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DCB HDFC Diners Club Black Metal Credit Card

ashwin101

TF Buzz
I have a Regalia First with 5.8L limit, have asked for DCB Metal.

Hopefully it goes through 🤞.

RM said that first 3 months if I spend 1.5L, card will be free for the first year.
Second year onwards 10,000 + GST.

My goal is to spend >8L in 6 months and then try to apply for Infinia paid.

I have a backup card (IDFC Wealth) in places where Diners is not accepted.
I sort of raised the point of DCB's acceptability internationally, my RM was nice enough to offer me Infinia.
Took it without a second thought.
 

s4more

TF Select
I had recently upgraded from Regalia LTF to Regalia Gold FYF and spent 2.5L in 3 months. Emailed grievance redressal to consider making it LTF or upgrade to DCB. They declined for the LTF, said all upgrades are now "prized", that DCB plastic has been phased out and are offering DCB metal FYF subject to review.

If I do go ahead and get approved
I will have to switch all my spends and then stretch some to reach 8L. My avg spends are between 5 to 8L but closer to 5L.

Does the upgrade make sense?
 

dexter_greycells

TF Premier
I had recently upgraded from Regalia LTF to Regalia Gold FYF and spent 2.5L in 3 months. Emailed grievance redressal to consider making it LTF or upgrade to DCB. They declined for the LTF, said all upgrades are now "prized", that DCB plastic has been phased out and are offering DCB metal FYF subject to review.

If I do go ahead and get approved
I will have to switch all my spends and then stretch some to reach 8L. My avg spends are between 5 to 8L but closer to 5L.

Does the upgrade make sense?
I believe it certainly does despite the Rs 10k in fees + GST.
Even if you spend 5L and get just the base RPs, you'll fetch 16666 RPs.

If any of your spends fall under the categories listed here you will be earning 3X-10X RPs. Plus the 2X RPs on weekend dining at standalone restaurants and 10k bonus RPs on quarterly spends of Rs 4L.

I believe Regalia Gold LTF will be offering half those benefits. It's base RPs are 2.67% and those RPs are worth half in rupees on SmartBuy unlike DCB where there is 1:1 parity. So, the base reward rate is actually 1.33% at best.

I personally do not like to argue or use card cancellation threats as a means to get an upgrade or LTF. I believe in paying a fair price if the service being offered is good enough. Comparing your situation to that one person on the internet who got a better deal than the one being offered to you is a recipe for disappointment.
 

SHUB11

TF Buzz
I have recently got an offer for an upgrade from paid DCB plastic to paid DCB Metal. I am not sure if I should take the offer or not. Right now I am meeting the fee waiver criteria of 5 lacs for plastic and I am not sure that I will meet the criteria for metal or not. I believe rest other things are favorable for the metal card.
 

dexter_greycells

TF Premier
I have recently got an offer for an upgrade from paid DCB plastic to paid DCB Metal. I am not sure if I should take the offer or not. Right now I am meeting the fee waiver criteria of 5 lacs for plastic and I am not sure that I will meet the criteria for metal or not. I believe rest other things are favorable for the metal card.
Metal's fee waiver criteria is 8L.
Metal has a quarterly milestone reward of 10k RPs on spends of 4L. Plastic has a monthly milestone of 1k vouchers (BMS, Ola, Tata Cliq, Cult Fit) on spends of 80k. If you are not sure about meeting the Metal fee waiver criteria of 8L annually, it is highly unlikely you are the type that spends 4L in a quarter. So, that is a double loss for you i.e. a) having to pay annual fees b) missing out on quarterly milestone benefits. Stick to DCB Plastic in my opinion. Yes, most of TF craves an Infinia but not everyone's spends suit it.
 
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SHUB11

TF Buzz
Metal's fee waiver criteria is 8L.
Metal has a quarterly milestone reward of 10k RPs on spends of 4L. Plastic has a monthly milestone of 1k vouchers (BMS, Ola, Tata Cliq, Cult Fit) on spends of 80k. If you are not sure about meeting the Metal fee waiver criteria of 8L annually, it is highly unlikely you are the type that spends 4L in a quarter. So, that is a double loss for you i.e. a) having to pay annual fees b) missing out on quarterly milestone benefits. Still to DCB Plastic in my opinion. Yes, most of TF craves an Infinia but not everyone's spends suit it.
Will this upgrade help me for Infinia upgrade in future?
 

s4more

TF Select
I believe it certainly does despite the Rs 10k in fees + GST.
Even if you spend 5L and get just the base RPs, you'll fetch 16666 RPs.

If any of your spends fall under the categories listed here you will be earning 3X-10X RPs. Plus the 2X RPs on weekend dining at standalone restaurants and 10k bonus RPs on quarterly spends of Rs 4L.

I believe Regalia Gold LTF will be offering half those benefits. It's base RPs are 2.67% and those RPs are worth half in rupees on SmartBuy unlike DCB where there is 1:1 parity. So, the base reward rate is actually 1.33% at best.

I personally do not like to argue or use card cancellation threats as a means to get an upgrade or LTF. I believe in paying a fair price if the service being offered is good enough. Comparing your situation to that one person on the internet who got a better deal than the one being offered to you is a recipe for disappointment.
To ask for an upgrade or fee waiver/LTF doesnt necessarily require arguing and threatening. You state your facts about your high spends, TRV, credit age and score etc. and expect a positive response. Feeling entitled to anything you dont end up having will always lead to disappointment.
But if you wont ask, you will never know.
 

dexter_greycells

TF Premier
To ask for an upgrade or fee waiver/LTF doesnt necessarily require arguing and threatening. You state your facts about your high spends, TRV, credit age and score etc. and expect a positive response. Feeling entitled to anything you dont end up having will always lead to disappointment.
But if you wont ask, you will never know.
Totally agree with you. I never said do not ask. Please do by all means. What I meant to say is that after you ask your RM and they say you are not eligible for so-and-so reason then please accept it and move on. It is here people argue with the facts you mentioned or cite comparisons with someone they know/have heard of or, worse, threaten to close the relationship altogether.
 

card-shard

TF Premier
VIP Lounge
I had recently upgraded from Regalia LTF to Regalia Gold FYF and spent 2.5L in 3 months. Emailed grievance redressal to consider making it LTF or upgrade to DCB. They declined for the LTF, said all upgrades are now "prized", that DCB plastic has been phased out and are offering DCB metal FYF subject to review.

If I do go ahead and get approved
I will have to switch all my spends and then stretch some to reach 8L. My avg spends are between 5 to 8L but closer to 5L.

Does the upgrade make sense?
I follow this philosophy, which I learned from the internet:
Select a CARD based on YOUR LIFESTYLE.
Don't select a LIFESTYLE based on the card.

Analyse your expenses, see which card best fits your expense (LTF/FYF/Paid), and take it.
Once your salary increases, your expenses increase, upgrade the card at that point in time.
 

Deleted member 9785

TF Ace
VIP Lounge
Metal's fee waiver criteria is 8L.
Metal has a quarterly milestone reward of 10k RPs on spends of 4L. Plastic has a monthly milestone of 1k vouchers (BMS, Ola, Tata Cliq, Cult Fit) on spends of 80k. If you are not sure about meeting the Metal fee waiver criteria of 8L annually, it is highly unlikely you are the type that spends 4L in a quarter. So, that is a double loss for you i.e. a) having to pay annual fees b) missing out on quarterly milestone benefits. Stick to DCB Plastic in my opinion. Yes, most of TF craves an Infinia but not everyone's spends suit it.
u cab get 1k voucher on 80k spend in normal LTF DCB as well
 

ashwin101

TF Buzz
I had recently upgraded from Regalia LTF to Regalia Gold FYF and spent 2.5L in 3 months. Emailed grievance redressal to consider making it LTF or upgrade to DCB. They declined for the LTF, said all upgrades are now "prized", that DCB plastic has been phased out and are offering DCB metal FYF subject to review.

If I do go ahead and get approved
I will have to switch all my spends and then stretch some to reach 8L. My avg spends are between 5 to 8L but closer to 5L.

Does the upgrade make sense?
Few of my friends have gotten converted their Regalia Gold to LTF. What I've noticed is if you get connected to the Bangalore call center, they take the request and do it.
If you get connected to the Chennai one, they do not give LTF.
Getting DCB Metal has also become pretty difficult if you have not spent >4L in the last 6 months and satisfy the salary criteria.
It all comes down to if you use smartbuy to do your flight and hotel bookings. If you do not, I personally think that the upgrade will be pointless, because most of the points that you earn will go in the renewal fee.
If unlimited lounge access is something that you want, then maybe its okay.
 

Firewing224

TF Premier
VIP Lounge
There are exceptions. I tried my DCB at the mini POS machine of Paytm (which looks like mobile phone) and it didnt work.
It also won't work on those small MSwipe machines. Basically, try using chip. It works best. Swiping / tapping has issues. Never faced acceptance issue in tier 1/2 cities where they have a POS.
 

ketz1981

TF Buzz
Got RM to get me DCB (plastic) FYF upgrade from Regalia in August. Then contacted Infinia Services in October for upgrade to Infinia Metal and got refused. Had justified upgrade by citing 14.50 lakhs spends in 12 months and poor international acceptance of DCB (Thailand and Singapore). I guess I wrote too soon...maybe I should've used DCB for 6 months. Escalated to Grievance Redressal, Priority Redressal and PNO but still got refused so I let it pass.

Last week got an automatic offer to upgrade to DCB Metal FYF and immediately accepted even though my plastic DCB fees were already waived for 2024-25 due to spends. My logic is it brings me another step closer to Infinia. I can re-coup a few grand on Smartbuy higher capping and hopefully the annual fees by hitting 4 lakhs / quarter at least once or 8 lakhs / year. As someone pointed out, it is better to not feel entitled and slowly inch closer at every opportunity.

As for the card itself, it feels solid in the hand like Infinia unlike Magnus. In fact, Magnus feels like plastic when held alongside.
 
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aceventura

TF Ace
VIP Lounge
Got RM to get me DCB (plastic) FYF upgrade from Regalia in August. Then contacted Infinia Services in October for upgrade to Infinia Metal and got refused. Had justified upgrade by citing 14.50 lakhs spends in 12 months and poor international acceptance of DCB (Thailand and Singapore). I guess I wrote too soon...maybe I should've used DCB for 6 months. Escalated to Grievance Redressal, Priority Redressal and PNO but still got refused so I let it pass.

Last week got an automatic offer to upgrade to DCB Metal FYF and immediately accepted even though my plastic DCB fees were already waived for 2024-25 due to spends. My logic is it brings me another step closer to Infinia. I can re-coup a few grand on Smartbuy higher capping and hopefully the annual fees by hitting 4 lakhs / quarter at least once or 8 lakhs / year. As someone pointed out, it is better to not feel entitled and slowly inch closer at every opportunity.

As for the card itself, it feels solid in the hand like Infinia unlike Magnus. In fact, Magnus feels like plastic when held alongside.
After every upgrade, there is a cooling period of no less than 6 months. If you had waited for couple of more months and had 8L spend in the last 6 months, you could have upgraded directly to Infinia. That said, DCB metal is also good, but it resets the cooling period.
 
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