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.

 

[cardblaster]

How did u do INR transaction using this card? It says INR transactions are not allowed even if merchant is registered outside India. I tried earlier on 2-3 local merchants, which didn't work. Which merchant u did?

I just tried and it worked. The merchant was Skillcertpro , to download question bank for a certification exam. In USD it asked 20 USD but in rupees it asked 1499. I leveraged the rupee one and used the forex card(luckily worked), eventually got settled for ~17 USD lol.

 

[sunit123]

How much are you guys loading in the second round again? Heard you can only keep up to 2000 USD in your forex card

After returning home, you can only keep 2000 USD beyond 180 days...Check faq #7 on following cirrcular

Reserve Bank of India

 

[akki4554]

Enter bank details and proceed.

I meant I want to load from credit card, not my bank account. If I proceed, will it give option to load using credit card or use my account?

 

[Harry1]

I meant I want to load from credit card, not my bank account. If I proceed, will it give option to load using credit card or use my account?

Just try and see. None can deduct money just by account number 😅.

 

[techie_space]

I meant I want to load from credit card, not my bank account. If I proceed, will it give option to load using credit card or use my account?

Yes, in next page you get payment options to load which included netbanking, CC/DC, UPI etc

 

[FinanceBaBa]

Would you know if this card can work on Hong Kong metro tap and pay? I know visa tap and pay works there, but not sure about this card. Primarily thinking of using this instead of Octopus

No only octopus..
Even normal visa cards don't work as tap and pay at metro.

 

[techie_space]

No only octopus..
Even normal visa cards don't work as tap and pay at metro.

How to buy octopus then? Won't Forex cards work and do we need to relay on credit card?

 

[FinanceBaBa]

How to buy octopus then? Won't Forex cards work and do we need to relay on credit card?

You can buy octopus card at airport itself.. Using cash or card.. And reload at any shops, 7/11 etc as it's widely accepted almost everywhere.

 

[sunit123]

This card is good if you don't use it (to avoid charges) and keep 2000 USD as a hedge against declining rupee as permitted by RBI...If you anticipate further fall in rupee then load 2000 USD and just keep it with you as an investment.

I checked with HDFC customer care, there is NO inactivity fees on this card.

You can redeem in future & book profit or use for future foreign trips (hedge your money against declining rupee)

 

[blew]

I contacted my home branch, they said that they don't have forex cards now and redirected me to another branch.

Those people said that you can only get a forex card though cheque and not throught credit card. Only option I see is to pay the issuance fee and load later using credit card.

Folks who have applied through branch, were you able to pay through credit card for offline applications?

I'm now thinking of applying on my father's name using his add on for my infinia and getting a non personalized card.

Could there be any issue with this either during applying or using it in Europe/SE Asia?

I'm aware about the TCS calculation and doesn't really matter for this case.

 

[cardblaster]

Got March statement generated and received 5x points reflected for Feb transaction. I wanted now to re-load again in March to extract maximum benefit, but it this time on re-loading the merchant is coming out to be HDFC prepaid card. Has anyone done it and can confirm that this merchant also gives 5x benefit?

 

[thanix]

To lay rest on the fees on the transaction I.e while spending, Below is the written confirmation on the booklet (don't confuse with loading).

So essentially there is mark up fee at loading, around 2%. No transaction fee or cross currency mark up. Visa card network exchange fee applied for non USD transaction on transaction settlement date if you choose local currency at POS.

Other bits - Max loading of Forex is fixed by LRS limit of 250K USD. TCS applies beyond 7L INR cumulative Forex spend this FY. Edit: You can keep 2K USD max. Refer image in subsequent post.

So choose to load wisely, spend carefully!!!

PS: For folks with Infinia, you will lose the 1% cashback from GVP upto 1000 on spending month. So use a mix of Infinia and Forex CC to balance between cash back (1L) and accelerated rewards (2 X 1L for Feb and March). For 3L spend, 30K points from Forex card and 3.3% reward rate + 1K GVP cashback for 1L CC spend.

For DCB users like me who is fed up with Diners acceptance abroad, this is no brainer.

PPS: I am not into ATM, so I excluded it. Please try out the ATM charges on your own.

 

[sunit123]

You can keep 2K USD max upto 180 days of return.

Is this mentioned in the T&C Means beyond 180 days, we cannot retain any money in the card.

 

[thanix]

Is this mentioned in the T&C Means beyond 180 days, we cannot retain any money in the card.

No but 2K limit is mentioned. See below image. The 180 days time limit was there in my office Forex card, unspent forex beyond 2K needs to be cashed out in 6 months even for frequent traveller's. My wife has kept few hundreds of EUR for years in her Axis Forex card without any issues.

 

[sunit123]

No but 2K limit is mentioned. See below image. The 180 days time limit was there in my office Forex card, unspent forex beyond 2K needs to be cashed out in 6 months even for frequent traveller's. My wife has kept few hundreds of EUR for years in her Axis Forex card without any issues.

thanks for sharing pic...This balance 2000 USD can be retained beyond 180 days as per RBI guideline...I request, if you can edit in your post.

 

[thanix]

thanks for sharing pic...This balance 2000 USD can be retained beyond 180 days as per RBI guideline...I request, if you can edit in your post.

Thanks for pointing out. I edited the post.