HDFC Infinia Credit Card Metal Edition Review

Editor’s note: This is a recurring post, regularly updated with new information and offers. Last Updated 22nd May 2024.

HDFC Bank, the OG of the credit card industry, is back in its original avatar after the lifting of the RBI embargo and is now looking quite aggressive with its lineup topped with its aggressive onboarding stance to regain its lost market share. Recently they relaunched their Infinia credit card which is the dream credit card for every credit card enthusiast in India and literally gives infinite of everything be it rewards, luxury hotel stays, lounge and golf course access and all the rest. This time the card is in a metal form factor which had created an initial buzz but the design has been a big disappointment for the majority of users over what it was earlier. 

Here’s a detailed review on the same with the unboxing of the HDFC Infinia Credit Card.

Watch HDFC Infinia Credit Card Metal Edition Unboxing & Review Video – On Our YouTube Channel.

Charges and Welcome Benefits

Card Limit

HDFC Infinia Credit Card is offered with VISA Infinite/MasterCard World variants and is generally offered with a minimum of 8 lakhs of credit limit.

Since the card is offered only to UHNIs and spending requirements can be much higher than that yet there is nothing to worry about when you have an Infinia in your pocket as it offers you a unique NPSL* (No Pre-set Spending Limit) feature, which means they may “temporarily” increase the limit if you inform the “Infinia Support Team” prior to the swipe. Even if you exceed your credit limit by chance then there won’t be overlimit charges up to a certain extent usually around 10% of the credit limit. This feature is unique to Infinia and is not applicable to any other HDFC credit card. As I said earlier it gives truly infinite possibilities!

Reward Points Accrual

You get 5 reward points for every ₹150 spent anywhere. This gives you an equivalent amount of ₹3.30 for every ₹100 spent, meaning you can easily save ₹3,300 for every ₹1 Lakh you spend on the Infinia card.

• *No reward points for fuel, wallet loading, rent and government services.
• Reward points are valid only for 3 years from the date of accumulation.
• If the credit card is not used for more than 365 days, the Reward points accrued will be nullified.

Accelerated Reward Rate

With the HDFC SmartBuy portal HDFC Infinia card holders can accelerate their reward rates up to 10X equivalent to 33.33% for flight and hotel bookings whereas for voucher purchases the reward rate is 5x which translates to 16.67%

Reward Points Redemption

You can redeem your Reward Points on Smartbuy or Net Banking and various redemption options are as follows

• Max Point Usage: Bookings can now be partially paid with points (up to 70%) with the remaining balance paid by credit card.
• Silver Lining: The part payment done by credit card earns you 5X the usual reward points, making up for the lower points usage.
• Monthly Limit: The maximum number of points you can redeem per month remains at 1.5 Lakh.

HDFC Infinia also has numerous AirMiles partners and Hotel loyalty partners as well and transfer ratios stand at 2:1 or 1:1. Out of these partners the hotel partners have lost their value since ALL Accor transfer ratio was devalued and from Airline partners Krisflyer, Lifemiles, FinnAir (Avios) and Flying Blue are still very exciting and some are also unique for Indian credit cards.

This card makes no sense if you wish to slash your bill by taking statement credit since value simply dwindles to 30p a point.

Main Benefits

Airport Lounge Access 

• Access Via: Visa Infinite
• Domestic Limits: 4/Quarter
  
• Access Via: Priority Pass
• Unlimited domestic and international lounge visits
  *Benefit also extended for up to 3 add-on cards and Priority Pass holders.

In short, this card is the pass to all lounges offering complimentary food, beverages, Wi-Fi and comfy sofas even if you are on a round-the-globe trip with your whole family. 

Golf Benefits

If you are a golf lover then it offers:

• Unlimited complimentary golf games at leading courses across India and select courses across the world.
• Unlimited complimentary golf coaching at select golf courses across India.

Stay 3 Pay 2 Offers on ITC Hotels

This is a newly launched offer for the Infinia Metal Edition card is to book a stay for 3 nights and pay for two at participating ITC Hotels. As per the fine print :

• Offer is only applicable on advance booking done via 24×7 Infinia Concierge.
• A 24-hour gap is required between two bookings placed under the program.
• This offer will not be eligible on blackout dates.

Premium Dining Experience

Freedom from Fuel Surcharges

Not a noteworthy benefit though as many credit and debit cards nowadays provide fuel surcharge waivers. Infinia could have packed a solid punch if they had rewarded fuel spending also so that there would not have been any need for a dedicated fuel card for Infinia holders. With Infinia you get :

1% fuel surcharge waiver at all fuel stations in India.
Minimum transaction value – ₹400
Maximum transaction value – ₹1,00,000
Maximum surcharge waiver per statement cycle – ₹1000

Global Personal Concierge

Infinia and DCB Credit Cards have a faster and dedicated support line that really gets your work done or fetches you the specific information about anything you want. Like Golf Booking, Itinerary planning and reservation assistance, Private dining assistance, International gift delivery, Event planning and referrals, Airport VIP service (meet-and-greet) and much more.

Toll-Free No.: 1800 118 887 Landline No.: 022 42320226

Forex Markup

• Foreign Currency Markup Fee: 2%+GST
• Reward Rate: 3.33%
• Net Gains: 1%

However, the markup charges of 2%+GST are a bit on the higher side as compared to some better offerings available now in the market. We can get an additional benefit of 1% cashback if we activate the Global Value Program on this card which will take the reward points value to 2%.

Insurance Coverage

• Zero Lost card liability
• Credit shield – The outstanding amount on the Infinia credit card is covered to an extent of ₹ 9 lakh in case of accidental death and permanent disability.
• Accidental death: In case of death in an air accident, the nominated next of kin will receive a compensation of ₹3 crore.
• Medical emergency cover: The cardholder is covered up to ₹50 lakh against medical emergencies during travel abroad.

Hence there is freedom from buying all those travel insurance that we buy before going on an international holiday and we also get a cash withdrawal limit of 40% of the total which can act as a backup in extreme emergency situations. Though there are no charges attached with withdrawal be aware that interest will kick in from the date of withdrawal.

Eligibility

Officially, HDFC Bank Infinia Credit Card is an Invite Only card but unofficially you can request it if you meet any of the following conditions

Indian Resident with

• ₹45L ITR (Salaried/Self-Employed)
• Existing HDFC credit card with a minimum of ₹8L limit or very high spending.
• High NRV with HDFC Bank (>₹30 Lakh)
• Having exposure to other HDFC products.
• Other bank credit cards with a minimum of ₹10L limit.

Shocked? Yes HDFC Bank is a bit strict in issuing Infinia Credit cards until it sees any value in the relationship with you.

Bottomline is that either you must be a very high networth individual so that the bank looks at you as a potential customer in the near future or you have already given the bank enough business to absorb the price of all the promised luxuries because ultimately you will be one paying indirectly for all the benefits and bank earns via profits made on interests, loans and policies sold to you.

Bottomline

As said before, this is the best super premium credit card in India. No matter what your needs are, this card has the potential to fulfil almost all of them. With unlimited free lounge access, exclusive deals on dining and hotel booking, and fuel surcharge waiver, this HDFC Infinia credit card can easily justify the high annual fee. So if you believe in the concept of paid cards and have the eligibility criteria fulfilled then this card can be the gateway for you to enter the world of INFINITE POSSIBILITIES. 

Watch HDFC Infinia Credit Card Metal Edition Review & Unboxing On Our YouTube Channel Here.

Do you already hold this masterpiece or is it still your dream card? Share your thoughts below.

Bhavye Goel

Chief Editor, TechnoFino.
Personal finance nerd! Physics enthusiast and trainer. When not into Physics, he is minting points and hunting for the next best credit card for himself.