HDFC Bank IRCTC Credit Card Launched | TechnoFino Review

[TechnoFino]

Recently, the HDFC Bank IRCTC credit card was added to the list of HDFC Bank credit cards. HDFC Bank has now officially launched the co-branded IRCTC HDFC Bank Credit Card.
Let's explore the card.



Joining Fees- 500+GST
Annual Fees- 500+GST
Annual Fees Reversal Criteria- Spend Rs. 1,50,000 or more in a year

Welcome benefit- Gift Voucher worth INR 500 on card activation within 30 days of card issuance.

Main Benefits-

• 8 complimentary access to select IRCTC Executive Lounges every year (2 per quarter).
• 1% Transaction charges waiver on transactions done on IRCTC ticketing website and Rail Connect App.
  Maximum waiver of INR 1,000 per statement cycle.
• 1% fuel surcharge waiver at all fuel stations across India, on minimum transaction of INR 400 & maximum transaction of INR 5,000.
  Maximum waiver of INR 250 per statement cycle
• The IRCTC HDFC Bank Credit Card is enabled for linking to UPI.

Reward System-

• 5 Reward Point for every INR 100 spent on IRCTC ticketing website and Rail Connect App.
  The accrual of the 5X HDFC Bank Reward Points on partner IRCTC spends is capped maximum at 1000 Reward Points per month and 12000 Reward Points Annually.
  That means if you spend 20,000 on IRCTC, then you'll earn maximum reward points 1000 per month.
  
  
• If you book rail ticket via HDFC Bank SmartBuy, then you'll get additional 5% cashback.
• You'll get upto 5% cashback for all transactions done on HDFC Smartbuy portal (other than rail ticket booking).
• Smartbuy cashback maximum capping - Rs. 1000 per month.
  
  
• 1 Reward Point for every INR 100 spent on all other spends .
  The accrual of the HDFC Bank Reward Points on all other spends is capped maximum at 1000 Reward Points per month and 12000 Reward Points Annually.
  That means if you spend 1L on other categories, then you'll earn maximum reward points 1000 per month.
  
  
• Reward Points will not be accrued for the following spend on the card- Fuel Spends, Wallet loads / Gift or Prepaid Card load/ Voucher purchase, Government related transactions, Education, EMI, Rent

Quarterly Milestone Benefit- Get gift voucher worth INR 500 on quarterly spends of INR 30,000

Eligibility Criteria-
Indian Resident
Age - Min 21 & Max 60 (Salaried), 65 (Self Employed)
Income- 25,000/month (Salaried); 6L ITR (Self employed)

My Opinion:-
Undoubtedly, the HDFC Bank IRCTC Credit Card is one of the top IRCTC co-branded credit cards in the market. Unlike other IRCTC credit cards, such as the SBI IRCTC credit card, this card does not have a ticket class capping. The capping on the maximum reward points accrual is reasonable. Therefore, I believe that this is the ideal IRCTC credit card for frequent or moderate railway travelers.

 

[Sourabh_13]

Thank you! I will do it.

Got a reply from the HDFC team today. This is what they said: "As per the update received from the concerned team we would like to inform you that Card fee is not yet levied and paid. Once the card fee is levied and paid you would be able to link your card to IRCTC ID. Fee gets levied after 120 days. However we also like to inform you that you can earn Reward Points without linking his/her card with IRCTC ID and also redeem his/her reward on HDFC SmartBuy for ticket booking without loyalty linking."

 

[Sourabh_13]

So I was going through the TnC doc of this card and realized that we don't really save 10% when we use SmartBuy. The 1% transaction charge is refunded only if we book a ticket on IRCTC/RailConnect. Also, to redeem the points (that too 70% of the ticket price), we have to book train tickets through SmartBuy, which again ensures that we end up loosing 1% transaction charge.

A small good news! Turns out I was wrong about this. The 1% transaction charge on a train ticket I booked through SmartBuy has been credited to the card (note that it is not credited as reward points).

More significant, interesting, and strange news! So the ticket price was Rs. 790, and with 1% + GST transaction charge, the total went to Rs. 798.30. Now, I can see Rs. 78.00 credited to the card (again, it is not credited as reward points) with a following description: "SmartBuy_Oct23_Bonus_5per_CB 0000147." I am totally (and happily) confused by this.

I also have 12 reward points. It makes sense as I have other small, non-IRCTC and non-SmartBuy expenses that total around Rs. 1250.

 

[Pavan]

A small good news! Turns out I was wrong about this. The 1% transaction charge on a train ticket I booked through SmartBuy has been credited to the card (note that it is not credited as reward points).

More significant, interesting, and strange news! So the ticket price was Rs. 790, and with 1% + GST transaction charge, the total went to Rs. 798.30. Now, I can see Rs. 78.00 credited to the card (again, it is not credited as reward points) with a following description: "SmartBuy_Oct23_Bonus_5per_CB 0000147." I am totally (and happily) confused by this.

I also have 12 reward points. It makes sense as I have other small, non-IRCTC and non-SmartBuy expenses that total around Rs. 1250.

When was your transaction settled ?

 

[Sourabh_13]

I booked the ticket on 3rd and it got settled yesterday.

One bad news! Now I see Rs. 39.00 debited from the card with the description "SmartBuy_Oct23_Rev_CB 0000147"

Now this 5% is debited, and also there is no change in reward points. As I had booked the ticket through SmartBuy, I should have gotten total 10% back. I don't understand what is going on.

 

[Pavan]

I booked the ticket on 3rd and it got settled yesterday.

One bad news! Now I see Rs. 39.00 debited from the card with the description "SmartBuy_Oct23_Rev_CB 0000147"

Now this 5% is debited, and also there is no change in reward points. As I had booked the ticket through SmartBuy, I should have gotten total 10% back. I don't understand what is going on.

We get only 5% through smart buy rest 4% is form of points

 

[Sourabh_13]

Did any of you receive the welcome voucher for the HDFC IRCTC CC multiple times?

I had received the welcome voucher few days after I did my first transaction. I had redeemed it the same day.

Today I have received it again and the voucher is redeemed successfully. 😀

 

[Pavan]

Did any of you receive the welcome voucher for the HDFC IRCTC CC multiple times?

I had received the welcome voucher few days after I did my first transaction. I had redeemed it the same day.

Today I have received it again and the voucher is redeemed successfully. 😀

I was struggling to get one
No no it's fine enjoy

 

[Rahul098]

I spending about 4k per month on tatkal ticket with value of the ticket coming around 500 per ticket, and I mostly travel in non AC coach only. I don't have any premium cards. I was doing a few transactions using flipkart axis but then, I figured that it was cheaper to use UPI. Need the community's suggestions if taking any co-branded irctc card would be beneficial or if I am better off using UPI ?

 

[Sourabh_13]

If you travel in Non-AC coaches then SBI and BoB cards are not useful to you. The only options remains is the HDFC IRCTC Credit card.

Booking a non-tatkal ticket using HDFC IRCTC card on the IRCTC app or the web site will get you 5% points and if you book through SmartBuy then additional 5% cashback.

As you mostly go for tatkal tickets, you won't be using SmartBuy as it doesn't have tatkal booking (please let me know if I am wrong).

So the benefit that you may get by using the HDFC IRCTC card is earning 5% points (~200rs/month for 4k) and additional 1% cashback on the transaction charges. Important thing to note here is that the points can be redeemed only towards 70% fair of train tickets with additional 99rs + taxes as redemption fee.

Also keep in mind that you will have to pay 500rs + taxes per year as an annual fee. Or spend 1.5L or more in a year to get it waived off.

Considering all these constraints and assuming you will book 4k worth tickets every month over next two years, you can get about one month worth free train travel (4k) at the end of second year.

You can go for this card if you don't have any other HDFC card and want one for instant discount offers during sales, and 1% cashback on all non-irctc spends.

 

[Sourabh_13]

Has anyone booked a train ticket recently through SmartBuy using HDFC IRCTC Credit Card? I am not able to do so since 2-3 weeks. The transaction failed every single time with the error message "the payment leg failed at the merchant end...."

 

[star_to_ashes]

I had booked some train tickets between 20 jan and 31st jan using my hdfc irctc card via smartbuy. My statement for these transactions was generated on 19 feb. I have not received 5% cahsback on these transactions. Although i have received the cashback for transactions done after 02 feb. I contacted hdfc credit card team and they told me you would have to contact smartbuy team for the cashback because the offer is from their side. Are they bluffing? Should i drop a mail mail to hdfc cc team?

I am sure that i have not reached 5% upto 1000 cashback limit in this statement period. Do they calculate cashback month wise or for the statement period because i have not received the cashback for the latter part of the month and started receiving it in February?

If i adjust the cashback reversal ( for cancelled transactions) for the month of January then also i wouldn't have surpassed the cahsback threshold.

I have also noticed a change in the header of the transaction. Till January(31st) it used to be SMARTBUY IRCTC , now (since 1st feb) it is IRCTC VIA SMARTBUY. Can this be a reason for cashback not getting credited? As my previous statement was generated on 19 jan and i have not received cashback for transactions from 19 jan to 31 st jan.

 

[Pavan]

I had booked some train tickets between 20 jan and 31st jan using my hdfc irctc card via smartbuy. My statement for these transactions was generated on 19 feb. I have not received 5% cahsback on these transactions. Although i have received the cashback for transactions done after 02 feb. I contacted hdfc credit card team and they told me you would have to contact smartbuy team for the cashback because the offer is from their side. Are they bluffing? Should i drop a mail mail to hdfc cc team?

I am sure that i have not reached 5% upto 1000 cashback limit in this statement period. Do they calculate cashback month wise or for the statement period because i have not received the cashback for the latter part of the month and started receiving it in February?

If i adjust the cashback reversal ( for cancelled transactions) for the month of January then also i wouldn't have surpassed the cahsback threshold.

I have also noticed a change in the header of the transaction. Till January(31st) it used to be SMARTBUY IRCTC , now (since 1st feb) it is IRCTC VIA SMARTBUY. Can this be a reason for cashback not getting credited? As my previous statement was generated on 19 jan and i have not received cashback for transactions from 19 jan to 31 st jan.

Yes yes irctc card have some issues with 5% cashback of smartbuy..Get a case raised and they will add it in 4 -5 working days..

Still card is not perfect..100 of issues..including UPI

 

[Sahil_07]

Yes yes irctc card have some issues with 5% cashback of smartbuy..Get a case raised and they will add it in 4 -5 working days..

Still card is not perfect..100 of issues..including UPI

hi bro can u confirm whether this card gives 10% cashback during flipkart /amazon sales?

 

[bhaveshS]

Yes yes irctc card have some issues with 5% cashback of smartbuy..Get a case raised and they will add it in 4 -5 working days..

Still card is not perfect..100 of issues..including UPI

it's solved now??

 

[SSV]

hi bro can u confirm whether this card gives 10% cashback during flipkart /amazon sales?

Yes, 10% discount not CB

 

[Sourabh_13]

it's solved now??

Y e s

 

[Sourabh_13]

hi bro can u confirm whether this card gives 10% cashback during flipkart /amazon sales?

Not an answer to this question. @SSV has answered it.

I recently discovered that HDFC treats this card as a core card. People who have a core card are being rejected for this card saying 'you already hold a core card.'

One of my friends holds the Millennia card. He got rejected for this card with the same response but only after a few days when he applied, his Tata Neu card application got approved.

I too wanted the Millennia card. I was thinking of closing this card and then get the Millennia. Once I get it, the plan was to again apply for this card. But now that plan is down the drain 😭.

This card is more useful to me than the Millennia would, considering my current portfolio.

Had I my hans on the Millennia card, I could have closed FK Axis. Also for no good reason, Millennia (of course, LTF 😁) was my dream but now looks like it remain just the dream🥲.


Getting only a bit less stupid for a moment- Why to run behind Millennia even if this card feels too good?

I do not think there is a ladder for this card. Unlike Millennia, HDFC won't upgrade this card to any 'better' core card. Also, I think LEs on this won't be much frequent.

 

[Sahil_07]

Yes, 10% discount not CB

then I will keep this card,500 amazon voucher for 30k upi transaction is the best part of this card, no need of millennia now better to go for sbi cashback

 

[Pavan]

hi bro can u confirm whether this card gives 10% cashback during flipkart /amazon sales?

Sorry for late yes it does give

 

[Pavan]

I have been using this card for a year still there are many open issues for me
30K milestone voucher i have to mail every quarter
Still smartbuy people say sir you can't book train tickets using points
1% on the irctc most of the times are missed (fixed for now)

But enjoying the card for the RUPAY network and netreturn of 7% on train tickets (118 INR goes for redemption)