Federal Bank vs HDFC Credit Cards: Free Fintech Co-Brands Against the Full Premium Ladder

Federal Bank gets noticed for cards it issues with fintech partners, namely Scapia, OneCard and Jupiter, and most of them charge no fee at all. HDFC Bank runs a far longer ladder that climbs from a ₹99 UPI RuPay card to the ₹12,500 Infinia. One side wins on price, the other on depth.

Lifetime-free travel cards

Federal's Scapia card is the headline act. It has no joining or annual fee, a 2% base reward, 4% on travel and a zero forex markup. Unlimited domestic lounge access switches on at ₹5,000 of monthly spend, and the income floor is ₹25,000. Our Federal Bank Scapia review goes through how the rewards work. The step up, Scapia Plus, costs ₹1,499 a year (waived at ₹3,00,000), earns 3% base and 15% on travel with zero forex, and expects ₹60,000 monthly income.

HDFC has nothing free with zero forex. Its entry cards, such as the Millennia at ₹1,000, carry a 3.5% forex markup. For a traveller who books abroad and wants no markup without paying a premium fee, Federal is the answer.

Everyday cashback

HDFC Millennia pays 5% on online shopping, capped at ₹1,000 a month, with a 1% base, a ₹1,000 fee and a ₹1,00,000 waiver. Our Millennia review has the details. HDFC also has Swiggy at ₹500, with 10% in its dining category capped at ₹1,500 a month, and several RuPay cards: UPI RuPay at ₹99, Pixel Go at ₹250 and Pixel Play at ₹500.

Federal's equivalents are the OneCard Metal (no fee, 1.5% base, 5% online and dining, 1% forex) and OneCard (no fee, 1% base, 5% online and dining). Both have lower fees and zero-fee earning, but neither has a lounge perk beyond the Metal's conditional visits. HDFC wins on the sheer range of niche cards, Federal on cost.

Mid-premium and lounges

Federal's Celesta (Visa or Mastercard) has no fee, a 1% base, 3% on travel and 2% on dining, a 2% forex markup, 2 domestic lounge visits per quarter on ₹60,000 of quarterly spend, and 2 international visits a year with no spend condition. That is a lot for a free card.

HDFC's Regalia Gold costs ₹2,500 a year, waived at ₹4,00,000. It earns 1.25% base, 2.5% on travel, and gives 3 domestic lounge visits a quarter (gated behind ₹60,000 of prior-quarter spend) plus 6 international visits a year. The income floor is ₹1,50,000 a month. See our Regalia Gold review. On the number of international lounge visits and the points value, Regalia Gold is stronger; on price, Celesta is unbeatable. Neither is ahead overall, so the choice depends on whether you will meet the Regalia's income bar.

Super-premium

Federal has no card in this tier. HDFC Infinia charges ₹12,500 a year with a 3.33% base rate, 16.65% on travel, unlimited lounge access and a ₹10,00,000 waiver. The Diners Club Black charges ₹10,000, pays 6.66% on dining and has a ₹8,00,000 waiver. If you spend in this bracket, HDFC is the only one of the two in the running.

Who should pick which

New to credit with a ₹25,000 salary: Federal's Scapia or OneCard gives a free start with real rewards. Occasional international traveller who wants zero forex: Scapia or Scapia Plus. Salaried at ₹1,50,000 or above with regular flights: HDFC Regalia Gold. Spending at the Infinia scale: HDFC alone. Many people hold a Federal co-brand for travel and an HDFC card for online spend.

Keep reading

The full card-by-card detail is in the Federal Bank guide and the HDFC guide. For another look at where Federal's free cards stack up, try Federal Bank vs SBI Card.