As you may know, Hotels & Airline bookings along with Amazon and Flipkart shopping have been the primary ways to earn 10X rewards under the Smartbuy 10X cap. Now you can also book Trains and Buses on Smartbuy and earn 10X rewards on select HDFC Bank credit cards.
The Bus booking option was reportedly added some months ago, though I only noticed it recently. Bus travel typically involves lower ticket values for long-distance trips, so while the option exists, bus bookings may not drive large reward totals for most users.
More notable is that India’s most popular passenger transport—trains—is now available for booking through Smartbuy. This is significant: reaching the Smartbuy 10X capping becomes easier when train travel qualifies, and some cardholders may choose higher-class rail travel to maximize returns. Earning roughly 33% back on select spends can make premium options like First Class AC more attractive.
Note: The terms and conditions are the same as Smartbuy 10X as of December 2019; train and bus bookings fall under the same overall capping rather than a separate cap.
Bottomline
Smartbuy continues to expand and become more useful, but that growth also suggests the bank may adjust benefits to manage costs. Recent changes—such as removal of certain renewal benefits for premium cards and increases in fees—indicate the issuer is rebalancing rewards and costs.
Because earning 10X rewards via Smartbuy is relatively straightforward and participation among premium cardholders can be high, further changes are possible. Enjoy the current benefits while they last, and stay aware that program details may evolve.
Thanks to the readers who reported the train availability update.