IndiGo HDFC Co-Branded Credit Cards Review

IndiGo has recently launched co-branded travel credit cards with HDFC Bank. Labelled as Ka-ching, these cards are offered in two variants- Rewards (Basic) and Rewards XL (Premium). Since IndiGo is the largest airline in India as per market share and HDFC Bank is the largest credit card issuer, this collaboration can be very rewarding for a lot of people. Here’s a full review of Indigo HDFC Co-Branded Credit Card.

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Welcome Benefits on IndiGo HDFC Credit Cards

The 6E Rewards and 6E Rewards XL credit cards come with two types of welcome benefits- one, 6E Prime Voucher and two, complimentary flight ticket. The 6E Prime Voucher will be offered with both the cards and it enables you to get privileges like complimentary meal, choice of seat, priority check-in and quicker baggage claim.

In addition to this, IndiGo also offers a complimentary ticket to the cardholders with the base fare waived off. This can be availed only when you make at least 3 transactions in each of the first 3 months of card activation. The extent of waiver is also different for both the variants. The complimentary ticket on 6E Rewards (Regular) variant is worth Rs. 1,500 while the ticket on the 6E Rewards XL (Premium) variant is worth Rs. 3,000.

When comparing this welcome benefit with those on other airline credit cards like Club Vistara SBI Card or Axis Bank Vistara Signature Credit Card, we find it only satisfactory. The free flight ticket offer also fails to make a mark in a market where other cards are offering free tickets only on the payment of annual/joining fee and no extra conditions.

IndiGo 6E Rewards Program

Both the credit cards let you earn rewards on all the expenses you make on the card. The rate of reward earning is shown in the table below:

An important point to note here is that the 6E Rewards Program is NOT a Frequent Flyer Program. It is simply a rewards program as applicable on other credit cards in the market. Neither the bank nor IndiGo has given much clarity on the redemption of the accumulated points. However, they have clearly mentioned that the points are valid for 2 years from the date of accrual.

Lower Convenience Fee on IndiGo Flight Booking

If you book your IndiGo Flight Ticket using these co-branded credit cards, you will have to pay a special convenience fee of only Rs. 100 per passengers. This benefit can be availed across IndiGo Website or mobile app and even when you book IndiGo ticket through any other medium.

Complimentary Lounge Access

This benefit can be availed only on the 6E Rewards XL Credit Card and not on the regular variant. Free lounge access will be provided by Mastercard and is valid only for partner lounges within India. 8 complimentary visits can be availed in a year, capped at 2 visits in a quarter.

6E Rewards XL Indigo HDFC Bank Credit Card vs. Axis Bank Vistara Signature Credit Card

Vistara Airlines has already co-branded with SBI Card and Axis Bank to offer co-branded travel credit cards. To help you get a better understanding on how the new HDFC Indigo Credit Card fares against other co-branded cards, here is a comparison with Axis Bank Vistara Signature Credit Card.

Drawbacks of Indigo HDFC Co-Branded Credit Cards

• There is no complimentary membership to Frequent Flyer Program
• The reward earnings are very less as compared to other cards in the market
• There is no clarity on how the accumulated reward points can be redeemed
• Though the card offers a complimentary ticket, there are too many conditions to avail it
• The basic card variant does not offer even a single free lounge access in a year
• Although HDFC Bank gives complimentary insurance coverage on its other credit cards in the same fee range, the Indigo Cards do not have any insurance coverage at all
• There are no rewards on reaching spending milestones no matter how much you spend on the card
• No waiver or reversal of annual fee

Should you get this card?

If you are a regular flyer with IndiGo, it might make sense to get this card as you will earn up to 5 reward points per Rs. 100. Though there is no clarity on how you can utilize the earned rewards, they might be up for redemption against IndiGo Flight Tickets. However, if you are not loyal to IndiGo, this card may not be the right choice for you. Also, if you have to get this card, we would suggest the premium variant as it comes with better rewards and the fee is also not too high.

Despite IndiGo being the largest airline in India and HDFC Bank the largest credit card provider, this collaboration is not very impressive. We look forward to some more benefits being added to the card in future to add to its value.

Suggested Read: Best Co-Branded Credit Cards in India