HDFC Bank INFINIA Credit Card Metal Edition vs HSBC Premier Credit Card
Last verified 20 Oct 2026 · how we compare
Side by side
| Feature | HDFC Bank INFINIA Credit Card Metal Edition | HSBC Premier Credit Card |
|---|---|---|
| Issuer | HDFC Bank | HSBC |
| Joining fee | ₹12,500 | ₹12,000 |
| Annual fee | ₹12,500 | ₹20,000 |
| Fee waiver | Renewal fee waived if you spend ₹10 lakh or more in the 12 months before your renewal date. Paying the joining fee, and each renewal fee, earns 12,500 reward points (worth ₹12,500 on HDFC SmartBuy flights and hotels). No joining fee waiver is offered. | The ₹20,000 annual fee is waived every year while you remain a qualified HSBC Premier customer in India; if you stop meeting the Premier criteria, the ₹20,000 fee applies. The ₹12,000 joining fee is charged once you activate the card and is not waived. Add-on cards are free. |
| Everyday spends (value back) | 3.33% | 3% |
| Online shopping (value back) | 3.33% | 3% |
| Fuel (value back) | 0% | 0% |
| Groceries (value back) | 3.33% | 3% |
| Travel (value back) | 3.33% | 3% |
| Bills and utilities (value back) | 3.33% | 3% |
| Dining and food delivery (value back) | 3.33% | 3% |
| Rewards in short | 5 reward points per ₹150: about 3.3% back if you use the points for flights and hotels on HDFC SmartBuy (₹1 a point), or up to 1% as statement credit (up to ₹0.30 a point). Up to 10 times the points on travel and shopping through SmartBuy, within 15,000 bonus points a month. Fuel, rent, wallet loads and government payments earn nothing. | 3 reward points per ₹100, and HSBC values a point at ₹1 when you redeem it for Apple products or for flights and hotels on its Travel with Points portal, so about 3% back. Points also move 1:1 to 11 airline programmes (including Air India, Singapore Airlines and British Airways) and 4 hotel programmes, and never expire; gift cards and merchandise are priced in HSBC's app. Bookings made through the portal earn more (up to 36 points per ₹100 on hotels). New cards issued by 31 Dec 2026 get 20,000 bonus points on the first purchase within 30 days. Fuel earns nothing, and utility bills, insurance, rent, wallet loads and similar payments earn only on the first ₹1 lakh a month combined. |
| Works on UPI | No | No |
| Airport lounge | Unlimited lounge visits in India by swiping the card and unlimited visits abroad through Priority Pass, for the primary cardholder and each add-on cardholder, with no spend condition. Add-on cardholders need their own Priority Pass abroad, and guests pay $27 plus GST a visit. | Unlimited airport lounge visits in India (Mastercard's lounge programme, at listed lounges) and abroad (LoungeKey, over 1,400 lounges) for the primary and add-on cardholders, plus 8 free guest visits a year at overseas lounges for the primary cardholder only. HSBC publishes no spend condition. |
| Forex markup | 2% | 0.99% |
| Fuel surcharge waiver | 1% waiver on fuel transactions of ₹400 to ₹1 lakh, capped at ₹1,000 per statement cycle. Fuel earns no points, and HDFC Bank charges a 1% fee on single fuel transactions above ₹15,000. | 1% fuel surcharge waived on fuel payments of ₹400 to ₹4,000, with no monthly cap; waived payments earn no points. |
| Card network | Not published by the bank | Mastercard |
| Minimum income (salaried) | Not published by the bank | Not published by the bank |
Value back is the % of spend you get at the bank's published redemption value. “–” means the bank doesn't publish it. Fees exclude GST.
Which one to pick
Pick the HDFC Bank INFINIA Credit Card Metal Edition if
HDFC Bank has invited you and you'll redeem points for flights and hotels on SmartBuy
₹12,500 joining, ₹12,500 a year
Pick the HSBC Premier Credit Card if
you're an HSBC Premier customer, spend a lot abroad, or want points that move 1:1 to airlines and never expire
₹12,000 joining, ₹20,000 a year
CreditParakh is not a bank or lender. Approval, limits and final terms are decided by the issuer.
Questions people ask
Can I apply for HDFC Infinia or HSBC Premier?
Not in the usual way. Infinia is by invitation only: HDFC Bank picks customers, tells them if they qualify and publishes no income or age criteria. The HSBC Premier card is only for HSBC Premier banking customers in India, who apply at a branch or through Premier PhoneBanking; there's no online application. Premier status needs one of: a quarterly relationship balance of ₹50 lakh (₹40 lakh for Premier accounts opened before 1 Jan 2026), a net salary of ₹3 lakh a month paid into an HSBC salary account, or an HSBC home loan of ₹1.15 crore plus the ₹50 lakh balance within 12 months. You must be 18 to 65 and live in one of HSBC's 21 listed cities.
Which earns more, Infinia or HSBC Premier?
On the values each bank publishes, Infinia, slightly: 5 points per ₹150 at ₹1 a point on SmartBuy flights and hotels is about 3.3%, against Premier's 3 points per ₹100 at ₹1 a point on Apple products or HSBC's Travel with Points portal, 3%. Premier points also move 1:1 to 11 airline and 4 hotel programmes and never expire. Premier earns on rent, utility bills, insurance and wallet loads up to ₹1 lakh a month combined; Infinia earns nothing on rent and caps utility and telecom bills at 2,000 points a month each.
What do they cost?
Infinia costs ₹12,500 a year, gives 12,500 points each time the fee is paid, and waives the renewal fee at ₹10 lakh of spend in the year before renewal. Keeping it needs ₹18 lakh of card spend a financial year or ₹50 lakh of balances with HDFC Bank. HSBC Premier charges a one-time ₹12,000 joining fee; its ₹20,000 annual fee is waived every year while you stay a qualified Premier customer. New Premier cards issued by 31 Dec 2026 get 20,000 bonus points on the first purchase within 30 days.
Which is better for spending abroad?
HSBC Premier: its forex markup is 0.99%, against Infinia's 2%. Both give unlimited lounge visits abroad with no spend condition. Premier also includes 8 free guest visits a year at overseas lounges for the primary cardholder, while Infinia guests pay $27 plus GST a visit.
Full details: HDFC Bank INFINIA Credit Card Metal Edition · HSBC Premier Credit Card · find the card that fits your spending
Last verified 20 Oct 2026 on each issuer's official page. Fees and rewards change; check the issuer's terms before you apply.