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HDFC Bank
HDFC Bank Freedom Credit Card
3.5Best for online shopping
- Joining fee
- ₹500
- Annual fee
- ₹500
- Welcome bonus
- ₹75
- Forex markup
- 3.5%
- Interest p.a.
- 45%
- Min income
- ₹1,44,000/mo
How this card earns
Reward rates by category, with caps and an estimated yearly value.
| Spend category | Reward rate | Monthly cap | Est. value/yr |
|---|---|---|---|
Online shopping 10X CashPoints (10 CashPoints per Rs. 200) on BigBasket, Swiggy, Uber and OYO. Accelerated earning is shared across all 10X merchants and capped at 2,500 CashPoints per month. At an assumed CashPoint value of Rs. 0.15, the 2,500-point monthly cap equals about Rs. 375 in reward value. | 0.75% | ₹375 | ₹34 |
Entertainment 10X CashPoints (10 CashPoints per Rs. 200) on BookMyShow. Shares the combined 2,500 CashPoints/month accelerated cap with the other 10X merchants. CashPoint value assumed at Rs. 0.15. | 0.75% | ₹375 | ₹34 |
| All other spends | 0.075% | — | ₹90 |
Estimated yearly value assumes ₹10,000/month spend in each category, capped where the card caps rewards.
Fees & charges
Joining fee₹500
Annual fee₹500
Annual fee waiverRenewal fee waived on annual spends of Rs. 50,000 or more in the preceding membership year.
Foreign currency markup3.5%
Finance charge (p.a.)45%
Fuel surcharge waiver1%, up to ₹250/mo
Spend milestones
| Annual spend | Benefit | Value |
|---|---|---|
| ₹90,000 | Gift voucher worth Rs. 1,000 on achieving annual spends of Rs. 90,000. | ₹1,000 |
Key benefits
- 1% fuel surcharge waiver on transactions between Rs. 400 and Rs. 5,000, capped at Rs. 250 per statement cycle.
- CashPoints redeemable for cashback (1 CashPoint = Rs. 0.15), and against products, vouchers, travel bookings and AirMiles via the rewards catalogue.
- Minimum of 500 CashPoints required for cashback redemption.
- Interest-free credit period of up to 50 days on retail purchases (subject to submission of previous dues).
What we like
- +Low joining/renewal fee of Rs. 500, easily waived on Rs. 50,000 annual spend.
- +10X CashPoints on popular everyday brands (BigBasket, Swiggy, Uber, OYO, BookMyShow).
- +1% fuel surcharge waiver helps offset fuel costs.
- +Flexible CashPoint redemption across cashback, vouchers, travel and AirMiles.
What to watch
- −Low base earn rate of 1 CashPoint per Rs. 200 (~0.075% value back) on non-accelerated spends.
- −Low CashPoint value (Rs. 0.15) reduces effective rewards compared with premium HDFC cards.
- −Accelerated 10X rewards capped at 2,500 CashPoints per month.
- −No airport lounge access.
Compare with similar cards
- Top reward
- 33%
- Annual fee
- ₹12,500
- Welcome bonus
- ₹12,500 value
HDFC BankHDFC Bank Diners Club Black Credit Card
- Top reward
- 33.33%
- Annual fee
- ₹10,000
