HDFC Forex Card Load 5X Reward Points Offer

5X Reward Points Offer

Make every online load and reload on your HDFC Bank ForexPlus Card more rewarding! Use your HDFC Bank Credit Card and activate the power of 5X Reward Points Multiplier on every transaction.

5X Reward points offer details

• Customers can earn 5X Reward Points for every Forex Card load/reload transaction made using eligible HDFC Bank Credit Cards.
• Minimum Transaction Value: Rs15,000 per transaction.
• Maximum Reward Points (RP): Customers can earn a maximum of 15,000 Reward Points per calendar month during the offer period.

• Offer Period:​

  The 5X Reward Points Offer is valid for load / reload transactions settled between 1st January 2025 and 31st March 2025.
• https://offers.smartbuy.hdfcbank.com/offer_details/5x-rewards-points-offer/26166/Z2mkmWk%3D

• Card Type​	Base Earn Rate (1X)​	Additional 4XRP Capped at 15,000 RPs​	Total: 5X RP​	Max Spends for 5X​
  HDFC Bank Regalia First​	3RP/Rs.150​	12RP/Rs. 150​	15 RP/ Rs. 150​	187500​
  HDFC Bank Regalia​	4RP/Rs.150​	16RP/Rs. 150​	20 RP/ Rs. 150​	140625​
  HDFC Bank Regalia Activ​	4RP/Rs.150​	16RP/Rs. 150​	20 RP/ Rs. 150​	140625​
  HDFC Bank Regalia Gold​	4RP/Rs.150​	16RP/Rs. 150​	20 RP/ Rs. 150​	140625​
  HDFC Bank Diners Privilege​	4RP/Rs.150​	16RP/Rs. 150​	20 RP/ Rs. 150​	140625​
  HDFC Bank Diners Black​	5RP/Rs.150​	20RP/Rs. 150​	25 RP/ Rs. 150​	112500​
  HDFC Bank Diners Black Metal​	5RP/Rs.150​	20RP/Rs. 150​	25 RP/ Rs. 150​	112500​
  HDFC Bank Infinia​	5RP/Rs.150​	20RP/Rs. 150​	25 RP/ Rs. 150​	112500​
  HDFC Bank Infinia Metal​	5RP/Rs.150​	20RP/Rs. 150​	25 RP/ Rs. 150​	112500​

• The offer is applicable exclusively for load / reload of HDFC ForexPlus Cards done using an HDFC Bank Credit Cards: HDFC Bank Regalia First, HDFC Bank Regalia, HDFC Bank Regalia Activ, HDFC Bank Regalia Gold, HDFC Bank Diners Privilege, HDFC Bank Diners Black, HDFC Bank Diners Black Metal, HDFC Bank Infinia and HDFC Bank Infinia Metal Credit Card
• 5X reward points will be credited as: 1X reward points + additional 4X Reward Points. Additional 4X reward points are capped at 15,000 reward points per calendar month. 1X reward points will continue as is without any capping
• A minimum spend of Rs. 15,000 per transaction is required to be eligible for additional 4X reward points
• The limits are over and above the limits of HDFC SmartBuy

Issuance Fee Waiver Offer
There is another offer running on the issuance of an HDFC ForexPlus card where the joining fees get waived if you load a minimum of 1,000 USD or equivalent value of another currency. Check this out.

https://offers.smartbuy.hdfcbank.com/offer_details/forex-card-offers/10366/ZmOmmWk%3D

My Experience
Since I have an international trip planned next month to Japan I tried to apply HDFC ForexPlus Card (multicurrency card) and load some 2,00,000 Yen to the card to compare the actual reward rate. While Google is showing the exchange rate of 2L Yen equal to 112150 INR, HDFC is charging me some 1,16,695 INR including loading charges of around 195. It equates to a direct loss of approximately 4.01% since HDFC has higher Forex rates. But with a 16.66% (5X) reward rate on my Diners Club Black credit card, this deal is too good since it would leave me a net reward rate of 12.65% which handsomely beats even the reward rates of Axis Olympus and Axis Reserve. This is a good offer especially if you hold Diners Black or above credit cards.

Loading in USD is proving to be much cheaper since only approximately 2% charge is being applied so if you want to get a card then go for Regalia Plus Forex card since although it can be loaded only in USD but can be used to pay in any currency worldwide since it has zero cross currency markup charges.

 

[salisburry44]

A

exclude charge no 3 and 4 i.e. 55 USD

I think point 5 will be applicable on pos if we select usd instead of country currency not sure about atm

 

[Avatar Aang]

Now the biggest disadvantage or catch of regalia gold is that exchange rate is not linked to live interbank rate but it is decided by HDFC bank only so HDFC bank will earn twice i.e. once at the time of load and second at the time of withdrawal

1. Current USD rate: 87.30 (87300 for 1000 USD)
2. HDFC Selling at: 88.92 (88920 for 1000 USD)
ATM withdrawal Charges of HDFC: 4 USD
Avg You can withdraw: 200 USD per transaction i.e. 5 transactions
3. ATM withdrawal charges of HDFC= 20 USD
4. Avg ATM Withdrawal charges of foreign bank: 35 USD (7 USD per transaction)
5. Avg forex mark up of foreign ATM bank and USD rate = 3% (HDFC is not charging any markup but foreign bank ATM charge. Also called Currency conversion charge)
6. GST = Rs 160
7. Now the biggest disadvantage of regalia gold that exchange rate is not linked to live interbank rate but it is decided by HDFC bank only...As i checked average markup is 2%

Total Charges in INR = 1778 (3 in inr) + 3112 (4 in inr) + 2667 (5 in inr) + 1620 (diff of 2 and 1) + 160 + 1778 (7 in inr) = Rs 10006

So your total charges is 11.25%

This card is only beneficial if you have DCB or infinia and you will redeem RP on smartbuy...Now smartbuy charge 5% to 10% more on air tickets compared to other travel portals...I booked couple of times and ended up paying upto Rs 1000 more on a ticket of Rs 10000.

Therefore, NET NET Regalia gold forex is LOSS making proposition. Lolly pop of RP is just a mental masturbat*****

Note: I have only considered avg charges and these are slightly higher in some countries but slightly less in other

What if I don't withdraw anything and use the card at POS. In that case what are the charges I am paying vs what RPs I am gaining.
Say I have 1000 dollars to spend to get iphone 16 pro. I can load the regalia Forex card using DCB/Infinia and then order use the forex card on the e-commerce site and use delivery address of friend/family.
In this scenario the only charges I am paying is at the time of loading. AFAIK those charges are around 3%. If you have Infinia/DCB you are still saving 13%

 

[sunit123]

Now the biggest disadvantage or catch of regalia gold is that exchange rate is not linked to live interbank rate but it is decided by HDFC bank only so HDFC bank will earn twice i.e. once at the time of load and second at the time of withdrawal

1. Current USD rate: 87.30 (87300 for 1000 USD)
2. HDFC Selling at: 88.92 (88920 for 1000 USD)
ATM withdrawal Charges of HDFC: 4 USD
Avg You can withdraw: 200 USD per transaction i.e. 5 transactions
3. ATM withdrawal charges of HDFC= 20 USD
4. Avg ATM Withdrawal charges of foreign bank: 35 USD (7 USD per transaction)
5. Avg forex mark up of foreign ATM bank and USD rate = 3% (HDFC is not charging any markup but foreign bank ATM charge. Also called Currency conversion charge)
6. GST = Rs 160
7. Now the biggest disadvantage of regalia gold that exchange rate is not linked to live interbank rate but it is decided by HDFC bank only...As i checked average markup is 2%

Total Charges in INR = 1778 (3 in inr) + 3112 (4 in inr) + 2667 (5 in inr) + 1620 (diff of 2 and 1) + 160 + 1778 (7 in inr) = Rs 10006

So your total charges is 11.25%

This card is only beneficial if you have DCB or infinia and you will redeem RP on smartbuy...Now smartbuy charge 5% to 10% more on air tickets compared to other travel portals...I booked couple of times and ended up paying upto Rs 1000 more on a ticket of Rs 10000.

Therefore, NET NET Regalia gold forex is LOSS making proposition. Lolly pop of RP is just a mental masturbat*****

Note: I have only considered avg charges and these are slightly higher in some countries but slightly less in other

Correction in above post:

i called HDFC customer care again and one more charge, i forgot to add i.e. if i use this card say in thailand (THB) or singapore then they will offer banks official buy rate of THB of hdfc bank which is marked up 2% say actually THB rate is 2.65 and HDFC is selling for 2.70 then i will get 2.70

So now total loss will be Rs 10006+ Rs 1778 = Rs 11784 i.e. whooping 13.25%

 

[sunit123]

What if I don't withdraw anything and use the card at POS. In that case what are the charges I am paying vs what RPs I am gaining.
Say I have 1000 dollars to spend to get iphone 16 pro. I can load the regalia Forex card using DCB/Infinia and then order use the forex card on the e-commerce site and use delivery address of friend/family.
In this scenario the only charges I am paying is at the time of loading. AFAIK those charges are around 3%. If you have Infinia/DCB you are still saving 13%

No...You will only save on charges under 3 & 4..Please understand you are not getting inter-banking LIVE rate...You are getting FIXED rates decided by HDFC bank with a markup of around 5% between buy & sell rate.

Both buy and sell rate are around 2% marked up/down from market rate. Which is worst case scenario for user.

 

[sunit123]

A
I think point 5 will be applicable on pos if we select usd instead of country currency not sure about atm

Even with country currency, the bank whose POS you are using will sell local currency with markup...No bank in this world sell at market rate

 

[darkjediknight]

No...You will only save on charges under 3 & 4..Please understand you are not getting inter-banking LIVE rate...You are getting FIXED rates decided by HDFC bank with a markup of around 5% between buy & sell rate.

Both buy and sell rate are around 2% marked up/down from market rate. Which is worst case scenario for user.

If you're not getting live rate then I agree it's not such a good deal. But, for people who take out cash from ATM from debit card, they also give most of the charges as you mentioned in previous post apart from the live rate which they get with zero forex.
Whether it'll be profitable to get the forex card, it's debatable. No doubt that anyone buying it without Infinia or DCB is incurring losses for sure.

Also, if dollar gains, things change a bit. It's very difficult to calculate actually. 🤣

 

[sravanbrahma]

Even with country currency, the bank whose POS you are using will sell local currency with markup...No bank in this world sell at market rate

Just loading and unloading without spending. What about it ? That is profitable according to you ?

 

[vinrey287]

Even with country currency, the bank whose POS you are using will sell local currency with markup...No bank in this world sell at market rate

Can you equate it against the charges one would incur by using CC. I have Regalia Gold with GVP on, so roughly 1.36-1.5 % based on bank rates. Is it better to use CC then?

 

[telescope]

This is the biggest problem in India, people don't want to see calculations and data points....The easiest way to boost self-ego is to shrug it off.

Regalia forex plus card sabka bewakoof bana raha hain...Yeh baat infinia aur DCB walon ko samjhani bahut mushkil hain

Thanks for the detailed post. I wanted to write a similar post but then I thought ki kya fayda people won't understand. (earlier posted something similar that all forex cards are a ripoff, and any zero markup dc is any day better, but nobody wanted to listen).

 

[Avatar Aang]

No...You will only save on charges under 3 & 4..Please understand you are not getting inter-banking LIVE rate...You are getting FIXED rates decided by HDFC bank with a markup of around 5% between buy & sell rate.

Both buy and sell rate are around 2% marked up/down from market rate. Which is worst case scenario for user.

Still didn't understand bro. Maybe you can explain with a example.
When I load 1000 USD I am paying the markup charges as decided by HDFC. Suppose these charges work out to 3%.
When I spend in USD, there is no conversion of currency, then why other charges will be applicable??

 

[darkjediknight]

Just loading and unloading without spending. What about it ? That is profitable according to you ?

I calculated that you'll lose around 8k if you loaded for 2 months (considering HDFC's USD rate today for forex card amount purchase). But will gain around 37k rewards in Infinia / CDB

I mean if you close the card today.

 

[creditcard25]

Reading all these calculations , makes me wonder if I made the right choice loading regalia forex using Infinia or not…

 

[sunit123]

Can you equate it against the charges one would incur by using CC. I have Regalia Gold with GVP on, so roughly 1.36-1.5 % based on bank rates. Is it better to use CC then?

As per my calculation, Not beneficial for regalia gold but if anyone has infinia then directly using infinia is better than buying this shitty card.

The best strategy for infinia is to have credit balance in the card and use that credit balance for ATM withdrawal also

 

[sunit123]

Still didn't understand bro. Maybe you can explain with a example.
When I load 1000 USD I am paying the markup charges as decided by HDFC. Suppose these charges work out to 3%.
When I spend in USD, there is no conversion of currency, then why other charges will be applicable??

The biggest culprit for loss is fixed exchange rate of HDFC bank which is at bank's discretion. I checked forex rate of HDFC and ICICI, ICICI provide much better rate.

 

[basant]

I bought regalia forex @ 88. I will use at all pos in thailand say @ 2.70 thai baht.
That's only 2% markup
I got 16.65 % points via dcb metal.
So how its a loss?

 

[Avatar Aang]

As per my calculation, Not beneficial for regalia gold but if anyone has infinia then directly using infinia is better than buying this shitty card.

The best strategy for infinia is to have credit balance in the card and use that credit balance for ATM withdrawal also

Please share with example bro. Many of us want to know the exact calculation.
I want to spend 2000 USD. Please share detailed calculations for POS as well as ATM withdrawal for both DCB/Infinia direct usage and Regalia Forex card

 

[thanix]

Still didn't understand bro. Maybe you can explain with a example.
When I load 1000 USD I am paying the markup charges as decided by HDFC. Suppose these charges work out to 3%.
When I spend in USD, there is no conversion of currency, then why other charges will be applicable??

Even I couldn't get it fully. Probably what he refers is, if you spend it anywhere apart from USA, that local currency will not be converted to USD at that days Visa or MASTERCARD rate but with a mark up by HDFC bank on top of that days exchange rate. It may be 2%. So in effect it is 4%. Essentially it is indirect cross currency mark up charges in disguise. That's pathetic, HDFC bank.

If you spend it in USA or online direct USD billing, I don't see any issue as mark up is initial loading 2% only.

If you have GVP, it gives 1% cash back and thereby effective mark up is 1% + GST but it is upto 1000 INR max, so 1L spend only. If you have à big spending trip, you càn use a mix of CC and this one.

And in my opinion for DCB or Infinia, this is still better for those who are in for points and miles to overcome those pathetic limits. I am personally quite happy with this Forex card after being fed up with Diners non acceptance in Asia and Europe. I ended up using my ICICI which anyways charges 3.5% mark up + GST and gives some useless points.

 

[basant]

Guys,
Can anyone check your points balance now. I think my 5x points credited for last month forex load has been debited .
1st my points were showing 39k approx . Now suddenly its showing 28k since last 2 days. Checked everywhere

 

[sravanbrahma]

Guys,
Can anyone check your points balance now. I think my 5x points credited for last month forex load has been debited .
1st my points were showing 39k approx . Now suddenly its showing 28k since last 2 days. Checked everywhere

This is scary. Mine is not deducted yet.

 

[darkjediknight]

Guys,
Can anyone check your points balance now. I think my 5x points credited for last month forex load has been debited .
1st my points were showing 39k approx . Now suddenly its showing 28k since last 2 days. Checked everywhere

Still there. Check properly maybe some other transaction you cancelled.