If you’re new to the HDFC 10X Rewards program, HDFC Bank offers two main types of 10X rewards: 10X on SmartBuy and 10X at Diners Club merchant partners. The latter is available only to Diners credit cardholders.
This article outlines the updated 10X rewards for Diners Club cards and the newly added merchant partners.
HDFC ran the Diners merchant 10X promotion for several years but paused it, likely due to pandemic-related disruptions. The promotion has now returned with a refreshed set of partners and a notably higher monthly cap for Diners Black cardholders.
New partners and monthly caps
The new partner list includes:
- Ola
- Lakmé Salon
- Crocs
- cure.fit
- Dermalogica
Monthly caps on the incremental 9X rewards (per calendar month) for each Diners card are:
- Diners Black — 25,000
- Diners Privilege — 10,000
- Diners ClubMiles and Diners Premium — 5,000
- Diners Rewardz — 2,000
How useful are these partners?
Among the new names, Ola and Lakmé Salon stand out as the most likely to deliver practical value for many cardholders.
Ola remains a widely used ride-hailing service, though individual usage varies. Some travelers prefer alternate transport options to reduce exposure, so not everyone will take advantage of Ola offers.
Lakmé Salon can be valuable for those who use salon services, but its presence is largely limited to major cities. That may make it more relevant to cardholders in metros or an offering that overlaps with other card networks.
The selection could have been broader; inclusion of widely available salon chains or national brands would increase utility. Other partners such as Crocs, cure.fit and Dermalogica may appeal to specific niches but are less likely to drive broad incremental spend for many users. Dermalogica, for example, is a specialized skincare brand that won’t resonate with all cardholders.
Bottom line
It’s positive that HDFC has restored the Diners Club 10X merchant program. The return of partner offers adds meaningful value for Diners Black and other Diners cardholders, especially given the higher cap for Diners Black.
That said, the current partner list is not compelling enough to encourage large-scale shift in spending behavior for most users. Hopefully HDFC will continue to refine and expand the partner roster in coming months to include more accessible and widely used brands.
The regular 10X rewards on SmartBuy remain active across all HDFC cards.
What do you think of the new Diners 10X partners? Share your thoughts in the comments below.