HDFC Credit Card Revisions 2026: Rewards and Lounge Access Updated

The reward program of all three cards has been revised, as follows:

Base Reward Rate

The existing base reward rate offered by all three HDFC credit cards, Regalia Gold, Diners Club Privilege and BizPower, is the same. HDFC Bank has introduced a slight devaluation in this base reward benefit, as given below:

Current Base Reward Benefit - 4 reward points per Rs. 150 spent

New Base Reward Benefit - 

• HDFC Regalia Gold & BizPower: 5 reward points per Rs. 200 spent
• HDFC Diners Club Privilege: 4 reward points per Rs. 200 spent

In addition to this, the reward structure of HDFC BizPower Credit Card has undergone a few more changes.

Accelerated (5X) Rewards 

• Monthly capping on 5X rewards increased from 5,000 reward points to 7,500 reward points
• Both IT and GST category spends will not be considered towards calculation of Rs. 25,000 monthly spends required to unlock 5X rewards benefit
• Both IT and GST category spends are also excluded from the 5X rewards benefit
• All PayZapp transactions will be eligible for 5X accelerated rewards, except spends made towards rent, housing, clubs, hospital, education, wallet loads, donation, loans, mutual funds and credit card payments.

Capping on Rewards:

Only the 1st two monthly spends made on IT and GST categories respectively can now earn 5 reward points per Rs. 200 spent. Beyond this limit no reward point will be awarded on IT and GST spends in that month.

The complimentary airport lounge access benefit has been updated as follows:

HDFC Regalia Gold maintains its total domestic lounge visits, though the access now has a 3-visits quarterly cap and is subject to a quarterly spending condition which would require regular card usage. HDFC Diners Club Privilege users face similar spend-based conditions but benefit from an increase in the total visits. Moreover, HDFC BizPower users can no longer maximise their lounge access with their spends and are now limited to two visits per quarter.

The dynamic conversion fee on international transactions and the card reissuance fee have been increased for HDFC Regalia Gold and HDFC Diners Club Privilege credit cards.

The milestone benefits of HDFC BizPower are also going to be enhanced through not only increasing the gift voucher value but also by introducing a flight cancellation cover for the cardholders.

On Rs. 2.5 lakh Quarterly Spends:

From 1 July 2026 onwards, the value of the quarterly milestone bonus of MakeMyTrip/Reliance Digital gift voucher on reaching Rs. 2.5 lakh quarterly spends is going to be elevated as follows:

• Existing: Gift voucher worth Rs. 2,500
• Updated: Gift voucher worth Rs. 5,000

On Rs. 75,000 Quarterly Spends

Cardholders can now get a Zero Cancellation voucher of up to Rs. 1,200 for domestic flight bookings made through MakeMyTrip on reaching Rs. 75,000 quarterly spends using which they can get a refund on their flight ticket cancellation.

The cardholders of HDFC Regalia Gold, Diners Club Privilege, and BizPower will experience a shift towards more conditional and specialised benefits. These changes are generally marked by a slight reduction in the base reward rate and changes in terms and conditions of airport lounge access. Though Regalia Gold users see a minor devaluation in base rewards and addition of spend-based condition on lounge access benefit, they gain significant value through the new Boarding Edge Programme. Similarly, Diners Club Privilege cardholders face a more significant base rewards devaluation and the same quarterly spend condition for lounge access, though high spenders may benefit from the new international lounge visit inclusion.

For BizPower cardholders, the changes present a mix of limitations and enhancements. The card now prioritises enhanced milestone benefits over ease of rewards earning. While the capped limit for accelerated rewards has increased, the crucial business expenses of IT and GST are now quite restricted.

Ultimately, all three cards are moving away from easily accessible perks, demanding greater and more consistent spending to unlock and maintain key benefits, like lounge access, thus rewarding high-volume and targeted usage.