Train Ticket Booking - Various Options For Cashback/Points

[sleepysurya]

A. HDFC Smartbuy has many options

• Good - No portal charges so far
• Bad - Since the move to new portal few months back, portal has become little unreliable with many bugs.

1. HDFC IRCTC Card
Heads Up - I haven’t seen any hands-on review for this and someone mentioned that HDFC is not approving this card yet. So no idea on points credit duration and any limitations.

• Via Smartbuy = 5% Card + 5% - 1.18% PG charges = 8.82%
• Direct = 5% - 1.18% CC Charges + 1% Transaction charges waiver = 4.82% (Useful for tatkal booking or when smartbuy limit exhausted)

2. Millenia Debit Card
Useful when one is not exhausting monthly 400 limit by paying CC bill via this.

• Via Smartbuy = 5% + 5% = 10%
• Good - No PG charges
• Not Good = Hassle to track points due to 90 days time for regular as well as smartbuy Cashbacks

3. Diners & Infinia = 3X points minus PG charges

• If you are getting good value out of infinia/diners points, totally makes sense

4. Other HDFC Debit Cards = 5% smartbuy cashback
5. Payzapp wallet = 5% (smartbuy cashback) minus 2% wallet charges = 3%
6. Regalia & Diners Privilege = They are just better than nothing due to 3X points minus PG charges. I don't think they want anyone to use Regalia.
7. Other HDFC credit cards

• 5% smartbuy cashback + Regular points - PG charges
• Much better option than Regalia & Diners Privilege

B. Other IRCTC co-branded cards (SBI, BOB)

• Have multiple conditions like peak(4%) vs off-peak(10%), cardholder should be one of the passenger, only for AC tickets. Not a fan of these cards. I may add more details for these later.

C. Axis Magnus & SBI Cashback

• Buy AmazonPay gift card and use amazon to book ticket if getting 3X for Magnus & 5% for SBI cashback on buying gift card
  • Bad - Amazon charges Rs.20 for sleeper and Rs.40 for AC as agent charges.
• For SBI Cashback, some people have mentioned booking train on Amazon gives 5%

I will update the post for any other good options I come across via comments or web

What I use - I used to have Millenia Debit, replaced that with Easyshop platinum and using that now for 5% cashback. Maybe once things are more clear with HDFC IRCTC card, I will try to replace Tata Neu card with that.

Edit 1 (30/05/2023) - Modified details about other HDFC credit cards

 

[nayra]

I didn't receive direct 5% on esp for over a week, after that I paid CC bill so lost track of points...

Not sure when the smartbuy promotional points come

 

[Hemang]

bh

I didn't receive direct 5% on esp for over a week, after that I paid CC bill so lost track of points...

Not sure when the smartbuy promotional points come

Bhai mile kya points platinum debit card me ab tk ?