HDFC vs AU Small Finance Bank Credit Cards: Cheap Waivers and Surprise Lounge Counts

AU Small Finance Bank is small, but its fee structure is unusually cheap and its Zenith Plus lists lounge counts that rival much dearer cards. HDFC Bank is bigger in every way except at a few price points. The comparison turns on where the extra HDFC range matters to you.

Starting fees

AU Bank LIT lists no annual fee and a ₹15,000 monthly income floor. Altura costs ₹199 (waived at ₹40,000), Prathama ₹100 and Tejas ₹500. HDFC's entry range starts with the UPI RuPay card at ₹99 (waived at ₹25,000) and Pixel Go at ₹250, then goes to ₹500 for MoneyBack+, Freedom, Swiggy and IRCTC. For the lowest fees AU wins, especially LIT. HDFC makes up for it with more variety at each step. Our AU LIT review covers the caps.

Online and dining rewards

HDFC Millennia costs ₹1,000 (waived at ₹1 lakh) and lists 5% online under a ₹1,000 cap. AU LIT lists 5% on dining and online, each capped at ₹500 a month, with no fee. Altura lists 4% on dining and 3% on groceries under a ₹1,000 cap. HDFC Swiggy (₹500) lists 10% on dining under a ₹1,500 cap and 5% online. Swiggy is the strongest dining card in this pair, but only for Swiggy-style spending. For an all-purpose no-fee card, LIT is hard to beat.

Lounges at the mid and upper end

AU Zenith Plus costs ₹4,999 (waived at ₹8 lakh) and lists 16 domestic and 16 international lounge visits, 0.99% forex and an ₹80,000 income floor. Zenith is ₹7,999. HDFC Regalia Gold costs ₹2,500 (waived at ₹4 lakh), with 2% forex and a ₹1,50,000 floor. Zenith Plus offers far more visits and a lower income bar. Regalia Gold is the cheaper card. If you will actually use a dozen lounge visits a year, Zenith Plus is a better fit. See the Regalia Gold review.

Where AU stops

AU has nothing at Infinia's level. HDFC Infinia (₹12,500, waived at ₹10 lakh, 3.33% base earn, 2% forex, ₹5,00,000 floor) and Diners Club Black (₹10,000, ₹2,50,000 floor) have no AU counterpart. If you qualify for them, the choice is already made. The HDFC Infinia review covers what the fee buys.

RuPay, UPI and forex

HDFC has the UPI RuPay card (₹99), Pixel Go (₹250), Pixel Play (₹500, with 5% on dining and groceries under a ₹500 cap), PhonePe Uno and Ultimo, and IRCTC. AU has LIT, CheQ AU and InstaPay. HDFC's RuPay range is larger. See the HDFC Pixel Play review.

AU lists 3.49% on most cards, 1.99% on a couple, and 0.99% on Zenith Plus and NOMO. HDFC lists 3.5% on entry cards and 2% on Infinia, Diners Black and Regalia Gold. For overseas use at a mid-range fee, Zenith Plus is the cheapest option in this pair.

Decision rules

First card, tight budget: AU LIT. Online shopping with a cap you can track: HDFC Millennia. Food delivery and dining: HDFC Swiggy. Regular lounge user at a mid fee: AU Zenith Plus. Low-fee lounge access for occasional use: HDFC Regalia Gold. Highest earner: HDFC Infinia.

Guides and a first-card primer

The HDFC credit cards guide and AU Bank credit cards guide list every card. If you are still weighing a first card, choosing your first credit card is a useful companion.