HDFC has always been ahead of other major card issuers (like Axis, SBI, etc.) when it comes to partnering with other brands to launch co-branded credit cards. One of their recent offering in this segment is the Swiggy HDFC bank credit card targeted towards Swiggy users. Zomato, the other major player in online food order segment, had partnered with RBL bank to launch their card which got cancelled. So that makes this Swiggy card a one of its kind.
As the name suggests this credit card offers special discounts on your Swiggy orders and that includes grocery and dining orders too. Let’s find out does this card has a good value proposition or not.
Overview
This card was launched on 26th July 2023 and since then it has been getting a lot of attention which it should. It is a card designed for regular Swiggy users and to attract new customers and sway them away from Zomato. If you are already using Swiggy services then this is must-have card for you.
| Type | Entry level Cashback Credit Card |
| Reward Rate | 10% on Swiggy; 5% on online spends; 1% on other spends |
| Best for | Swiggy spends (Food delivery, Dineout, Instamart, Genie) |
| USP | 10% additional discounts on Swiggy over & above regular discounts |
Design
It is a plastic card with simple design showing two colors representing the partnership of the two brands Swiggy (Orange) & HDFC (Blue). Not a classic look in my opinion but some may find it appealing. The card would be issued only on Mastercard’s payment network.
Fees & Charges
Joining & Renewal Fees
| Joining Fee | Rs. 500 + 18% GST |
| Joining Fee Waiver | N/A |
| Joining Benefit | Swiggy One membership for 3 months |
| Renewal Fee | Rs. 500 + 18% GST |
| Renewal Benefit | N/A |
| Renewal Fee Waiver | waived off on annual spends greater than Rs. 2 lakh; (Cash on Call, Balance Transfer & Cash Withdrawal excluded) |
The joining benefit is decent at best as you can easily get 3 month membership for In case you already have Swiggy One membership then on activating this card on Swiggy your membership will get extended by 3 months.
Note: If you applied for this card via HDFC, then you would have to link it on Swiggy app to activate this card to get joining benefit and start earning cashback. No need to do so, if card is applied from Swiggy app.
Tip: In case you get a less than sufficient limit, then you may check with bank after 6 months of card issuance @ 1860 202 6161 to try your luck.
Other Charges
Supplementary Card
There is no fee for applying for supplementary card. Upto 3 supplementary cards can be issued on the primary card.
Forex Payments
3.50% of the transaction value + 18% GST (which adds up to 4.13%) which means it is not a good option to use it for foreign trips as you would end up paying 2.87% extra (4.13% – 1%).
Fuel Purchases
There is surcharge waiver on fuel purchases. That means you would pay 1% surcharge + applicable taxes is on fuel purchases. Also, there is no cashback on fuel purchase.
If you spend less than Rs. 15000 per transaction on fuel, no additional fee will be charged. However, if you spend more than Rs. 15000 per transaction on fuel, a 1% fee will be charged on the entire amount and capped at Rs. 3000 per transaction.
Rent Payments
Rent transactions are not eligible for any cashback. Also, if you use services like (but not limited to) CRED, PayTM, Cheq, MobiKwik, Freecharge, and others to pay rent, a 1% fee will be charged on the transaction amount and capped at Rs. 3000 per transaction. Also, these portals charge a rent payment fee of their own.
EMI Fees
For EMI transactions, a one-time processing fee of up to Rs. 299 + taxes is charged.
Benefits
Cashback
There are 3 different categories in which cashback rates are 10%, 5% and 1% with some exclusions. The cashback will be credited against outstanding balance in card statement.
| Spend Category | Cashback Rate | Capping (per cycle) | Exclusions |
| Swiggy Spends (Food delivery, Instamart, Genie and Dineout) | 10% | 1500 | Swiggy Liquor, Swiggy Minis, Swiggy Money Wallet |
| Marketplaces (Amazon, Flipkart), Apparels (Myntra, Meesho, Ajio, Nike, H&M, Adidas, Zara), Personal Care (Nykaa), Cabs (Ola, Uber), Pharmacies (PharmEasy, NetMeds), Entertainment (BookMyShow) | 5% | 1500 | Flight& Hotel bookings, Gift cards and Grocery |
| All other spends (Offline or Online) | 1% | 500 | Fuel, Rent, EMI, Utilities, Insurance, Wallet loads, Jewellery, Government Services |
- For any individual utilities transaction more than Rs. 50000, a 1% fee will be charged on the entire amount capped at Rs. 3000 per transaction. Insurance transactions are not considered as Utility transactions.
- Education payments through third-party apps like (but not limited to) CRED, PayTM, Cheq, MobiKwik and others will attract a 1% fee capped at Rs. 3000 per transaction. Education payments through college/school websites or their POS machines will not have any additional charges. International education payments are excluded from this charge.
With separate capping for 10% and 5% categories, one can order food/groceries worth Rs. 15000 from Swiggy also shop for Rs. 30000 on Flipkart/Amazon etc. and get 3000 cashback. The 5% category has lot of options as you can see here but be mindful as this list may change at anytime.
Compared to SBI Cashback credit card, this card has a few advantages like 10% cashback on Swiggy, lower fee & less exclusions.
Note: Cashback is not applicable on transactions less than Rs. 100
Travel Benefits
Airport Lounge Access
This card doesn’t offer complimentary Airport Lounge access.
Dining Benefits
On all the HDFC cards, you can get 5% – 15% discount on dining bills when you pay through Swiggy Dineout. For some reason HDFC has named it ‘Good Food Trail program’.
Through Swiggy Dineout, an additional 10% cashback is offered (for transaction of Rs. 100 or more) as standard on dining bills with a standard capping of 1500 per statement cycle. You can take advantage of this offer every time until you exhaust your Rs. 1500 capping. The cashback is processed in the next statement cycle.
Assuming a dining bill of Rs. 2500 and a 10% standard discount on Swiggy Dineout, you can effectively save 19%!!
| Offer | Discount Rate | Discount | Effective Bill |
| Swiggy Dineout discount | 10% | 250 | 2500 – 250 = 2250 |
| Swiggy HDFC card cashback | 10% (cashback) | 225 | 2250 – 225 = 2025 |
| Total Effective ‘Discount’ | 19% | 475 | 2250 (-225 cashback in from of statement credit) |
Best way to use this card
- Order food and groceries on Swiggy
- Use Dineout for bill payments at restaurants (double dip!!)
- Use for online shopping; If HDFC card offer is applicable then you may get to double-dip 😉
How to apply
HDFC has recently come up with its ‘dual card strategy’ as part of which you could have two different cards on two different networks and can get one limit across multiple cards. So if you are already holding a HDFC credit card, you can apply for one more and get a combined limit on them.
There are various options to apply for Swiggy HDFC bank credit card-
- Go to Swiggy App > Profile Section > Swiggy HDFC Bank Credit Card
- Go to HDFC Swiggy microsite.
- Click here to apply directly on HDFC Bank’s website
Verdict
Swiggy HDFC Bank credit card is an overall great card and is really a solid offering which can give you at least 5% reward rate if you limit your usage to Swiggy and online spends. Surely there are some alternatives to this card that may be more useful like Amex MRCC credit card, Amex Gold charge card, SBI Cashback credit card and Tata Neu HDFC credit card.
What are your thoughts about the Swiggy HDFC Bank Credit Card? Feel free to share your views in the comment section below.
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