Swiping your HDFC card for rent or wallets? New charges kick in soon

HDFC credit card users face new charges on rent, wallets, gaming, and utilities from July 1, with tighter reward caps and GST on fees.

HDFC Bank has announced significant changes to its credit card terms, effective July 1, 2025. The revised rules bring new charges on certain transactions and tighter caps on reward points, a move that will impact regular users of rent payment apps, digital wallets, online gaming, and utilities.

 

Here's a simple breakdown of the key updates:

 

1. Charges on online skill-based gaming

Users spending on apps like Dream11, MPL, RummyCulture, or Junglee Games will now face extra costs.

 

·  A 1 per cent charge will be levied if monthly spending on such platforms exceeds Rs 10,000.

 

·  This fee will apply to the entire amount and will be capped at Rs 4,999 per month.

 

·  No reward points will be given for these transactions.

 

2. Wallet loading to attract charges

Adding money to third-party wallets such as Paytm, Freecharge, Ola Money, or Mobikwik using an HDFC credit card will come at a cost.

 

·  A 1 per cent fee will apply on monthly loads exceeding Rs 10,000.

 

·  The charge applies to the full amount, capped at Rs 4,999/month.

 

3. Utility bills over Rs 50,000 to be charged

High utility bill payers will also feel the heat.

 

·  If you spend more than Rs 50,000 per month on utilities, you’ll incur a 1 per cent fee on the entire utility spend.

 

·  Capped at Rs 4,999/month.

 

·  Insurance payments are excluded from this category.

 

4. Rent, fuel, and education charges cap revised

While the 1 per cent charge on rent, high-value fuel, and education transactions remains, HDFC has now placed a maximum limit of Rs 4,999 per transaction on these charges.

 

·  Applies to all rent payments

 

·  For fuel, only if a single transaction is over Rs 15,000

 

·  For education, only if paid via third-party apps, direct school/college payments are exempt.

 

5. Reward points for insurance now capped

HDFC credit cardholders will continue to earn reward points on insurance premiums, but only up to 2,000 points per month.

 

All above charges will attract GST as per government rules.

 

What should cardholders do?

 

·  Review monthly spending habits across rent, gaming, wallets, and utilities.

 

·  Avoid using credit cards for large payments in these categories if possible.

 

·  Use direct portals for education and insurance to avoid extra costs.