Changes in HDFC SmartBuy Rewards Program June 2020

The HDFC SmartBuy rewards program is one of the best and most rewarding programs available. Over a period of time, the rewards program has got better and better with inclusions of more and more categories on which HDFC Bank cardholders can earn reward points or cashback. Some of these include:

1. Flight and hotel bookings: Earlier the rewards program was applicable only for flight bookings (via ClearTrip and Yatra) and hotel bookings (via ClearTrip). 
2. Flipkart and Amazon: In the next stage, Flipkart and Amazon were added. This expanded the scope for HDFC Bank cardholders to earn a lot more reward points. 
3. Bus and train ticket booking: In the next stage, bus ticket booking (via RedBus) and train ticket booking (via IRCTC) were added. This completed the bouquet of travel services (flights, hotels, buses, and trains) and also further expanded the scope of earning reward points for HDFC Bank cardholders. 
4. Gift Vouchers: In the next stage, instant Gift Vouchers were added. This took the rewards program to the next level altogether. With the addition of Gift Vouchers, the HDFC Bank cardholders can now earn reward points for purchases made in almost all categories.

While the scope of earning reward points expanded with the addition of every new category, from the last few months, HDFC Bank has been capping the number of reward points that can be earned on every transaction and overall every month. This will ensure the rewards program becomes more sustainable and the HDFC Bank cardholders can continue reaping the benefits of the program for a longer time. 

June 2020 updates to the HDFC SmartBuy rewards program

HDFC Bank announced the latest update to the HDFC SmartBuy rewards program on 1^st June 2020. Let us have a look at the changes.

The maximum benefit that can be earned on a per-transaction basis

Earlier most HDFC Bank cards were eligible for either 10X reward points or 5% cashback. But in the 1^st June update, the reward structure has been revised as follows:

1. For some categories (flights, hotels, bus, and instant vouchers) the reward rate has been retained at 10X reward points for Infinia and Diners Black credit cardholders. Other cardholders will get 5% cashback on these categories. The good news is that Gift Vouchers will continue to earn either 10X reward points or 5% cashback, depending on the HDFC Bank card that you hold.
2. For Amazon orders and rail ticket booking, the reward rate has been reduced to 5X reward points from 10X reward points for Infinia and Diners Black credit cardholders. Other cardholders will get 5% cashback on these categories.
3. For Flipkart orders and Compare & Shop orders, the reward rate has been reduced to 3X reward points from 10X reward points for Infinia and Diners Black credit cardholders. Other cardholders will get 1% cashback on these categories.

Savings of up to 33% with HDFC Bank credit cards

The 10X reward points that you earn on HDFC Bank Infinia or Diners Black credit card result in 33% savings in the following manner:

HDFC Bank card name	Regular reward points on every Rs. 150 spent	10X reward points on every Rs. 150 spent	Value of each point	% saving
Infinia	5	50	Re. 1	33%
Diners Club Black	5	50	Re. 1	33%

In the above section, we have discussed the maximum benefit that can be earned on a per transaction basis. HDFC Bank has also revised the maximum benefit that you can earn per card in a calendar month.

The maximum benefit that can be earned in a calendar month

The maximum benefit, in the form of reward points or cashback, that you can earn in a calendar month depends on the type of HDFC Bank card that you hold. 

HDFC Bank card type	Maximum cap per calendar month
Infinia credit card	15,000 reward points
Diners Black credit card	7,500 reward points
Regalia/Diners Privilege credit card	Rs. 2,000 cashback
Other credit/debit/prepaid cards	Rs. 1,000 cashback

The reward points or cashback will be posted within 90 working days from the last date of the transaction month. 

All the above benefits are applicable till 30^th June 2020. At the start of every month, HDFC Bank announces the SmartBuy rewards program. The monthly update may continue with the same benefits or some changes may be announced.

Benefits of purchasing Gift Vouchers from HDFC SmartBuy website

When you purchase Gift Vouchers from the HDFC SmartBuy website, you benefit from the following double bonanza:

1. Up to 10X reward points or up to 5% cashback: We have seen in the first section of this article on how you can earn up to 10X reward points or up to 5% cashback when you purchase Gift Vouchers from the HDFC SmartBuy website. The reward rate depends on the type of HDFC Bank card that you hold. If you hold an Infinia or Diners Black credit card, you can save 33% on Gift Vouchers.
2. BOGO offers or direct discount: A lot of Gift Vouchers bought from the HDFC SmartBuy website come with either the Buy One Get One (BOGO) offer or direct discount. The direct discount can go up to 25%.

Conclusion

With the recent changes in the HDFC SmartBuy rewards program, the benefits on some of the cards have been reduced to some extent. But even after considering that, the HDFC SmartBuy rewards program continues to be one of the best and most rewarding programs available. It is still the best choice to buy Gift Vouchers as it gives you BOGO/direct discount benefits along with up to 33% additional benefit when you pay with HDFC Bank cards. The icing on the cake is you can use Gift Vouchers during a sale event which can give you a huge mouth-watering discount of up to 80%. What more can a shopper ask for?