CardAgent
Verified by CardAgent admin · last checked 08 Jul 2026
HDFC Bank

HDFC Freedom Credit Card

28
Ranked #104 of 170 in credit
creditVisa/MastercardEntry-level

Entry-level HDFC rewards card for first-time credit users, offering 10X CashPoints (~6.7% effective) on BigBasket, BookMyShow, OYO, Swiggy, and Uber, at a low Rs 500 fee easily waived at Rs 50,000 annual spend.

Score breakdown

Data completeness: 100% · Last verified: 09 Jul 2026

Reward value14/100 · weight 71%
≈ 0.72% effective on the standard basket (eligible spend only)
Wide-coverage rewards: +1.7% score bonus — earns broadly without narrow category restrictions.
No rewards on: rent. Reward score is scaled by ×(1 − 2.5%), proportional to how much of the standard basket falls in these excluded categories (v4 formula, capped at −5%). Tip: pair with a card that covers these.
Fee efficiency95/100 · weight 12%
Redemption flexibility75/100 · weight 9%
Perks1/100 · weight 9%

Fees

All fees shown base + 18% GST (India card fees legally attract GST).

Joining fee
₹500 + 18% GST
= ₹590 total
Annual fee
₹500 + 18% GST
= ₹590 / year total
Waiver: Waived on Rs 50,000 annual spend in previous year
Forex markup
3.5%

Lounge access

Domestic (per year)
0
International (per year)
0

Reward structure

CategoryTypeRateCapNotes
groceriespoints2.50%(10 pts @ ₹0.25)₹1,500 / monthly10X CashPoints on BigBasket, BookMyShow, OYO, Swiggy and Uber
online_shoppingpoints1.00%(6.7 pts @ ₹0.15)₹2,500 / monthly10X CashPoints on BigBasket, BookMyShow, OYO, Swiggy, Uber; capped 2,500 points/month (~Rs 375 max value/month)
all_spendspoints0.10%(0.67 pts @ ₹0.15)—1 CashPoint per Rs 150 spent = 0.67% nominal, ~0.1% actual redemption value

Welcome offer

500 CashPoints on joining fee payment; Amazon Gift Voucher on completing online (staff-unassisted) journey + spending min Rs 500 within 14 days

Milestone benefits

Pros

  • Very low Rs 500 fee with easy Rs 50,000 spend waiver, strong 10X CashPoints on BigBasket/BookMyShow/OYO/Swiggy/Uber (~6.7% effective), good entry card for first-time credit users, up to 15-20% Swiggy Dineout discounts

Cons

  • Low CashPoint redemption value (Re 0.15/point vs Re 0.20+ on comparable cards like MoneyBack+/SimplyCLICK), no lounge access at all, 10X category capped at 2,500 points/month, no rewards on fuel/EMI/rent/wallet/govt transactions

What's inside

More benefits

  • Swiggy Dineout discount

    ₹0

    Up to 15% off at 2,000+ premium restaurants

    unlimited.

Insurance cover

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₹NaN

Eligibility

text
Salaried: age 21-60, monthly income Rs 12,000+; Self-employed: age 21-65, ITR Rs 6 lakh+/year

Small print

Fuel surcharge:1% fuel surcharge waiver on Rs 400-5,000 transactions, capped Rs 250/statement cycle; no CashPoints on fuel