HDFC Diners Club Premium Credit Card: Full Review & Benefits

The HDFC Diners Club Premium credit card is positioned similarly to the Regalia card offered by HDFC Bank on the Visa/MasterCard rails, both offering roughly 1.3% value back on everyday spending. Where the Diners Club Premium stands out is in travel-related privileges. Within the Diners range it sits above the Diners Rewardz variant and below the top-tier Diners Club Black, the flagship co-branded card from Diners Club International and HDFC Bank.

HDFC Diners Club Premium Credit Card Reward points:

The Diners Club Premium card delivers a competitive reward-earning rate, comparable to the Regalia card. Key earning details are:

• 4 Reward Points for every Rs. 150 spent on retail purchases
• 1 Reward Point = Rs. 0.50 (also commonly valued as 0.50 Air Mile for applicable airline redemptions)

Reward points can be redeemed for booking air tickets and hotels across a large selection of carriers and properties, including both domestic and international options. Points can also be converted into AirMiles for supported airline partners such as Jet Airways and Singapore Airlines where applicable.

Golf Program with Diners Club Premium Credit Card:

Note: The golf benefit was discontinued following HDFC’s program changes in August 2017.

Airport lounge access:

• 6 complimentary lounge accesses worldwide per year

The complimentary lounge visits are officially offered to primary cardholders. Some add-on cardholders have reported being granted access, but that is not guaranteed and may be revoked at any time. Add-on access should be treated as intermittent rather than assured.

HDFC Diners Club Premium Credit Card Features:

• Card Expert Rating: 4/5
• Reward rate: Approximately 1.3% on regular spends; significantly higher on selected accelerated categories and promotions
• Redemption options: Points can be converted to air miles for participating airlines or redeemed for hotel and flight bookings across a wide network of partners
• Fuel surcharge waiver: Fuel surcharge is waived for transactions between Rs. 400 and Rs. 5,000 at fuel stations
• Protection: Air accident cover and overseas emergency hospitalization limits apply as per the card’s insurance terms
• Renewal fee waiver: The annual fee (Rs. 2,500) can be waived on meeting a spending threshold (for example, Rs. 3 lakh in the preceding 12 months)
• Complimentary airport lounge access: Six complimentary entries to participating lounges worldwide per calendar year
• Travel insurance: Coverage for baggage delay or loss as specified in the card’s benefits
• Foreign exchange markup fee: 2% plus applicable GST

The card is best suited to frequent travelers who value lounge access, travel protections and higher rewards on travel-related purchases. Diners Club periodically runs accelerated rewards promotions with select merchants, which can substantially boost effective rewards during promotional periods and make the card more valuable for targeted spending.

Bottom line:

The Diners Club Premium card remains a strong travel-focused option while promotional offers are active. If those promotions are not available and broader merchant acceptance is a priority, cards with wider network acceptance such as Regalia may be preferable.

Considering this card? Share your questions or experiences in the comments below.