Yes — the annual fee for one of India’s most rewarding credit cards, the HDFC Bank Diners Club Black Credit Card, is increasing. From 1st January 2020 the fee will rise from Rs. 5,000 + GST to Rs. 10,000 + GST, placing this card closer in positioning to the HDFC Infinia, which is largely invite-only.
Along with the fee change, the previous offer of 5,000 welcome bonus points on joining or renewal has been discontinued. New cardholders will receive the recently introduced membership benefits instead.
Does this change matter?
For many existing cardholders, the impact will be limited. If you can charge well above Rs. 5 lakh in annual spend on the card, the annual fee can be easily waived, so the increase won’t affect you in practice.
However, the new fee is a setback for users who cannot meet the waiver threshold, particularly households that hold multiple Diners Club Black cards. For those customers, the higher renewal cost becomes more noticeable.
That said, the fee can be justified if you maximize the card’s rewards. With 10X points on select spends and the ability to redeem points to offset fees, many frequent users will still find good value.
If you currently hold the card on a Lifetime Free basis, the change will not affect your account.
My thoughts
This increase is understandable from HDFC’s perspective. The Diners Club Black card has evolved considerably since its initial launch, adding benefits that make it more premium. Historically the card carried a Rs. 10,000 annual fee before it was reduced to Rs. 5,000; this move appears to revert the price to its earlier level, likely now that the bank has a sizable customer base for the product.
What do you think about this change? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
Thanks to Sharathkumar Anbu for sharing the update.