HDFC Bank has been actively changing the rewards earning on their top-end credit card products. For starts, HDFC Bank has removed the 10X points partners on the Diners Club Card(s). Also, on SmartBuy, some partners only earn 5X or 3X points now on. My guess here is, CoVid-19 is stifling innovation here as the Bank assesses how to proceed forward while keeping their expenses on the elite credit card under check. Another HDFC Bank Credit Card points earning feature is now on the block, the points earning on Dining.
Till so far, HDFC Bank used to offer unlimited 2X points on Dining at stand-alone outlets (as coded by Visa/MasterCard) (not a part of the Taj Hotels, for instance, but a Social or a Smoke House Deli and so on). For the HDFC Bank Infinia, 2X on Dining was valid all week long, and for Diners Club (Black and Privilege), it was valid over the weekends.
However, come July 1, 2020, HDFC Bank will be capping the rewards on the Dining category for all these cards. This should not impact most of us, except for those who are spending a lot of money dining out.
- HDFC Infinia will be limited to 1000 bonus reward points per day on Dining, which translates to a top of INR 30,000 per day billing on Infinia for Dining at stand-alone restaurants (Source)
- HDFC Diners Club Black will be limited to 1000 bonus reward points per day on Dining, which translates to a top of INR 30,000 per day billing on the DCB for Dining at stand-alone restaurants over the weekends. (Source)
- HDFC Diners Club Privilege will be limited to 500 bonus reward points per day on Dining, which translates to a top of INR 18,750 per day billing on the DCP for Dining at stand-alone restaurants over the weekends. (Source)
Bottomline
This is all irrelevant in the current times, but if we ever hope to get back to life as it was before Corona, then this is terrible news. HDFC Bank sure is picking a nice time to tone down the earning potential of the cards, but I do hope they also do turn around and up the game when it comes to bringing back the benefits.
What do you make out of the new caps being imposed on Dining earning for your HDFC Bank cards?
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The wave of credit cards devaluation and curtailing benefits this year doesn’t seem to end.