HDFC Bank Diners Club Black Credit Card – Benefits, Fees & Eligibility

HDFC Bank Diners Club Black Credit Card

Introduction

The HDFC Bank Diners Club Black Credit Card was a premium offering from HDFC Bank, designed for high net-worth individuals who seek exclusive privileges across various categories such as travel, dining, and shopping. This card provided a rich rewards program, unlimited lounge access, complimentary golf games, and a suite of lifestyle benefits. However, it is important to note that this card has been discontinued and has been replaced by the HDFC Bank Diners Club Black Metal Credit Card.

Welcome Benefits

• Complimentary Annual memberships of Club Marriott, Times Prime, Amazon Prime, Swiggy One (3 months), and MMT BLACK.
• These welcome benefits are availed by spending Rs. 1.5 lakhs within the first 90 days of card issuance or upon the first year fee realization.
• Effective July 1st, 2024, Forbes Annual Subscription will be discontinued as a Welcome/Annual Benefit and will be replaced by Times Prime Subscription.

Fees

• Joining Fee: Rs. 10,000/- plus Applicable Taxes (GST).
• Renewal Fee: Rs. 10,000/- plus Applicable Taxes (GST).
• Spend-Based Waiver: The renewal fee can be waived if the cardholder spends Rs. 5 Lakhs or more in the preceding 12 months (anniversary year).
• Rewards Redemption Fee: Nil.
• Foreign Currency Markup: 2% (plus GST) on all foreign currency spends.
• Interest Rates: 1.99% per month (equivalent to 23.88% annually) on the overdue amount.
• Fuel Surcharge Waiver: 1% fuel surcharge waiver at all fuel stations across India.
  • This waiver is applicable on a minimum transaction of ₹400.
  • The maximum cashback for the fuel surcharge waiver is capped at ₹1,000 per statement cycle.
• Cash Advance Charges: The higher of 2.5% of the amount withdrawn or Rs. 500.

Rewards

• General Reward Rate: Earn 5 Reward Points for every ₹150 spent on retail transactions.
• Accelerated Rewards:
  • Up to 10X Reward Points on spends via the SmartBuy portal.
  • 2X Reward Points on weekend dining.
• Milestone Benefits:
  • On monthly spends of Rs. 80,000, cardholders can select any 2 complimentary vouchers worth Rs. 500 each from options like Uber, cult.fit Live (1-month membership), BookMyShow, or TataCLiQ.
  • Annual memberships for Amazon Prime, Times Prime, Club Marriott, Swiggy One (3 months), and MMT BLACK are renewed upon achieving an annual spend of Rs. 8 Lakhs in the anniversary year.
• Travel Benefits:
  • Unlimited Airport lounge access to 1000+ Lounges in India and worldwide for both primary and add-on card members.
  • Reward Points are redeemable for flight and hotel bookings on SmartBuy (1 Reward Point = 1 Rupee).
  • Fast Track Airport Experience offers line-skipping for check-in and baggage assistance.
• Dining Benefits:
  • Enjoy 2X Reward Points on weekend dining.
  • Receive FLAT 10% EXTRA OFF on dining bills at 35,000+ restaurants through the HDFC Bank x Swiggy Dineout Good Food Trail program.
  • Complimentary annual memberships of Club Marriott and Swiggy One (3 months) are part of the benefits.
  • Access to exclusive dining offers, from gourmet cuisine to local delicacies.
• Golf Benefits:
  • Receive 6 complimentary golf games every quarter across the finest courses in the world.
• Insurance Benefits:
  • Air accident insurance cover worth Rs. 2 Crore ($250,000).
  • Emergency overseas hospitalization cover of up to Rs. 50 Lakhs ($62,500).
  • Travel insurance cover of up to INR 55,000 (up to 688) on baggage delay (capped at 10 per hour, restricted to 8 hours).
  • Credit Liability Cover of up to ₹9 Lakh.
• Lifestyle Benefits:
  • Complimentary annual memberships of Amazon Prime, Times Prime, Swiggy One (3 months), MMT BLACK, and Club Marriott.
  • Access to Luxury Spas at special rates within India.
• Business Benefits:
  • Tailor-made offers for Small Medium Enterprises (SME) including workspaces, business insurance, and wellness discounts.

Rewards Redemption Guide

• Reward Points Accrual: Earn 5 Reward Points for every ₹150 retail spent, with up to 10X Reward Points on SmartBuy transactions.
• Reward Points Validity: Reward Points are valid for 3 years from the date of accrual.
• Redemption Options:
  • Flight/Hotel Bookings via SmartBuy: Redeem points for flight tickets and hotel stays (Domestic & International) at https://offers.smartbuy.hdfcbank.com/diners.
    • 1 Reward Point = 1 Rupee for SmartBuy redemptions.
    • A maximum of 70% of the booking value can be paid using Reward Points; the remaining amount must be paid via Credit Card.
  • Airmiles Conversion: Redeem Reward Points for AirMiles across various loyalty programs.
    • 1 Reward Point = 1 AirMile for InterMiles, Singapore Airlines (KrisFlyer Miles), and Club Vistara. Frequent flyer registration is required before redemption.
    • 1 Reward Point = 0.5 mile/loyalty points for Air Canada Aeroplan, British Airways, Etihad Airways, United Mileage Plus.
    • 1 Reward Point = 1 corresponding mile/loyalty point for AirAsia Rewards, Accor Live Limitless, Avianca LifeMiles, Finnair Plus, Flying Blue, Hainan Airlines Fortune Wings Club, IHG One Reward, Vietnam Airlines, Turkish Airlines, Wyndham Rewards.
  • Product Catalogue: Redeem Reward Points on an exclusive reward redemption catalogue for HDFC Bank Diners Club Black Credit Cards (vouchers/products).
    • 1 Reward Point = Up to Rs. 0.50 for product catalogue redemptions.
  • Cashback: Redeem Reward Points for cashback, which is adjusted against the card’s statement balance.
    • 1 Reward Point = Rs. 0.30 for cashback redemptions.
• Non-Eligible Transactions for Reward Points: No reward points are earned on transactions towards fuel purchases, rent payments, government spends (like advance tax), wallet reloads, and EMI Principal.
• Cap on Reward Points: A maximum of 5,000 Reward Points can be earned per day on insurance transactions. There are also monthly caps on reward points which may limit benefits.
• How to Redeem:
  • Log in to your HDFC Bank internet banking account.
  • Navigate to the ‘Credit Cards’ tab.
  • Register your card if not already done.
  • Choose ‘Redeem Reward Points’ from the left navigation bar.
  • Select the Diners Club Black credit card and proceed to choose the desired category/products for redemption.

Card Eligibility Criteria

• For Salaried Indian Nationals:
  • Age: Minimum 21 years and Maximum 60 years.
  • Income: Net Monthly Income greater than Rs. 2.5 Lakhs per month.
• For Self-Employed Indian Nationals:
  • Age: Minimum 21 years and Maximum 65 years.
  • Income: Income Tax Return (ITR) greater than Rs. 30 Lakhs per annum.
• A CIBIL score of 750+ is generally required.

Card Review

The HDFC Bank Diners Club Black Credit Card was one of the most prestigious cards offered by HDFC Bank, comparable to the Infinia card in its premium segment. It was ideally suited for high net-worth individuals who have substantial credit card spending, especially across travel, dining, and shopping categories. The card's discontinuation means new applicants should consider its successor, the HDFC Bank Diners Club Black Metal Credit Card, or the HDFC Infinia Credit Card.

Who Should Have Applied:

• Individuals with high net-worth and significant monthly expenditures.
• Frequent domestic and international travelers who can maximize unlimited lounge access.
• Those who prioritize luxury lifestyle benefits, including golf, premium dining, and exclusive subscriptions.

Advantages:

• Comprehensive Travel Benefits: Unlimited complimentary access to domestic and international airport lounges for primary and add-on card members.
• High Reward Rate: Earns 5 Reward Points for every Rs. 150 spent, with up to 10X points on SmartBuy and 2X on weekend dining, offering a strong reward rate (3.3%).
• Valuable Welcome & Milestone Benefits: Provides complimentary annual memberships to platforms like Club Marriott, Times Prime, Amazon Prime, Swiggy One, and MMT BLACK, plus monthly vouchers on achieving spend milestones.
• Golf Privileges: 6 complimentary golf games per quarter at world-class courses.
• Lower Foreign Currency Markup: A competitive 2% foreign currency markup fee.
• Strong Insurance Coverage: Includes substantial air accident, emergency overseas hospitalization, baggage delay, and credit liability covers.

Disadvantages:

• High Annual Fee: The Rs. 10,000 annual fee, though waiveable, requires significant spending to justify for some users.
• High Spend Requirement for Benefits: The minimum spend of Rs. 1.5 lakhs in 90 days for welcome benefits and Rs. 80,000 monthly for milestone vouchers might be high for some cardholders.
• Geographical Acceptance Issues: Diners Club cards, while fine in the Americas (due to Discover tie-up), can face acceptance issues in parts of Europe. This means global travelers might need a backup card.

Important Product Details

• Card Status: The HDFC Bank Diners Club Black Credit Card is no longer issued and has been replaced by the HDFC Bank Diners Club Black Metal Credit Card.
• Reward Points: Earn 5 Reward Points for every Rs. 150 retail spent, up to 10X on SmartBuy, and 2X on weekend dining.
• Lounge Access: Unlimited complimentary domestic and international airport lounge access for primary and add-on card members across 1000+ lounges globally.
• Golf: 6 complimentary golf games per quarter at premier courses worldwide.
• Annual Memberships: Complimentary annual memberships for Club Marriott, Times Prime, Amazon Prime, Swiggy One (3 months), and MMT BLACK as a welcome benefit, and renewed on annual spends of Rs. 8 Lakhs.
• Monthly Vouchers: Complimentary Uber, cult.fit Live, BookMyShow, and TataCLiQ vouchers on monthly spends of over Rs. 80,000.
• Insurance Coverage: Includes Rs. 2 Crore air accident cover, Rs. 50 Lakhs emergency overseas hospitalization, and Rs. 9 Lakh credit liability cover.
• Foreign Exchange: Low foreign currency markup of 2%.
• Fuel Surcharge Waiver: 1% waiver on fuel transactions (min. Rs. 400, max. Rs. 1000/month).
• Fees: Joining and Renewal fees are Rs. 10,000 + GST, with renewal fee waiver on Rs. 5 Lakhs annual spend.
• Rewards Redemption: Reward points can be redeemed for flights/hotels (1 RP = Re. 1), AirMiles (up to 1 RP = 1 AirMile), product catalogue (up to 1 RP = Re. 0.50), or cashback (1 RP = Re. 0.30).
• Redemption Limitation: For flight and hotel bookings, a maximum of 70% of the booking value can be paid using Reward Points.
• Non-Reward Categories: No reward points on fuel purchases, rent payments, government spends, wallet reloads, and EMI principal.
• Reward Point Caps: A maximum of 5,000 Reward Points can be earned per day on insurance transactions, and there are general monthly caps on reward point accrual.
• Interest-Free Credit Period: Up to 50 days of interest-free credit from the date of purchase.
• Contactless Payments: Enabled for fast and secure contactless payments, with a PIN required for transactions equal to or above ₹5,000 in India.
• Smart EMI: Option to convert large spends into EMIs post-purchase.

Other Details

• Concierge Services: Exclusive 24/7 Concierge Services are available.
  • Toll-free: 1800 118 887 (India)
  • Landline: 022 42320226
  • HDFC Bank Customer Service: Toll Free: 1800 266 3310, Landline: 022-6171 7606 (for customers travelling overseas).
• Credit Limit: The credit limit for the HDFC Bank Diners Club Black Credit Card is generally above Rs. 4 lakhs.
• Global Acceptance: Acceptance of Diners Club cards is generally fine in India and the Americas (considered a Discover card there). However, acceptance in Europe can be a major issue, so it may not be reliable as a sole card for global travel.
• Milestone Spend Tracking: Milestone spends for welcome, monthly, and annual benefits can be tracked by visiting offers.smartbuy.hdfcbank.com/diners and navigating to Diners Club Benefits -> Diners Club Black Milestones.