickets.
Already planned a diving trip to Philippines … burning all the points on SQ which includes a free 4 day stopover at SIN …
Using Krisflyer miles?
Nope points… travelling in Y
How do u add a 4 day free stopover? Planning a trip on SQ using KF miled to bali.
U get a ‘Transit W/o Visa’ 4 day stopover if u possess US/UK/Oz/Eu VALID visa on indian passport if you are Transiting through SIN.
It can be any airline not necessarily SQ.
I have just been to Bali and the fares are very cheap on Air Asia.
Do a cost comparison first , timings are also pretty good , I was in Flatbed so I didnt mind it one bit.
Using KF miles for BAli would be not a good use since the cash cost is pretty cheap.
From what I understand. If I have travelled to US, UK, AUSTRALIA & EUROPE (Basically I have had these following countries Visa in my Passport) Then I can apply for 4 day stopover with any airline? for Singapore sector or any country for that matter?
http://livefromalounge.boardingarea.com/2016/11/02/singapore-visa-free-transit-indians/
I got all the info. Thanks
What about JP Diners club card Lounge access? Now we are enjoying unlimited international lounge access on this card.
@Bala the JP Diners Black continues to have lounge access. This one was about points devaluation largely.
Transferred 200,000 points from Diners Premium to Krisflyer last week. Got 150,375 KF points.
Would get 100,000 now.
What a decision in hindsight ! 😀