HDFC Financial institution just lately introduced modifications to 3 of its mass market premium bank cards: BizPower, Diners Membership Privilege, and most significantly Regalia Gold on account of its sheer quantity of lively bank cards in circulation.
These modifications take impact between Could and July 2026. Right here’s the whole lot you must know:
Modifications to Lounge Entry
Regalia Gold cardholders will get 3 home lounge visits per quarter (as an alternative of 12/Yr), provided that you spend at the least ₹60,000 within the earlier quarter. The excellent news is that the 6 worldwide lounge visits per yr (through Precedence Go) stay unchanged with no spend requirement.
BizPower cardholders will get 2 home lounge visits per quarter (as an alternative of 16/Yr). There’s no minimal spend wanted, however the whole variety of visits is halved and restricted per quarter.
Diners Membership Privilege cardholders will get 3 lounge visits per quarter (2 home + 1 worldwide), however once more, provided that they spend ₹60,000 or extra within the earlier quarter. The primary qualifying quarter for spend is April–June 2026.
It’s actually good in a manner that HDFC Financial institution is doing its bit to cut back the stress on busy lounges.
Various Playing cards
As lounge entry profit is primarily hit, listed below are a number of the alternate options when you’re a frequent traveller and wish rather more entry per yr:
At this level, the HDFC Marriott Bonvoy Card (12 entry/Yr) is without doubt one of the most suitable choice inside HDFC on this phase, for many who need seamless lounge entry.
Past HDFC, there are certainly very many playing cards to select from, with Scapia Credit score Card being top-of-the-line that provides Limitless Lounge Entry (spend standards: 20,000 INR/m), comes as a Lifetime Free Card.
Boarding Edge on Regalia Gold
That is the brand new addition. After any flight, Regalia Gold holders can add their boarding move and select any two of those free advantages (per quarter) within the “arrival” metropolis:
- a complimentary spa session (at companion wellness centres),
- a free Uber airport switch (price ₹750),
- a complimentary buffet at collaborating inns/eating places, or
- a free room improve at ITC Lodges properties for one night time.
Lodge companions embody ITC’s Luxurious Assortment, Welcomhotel, Storii, Mementoes, and Fortune manufacturers. These perks are along with lounge entry, not a alternative.
Modifications to Reward Charge
Beginning Could 15, 2026, BizPower and Regalia Gold cardholders will see a change in how reward factors are earned.
The present fee of 4 factors per ₹150 spent is being revised to five factors per ₹200 spent. That drops the reward fee from 1.33% to 1.25% which is okay.
Moreover, BizPower is introducing a cap on tax-related transactions: you’ll solely earn reward factors on the primary 2 Earnings Tax and first 2 GST transactions per billing cycle. Something past that earns nothing. That is aimed toward stopping misuse by individuals who had been operating massive tax funds by way of the cardboard primarily to rack up factors.
What’s taking place?
One of many key causes for the unique HDFC Regalia to get devalued was that the financial institution might now not deal with the huge lounge entry utilization on the cardboard.
Resolution? Launch Regalia “Gold” and let folks transfer over in the event that they needed higher advantages.
Downside? Plenty of them moved, many as free upgrades.
So the necessity to devalue cropped up once more, however this time, the financial institution determined to devalue the cardboard together with different playing cards within the phase with out launching an alternate product.
And on the identical time, it tightened entry to the Infinia, leaving no manner out for many cardholders on the lookout for a Visa/Mastercard various inside HDFC.
My Ideas
On Lounge Entry: Of all of the modifications, what I dislike most is the quarterly spend requirement and restrict for lounge entry. Whereas it is smart from the financial institution’s perspective, it takes away the psychological peace of merely strolling right into a lounge with no second thought.
As an alternative, it might have been much better if the financial institution supplied an alternate yearly spend requirement, say, spend ₹4 lakh per yr and get 8 lounge visits for the yr.
That may save folks from doing pointless calculations each quarter, which is the least you’d count on in a premium phase card.
On Boarding Edge: Whereas it’s good to have new advantages, I believe they may have completed it higher. For instance, the Uber profit is beneficial, however the whole lot else feels fairly non-essential.
Alternatively, including a Scapia like airport restaurant or procuring profit would have been 10X extra worthwhile to cardholders.
General: I really feel that is going to hit the “Regalia” model, a model they constructed over a decade. Earlier than it will get worse, it might be good in the event that they do one thing about it, so those that want lounge entry on Visa/Mastercard don’t find yourself transferring elsewhere.
Bottomline
HDFC Regalia Gold, amongst different playing cards, has primarily misplaced its USP of seamless home lounge entry profit. On the identical time, they’ve added few advantages to make you’re feeling higher.
That mentioned, it’s nonetheless a stable card, you may switch factors to airline and lodge miles for glorious return on spend, particularly with companions like Accor, which has grow to be much more related after the current removing of Accor from Axis.
Should you already use these playing cards usually, you’ll not really feel the ache. However when you’ve been holding the cardboard largely free of charge lounge visits with out a lot spends, it’s time to rethink your technique.
What do you concentrate on the current modifications to HDFC Regalia Gold and different playing cards? Be at liberty to share your ideas within the feedback under.