HDFC Pixel Play Vs AU LIT: Which Customizable Credit Card Should You Choose?

AU LIT gained popularity for being India’s first customizable credit card. Later, HDFC Bank entered the market with HDFC Pixel Play Credit Card, another customizable card that allows cardholders to choose benefits as per their lifestyle.

While HDFC Pixel Play is a cashback card that allows cardholders to select up to two categories for earning accelerated cashback, AU LIT offers value-back through reward points and comes with a different pricing structure. It allows cardholders to select from multiple options and pay according to the benefits they choose.

In a market with limited customizable credit cards, can these be a good option for earning value-back as per your spending pattern? Here’s a detailed comparison of these customizable cards to help you decide which one suits your lifestyle better.

Cashback Vs. Reward Points: What’s Better for You?

AU LIT’s Rewards Program

• 1 reward point per Rs. 100 spent, including insurance & utility spends
• 5X reward points on online & offline spends @ Rs. 199 each per quarter
• 10X reward points on online & offline spends @ Rs. 299 each per quarter
• Redeem reward points through the rewards catalogue at a value of 1 Reward Point = Rs. 0.25
• Additional 5% cashback on Grocery, Travel, Dining, Electronics & Apparel spends @ Rs. 299 each category per quarter (@ Rs. 100 per quarter for Apparel)

HDFC Pixel Play’s Cashback Benefits

• 5% cashback as per your choice of two categories:
  • Dining & Entertainment: BookMyShow & Zomato
  • Travel: MakeMyTrip & Uber
  • Grocery: Blinkit & Reliance Smart Bazaar
  • Electronics: Croma & Reliance Digital
  • Fashion: Nykaa & Myntra
• 5% cashback on spends at SmartBuy
• 3% cashback on choice of any one E-commerce merchant: Amazon/Flipkart/PayZapp
• ​​​1% cashback on other spends, including UPI transactions
• Redeem rewards through the PayZapp at a value of 1 CashPoint = 1 PayZapp CashPoint

Both cards work on a different structure. With AU LIT, you can earn a base reward rate across all spends with the lifetime free variant. You can also customize benefits by choosing between 5X or 10X rewards across all spends and pay as per your selection. Also, to earn an additional 5% cashback on day-to-day categories such as grocery, travel, electronics, and apparel, you are required to pay between Rs. 199 to Rs. 299 each per quarter, which adds to the overall cost of the card. Whereas, with HDFC Pixel Play, you are not required to pay any additional charges, you can choose up to 2 out of 5 categories: Dining & Entertainment, Travel, Grocery, Electronics & Fashion, and earn accelerated (5%) cashback on popular brands available under these categories.

HDFC Pixel Play offers value-back in the form of Pixel CashPoints, which can be redeemed only through PayZapp at a 1:1 ratio. On the other hand, AU LIT offers reward points which are redeemable against a variety of categories, such as travel bookings, shopping, recharge, e-gift vouchers and more through the rewards catalogue, offering more flexibility to the cardholders.

Overall, HDFC Pixel Play offers better value-back with up to 5% cashback on selected categories. While AU LIT comes with a higher reward earning rate of 10%, but a low reward redemption value of 1 RP = Rs. 0.25 drops the overall value-back to just 2.5%. Additionally, you can earn rewards on UPI spends with HDFC Pixel Play as it is also available on the RuPay variant.

Other Features & Benefits of HDFC Pixel Play

• Joining Fee Waiver: Joining fee of Rs. 500 waived off on spending Rs. 20,000 within 90 days of card issuance.
• Annual Fee Waiver: Annual fee waiver on spending Rs. 1 Lakh or more in the preceding year.
• Dining Benefit: Up to 25% savings on restaurant bill payments via Swiggy Dineout.
• Fuel Surcharge Waiver: 1% fuel surcharge waiver at all fuel stations in India on transactions ranging between Rs. 400 and Rs. 5,000.

Other Features & Benefits of AU LIT

Milestone Benefits

• 5% cashback 3 times over a 90 days period on minimum retail spends of Rs. 7,500, capped at Rs. 500 over a period of 30 days @ Rs. 299 per quarter
• 2% cashback 3 times over a 90 days period on minimum retail spends of Rs. 10,000, capped at Rs. 1,000 over a period of 30 days @ Rs. 199 per quarter

Lifestyle Benefits

• Complimentary ZEE5 3 months Membership on spending Rs. 5,000 within 90 days (A penalty of Rs. 50 will be charged on not meeting the spending threshold) @ Rs. 99 per quarter
• Complimentary Amazon Prime 3 months Membership on spending Rs. 10,000 within 90 days (A penalty of Rs. 100 will be charged on not meeting the spending threshold) @ Rs. 199 per quarter
• Complimentary Cult Fit 3 months Membership on spending Rs. 20,000 within 90 days (A penalty of Rs. 200 will be charged on not meeting the spending threshold) @ Rs. 499 per quarter

Complimentary Lounge Access

• 1 complimentary domestic airport lounge access per quarter @ Rs. 199 per quarter
• 2 complimentary domestic airport lounge visits per quarter @ Rs. 299 per quarter

Fuel Surcharge Waiver

• 1% fuel surcharge waiver on fuel transactions between Rs. 400 and Rs. 5,000 @ Rs. 49 per quarter

AU LIT and HDFC Pixel Play are both entry-level credit cards. AU LIT offers reward points along with other benefits, such as milestone cashback, complimentary lounge access, complimentary memberships and fuel surcharge waiver. Whereas HDFC Pixel Play does not have much to offer apart from the cashback and basic benefits like joining/annual fee waiver & a fuel surcharge waiver. However, an important thing to note here is that while AU LIT offers benefits across multiple categories, it charges a quarterly fee ranging from Rs. 49 to Rs. 499, as per the selected benefit. Even to avail basic benefits like fuel surcharge waiver (usually offered free with most credit cards), AU LIT charges a quarterly fee of Rs. 49, which puts its lifetime free status at risk.

Which One Should You Choose?

If you’re comfortable with earning 1 reward point per Rs. 100 spent and do not want to avail any other benefit, AU LIT could be a reasonable choice. However, if you frequently shop online or offline and want to avail decent value-back on your spends, opting for HDFC Pixel Play may be a smarter choice. At at an annual fee of Rs. 500, you can earn accelerated cashback on the chosen categories.

Choose AU LIT if:

• You prefer a lifetime free credit card with customizable benefits
• You want to avail other benefits, such as lounge access, milestone-based cashback, and complimentary memberships
• You are comfortable with paying a quarterly fee for specific benefits you choose
• You want the flexibility to earn higher rewards (Up to 10X) on select categories

Choose HDFC Pixel Play if:

• You want a simple cashback structure without paying extra for benefits
• You frequently shop online or offline on popular categories like travel, dining, electronics, and fashion
• You are comfortable with earning value-back via Pixel CashPoints, which are redeemable through PayZapp
• You want to earn rewards on UPI spends (Available with the RuPay variant)