If you are looking for a credit card that rewards good dining habits, online food orders, and occasional travel perks, the HDFC Diners Club Privilege Credit Card might solve that. It blends lifestyle perks and rewards for everyday spends, especially in categories like food, movies, and travel. In this HDFC Diners Club Privilege credit card review, you’ll discover the key features, benefits, the fees you’ll pay, and ultimately whether this card is worth it for you.
HDFC Diners Club Privilege Credit Card Review: Quick Overview
Card issuer: HDFC Bank.
Annual fee: ₹ 1,000 + GST (joining fee also ₹1,000 + GST)
Welcome bonus: Complimentary annual memberships of Swiggy One & Times Prime on spends of ₹ 75,000 in the first 90 days.
Best for: Frequent food-orderers, movie watchers, travel-light cardholders who still want lounge access & dining perks.
Comparison Table
| Feature | This card |
|---|---|
| Joining & annual fee | ₹ 1,000 + GST |
| Spends to unlock welcome benefit | ₹ 75,000 in first 90 days |
| Reward points (regular rate) | 4 RPs per ₹150 spent |
| Accelerated dining (Swiggy/Zomato) | 20 RPs per ₹150 (i.e. 5×) |
| Milestone benefit | ₹1,500 voucher on ₹1.5 lakh spends per quarter |
| Lounge access | 2 visits per quarter (8/year) worldwide (domestic & international) |
HDFC Diners Club Privilege Credit Card Benefits
Here are the standout advantages of this card.
Cashback / Rewards
- You earn 4 Reward Points (RPs) for every ₹150 spent on regular retail spends. That roughly works out to ~1.3% return if you value 1 RP at about ₹0.50.
- On dining through Swiggy and Zomato, you get 5× points (20 RPs per ₹150) — accelerated category. Good if you order food often.
- Via HDFC’s SmartBuy portal, there are higher multipliers (up to 10×) on specific travel/shopping partners. This means if you book flights/hotels via SmartBuy, you might extract ~13% return in certain cases.
- Reward redemption: Best value is when you redeem RPs for flights/hotels (via SmartBuy), where 1 RP = ₹0.50. Other redemptions (e.g., vouchers) give a lower value (~₹0.20-0.35).
Travel benefits (if any)
- The card offers complimentary lounge access: 2 visits per quarter (so 8 per year), both domestic & international, provided you meet spend criteria.
- Insurance cover included: e.g., air accident cover up to ₹1 crore, emergency overseas hospitalisation cover ~₹25 lakhs, etc.
- Overseas spends incur a foreign currency markup of ~3.5%. So not ultra-premium like travel-focused cards, but decent for moderate travellers.
Shopping / Partner offers
- You get a Buy 1 Get 1 Free offer on movie/non-movie weekend tickets via BookMyShow (Friday, Saturday, Sunday). Max discount ~₹250 per ticket, up to 2 free tickets per calendar month.
- Milestone benefit: On spending ₹1.5 lakh in a calendar quarter, you get vouchers worth ₹1,500, which you can pick from brands like Marriott Experience, Decathlon, Barbeque Nation, O2 Spa, and Lakmé Salon.
EMI / Big spend perks
- The card has a Smart EMI feature (you can convert large spends into EMI) via HDFC’s website.
- If you use the SmartBuy portal for big spends (travel/shopping), you can leverage the accelerated 10× points (up to cap) for a high return. Good for those who plan some occasional large spends.
HDFC Diners Club Privilege Credit Card Review Fees and Charges
Let’s look at what you’ll pay and the conditions for waivers.
Annual fee (and waiver conditions)
- Joining fee: ₹1,000 + GST.
- Annual fee: Same ₹1,000 + GST.
- Fee waiver: If you spend ₹3 lakh in the card anniversary year, the next year’s annual fee is waived.
Interest rate (APR)
- Finance charges: ~3.75% per month (~45% annum) for revolving credit.
- Minimum late payment charges vary (for statement balance) based on the amount due — e.g., if statement balance < ₹100, then nothing; for larger amounts, charges range from ₹100 to ₹1,300 depending on bracket.
Other charges
- Foreign currency markup: 3.5% on all foreign currency spends (above the conversion rate) plus applicable taxes.
- Reward redemption service charge: Some sources mention you may pay ₹99 + GST for redeeming reward points.
- No explicit fuel surcharge waiver mentioned; reward accrual may be zero or limited on certain categories like fuel, utilities, and wallet loads.
HDFC Diners Club Privilege Credit Card Review: Pros and Cons
Here’s a clear rundown.
Pros:
- Good accelerated rewards for dining via Swiggy/Zomato — great if you order food often.
- Strong partner offers: BookMyShow BOGO, milestone vouchers.
- Lounge access (domestic + international) included — useful for moderate travellers.
- The annual fee is relatively modest (₹1,000 + GST) compared to very premium cards.
- SmartBuy portal gives high potential reward rates on specific spends.
Cons:
- Base reward rate for general spending is modest (~1.3%) unless you heavily use SmartBuy or partner categories.
- Many benefits have spend conditions (e.g., spend ₹1.5 lakh/quarter for milestone benefit; spend ₹3 lakh/year for fee waiver). If you don’t meet them, the value drops.
- Redemption value is not equal across categories — you get the best value only when redeeming for flights/hotels via SmartBuy; other redemptions give lower value (~₹0.20-0.35 per RP).
- Foreign currency mark-up is not the lowest among travel credit cards.
- Some community feedback suggests that for non-travellers/non-food-orderers, the card may not deliver strong value.
Who Should Apply for the HDFC Diners Club Privilege Credit Card?
Best for:
- Frequent food delivery / dining-out people (Swiggy & Zomato heavy users).
- Movie lovers who take advantage of BookMyShow BOGO weekends.
- Moderate travellers who will use 8 lounge visits a year.
- People who can spend ₹1.5 lakh in a quarter or ₹3 lakh per year and thereby maximise milestone & waiver benefits.
Not ideal for:
- Casual spenders who do < ₹1 lakh/year on the card and don’t use food/dining offers.
- People who prioritise fuel or utility bill cashback (since rewards are limited in those categories).
- Heavy international travellers who expect very high returns on forex spends or super-premium travel benefits (there are better premium cards in that segment).
How to Apply for the HDFC Diners Club Privilege Credit Card
Eligibility criteria:
According to one of the sources, Salaried: minimum monthly income ~ ₹35,000; Self-employed: ITR above ~ ₹6 lakh annually. Age typically 21-60 yrs.
Documents required: Typical: identity proof (PAN, Aadhaar), address proof, income proof (salary slips/ITR), and existing bank account relationship. Since it’s a premium card, they may check credit history and existing relationship with the bank.
Link to apply: You can apply online via HDFC Bank’s website – navigate to the “Credit Cards” section and choose the Diners Club Privilege.
HDFC Diners Club Privilege Credit Card Review: FAQs
HDFC Diners Club Privilege Credit Card Review: Verdict
If you order food often, use movie ticket deals, spend enough to hit milestone rewards and lounge accesses then the HDFC Diners Club Privilege credit card offers good value. It gives a blended mix of dining, lifestyle, and travel perks at a reasonable fee.
However, if you have occasional spending, don’t use food/dining deals, or travel rarely, the returns may feel underwhelming compared to simpler cashback cards. Only if can commit to ~₹3 lakh annual spend to waive fees and unlock perks, then this card can save you ₹8,000+ per year (via vouchers + waived fee + lounge access + rewards). If you tick those boxes, it’s worth applying. Otherwise, you might be better off with a simpler card.
