HDFC Bank Credit Card Reward Points, Lounge Access

I recently got a comment from a reader named Priyabrata, long one to be on comment section, hence thought of making it as a separate post for everyone’s reference. Here we go:

Hi ajeet,
Many many thanks to you for helping the persons by your knowledge. I also have some queries. Please keep patient to read it.
1: Starting from 2012, I used HDFC platinum plus credit card (having corporate salary account with HDFC bank) & gathered some points. Later last year I have online upgraded this card with HDFC visa Allmiles card. Now the bank representatives are updating my credit card this November 2016 with HDFC VISA Regalia CC. In that situation please tell me that whichever points I have gathered with my platinum plus CC & with Allmiles CC till now, will it lapse after issuing the regalia card or it will continue lifelong until I redeem the points. Bank customer care is telling that only 40% of accumulated points will transfer to Regalia card & from November 2016 the regalia point value will decrease from .75 paisa to .60 paisa. Is it correct?

Answer: Points gets transferred from card to card during upgrade and usually this % of loss in points conversion is taken care of by itself as upgraded card usually has higher value per point. Usually the loss in this conversion is very less. Just do the math before you upgrade your card.

2: With my HDFC Regalia VISA CC how many priority pass I will get ? Bank rep s are telling that they are giving me this Regalia card with life lime free & to issue that Regalia CC they are issuing one Add on credit card with my father account which is already tie up with my corporate salary account (as you know that HDFC bank offers ‘0’ balance family savings account with all corporate salary accounts). So the PP whichever will be issued with my Regalia CC would it be chargeable for annual maintenance.

Answer: Its going to be free if they say it is free. PP card or add on cards doesn’t affect this. You may cross verify by calling HDFC customer care.

3: With the help of this PP tagged with the regalia VISA CC should I be able to enter freely inside the domestic airports even when I do not have the flight ticket, with having free access of lounge(like complementary beverages/drinks, accessing the corridor, accessing the Wifi s/computers and so on…..)

Answer: Lounges are usually located in the Airside area, which means you need to pass the security to access the lounges. For this you need Flight Ticket.

4: Which will be better? HDFC VISA Regalia or HDFC Master Card Regalia. Please provide me the respective reason for choosing as better.

Answer: Mastercard has more set of lounges in India. Hence i would prefer that. Visa Signature sometimes has offers, but too less. Everything else is same.

5: I am using HDFC VISA platinum Easyshop Debit card. Do it has the free airport lounge access for domestic/international? If no, then can I get this facility if I change my Debit card as HDFC Mastercard Platinum easy shop one. Please let me know which HDFC & ICICI debit card combination with VISA/Mastercard has this free airport lounge access facility.

Answer: Please check out: 10 best debit cards with complimentary airport lounge access