Best HDFC Travel Credit Cards: Complete Guide

Up to 33.3% Rewards on Card Spending

▶︎ HDFC Smartbuy Platform (3X-10X)

• 33.3% (10X): Hotels, select partners (Jockey, PharmEasy, IGP.com)
• 16.6% (5X): Flights, buses, holiday packages, Myntra, Nykaa, Zoom Car
• 10% (3X): Gift vouchers, IRCTC train tickets, Apple

▶︎ Regular Card Spending

• 6.6% (2X): Weekend dining at restaurants (Saturday/Sunday, maximum 1,000 points per day)
• 3.3% (1X): All other purchases

▶︎ Monthly Limits

• Smartbuy accelerated rewards: 10,000 points (reached at ₹33,333 - ₹1.5 lakh monthly spending, depending on category mix)
• Weekend dining: 1,000 points per day maximum

▶︎ Reward Point Values

• ₹1.00: Flight/hotel bookings (Smartbuy), airline/hotel loyalty transfers
• ₹0.50: Vouchers and products
• ₹0.30: Cashback redemption

Reward rates assume optimal redemption for travel bookings

Up to 2.5% Additional Reward, at ₹4 lakh quarterly spend

• 2.5% additional reward: 10,000 bonus points worth ₹10,000, at ₹4 lakh quarterly spend
• This is earned on top of your regular rewards across all spending categories

Premium Benefits

▶︎ Travel: Unlimited Airport Lounge Access & More

• Unlimited domestic & international airport lounge access (includes add-on cards)
• 2% forex markup on international transactions
• 24/7 global concierge services

▶︎ Golf: 6 complimentary golf rounds per quarter globally

▶︎ Marriott Club Membership (1 year)

• Up to 25% discount on F&B bills (max 20 guests)
• Up to 20% discount on room rates in India, weekend rates in Asia Pacific
• 20% discount on spa services at select hotels in India
• Up to 20% off F&B at Asia Pacific Marriott hotels, ex-India (max 10 guests)
• Up to 15% off Marriott Bonvoy on Wheels orders
• 1 room upgrade certificate (max 2 nights, India hotels)
• 1 certificate for 30% off best available rate (max 2 consecutive nights)

▶︎ Swiggy One Membership (1 year)

• Dineout restaurants: Up to 40% off, 2 monthly ₹150 coupons (on bills of ₹1500+)
• Food delivery: Free delivery on ₹149+ orders, up to 30% extra discounts, no surge fees
• Instamart groceries: Free delivery on ₹199+ orders, exclusive discounts, no surge fees
• Genie: Flat 10% off delivery fees on all orders

Insurance Coverage

• ₹2 crore accidental air death cover
• ₹50 lakh overseas medical emergency coverage
• ₹9 lakh lost card liability protection
• ₹55,000 baggage delay coverage (8+ hours, international flights)

Additional Benefits

• Exclusive Diners Club offers and privileges
• Premium customer service with dedicated support lines

Up to 33.3% Rewards on Card Spending

▶︎ HDFC Smartbuy Platform:

• 10X (33.3%): Hotels, select partners (Jockey, PharmEasy, IGP.com)
• 5X (16.6%): Flights, buses, holiday packages, gift vouchers, Apple, Myntra, Nykaa
• 3X (10%): IRCTC train bookings

▶︎ Regular Card Spending:

• 1X (3.3%): All other purchases (unlimited earning)

▶︎ Monthly Limits:

Smartbuy categories (3X-10X): 15,000 accelerated reward points limit. Limit reached between ₹50,000 - ₹2.25 lakh monthly spending, depending on category mix - 

• 10X categories: Limit reached at ₹50,000 spending
• 5X categories: Limit reached at ₹1.12 lakh spending
• 3X categories: Limit reached at ₹2.25 lakh spending

Regular spending (1X): No limits

▶︎ Reward Point Values:

• ₹1 per point: Flight/hotel bookings, Apple products, Tanishq 
• ₹0.50 per point: Vouchers and products
• ₹0.30 per point: Cashback redemption

Note: Reward rates shown above assume optimal redemption for travel bookings

Premium Benefits

▶︎ Airport Lounge Access

• Unlimited domestic & international lounge access 
• Available for add-on cardholders also

▶︎ Golf & Hotels

• Unlimited golf rounds worldwide, unlimited coaching lessons in India
• ITC Hotels: Pay for 2 nights, stay 3. Dining discounts
• Marriott Club membership (1 year): 15-20% F&B discounts, room rate savings

▶︎ Insurance Coverage

• ₹3 crore accidental air death
• ₹50 lakh overseas medical emergency
• ₹9 lakh lost card 
• ₹9 lakh credit shield protection

▶︎ Fuel Surcharge Waiver

• Surcharge waiver up to ₹1,000 per month
• Valid only on fuel transactions between ₹400 and ₹1 lakh

Up to 17.3% Rewards on Card Spending

▶︎ HDFC Smartbuy Platform (3X-10X)

• 17.3% (10X): Hotels, select partners (Jockey, PharmEasy, IGP.com)
• 8.6% (5X): Flights, buses, MakeMyTrip packages, gift vouchers, Apple, Myntra, Nykaa, Zoom Car
• 5.2% (3X): IRCTC train tickets

▶︎ Regular Card Spending

• 8.6% (5X): Marks & Spencer, Myntra, Reliance Digital, Nykaa (online/offline stores)
• 1.7% (1X): All other eligible purchases

Important Exclusions: No reward points given on:

• Rent & property management
• Government transactions
• Fuel purchases
• EMI transactions
• E-wallet loading

▶︎ Monthly Limits

• Smartbuy accelerated rewards: 4,000 reward points (reached at ₹16,666 - ₹75,000 spending, depending on spending category mix)
• Select partners (Marks &Spencer, Myntra, etc.): 5,000 reward points (reached at ₹37,500 spending)

▶︎ Redemption Value of 1 Reward Point

• ₹0.65: Exclusive Gold Catalogue (premium brands via Smartbuy)
• ₹0.50: Flight/hotel bookings via Smartbuy
• ₹0.35: Vouchers and products
• ₹0.20: Cashback to statement

Reward rates mentioned above assume redemption via Exclusive Gold Catalogue for maximum value

Up to 2.1% through Milestone Rewards 

▶︎ Quarterly Benefits:

• ₹1,500 shopping vouchers at ₹1.5 lakh spend (from Marriott, Myntra, M&S, or Reliance Digital)

▶︎ Annual Benefits:

• ₹5,000 flight voucher at ₹5 lakh spend
• Additional ₹5,000 flight voucher at ₹7.5 lakh spend

▶︎ Maximum earning potential: ₹16,000 in milestone vouchers annually

Travel Perks

• 12 complimentary domestic lounge visits per year
• 6 complimentary international lounge visits per year
• 2% forex markup on international transactions

Insurance Coverage

• ₹1 crore accidental air death cover
• ₹15 lakh overseas medical emergency coverage
• ₹9 lakh lost card liability protection

5.3% reward (in Marriott Bonvoy Points) on Marriott hotel spends up to ₹10 lakhs per month 

• Earn 5.3 Marriott Bonvoy Points, on every ₹100 you spend in this category (non-EMI spends)
• You can redeem Marriott Bonvoy points to book a stay at properties participating in Marriott Bonvoy (excluding Homes & Villas by Marriott Bonvoy), Marriott Bonvoy Moments™ experiences, travel and more.

2.6% reward (in Marriott Bonvoy Points) on:

• Travel (excluding Marriott hotels) spends 
• Dining & entertainment spends up to ₹5 lakhs per month
• 2.6 Marriott Bonvoy Points, on every ₹100 spent in these categories (non-EMI spends).

1.3% reward (in Marriott Bonvoy Points) on other spends up to ₹1.50 lakhs per month

• Earn 1.3 Marriott Bonvoy Points, on every ₹100 you spend on all other card purchases
• Exceptions : Marriott Bonvoy Points are not given on the following card spends - fuel, rent, government transactions, EMI transactions, wallet loads, gift/prepaid card loads, voucher purchases, cash advances on card, payment of card balances, card fee & charges.

Milestone benefits based on specified annual card spends

• 1 free night award, at ₹6 lakh yearly card spend
• 1 free night award, at ₹9 lakh yearly card spend
• 1 free night award, at ₹15 lakh yearly card spend
• Each free night award is valid for 12 months, and can be redeemed for a one-night stay (inclusive of room rate and applicable taxes), at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy with a redemption level up to 15,000 Marriott Bonvoy Points.

Complimentary domestic airport lounge access – 12 per year

Complimentary international airport lounge access – 12 per year

Complimentary golf rounds across the world - 2 per quarter

Complimentary insurance benefits

• Emergency medical expenses up to US$18,750
• Loss liability cover of up to ₹9 lakh
• Credit shield of up to ₹1 lakh
• Air accident cover of up to US$12,500
• Delay or loss of checked-in baggage cover of up to US$250
• Loss of travel documents cover of up to US$250
• Flight delay cover of up to US$250

Up to 13.3% reward through HDFC Smartbuy Platform

• (10X) 13.3% reward: Hotels, select partners (Jockey, Pharmeasy, IGP.com)
• (5X) 6.6% reward: Flights, bus tickets, MakeMyTrip holiday packages, gift vouchers, select partners (Apple, Myntra, Nykaa, Zoom Car)
• (3X) 4% reward: IRCTC train tickets
• Monthly limit: 4000 reward points, reached at monthly spend between ₹16,666 and ₹75000, depending on spending mix.

1.3% reward on other card spends

• Exceptions: No reward points on rent, government transactions, fuel, EMI, e-wallet loading

Reward Point Values:

• ₹0.50 per point: Flight/hotel bookings, privilege dining catalogue
• ₹0.35 per point: Reward redemption catalogue
• ₹0.20 per point: Cashback redemption

Note: Reward rates shown above assume optimal redemption for travel bookings

6.6% reward at direct partners

• Swiggy/Zomato: 6.6% rewards (not through SmartBuy platform)
• Monthly limit: 2500 reward points, reached at ₹18,750 monthly spend

Up to 1% additional reward through quarterly milestone

• ₹1.50 lakh spend: ₹1,500 voucher (1% additional reward)
• Voucher options: Marriott, Decathlon, Barbeque Nation, O2 Spa, Lakme Salon

Domestic & international airport lounge access: 2 visits per quarter (both primary and add-on cardholders)

BookMyShow weekend movie offer

• BOGO weekend tickets (Friday-Sunday shows)
• 2 free tickets per month (up to ₹250 per ticket)

Comprehensive Insurance

• Air accident: ₹1 crore coverage
• Overseas hospitalization: ₹25 lakh emergency coverage
• Travel insurance: USD 800 baggage delay (USD 10/hour, 8-hour cap)
• Lost card liability: ₹9 lakh protection

10% benefit on railway ticket purchases up to ₹20,000 per month

▶︎ 5% benefit on railway tickets – on IRCTC ticketing website and IRCTC Rail Connect App

• 5 reward points worth ₹5, on every ₹100 you spend on railway ticket bookings on IRCTC website and app – only on bookings upto ₹20,000 per month (since the maximum reward points you can earn at this accelerated rate is restricted to 1000 reward points per month).
• 1 reward point = ₹1, and can be redeemed on HDFC Smartbuy platform for railway ticket bookings.

▶︎ Additional 5% cashback on rail ticket booking through HDFC Smartbuy, only on ticket purchase/s up to ₹20,000 per month (since monthly cashback is capped at ₹1000 per month).

1% benefit on all UPI spends 

• You can link your card in select UPI apps only (PayZapp/ GPay/ PhonePe/ Mobikwik/ PayTM/ BHIM/ Slice).
• You get 1 reward point worth ₹1, on every ₹100 you spend on UPI payments – only on UPI payments upto ₹50,000 per month (since you can earn a maximum of 500 reward points per calendar month on UPI spends).

1% basic benefit on all other card spends

• You get 1 reward point worth ₹1, on every ₹100 you spend on all other card purchases.
• 1 reward point = ₹1, and can be redeemed on HDFC Smartbuy platform for railway ticket bookings.
• Exceptions: No reward points are given on fuel purchases, rent payments, government-related transactions, education transactions, wallet loads /gift or prepaid card load/ voucher purchase, EMI transactions, payment of card fees and other charges, payment of outstanding balances, cash advances.

Additional benefit of up to 1.6%, at ₹30,000 quarterly card spend (quarterly milestone benefit)

• You get a gift voucher worth ₹500, on spending ₹30,000 or more on your card within a quarter.
• Note: Cash transactions, dial-an- EMI, cash-on-call, balance transfer, card account fee, personal loan on credit card, etc will not be considered as eligible spends for this offer.

Complimentary access to railway lounges in India – 2 times per quarter

1% transaction charges waiver (up to ₹1000 per month), on IRCTC ticketing website and Rail Connect App

Fuel surcharge waiver (up to ₹250 per month), valid only on fuel transactions between ₹400 and ₹5000

5% cashback on Paytm (prepaid recharges, utilities, movie tickets, mini app)

• 5 cashpoints worth ₹5, per ₹100 spent 
• Monthly cashback limit: ₹1500, reached at ₹30000 monthly spend

3% cashback on Swiggy, Ajio, Big Basket, Uber

• 3 cashpoints worth ₹3, per ₹100 spent
• Monthly cashback limit: ₹500, reached at ₹16,666 monthly spend

1% cashback on other spends

• 1 cashpoints worth ₹1, per ₹100 spent
• Monthly cashback limit: ₹2000, reached at ₹2 lakh monthly spend

Important exclusions & restrictions 

• No cashback on wallet loads, fuel, EMI, rent, online skill based gaming transactions, government spending
• Maximum 1000 reward points on grocery purchases
• Maximum 2000 reward points on insurance spends

Upto 1% reward on quarterly spending milestone (₹50,000)

• ₹500 cashback, on ₹50,000 quarterly spend (1% reward)
• Eligible spends: Non-EMI, non-wallet and non-rental card spends

Domestic airport lounge access: 2 visits per quarter

Fuel surcharge waiver at all fuel stations

• On fuel transactions between ₹400 and ₹5000
• Monthly waiver limit: ₹500

5% cashback (up to ₹500 per month) on any 2 of the below categories-

• Dining & entertainment category – BookMyShow & Zomato
• Travel category – MakeMyTrip & Uber
• Grocery category – Blinkit & Reliance Smart Bazaar
• Electronics category – Croma & Reliance Digital
• Fashion category – Nykaa & Myntra

- You get 5 PIXEL CashPoints, on every ₹100 you spend on your card in the 2 categories of your choice. 1 PIXEL CashPoint = ₹1

- Cashback is given in the form of PIXEL CashPoints in HDFC PayZapp wallet, and can be used to purchase brand vouchers inside the HDFC Payzapp app

3% cashback  (up to ₹500 per month) on any one of the following e-commerce merchants : Amazon or Flipkart or PayZapp

• Earn 3 PIXEL CashPoints, on every ₹100 you spend on the merchant you choose. 
• 1 PIXEL CashPoint = ₹1

1% cashback on all other card spends

• You get 1 PIXEL CashPoints, on every ₹100 you spend on all other card spends. 1 PIXEL CashPoint = ₹1
• Exceptions : No reward points are given on the following spends - fuel, EMI, rent, e-wallet loads, government related transactions.

5% cashback (up to ₹500 per month) through HDFC Smartbuy platform on the following merchants and categories-

• IGP
• Flights
• Hotels
• Bus
• Rail
• Instant Vouchers
• Apple Imagine Tresor

1% fuel surcharge waiver (up to ₹250 per month), valid only on fuel transactions between ₹400 and ₹5000 

Up to 10% Reward on Tata Brands via Tata Neu App

1. 5% Reward on Partner Tata Brands via the Tata Neu App (5 NeuCoins worth ₹5, per ₹100 spent)

2. Additional 5% Reward on Select Tata Brands, as Tata NeuPass Member (5 NeuCoins worth ₹5, per ₹100 spent)

• NeuPass members earn an extra 5 NeuCoins per ₹100, on select Tata brands via the Tata Neu App. 
• Requires downloading the Tata Neu App and registering for NeuPass. 

5% Reward on Bill Payments via Tata Neu App (5 NeuCoins worth ₹5, per ₹100) 

1.50% Reward on Other Card Purchases (1.5 NeuCoins worth ₹1.50, per ₹100) 

1.50% Reward on UPI Spends (RuPay Card)

• 1.5 NeuCoins worth ₹1.50, per ₹100 
• Capped at 500 NeuCoins per month

Value of Reward Points & Redemption

• Reward points earned as NeuCoins
• NeuCoins can be redeemed offline and online at partner Tata brands
• Conversion Rate: 1 NeuCoin = ₹1

Excluded Transactions (No Rewards)

• Fuel purchases & rental transactions
• Government-related payments & wallet loads
• Gift card, prepaid card & voucher purchases
• Education payments through third-party apps 
• Online gaming & betting transactions
• Cash advances & cash withdrawals
• Credit card bill payments, card fees & charges

Participating Tata brands include: 

• Shopping: BigBasket (groceries), Croma (electronics), Westside & Tata Cliq (fashion), Titan/Tanishq (watches, eyewear, jewelry). 
• Travel: Air India, Air India Express (flights), Taj, Ginger, Vivanta, Seleqtions (hotels). 
• Others: Tata Play (entertainment), Cult Fit (fitness), Tata 1mg (healthcare), QMin (food delivery).

Airport Lounge Access

• International: 1 complimentary visit per quarter. 
• Domestic: 2 complimentary visits per quarter. 

From June 10, 2025: Domestic lounge access requires ₹50,000 spend per calendar quarter.

Fuel Surcharge Waiver

• 1% waiver on fuel transactions between ₹400–₹5,000, up to ₹500 per month.

Complimentary Insurance Benefits

• Accidental air death cover: ₹1 crore. 
• Emergency overseas hospitalization: Up to ₹15 lakh. 
• Lost card liability protection: Up to ₹9 lakh.

HDFC Smartbuy Platform Rewards (Up to 6% Cashback)

• 6% Cashback on Hotels
• 1.5% Cashback on Other Travel: Flight booking, IRCTC train tickets, RedBus bus tickets. 
• 1.5% Cashback on Gift Vouchers 
• Select Partners: Flipkart (1.5%), Apple (1.5%), IGP.com (6%). 
• Maximum cashback: ₹1,000 per month, credited as NeuCoins (1 NeuCoin = ₹1).
• NeuCoin Redemption: Redeem at Tata brands (online and offline stores/hotels).

Up to 7% reward on Tata Neu App, on partner Tata Brands

• 2% reward on partner Tata brands on Tata Neu app || 2% reward on bill payments through Tata Neu : You earn 2 NeuCoins worth ₹2, on every ₹100 you spend. This is valid only on non-EMI spends on Tata Neu.
• Additional 5% reward on select Tata brands on Tata Neu app, as a Tata Neu Pass member : As a NeuPass member, you earn additional 5 NeuCoins worth ₹5, on every ₹100 you spend on Tata Neu (on select categories). You need to download the Tata Neu App and register for Tata NeuPass.

Some of the Tata brands on Tata Neu-

• Shopping : BigBasket (grocery), Croma (electronics), Westside & Tata Cliq (fashion), Titan/Tanishq (watches, eyewear & jewellery)
• Flights : Air India, Air India Express
• Hotels : Taj, Ginger, Vivanta, Seleqtions, Ama
  
• Others : Tata Play (entertainment), Cult Fit (fitness), Tata 1 mg (healthcare), Q Min (food delivery)

1% reward on all other card purchases : You earn 1 NeuCoins worth ₹1, on every ₹100 you spend on all other card purchases

1% reward on UPI spends (on Rupay card version) : You earn 1 NeuCoins worth ₹1, on every ₹100 you spend on UPI payments – capped at a maximum of 500 NeuCoins per calendar month.

Up to 4% cashback on travel, shopping and more – through HDFC Smartbuy platform (maximum cashback of ₹1000 per month)

• 4% cashback on hotel spends : hotel bookings via MakeMyTrip || hotel bookings via Cleartrip
• 1% cashback on other travel spends : flight bookings (via Cleartrip, EaseMyTrip & Goibibo) || IRCTC train tickets || bus tickets, through RedBus
• 1% cashback on a variety of gift vouchers : shopping || travel || dining || entertainment and more
• Upto 4% cashback at select partners : Flipkart – 1% cashback || Apple - 1% cashback || IGP.com, ZoomCar, Pharmeasy, Jockey, Nykaa, Myntra, MMT Holiday Packages – 4% cashback
• Cashback is given in the form of NeuCoins. 1 NeuCoin = ₹1. You can redeem NeuCoins at various Tata brands, both online and at stores/ hotels (offline)

Complimentary visits to airport lounges in India – 1 time per quarter

• Starting June 10, 2025, cardholders will only be able to access domestic airport lounges if they spend ₹50,000 or more in a calendar quarter

1% fuel surcharge waiver (up to ₹250 per month), valid only on fuel transactions between ₹400 and ₹5000

10% cashback on PhonePe spends (utility bills, recharges, travel, movies) 

• 10 reward points worth ₹10, for every ₹100 spent in these categories
• Monthly cashback limit: 1000 reward points, reached at ₹10,000 spending

5% cashback on select online brands (Amazon, Flipkart, Myntra, Swiggy, Zomato, Uber)

• 5 reward points worth ₹5, for every ₹100 spent in these categories
• Monthly cashback limit: 500 reward points, reached at ₹10,000 spending

1% cashback on UPI Scan & Pay transactions

• 1 reward points worth ₹1, for every ₹100 spent
• Monthly cashback limit: 500 reward points, reached at ₹50,000 spending

Redemption value of reward points

• Reward points can be converted to cashback (statement credit)
• 1 reward point = ₹1

Important exclusions (no reward points)

• EMI spends (Easy EMI, Smart EMI, Dial an EMI)
• Fuel transactions, Wallet load, Gift Card
• Cash advances, Credit Card bill payment 
• Credit cards fees or any charges, Government transactions 
• Rental payments, Educations fees transactions
• Insurance and Investment, Jewellery purchase
  

Domestic airport lounge access - 2 visits per quarter (spend requirement of ₹75,000 per quarter)

1% fuel surcharge waiver on fuel transactions between ₹400 & ₹5000, and up to ₹250 per month