M16S / HDFC Bank / HDFC Freedom Credit Card
entry · rewards
HDFC Freedom Credit Card
The HDFC Freedom Credit Card costs Rs 500 a year, waived if you spend Rs 50,000 in a year. Its base return is 0.08% (1 point per Rs 200 on other spends). Accelerated earn: 10X CashPoints on BigBasket, BookMyShow, OYO, Swiggy and Uber. The forex markup is 3.5%. It lists no airport lounge access. Read from the issuer's documents and an aggregator on 12 Oct 2026.
- Annual fee
- Rs 500+ GST
- Fee waived at
- Rs 50,000annual spend
- Base return
- 0.08%
- Forex markup
- 3.5%
- Interest
- 3.75%a month
What changed on this card
- HDFC Bank MoneyBack and Freedom move reward accrual to Rs 200, May 2026
From 15 May 2026 Reward Points accrue on spends in multiples of Rs 200 instead of Rs 150. The base rate is 2 points per Rs 200 on Moneyback and Money Back Plus and 1 point per Rs 200 on Freedom. Source: HDFC Bank, hdfc.bank.in, read 28 Oct 2026
- HDFC Bank MoneyBack and Freedom set card re-issue fee at Rs 199, May 2026
From 15 May 2026 the re-issuance fee for a lost, stolen or damaged card is Rs 199 for non-metal variants and Rs 3,500 for metal variants. Source: HDFC Bank, hdfc.bank.in, read 28 Oct 2026
- HDFC Bank adds 1.75% markup on INR spends at overseas merchants, May 2026
From 15 May 2026, a markup fee of 1.75% applies on all transactions in Indian currency at an international location, or at merchants located in India but registered overseas. Source: HDFC Bank, hdfc.bank.in, read 28 Oct 2026
- HDFC Bank adds 1% fee on wallet loads and gaming above Rs 10,000, Jul 2025
A 1% fee applies on wallet loading (excluding PayZapp) and on online skill-based gaming spends above Rs 10,000 in a calendar month. Each fee is capped at Rs 4,999 per month. Source: HDFC Bank, hdfc.bank.in, read 28 Oct 2026
- HDFC Bank stops rewards on online skill-based gaming from Jul 2025
Online skill-based gaming transactions no longer earn Reward Points or CashPoints on any HDFC Bank credit card from 1 July 2025. Source: HDFC Bank, hdfc.bank.in, read 28 Oct 2026
- HDFC Bank caps insurance reward points per month from Jul 2025
Reward Points on insurance transactions are capped at 10,000 a month for Infinia and Infinia (Metal Edition), 5,000 a month for Diners Black Metal Edition and Diners Black, and 2,000 a month for all other credit cards. Source: HDFC Bank, hdfc.bank.in, read 28 Oct 2026
- HDFC Bank caps utility and telecom Reward Points at 2,000 a month, Sep 2024
From 1 Sep 2024 Reward Points earned on utility transactions are capped at 2,000 per calendar month, and Reward Points earned on telecom transactions are capped at 2,000 per calendar month. Millennia, UPI, Swiggy, Paytm and a few other cards keep their own product feature caps. Source: HDFC Bank, hdfc.bank.in, read 28 Oct 2026
- HDFC Bank Freedom stops rewards on wallet loads and Easy EMI, Sep 2024
From 1 Sep 2024 wallet loading and Easy EMI transactions earn no Reward Points on Freedom. Utility and telecom points are capped at 2,000 each per month and third party education payments earn none. Source: HDFC Bank, hdfc.bank.in, read 28 Oct 2026
- HDFC Bank stops rewards on education paid via third party apps, Sep 2024
From 1 Sep 2024 education payments made through third party apps such as CRED, Cheq and MobiKwik earn no Reward Points, and points already earned there are reversed. Payments made directly to schools and colleges are not covered by this line. Source: HDFC Bank, hdfc.bank.in, read 28 Oct 2026
- HDFC Bank Freedom adds rent, fuel, utility, education fees, Aug 2024
From 1 Aug 2024 a 1% fee applies to rent paid through apps, to fuel above Rs 15,000 per transaction, to utilities above Rs 50,000 per transaction and to education paid through third party apps, each capped at Rs 3,000 per transaction. Redeeming rewards as statement credit costs Rs 50. Source: HDFC Bank, hdfc.bank.in, read 28 Oct 2026
Each change is read from the bank's own notice or terms document, linked above. Every card's changes are on the change log.
Fees
| Joining fee | Rs 500 |
|---|---|
| Annual fee | Rs 500 |
| Annual spend that waives the fee | Rs 50,000 |
| Fee notes | Joining/renewal Rs 500 + taxes. Renewal fee waived on spend above Rs 50,000 in the year before renewal (product page). |
Rewards
| Welcome benefit | 500 Reward Points on realisation of the joining fee |
|---|---|
| Reward currency | CashPoints |
| Base earn | 1 point per Rs 200 on other spends |
| Base return | 0.08% |
| Point value | 1 point = Rs 0.15 on SmartBuy flights/hotels and as cashback; up to Rs 0.15 product catalogue; 0.15 airmile |
| Accelerated earn | 10X CashPoints on BigBasket, BookMyShow, OYO, Swiggy and Uber |
| Caps | 10X capped at 2,500 CashPoints/month; max 15,000 per statement cycle (MITC) |
| Spends that earn nothing | No points on rent, government spends, wallet loads, EasyEMI/SmartEMI, online skill gaming, education via third-party apps (MITC); fuel; gift cards |
| Points expiry | 2 years |
| Reward notes | Redemption fee Rs 99 + GST; min 500 points for cashback (MITC). base_return_pct = 1 point per Rs 200 x Rs 0.15 = 0.075%, shown as 0.08; both figures from the product page. |
Travel and perks
| Domestic lounge | None |
|---|---|
| International lounge | None |
| Forex markupunverified | 3.5% |
| Fuel surcharge waiver | 1% on txns Rs 400-5,000, cap Rs 250 per statement cycle |
| Other freebiesunverified | Extra 10% Swiggy Dineout discount with coupon HDFCCARDS; extra CashPoints via PayZapp. The page FAQ mentions a lower interest rate for the first 90 days without a figure (aggregator: 0.99% a month) |
Charges and eligibility
| Interest per month | 3.75% |
|---|---|
| Late payment fee | On outstanding balance: up to Rs 100 nil; 101-500 Rs 100; 501-1,000 Rs 500; 1,001-5,000 Rs 600; 5,001-10,000 Rs 750; 10,001-25,000 Rs 900; 25,001-50,000 Rs 1,100; above 50,000 Rs 1,300 (MITC) |
| Cash advance fee | 2.5% of amount, min Rs 500 |
| Eligibility | Salaried: age 21-60, net monthly income above Rs 12,000. Self-employed: age 21-65, ITR above Rs 6 lakh a year |
| Fine-print notes | Base return is under 0.1%; only the five 10X merchants pay anything meaningful. Product page read 2026-10-12; network and forex markup are not on it. Bank-wide charges per MITC: 1% fee on rent payments (cap Rs 4,999/txn); 1% on utility spends above Rs 50,000/month (Rs 75,000 on business cards); 1% on wallet loads above Rs 10,000/month (PayZapp exempt); 1% on fuel spends above Rs 15,000/month (Rs 30,000 business); 1% on online skill gaming above Rs 10,000/month; 1% on education paid via third-party apps; 1% + GST on railway tickets; 1.75% markup on INR transactions at overseas merchants from 15 May 2026. Points lapse if the card is unused for 365 days. |
Questions
- What is the annual fee of the HDFC Freedom Credit Card?
- Rs 500 a year, before GST. It is waived if you spend Rs 50,000 in a year.
- Does the HDFC Freedom Credit Card give airport lounge access?
- No lounge access is listed for this card.
- What is the forex markup on the HDFC Freedom Credit Card?
- 3.5% of each foreign-currency transaction, before GST.
- Which spends earn no rewards on the HDFC Freedom Credit Card?
- No points on rent, government spends, wallet loads, EasyEMI/SmartEMI, online skill gaming, education via third-party apps (MITC); fuel; gift cards