HDFC Diners Club Black Metal Credit Card: A Detailed Review

The HDFC Diners Club Black Metal Edition Credit Card stands out as a premium offering in the Indian credit card market. Designed to address previous limitations and enhance rewards, this metal card positions itself as a strong contender against the HDFC Infinia, particularly for those seeking a card focused on travel, dining, and shopping benefits. With a blend of exclusive rewards, lifestyle privileges, and a sleek metal design, the Diners Club Black Metal card aims to deliver a superior experience to its affluent clientele.

Fees and Charges

Understanding the fees and charges associated with a credit card is crucial for making an informed decision. The HDFC Diners Club Black Metal Edition Credit Card has the following fee structure:

• Joining Fee: Rs. 10,000 + GST (approximately Rs. 11,800)
• Renewal Fee: Rs. 10,000 + GST (approximately Rs. 11,800), waived on annual spending of Rs. 8 Lakhs
• Foreign Currency Markup: 2% + GST
• Cash Advance Charges: 2.5% of the total amount or Rs. 500 (whichever is higher)
• Interest Rate: 1.99% monthly (23.88% annually)
• Fuel Surcharge Waiver: Not available

Rewards Program

The rewards program is a key highlight of the HDFC Diners Club Black Metal Edition Credit Card. Here's a breakdown:

• Earning Rewards:
• 5 Reward Points (RP) for every Rs. 150 spent (3.33% return)
• 10 RP per Rs. 150 spent at restaurants on weekends (Saturday and Sunday), capped at 1,000 RP per day.
• Up to 10X Reward Points on purchases made through HDFC's SmartBuy portal.
• Milestone Benefits:
• 10,000 bonus RP on spending Rs. 4 Lakhs in a calendar quarter (approximately 2.5% reward rate).
• SmartBuy Program:
• Earn up to 10X rewards on various categories through SmartBuy.
• Maximum reward points through SmartBuy are capped at 10,000 per month.
• Examples of SmartBuy rewards include:
• IGP.com (10X)
• Flights (5X)
• Hotels (10X)
• IRCTC (3X)
• Redbus (5X)
• Nykaa (5X)
• Myntra (5X)
• Jockey (10X)
• Pharmeasy (10X)
• Reward Redemption:
• SmartBuy (Flights/Hotels): Rs. 1 per point (Best Value)
• Cash Back: Rs. 0.30 per point (Low Value)
• Product Catalog: Up to Rs. 0.50 per point
• Airmiles: 0.5 to 1 Airmile per point
• Up to 70% of the booking amount on SmartBuy can be paid using reward points.
• Maximum of 75,000 RP can be redeemed per calendar month towards flights and hotels.
• Reward Point Validity: 3 years.
• Maximum Reward Points: 75,000 per statement cycle
• Reward Restrictions:
• Insurance transactions are capped at 5,000 points per day.
• Grocery spends are capped at 2,000 per month.
• No Reward Points for Fuel, Easy EMI, Rent Payments, Government Transactions (MCCs 9222, 9311, 9399, and 9402), Cash Advances, Payment of Card Fees and E-Wallet Reloads.
• Transfer Partners: The card offers a variety of transfer partners for converting reward points into air miles or hotel points.
• 2:1 Transfer Ratio:
• Air Canada – AeroPlan
• ALL – Accor Live Limitless
• Avianca LifeMiles
• British Airways Executive Club
• Etihad Guest
• Turkish Airlines – Miles&Smiles
• United MileagePlus
• 1:1 Transfer Ratio:
• Air Asia – airasia rewards
• Finnair Plus
• Flying Blue
• Hainan Airlines – Fortune Wings Club
• IHG One Rewards
• Vietnam Airlines – Lotusmiles Program
• Wyndham Rewards
• Singapore Airlines – KrisFlyer
• Vistara Airlines – Club Vistara
• InterMiles

Features and Benefits

The HDFC Diners Club Black Metal Edition Credit Card comes with a host of features and benefits designed to enhance the cardholder's lifestyle:

• Welcome Benefits:
• Complimentary annual memberships of Club Marriott, Amazon Prime, and Swiggy One upon spending Rs. 1.5 Lakhs within the first 90 days of card issuance or upon first-year fee realization.
• Club Marriott Membership: Up to 25% off on food and beverages at participating hotels in India (for a maximum of 20 guests), up to 20% off in Asia Pacific, up to 20% off on spa services, and up to 15% off on orders made on Marriott Bonvoy on Wheels.
• Swiggy One Membership: 40% off on Swiggy Dineout, free delivery on orders above Rs. 149, no surge fees, Rs. 150 off on bills above Rs. 1500 twice a month with Swiggy Dineout, and 10% off on delivery with Swiggy Genie.
• Lounge Access: Unlimited domestic and international airport lounge access at 700+ locations. The credit card itself serves as the access card, and the benefit extends to add-on card members.
• Golf Benefits: 6 complimentary golf games each quarter.
• Insurance Benefits:
• Air Accident Insurance worth Rs 2 Crore.
• Emergency Overseas Hospitalisation worth Rs. 50 Lakh.

Target Audience

The HDFC Diners Club Black Metal Edition Credit Card is targeted towards affluent individuals who meet the following criteria:

• Salaried Individuals: Monthly income greater than Rs. 1.75 lakh, age 21-60 years.
• Self-Employed Individuals: Annual income greater than Rs. 21 lakh, age 21-65 years. HDFC Bank may relax eligibility criteria for card upgrades or based on the customer’s Net Relationship Value (NRV), with a limit upwards of Rs 5 Lakhs for Diners Club Black upgrades.

Alternatives

A notable alternative to the HDFC Diners Club Black Metal Edition Credit Card is the HDFC Infinia Metal Edition. Here's a comparison:

Limitations

While the HDFC Diners Club Black Metal Edition Credit Card offers numerous benefits, it also has certain limitations:

• Diners Club Acceptance: Acceptance can be a challenge, particularly in offline stores. Domestic PoS acceptance is around 80% in Metro/Tier 1 cities and 60% in Tier 2/Other cities. International acceptance is around 50%.
• Fuel Surcharge Waiver: Not available.
• Reward Restrictions: Certain transactions like Wallet Loads, Fuel, Rent and Government Services do not earn rewards.

Conclusion

The HDFC Diners Club Black Metal Edition Credit Card is a premium offering designed for high-spending individuals who value travel, dining, and lifestyle benefits. While it comes with a relatively high annual fee of Rs. 10,000 + GST, the extensive rewards program, complimentary memberships, and unlimited lounge access can offset this cost for frequent travelers and shoppers. However, potential cardholders should be aware of the limitations, particularly the acceptance issues with Diners Club cards in certain regions and the lack of fuel surcharge waiver. Despite these limitations, the card offers a compelling value proposition and stands as a strong alternative to the HDFC Infinia, especially with its enhanced SmartBuy rewards and quarterly milestone benefits, making it one of the best-rewarding credit cards in its class.