Credit cards have evolved over time as handy and versatile financial tools. Today, they offer a multitude of features and benefits and cater to diverse requirements. With extremely useful offers and rewards, credit cards can also be highly rewarding. While there are several financial institutions offering credit cards, the ones by reputed banks have excellent benefits and rewards and are worth exploring. Cards by HDFC are prime examples of such credit cards.

Types of HDFC credit cards
HDFC offers a wide range of credit cards catering to different needs. Here are the most common ones:

Regular credit cards: Cards like the HDFC Bank Platinum Plus Credit Card can be good for beginners since they offer safety, convenience, and benefits like reward points and fuel surcharge waivers.

Premium cards: One can later upgrade from regular cards to premium cards, such as the HDFC Bank Visa Signature Credit Card, to get benefits like higher credit limits, better reward points, and perks like free lounge access at airports.

Luxury credit cards: Super premium options like the HDFC Bank Infinia Credit Card or HDFC Bank Diners Club Black Credit Card are great for those looking for offers on luxury services, like complimentary golf games, exclusive access to lounges, and discounts on fine dining, among other perks. One can also opt for co-branded cards that offer tailored benefits such as extra air miles and discounts on flights.

Business cards: Business owners can benefit from cards like HDFC Bank Business MoneyBack and Corporate Platinum cards that help manage expenses and offer savings on business expenses.

Cashback cards: Options like HDFC’s Platinum Edge Credit Card offer cash back on regular expenses like online shopping.

Fuel credit cards: The bank also offers Fuel Credit Cards that offer great rewards on fuel purchases. After every purchase, one can earn fuel points and redeem them later at designated petrol or diesel outlets.

Apart from the abovementioned types, one can opt for cards to cater to specific shopping needs. For example, those who enjoy shopping at particular retail stores that HDFC has partnered with apply for the relevant shopping credit card to get discounts every time they make a purchase with the card at the said store. They can earn 3% reward points on each spend, plus complimentary retail store membership as well as EMI options, weekend offers, and more.

HDFC credit card offers
One can find a plethora of HDFC credit card offers. While these offers may vary from one card to another, they typically include:

Special discounts: These can be availed of at partner merchants, including restaurants, retail stores, online platforms, and more. The common deals one can get are discounts on purchases or buy-one-get-one-free offers.

Offers on gadgets : Sometimes, one can also get deals on gadgets. For instance, specific HDFC credit cards offer discounts on purchasing a smartphone from a certain brand. The card offers instant cashback when you buy the brand’s latest phone models at authorized resellers, e-commerce sites, and the company’s official website.

Cashback rewards :  With a suitable HDFC credit card, one can get cashback on groceries, fuel, dining, or utility bills. The cashback is usually credited directly to the user’s card account.

Travel benefits : One can get travel-related benefits with most HDFC credit cards. These benefits can include complimentary travel insurance, discounts on flight bookings, free airport lounge access, and complimentary nights and weekend buffets at select hotels. These deals are beneficial for those who travel frequently.

Entertainment benefits : Some cards can also provide discounts on movie tickets. Cards like HDFC Bank Times Credit Card Movie can offer 25% off on online movie ticket bookings, discounts on food and beverages, and a minimum of 350 INR discount per transaction.

Reward points: Most HDFC credit cards provide reward point programs to cardholders on each transaction. For example, some premium cards give 5 rewards points for every Rs 150 spent. One can redeem these at a later date to get gift vouchers, merchandise, and more. One should, however, remember that there might be an expiry date for the use of rewards points, usually up to 2 years or more, depending on the credit card. There might also be a cap on the maximum number of reward points one can earn from certain transactions, like insurance premiums. So, it’s important to read the terms and conditions thoroughly before signing up for any credit card.

Application process
HDFC Bank’s credit card application process is fairly simple. The first step is choosing the right credit card. Then, one should be ready with documents like identity proof, income proof, and address proof. Those who already have an HDFC bank account may not have to go through this process. The bank will deliver the card to the applicant. The last step is activating the card by visiting the nearest ATM and entering the PIN number that’s shared with the cardholder separately.