HDFC Bank has recently introduced a new lifestyle credit card, the Regalia Gold Credit Card, designed for the premium segment. It’s no surprise that HDFC Bank has chosen to leverage the well-established “Regalia” brand, which has enjoyed a decade-long reputation in the industry.

The HDFC Regalia Gold Credit Card surpasses both the Regalia and Regalia First cards, making it one of the best premium credit cards available today. Here’s everything you need to know about this exceptional card.

Introduction

Type	Premium Credit Card
Reward Rate	1.3% – 13.2%
Annual Fee	2,500 INR + GST
Best for	Airport lounge access
USP	Priority Pass for Add-on cards & milestone benefits

HDFC Bank’s Regalia Gold Credit Card is packed with an array of travel benefits and rewards at this price point. It is important to note that the Regalia Gold Credit Card is distinct from both the Regalia and Regalia First Credit Cards, which have recently experienced a decrease in value. Despite being available for quite some time, the Regalia Gold Credit Card did not previously stand out as a card worth holding. However, that perception changed when the bank reduced the lounge access benefits on other Regalia variants.

Membership Fees: Regalia Gold Credit Card

Card Feature	Fee	Benefit	Renewal Benefit	Renewal Fee Waiver
Joining Fee	2,500 INR + GST	Issued as FYF at times	–	–
Welcome Benefit	–	2,500 INR voucher (on paid cards)	–	–
Renewal Fee	2,500 INR + GST	–	Nil	On spending >4 Lakhs
Renewal Benefit	–	–	–	–

Although it is relatively easy for most cardholders to meet the renewal fee waiver requirement, it would be great if they also offered renewal benefits for paid cards. Nonetheless, HDFC Bank’s Regalia Gold Credit Card undeniably stands out as the top lifestyle credit card in its segment due to its exceptional offerings.

Benefits of Membership

• The following are the welcome benefits for the first year:
• Club Vistara – Silver Tier
• MMT Black Elite Membership

However, it appears that these memberships do not renew annually.

Upon reviewing the memberships, I can’t help but wonder who still uses MMT Black these days. On the other hand, holding the Club Vistara Silver Tier membership is definitely worthwhile. It grants you an upgrade voucher, priority check-in, an increased baggage allowance of 5Kg, and more.

Please note that in order to activate the membership benefits, you will need to spend 1L INR within the first 90 days of card issuance.

The benefits will be unlocked within 48 hours once the spend criteria are met. This applies to all milestone benefits as well, which we’ll discuss further.

Rewards

Spend Category	Reward Points per 150 INR Spent	Reward Rate (Points Transfer)
Regular Spends	4	~1.3%
Accelerated Spends (5X)	20	~6.6%
Smartbuy Flights / Vouchers (5X)	20	~6.6%
Smartbuy Hotels (10X)	40	~13.2%

• Preferred Brands for Enhanced Rewards: Marks & Spencer, Myntra, Nykaa & Reliance Digital. Monthly Reward Points Cap: 5000.
• Smartbuy Reward Cap: Monthly: 4000 RP / Daily: 2000 RP.
• Grocery Reward Cap: Max 2000 reward points per month for grocery purchases.
• No rewards available for fuel, wallet, rent, and tax payments.

The regular rewards offered by the card may seem modest for this segment, thereby making the accelerated rewards less enticing. However, it still holds a decent value within this category, with additional milestone benefits to enhance the overall reward rate.

Benefits of Reaching Milestones

SPEND REQUIREMENT	MILESTONE BENEFIT	VOUCHER TYPE
1.5 Lakhs per Qtr	1,500 INR	Brand Vouchers
5 Lakhs	5,000 INR	Flight Vouchers
7.5 Lakhs	5,000 INR	Flight Vouchers

• Vouchers Brands: Marriott, Myntra, Marks & Spencer, or Reliance Digital
• The Flight Voucher is valid for a single flight as per the terms and conditions.
• Quarterly spends are calculated every calendar quarter.

I’m delighted to see that HDFC Bank has transitioned to a quarterly milestone system, something I’ve been eagerly anticipating for years. Monthly milestones can be mentally taxing, so this change is a welcome relief.

Assuming you are able to spend 7.5L with the required quarterly spends, the milestone reward rate would be 2.1% in addition to the regular reward rate of 1.3%. This results in an attractive net reward rate of 3.4% on paper.

However, it’s important to keep in mind that these rewards are in the form of flight or brand vouchers, rather than regular reward points. Therefore, fully enjoying the calculated reward rate may be a bit tricky, as timely and effective redemption of these vouchers is necessary.

Redemption

There are various options available for redeeming rewards, as outlined below:

• Flights / hotel bookings: 1 RP = Rs 0.5 (via Smartbuy portal)
• Airmiles conversion: 1 RP = up to 0.5 airmiles (via Smartbuy portal)
• Exclusive Gold Catalogue: 1 RP = Rs 0.65 for premium brand vouchers (via Smartbuy portal)
• Statement Credit: 1 RP = Rs 0.20 (not recommended)

The Exclusive Gold Catalogue redemption option stands out as it offers better value and includes products from top-tier brands like Apple, Samsung, Bose, and more.

However, it is important to note that accumulating points on Regalia Gold is not easy, as the regular earn rate of the card (excluding milestone benefits) is relatively low.

Access to Airport Lounges

For domestic access, 12 visits per year without any quarterly limits are generally sufficient for most individuals. For international access, each additional card comes with its own priority pass card. The HDFC Bank Regalia Gold Credit Card is an excellent choice for family travelers as it allows you to obtain add-on cards for your family members. These add-on cards grant access not only to domestic airport lounges but also international lounges.

It is important to note that the list of domestic lounges eligible for Regalia Gold is superior to other Regalia variants and is now on par with Infinia. If you are primarily interested in lounge access for the primary cardholder and are comfortable with the Diners Club network (which has relatively lower acceptance), you may also consider the HDFC Marriott Bonvoy Credit Card.

Once you have completed a minimum of four retail transactions on your HDFC Bank Regalia Gold Credit Card, you can apply for Priority Pass membership for yourself and your add-on members.

Airport Transfers

• Get 2 complimentary airport transfers every quarter.
• Requirement: Book flight tickets through Regalia Gold Smartbuy portal.

You can generate 1 voucher per flight booking on the smartbuy portal, with a maximum of 2 vouchers per quarter.

The voucher is a 300 INR Uber gift card that can be used for airport pick-up or drop-off.

In my opinion, the airport transfer benefit is one of the most important perks of the card. However, it’s surprising that HDFC doesn’t promote or list this benefit on their main portal, which is why Imperia support suggests contacting Smartbuy. Hmm!

I tried calling Smartbuy Support for more details, but I was put on hold for a long time and couldn’t connect with anyone. Fortunately, they confirmed the benefit via email after I reached out to Smartbuy email support.

Foreign Exchange Markup Fee

• Forex Markup Fee: 2%+GST = 2.36%
• Reward rate on International Spends: 1.3% (same as domestic)
• Net gain: Approximately 1% (loss)
• Net gain: Approximately 1% (gain) if we include milestone benefit as well.

So, depending on your spending, the HDFC Regalia Gold credit card is acceptable for international transactions. However, the benefits are not substantial. Alternatively, you can activate the Global Value program to receive an additional 1% cashback on international spends.

Eligibility Requirements

• Income: Earning more than 1 lakh INR per month (or) 12 lakh per annum for self-employed individuals.
• Upgrade: Existing HDFC Bank Credit Card holders can now enjoy a credit limit of approximately 3 lakh.

Upgrade offers have recently been introduced for most of the current LTF Regalia & Regalia First Cardholders.

Should you upgrade? If you already hold other Regalia variants, now is the perfect time to switch to the Regalia Gold Credit Card. It offers superior lounge access benefits, a better reward rate, airport transfers, and other perks.

 

How to Apply?

The most convenient method to apply for an HDFC Bank credit card is through the online application process. You can easily apply by using this link.

Alternatively, you also have the option to apply offline at a branch. However, it is important to note that offline applications generally take longer to process compared to online applications, due to various factors.

Conclusion:

•  Rating: 4.5/5

The HDFC Bank’s Regalia Gold Credit Card is a highly rewarding credit card in its segment, making it an excellent choice for family travel. One unique feature of this card is that it provides Priority Pass for add-on cardholders at this fee point.

While the card offers numerous benefits, it’s important to keep a few things in mind (such as voucher redemption and expiry) to ensure that you fully enjoy all the expected advantages.

Have you recently obtained the Regalia Gold Credit Card? We would love to hear your thoughts! Please feel free to share them in the comments below.