Lifetime free credit cards from HDFC Bank?
Really?
Wow, Diwali certainly came early this year for a lot of credit card aspirants!
In a surprising but welcome move, HDFC Bank has come up with a festive offer where they’re offering *FIVE* of their credit cards on a lifetime free (LTF) basis, between October and December 2024.
These credit cards are:
a) HDFC Bank BizFirst Credit Card
b) HDFC Bank Freedom Credit Card
*Offer valid till October 31, 2024
c) Tata Neu Infinity HDFC Bank Credit Card
d) Tata Neu Plus HDFC Bank Credit Card
e) Swiggy HDFC Bank Credit Card
*Offer valid till December 31, 2024
Here’s a quick summary of the eligibility criteria and some of the features and benefits of these cards:
HDFC Bank BizFirst Credit Card
This is a business credit card meant for business expenses, so salaried folks will not be eligible for this credit card. Launched earlier this year along with Biz Black, Biz Power, and Biz Grow, Biz First is an entry level card (Biz Black being the premium card in this group).
Eligibility
- Annual ITR above Rs. 6 Lakhs
- You can apply using ITR, GST returns, Bank Statements and Merchant payment report
Features and Benefits
- 3% CashPoints on everyday/EMI business spends (capped at 1,000 pts/calendar month)
- 2% CashPoints on Utility bills, Electronics, SmartPay & PayZapp transactions (capped at 500 pts/calendar month)
- 1% CashPoints on all other spends including UPI spends (capped at 500 pts/calendar month)
- Up to 55 days interest-free period
- Make payments towards GST, Income Tax, Advance Tax
- Avail up to 40% off on business travel and software purchases like Google Workspace, Tally Prime, AWS, Microsoft Azure etc on the SmartBuy portal
HDFC Bank Freedom Credit Card
The Freedom card in its current avatar is a relaunched version from a year ago. The bank has also tweaked some of the features and benefits on this card.
Eligibility
- Salaried – Net Monthly Income above Rs. 12,000
- Self-Employed – Annual ITR above Rs. 6 Lakhs
Features and Benefits
- 10x CashPoints on Big Basket, BookMyshow, OYO, Swiggy & Uber (capped at 2,500 pts/calendar month
- 1 CashPoint per Rs. 150 on other spends (Excluding EMI, fuel, wallet loads/prepaid card loads & voucher purchases)
- Up to 20% discount on partner restaurants via Swiggy Dineout on payments via Swiggy app
- Points on grocery transactions capped at 1,000 pts/calendar month
- CashPoints are valid for 2 years
Tata Neu Infinity HDFC Bank Credit Card
Eligibility
- Salaried – Net Monthly Income above Rs. 1 lakh
- Self-Employed – Annual ITR above Rs. 12 Lakhs
Features and Benefits
- 5% back as NeuCoins on Non-EMI Spends on Tata Neu and partner Tata Brands
- 1.5% back as NeuCoins on Non-Tata Brand Spends and any Merchant EMI Spends
- 1.5% back as NeuCoins on UPI spends (including spends on partner Tata Brands); capped at 500 NeuCoins/ calendar month
- 8 Complimentary Domestic Lounge Access per calendar year (2 per qtr)
- 4 Complimentary Lounge Access per calendar year (1 per qtr) abroad
- 1 NeuCoin = Re. 1, and can be redeemed via Tata Neu app/website on multiple Tata brands
Tata Neu Plus HDFC Bank Credit Card
Eligibility
- Salaried – Net Monthly Income above Rs. 25,000
- Self-Employed – Annual ITR above Rs. 6 Lakhs
Features and Benefits
- 2% back as NeuCoins on Non-EMI Spends on Tata Neu and partner Tata Brands
- 1% back as NeuCoins on Non-Tata Brand Spends and any Merchant EMI Spends
- 1% back as NeuCoins on UPI spends (including spends on partner Tata Brands); capped at 500 NeuCoins/ calendar month
- 4 Complimentary Domestic Lounge Access per calendar year (1 per qtr)
- 1 NeuCoin = Re. 1, and can be redeemed via Tata Neu app/website on multiple Tata brands
Swiggy HDFC Bank Credit Card
Eligibility
- Salaried – Net Monthly Income above Rs. 15,000
- Self-Employed – Annual ITR above Rs. 6 Lakhs
Features and Benefits
- 10% Cashback on Food ordering, Instamart, Dineout & Genie via Swiggy app, capped at Rs. 1,500 cashback/calendar month
- 5% Cashback on online spends across online portals capped at Rs. 1,500 cashback/calendar month
- 1% Cashback on other food, grocery, dining apps, and offline stores, capped at Rs. 500 cashback/calendar month
- Complimentary Swiggy One Membership for 3 months on card activation
- Cashback for a month will be credited directly in the next month’s card statement
- Mastercard Golf Benefits, including access to golf courses worldwide, 12 free lessons per year and more
Each of these credit cards provides a different bang for the buck, and if you’re new to credit cards or haven’t got an HDFC Bank credit card yet, this is a very good opportunity to get one, especially as it’s lifetime free.
How to apply
You can provide your mobile number, date of birth/PAN in their application form and check if you have an offer or if it says the bank is unable to provide a card.
All the best, and wish you a very Happy Diwali! 🙂
Surprise! HDFC Bank has added another bunch of credit cards that are lifetime free for a limited period, if you apply between December 17, 2024 and January 16, 2025. These credit cards are:
1. PIXEL Play credit card
2. Diners Club Privilege Credit Card
3. Millenia Credit Card
4. Biz Grow Credit Card
5. Regalia Gold Credit Card
Update: The bank seems to have sneakily changed and added text on those pages to indicate that “this offer is NOT applicable for existing customers.”
A lot of folks are reporting that they’re getting a message saying “You seem to have recently applied, so are not eligible” which is quite strange. Some cardholders I know haven’t applied for a new HDFC Bank credit card in many years, but are still seeing this message.
If you already have an HDFC Bank credit card (or any of these cards with annual fee), confirm with your relationship manager or customer support about your eligibility for either of these cards or converting them to lifetime free option.
