IDFC First Private Credit Card vs HDFC Infinia Credit Card

IDFC First Bank launched the First Private credit card last year and it is the most premium offering by the bank. It is an invite-only card and not everyone can apply for it. Also, it is exclusively for high net-worth individuals and charges a very high joining fee of Rs. 50,000 plus taxes. You get benefits across all major spend categories and the card has a high reward rate offering up to 10x reward points on your spends. Other than reward points, the card offers Karma Points on your spends that can be donated to any charity of your choice.

Likewise, the HDFC Bank Infinia is also an invite-only card and is a super-premium card that charges a joining fee of Rs. 12,500 from the cardholder. The bank invites only select individuals to apply for the card who have a high net worth and a healthy relationship with the bank. Again, this card is jam packed with high-quality privileges across travel, dining, lifestyle, shopping, etc. You also get 5 reward points per Rs. 150 spent with the card.

In this article, we will compare the IDFC First Private with the HDFC Bank Infinia credit card. Know more about the features and privileges, fees and charges, and other information about both these cards.

HDFC Bank Infinia Credit Card

The HDFC Infinia is one of the first choices for businessmen and wealthy individuals because of its elite level privileges. It is an invite-only card and not everyone can be eligible for it. The card offers a decent reward rate on almost all spends made with the card Let’s take a look at the main features and benefits of the HDFC Infinia credit card –

• Bonus 12,500 reward points as a welcome benefit on paying the joining fee of the card
• 5 reward points on every spend of Rs. 150 with the card, except on fuel
• Accelerated 10x reward points on hotel booking, 5x reward points on bus/flight tickets, and 3x reward points on Flipkart spends made via the Smartbuy portal.
• Reward points can be redeemed against a host of different options like products/vouchers, flight/hotel bookings, Airmiles, cashback, etc.
• Complimentary domestic and international lounge access for primary and add-on cardholders with the Priority Pass membership.
• Complimentary Club Marriott membership for one year
• Complimentary 2+1 night stay at partner ITC hotels and 1+1 on buffet at weekends at participating ITC hotels
• Up to 25% discount at more than 2000 restaurants with the Good Food Trail program
• 24*7 global concierge service for the cardholder offering assistance with reservations, bookings, gifts, etc.
• Comprehensive insurance privileges including medical cover, air accident death insurance, credit liability, and credit shield cover.
• The joining fee of the Infinia credit card can be waived off on spending Rs. 10 Lakhs in the card anniversary year.
• 1% fuel surcharge waiver with maximum benefit capped at Rs. 1000 per statement cycle
• Low forex markup fee of 2% of the total transaction amount which is ideal for people who regularly make spends in foreign currency with their credit card. Also, the card does not charge any fee for cash advances.

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IDFC First Private Credit Card

Just like the HDFC Infinia credit card, the IDFC First Private credit card is also a super-premium offering and is an invite-only card. The joining and annual fee of the card is quite high, Rs. 50,000, but the card backs the high fee up with exclusive privileges across all major categories. Another great thing about the card is that other than reward points, it also offers Karma Points on your spends that can be donated to any charity of your choice. Read on to know more about the offerings of the IDFC First Private credit card and how it stacks up against the Infinia credit card –

• The card offers 6 reward points per Rs. 100 spent with the card and 3 reward points on offline spends. You get accelerated 10 reward points per Rs. 100 after reaching the monthly spend milestone of Rs. 30,000 and on birthdays. Also, you get bonus 25% reward points when you donate to a charity of your choice.
• The reward points earned by you can be redeemed against a host of different options that include flight/hotel bookings, cashback, products/vouchers, and more. You have to pay a reward redemption fee of Rs. 99 whenever you redeem your points.
• On spending more than Rs. 30,000 in the month, you then earn Karma Points for your spends with the credit card. You get 1 Karma Point per Rs. 100 spent but rent, insurance, EMI, cash advance, etc. are excluded from it. Once you collect at least 20,000 Karma Points, you can start donating the points to any charity of your choice, 1 Karma Point = Rs. 0.25.
• The primary as well as add-on cardholders get 16 complimentary lounge access per year, 4 per quarter, along with 4 complimentary spa sessions per quarter. You also get Visa Infinite privileges like Meet & Greet, Affluent Dining, Airport Limousine Transfer, etc.
• You can get a discount of Rs. 750 on both non-movie and movie ticket bookings and on food and beverages through the BookMyShow website. You can avail this benefit twice per month.
• The card offers a complimentary golf round and a lesson per month. Also, the cardholder can get complimentary golf lessons on spends of Rs. 20,000 in a month.
• The cardholder gets insurance privileges that include air accident cover, loss of baggage, passport, or other travel documents, delay in flight, or baggage, and other travel related insurance covers.
• The card offers a 1% fuel surcharge waiver, with the maximum benefit capped at Rs. 400 every month.
• For those who regularly make foreign currency spends, the card is perfect as it does not charge any forex markup fee. Also, the cash advance fee on the card is Rs. 250 per transaction, which is quite low.

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IDFC First Private vs. HDFC Infinia Credit Card – Quick Comparison

Category	HDFC Infinia Credit Card	IDFC First Private Credit Card
Joining/Annual Fee	Rs. 12,500 plus taxes	Rs. 50,000 plus taxes
Welcome Benefits	Bonus 12,500 reward points and complimentary Club Marriott membership for one year	NA
Reward Earning	5 RPs per Rs. 150 spent Up to 10x RPs on the Smartbuy portal	3 RPs per Rs. 100 spent offline and 6 RPs on online spends. Up to 10 RPs on incremental spends above Rs. 30,000 and on birthdays 1 Karma Point per Rs. 100 spent after reaching Rs. 30,000 monthly spends
Reward Redemption	RPs can be redeemed against hotel/flight bookings, products and vouchers, Airmiles, cashback	RPs can be redeemed against flight/hotel bookings, products/vouchers, etc.
Travel Benefits	Complimentary domestic and international lounge access with Priority Pass membership Complimentary Club Marriott membership Complimentary 2+1 night stay at ITC hotels	16 Complimentary domestic and international lounge access, max 4 per quarter Complimentary spa sessions per year
Dining and Movie Benefits	Dining benefits with Good Food Trail program 1+1 complimentary buffet at ITC hotels	Rs. 750 discount on movie and non-movie bookings through BookMyShow
Golf Benefits	Complimentary unlimited golf rounds at top courses in India and worldwide	2 complimentary golf rounds per month
Renewal Fee Waiver	Renewal fee waiver on spending Rs. 10 Lakhs or more in the card anniversary year	NA
Forex Markup Fee	2% of the transaction amount	No Forex Markup Fee

Bottom Line

Both the IDFC First Private and HDFC Infinia credit cards are great options in the Indian market when it comes to super-premium credit cards. Both the cards are invite-only and not available for everyone. Only those who are invited personally by the bank can apply for these cards. Both these cards are packed with elite-level benefits and features across dining, travel, shopping, and other categories. With the First Private card, you even earn Karma Points that can be donated to any charity of your choice.

Another nice feature of these cards is the forex markup fee. The Infinia credit card charges a low 2% forex markup fee while the First Private credit card does not charge any forex markup fee whatsoever. When it comes to choosing between the two cards, it is a difficult choice because both the cards are filled with top features and benefits. The reward rate is also great on both the cards and you can redeem reward points against a host of different choices.

Personally, we would recommend you to go with the HDFC Infinia credit card just because of its joining and annual fee. It has a Rs. 12,500 joining fee which is quite low as compared to the Rs. 50,000 annual fee of the First Private credit card. Before making your choice, make sure to thoroughly go through the terms and conditions and other offering of both the cards.