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HDFC IRCTC
HDFC IRCTC is a low-cost RuPay co-brand card purpose-built for frequent train travelers — it earns 5% back on IRCTC ticket bookings, waives the usual IRCTC transaction charge, and throws in complimentary railway lounge access, all for a ₹500 fee waived on modest annual spend. Value drops off quickly once you look beyond train travel, so it works best as a specialist companion card rather than a primary one.
Annual fee
₹500
Joining fee
₹500
Reward type
cashback
Base reward rate
1%
Card network
RuPay
Card tier
Entry
Who this card fits
Best suited to applicants who clear the standard eligibility bar whose spend is concentrated in travel. Its annual fee waives if you can comfortably clear the spend threshold.
Rewards & benefits
- Rewards rate: 1% base rate
- Travel: 1% IRCTC transaction charge waiver on train ticket bookings, plus 5% SmartBuy cashback on train bookings
- Domestic lounge access: 8 complimentary IRCTC executive railway lounge visits per year at participating stations
Benefits by category
- ✈️ Travel
5% reward rate (capped ₹1,000/monthly) · 8 complimentary IRCTC executive railway lounge visits per year, usable at participating stations while waiting for trains
- 🌍 Forex / international spend
3.5% forex markup on international transactions
Eligibility
- Employment: salaried, self-employed
- Age: 21–60
Fees & charges
- Spend-based waiver: Waived on annual spend of ₹1,50,000
- Rewards redemption fee: Cashback is auto-credited as statement credit at no charge
- Foreign currency markup: 3.5%
- Interest rate: 43.2% p.a.
- Fuel surcharge waiver: 1% fuel surcharge waived on transactions between ₹400 and ₹1,00,000, capped at ₹250 per statement cycle
- Cash advance charges: 2.5% of the withdrawn amount or ₹500, whichever is higher; interest accrues from the date of withdrawal with no interest-free period
Benefits
- ₹500 Amazon voucher credited on card activation and completion of the first transaction within 30 days of issuance
- 8 complimentary IRCTC executive railway lounge visits per year, usable at participating stations while waiting for trains
- 1% transaction charge waiver on IRCTC website/app bookings, stacked with an extra 5% SmartBuy cashback on train ticket bookings, capped at ₹1,000 per month
- ₹500 gift voucher every calendar quarter on spends of ₹30,000 or more
Pros
- + 5% effective reward rate on IRCTC train ticket bookings via SmartBuy
- + 1% IRCTC transaction charge waiver removes a fee most other cards don't address
- + 8 complimentary railway executive lounge visits a year for a more comfortable wait at the station
- + Low, easily-waived ₹500 annual fee
- + No minimum credit score explicitly required, making approval more accessible for many applicants
Cons
- − Base reward rate on non-IRCTC, non-travel spend is a weak 1%
- − RuPay-only network has narrower acceptance for international transactions
- − Reward earning on train bookings is capped at ₹1,000/month, limiting value for very frequent travelers
Best for
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