Tata Neu Infinity HDFC Bank Credit Card: Is it a good credit card for UPI payments? | Mint

In December 2024, the number of UPI transactions hit an all-time high of 16.73 billion, growing 8% month-on-month. The value of the transactions was Rs. 23.25 lakh crores (US $271.96 billion). It shows how popular the UPI mode of payment is becoming among the Indian audience. What if you could combine the UPI benefits with credit card rewards? The Tata Neu Infinity HDFC Bank Credit Card allows you to do that. In this article, we will understand the features and benefits of this card, the reward rate for UPI transactions, and whether it is a good credit card for UPI payments.

UPI rewards on the Tata Neu Infinity HDFC Bank Credit Card

The Tata Neu Infinity HDFC Bank Credit Card gives a value back of up to 1.5% in the form of Neu Coins on UPI payments. The value of one Neu Coin is Rs. 1.

The percentage of Neu Coins will depend on the UPI ID used by the cardholder for the UPI transactions. The UPI transactions done using the Tata Neu UPI ID will earn 1.5% Neu Coins. The UPI transactions done using any other UPI ID will earn 0.5% Neu Coins.

UPI transactions done through the Tata Neu UPI ID

The 1.5% Neu Coins earned on a UPI transaction done using the Tata Neu UPI ID will be broken into two parts (1.0% and 0.5%) as follows. The 1% Neu Coins will be posted directly to the cardholder’s Tata Neu account. While they will be posted immediately, they will be unlocked for usage/redemption after 30 days. The balance 0.5% Neu Coins will be credited by HDFC Bank in the cardholder’s credit card account. The bank will transfer these Neu Coins to the cardholder’s Tata Neu account within seven working days of the credit card monthly statement generation.

UPI transactions done through any other UPI ID

The Tata Neu Infinity HDFC Bank Credit Card holder can use the card for UPI transactions on other apps like Google Pay, PhonePe, CRED, etc. For such transactions, the cardholder will earn 0.5% Neu Coins. HDFC Bank will credit these Neu Coins to the cardholder’s credit card account. The Neu Coins will be transferred to the cardholder’s Tata Neu account within seven working days of the credit card monthly statement generation.

The maximum Neu Coins that can be earned on UPI transactions are capped at 500 Neu Coins per calendar month.

Rewards on other transactions

In the earlier section, we saw how the Tata Neu Infinity HDFC Bank Credit Card holders can get up to 1.5% Neu Coins on UPI transactions. Now, let us understand the rewards that can be earned on other transactions. The cardholder can get 5% Neu Coins on non-EMI spends on the Tata Neu App and partner Tata brands. The list of eligible Tata brands includes BigBasket, Tata 1MG, Croma, Air India Express, Tata Cliq, IHCL, Westside, Qmin, Tata Play, Cult, Tata Pay, Titan, Tanishq, food delivery, and Air India. The list gets updated from time to time.

The cardholder gets 1.5% Neu Coins on non-Tata brand spends, and any merchant EMI spends. Utility bills paid with the card through Tata Pay (in the Tata Neu App) earn 5% Neu Coins.

Combining card benefits with NeuPass benefits to earn 10% rewards

The NeuPass is the Tata Group’s loyalty program. To participate, you must download the Tata Neu App and register (free). It allows you to earn up to 5% Neu Coins on Tata brands for orders placed through the Tata Neu App. For example, depending on your NeuPass membership tier, you can earn up to 5% Neu Coins on BigBasket orders placed through the Tata Neu App. When you pay for the order through the Tata Neu Infinity HDFC Bank Credit Card, you can earn an additional 5% Neu Coins. Thus, you can earn up to 10% Neu Coins by combining the credit card benefits with the NeuPass benefits.

Instant discounts on the card

From time to time, HDFC Bank announces 10% instant discount offers using the Tata Neu Infinity HDFC Bank Credit Card on specified Tata brands. For example, sometimes there is a 10% instant discount on BigBasket. During such offers, you can get up to 20% benefit as follows:

1. 10% instant discount on the credit card +
2. 5% Neu Coins on the credit card +
3. 5% Neu Coins for placing the order through the Tata Neu App

Similarly, from time to time, there are other instant discount offers on various Tata brands like Air India, IHCL, Tata Cliq, Tata 1MG, etc. Thus, by clubbing the instant discount on the card, Neu Coins benefit on the card, and Neu Coins benefit on the NeuPass, you can get good value on your purchases.

Exclusions and limitations:Specific categories don’t earn Neu Coins. These include rent, Government related transactions, fuel spends, wallet loads, gift card purchases, etc. Neu Coins earned on grocery, utilities, telecom & cable transactions are capped at 2,000/month for each category. Education payments made through any third-party apps will not earn any Neu Coins.

Lounge benefit:The card provides eight complimentary domestic airport lounge access per calendar year (two in a quarter). The card provides four complimentary international airport lounge access per calendar year (one in a quarter).

Neu Coins redemption:The value of one Neu Coin is Rupees one. The Neu Coins can be redeemed within the Tata Neu App for purchases of Tata brands like Bigbasket, Croma, Air India Express, Westside, Tata Cliq, IHCL, Tata 1MG, Qmin, Titan, Tanishq, etc. The Neu Coins can also be redeemed at some offline stores like Tanishq, Croma, IHCL Hotels, etc.

Fees and eligibility criteria:The card has a joining and annual renewal fee of Rs. 1,499 + GST. On payment of the first year fee, the cardholder gets a welcome benefit of 1,499 Neu Coins on doing the 1st transaction within 30 days of card issuance.

The annual renewal fee is waived on spending Rs. 3 lakhs in the previous year.

To apply for the card, a salaried individual should have a net monthly income above Rs. 1 lakh. A self-employed individual should have an annual Income Tax Return (ITR) of above Rs. 12 lakhs.

Should you apply for this card for UPI payments?

The Tata Neu Infinity HDFC Bank Credit Card gives up to 1.5% Neu Coins for UPI spends. There are some other RuPay credit cards in the market that offer a reward rate higher than 1.5%. You need to evaluate your preference for shopping brands. Do you make frequent purchases from Tata brands like Bigbasket, 1MG, Croma, Westside, Air India, Tanishq, etc.? If yes, you may consider going for the Tata Neu Infinity HDFC Bank Credit Card. It will give you good benefits on purchases from Tata brands along with up to 1.5% benefit on UPI transactions. Thus, the card can be a one-stop solution for all your shopping requirements.

Gopal Gidwani is a freelance personal finance content writer with 15+ years of experience. He can be reached at LinkedIn.