HDFC vs IDFC FIRST Credit Cards: Who Charges You More to Hold the Same Rewards

HDFC Bank charges ₹500 to ₹1,000 for most of its everyday cards and lists forex markups of 2% to 3.5%. IDFC FIRST lists a 0% forex markup on every card and no annual fee on many of them. Reward rates are similar enough that those two cost lines decide a lot of this comparison, until you reach HDFC's very top cards.

What you pay to keep the card

HDFC Millennia costs ₹1,000 (waived at ₹1 lakh), MoneyBack+ and Freedom ₹500, and Swiggy ₹500 with a ₹2 lakh waiver. The cheapest are Pixel Go at ₹250 and the UPI RuPay card at ₹99. IDFC FIRST Millennia, Classic, WOW and Select list no annual fee at all, though Select asks for a ₹1,00,000 monthly income. Each HDFC waiver is reachable for regular spenders, but IDFC FIRST has no condition to track. For a low-maintenance card, IDFC FIRST leads.

Cashback and everyday earn

HDFC Millennia lists 5% online up to ₹1,000 a month, which makes it an online-shopping card with a visible cap. See the HDFC Millennia review. IDFC FIRST Millennia lists base earn of 0.375% with 1.25% on dining and travel, and IDFC FIRST Classic lists 3% on dining and 2% online. Hello Cashback at ₹1,000 lists 5% online. HDFC's Swiggy card lists 10% on dining under a ₹1,500 monthly cap. Read the HDFC Swiggy review if you order often. If online shopping is your main spend, HDFC Millennia and Hello Cashback are comparable; HDFC Swiggy wins for food delivery.

Travel and the Regalia Gold question

HDFC Regalia Gold costs ₹2,500 (waived at ₹4 lakh) with 2% forex, 2.5% on travel and a ₹1,50,000 income floor. IDFC FIRST Select is free to hold, lists 4% on dining and travel, 0% forex and a ₹1,00,000 floor. The two have detailed head-to-heads: IDFC FIRST Select vs HDFC Regalia Gold. Select looks like the better value on cost alone, though Regalia Gold's ecosystem of partner redemptions is harder to put a number on. Our Regalia Gold review covers redemption.

Fuel cards

HDFC IndianOil costs ₹500 (waived at ₹50,000) and lists 5% on fuel capped at ₹250 a month, with a ₹12,000 income floor. IDFC FIRST Power+ costs ₹499 (waived at ₹1.5 lakh) and lists 6.5% on fuel, with a ₹25,000 floor. Power is ₹199 and lists 2.5% on fuel capped at ₹1,000 a month. HDFC's card suits very low incomes and IndianOil pumps. IDFC's Power+ has the higher rate. Neither is a large saving.

Super-premium cards

HDFC Infinia is ₹12,500 (waived at ₹10 lakh), lists 3.33% base earn, 2% forex and a ₹5,00,000 floor. Diners Club Black is ₹10,000 (waived at ₹8 lakh) with a ₹2,50,000 floor. IDFC FIRST Wealth lists no annual fee and a ₹3,00,000 floor, Mayura ₹5,999, Gaj ₹12,500 with 3% base earn, and Private ₹25,000. HDFC's top cards are the more famous pair; IDFC FIRST's Gaj competes on the same fee with a lower income floor and 0% forex. Compare with the HDFC Infinia review and the IDFC FIRST Wealth review. Wealth at zero fee is the surprise value pick if you can meet the income bar.

Choosing by spend profile

Light spender who wants no fee: IDFC FIRST Classic or Millennia. Online shopper who tracks caps: HDFC Millennia. Swiggy regular: HDFC Swiggy. Mid-income traveller: IDFC FIRST Select first, Regalia Gold if you already use HDFC redemptions. Very high spender: Infinia for its redemption range, Gaj or Wealth if you would rather pay little or no fee. Frequent overseas spender: IDFC FIRST on forex alone.

Full guides and one more HDFC comparison

Read the HDFC credit cards guide and the IDFC FIRST Bank credit cards guide. For HDFC against another private lender, see HDFC vs ICICI credit cards.