How to Use HDFC Diners Club Black Credit Card for Maximum Benefit?

The Diners Club Black Credit Card by HDFC is the second most premium offering by the bank after the Infinia Credit Card. As HDFC is the only card issuer in the country that issues credit cards on the Diners Club payment network, it is one of the very few Diners Club credit cards in India, and the only super-premium card offered on the Diners Club payment network by any card issuer in the country.

As it is a premium credit card, it comes with quite a high membership fee of Rs. 10,000 per annum and offers a plethora of add-on benefits like complimentary subscriptions to services like Swiggy One and Amazon Prime, and others, along with bonus reward points on achieving the stipulated spend milestones. You also get complimentary lounge access at domestic and international airports. Before we analyze how you can use your HDFC Diners Club Black Credit Card so as to avail of the maximum benefit, it is a good idea to have a look at some of the offers that HDFC Bank is offering for their Diners Club Black card members.

Complimentary Memberships and Subscriptions

With this offer, you get a complimentary membership of the Club Marriott hotel loyalty program and complimentary subscriptions to services including Swiggy One and Amazon Prime on a minimum expenditure of Rs. 1.5 lakh within 90 days of card issuance.

Accelerated Reward Points via SmartBuy

HDFC Diners Club Black Metal Edition Credit Card earns you 5 Reward Points per Rs. 150 spent on all categories of spends with the exception of fuel purchases. You also earn accelerated Reward Points at up to a 10X reward rate (i.e. up to 50 Reward Points per Rs. 150 spent with the card) on purchasing at select merchants via the SmartBuy portal. However, the additional Reward Points earned via SmartBuy are capped at a maximum of 10,000 Points per statement cycle. The following table demonstrates the number of Reward Points that you earn on your HDFC Diners Club Black Credit Card on various categories of spends via SmartBuy-

Spends Category	Accelerated Reward Points
Hotels	10X Reward Points (50 RPs/Rs. 150)
Flights	10X Reward Points (50 RPs/Rs. 150)
Bus	10X Reward Points (50 RPs/Rs. 150)
Rail	5X Reward Points (25 RPs/Rs. 150)

Other Features of HDFC Diners Club Black Credit Card

• 5 Reward Points per Rs. 150 spent with the card (reward rate = 3.3%, as the monetary value of 1 Reward Point is up to Re. 1).
• The Reward Points earned on HDFC Diners Club Black Credit Card are valid for a period of 3 years from the date of accumulation.
• Unlimited complimentary lounge access at domestic and international airports across the world.
• A comprehensive insurance cover including an air accident cover worth Rs. 2 crores, emergency overseas hospitalization cover worth Rs. 50 lacs, baggage delay cover worth up to Rs. 50,000, and a credit liability cover worth Rs. 9 lakh.
• Exclusive discounts at spas, salons, gyms, and other wellness retreats.
• 6 complimentary golf games at some of the leading golf courses across the country.
• A lower mark-up fee of just 2% on foreign currency transactions made with the card.
• 24×7 concierge service for assistance regarding flight/hotel booking, restaurant bookings, and many other facilities.
• The annual membership fee of the card is waived off on a minimum annual expenditure of Rs. 8 lakh in the preceding year.

Reward Points Redemption

The Reward Points earned on the HDFC Diners Club Black Credit Card can be redeemed against flight bookings, hotel reservations, partner airlines’ AirMiles, purchasing products and vouchers from the given catalog, and cashback (adjustment against the card’s statement balance). The redemption rate (i.e. the monetary value of Reward Points) is different for redemption against different spends categories.

Redemption Category	Monetary Value of 1 Reward Point
Flight/hotel bookings via SmartBuy	₹1
AirMiles	1 AirMile (at partner airlines’ loyalty program)
Product Catalog	Up to ₹0.50
Cashback	₹ 0.30

Bottom Line

As you can see, you can get a reward rate of 3.3% on your HDFC Diners Club Black Credit Card, which is really high when compared with other credit cards in the market. But that’s not the only benefit you get. With the SmartBuy portal, you can get a reward rate of up to 33.33%. You also get unlimited complimentary airport lounge access and, comprehensive travel insurance cover, bonus reward points, complimentary subscriptions, concierge service, and many other benefits with HDFC Diners Club Black Credit Card. Although Diners Club credit cards are not as widely accepted in India as Visa and MasterCard credit cards, they do offer quite a high reward rate and other add-on privileges to their members. So, if you don’t mind the “not so wide acceptability” of Diners Club Credit Cards, and are looking for a card in the premium segment, HDFC Diners Club Black Credit Card is certainly worth your consideration.