HDFC Regalia/Millennia/Regalia First Lounge Access Update

[bhavyegoel]

Important update on Lounge Access via HDFC Credit Cards from December 1st, 2023.
HDFC Regalia First

1. Effective December 1st, 2023, Complimentary lounge access at lounges within and outside India can no longer be availed on Regalia First Card.

HDFC Millennia

1. To Access Domestic Lounges you need to spend Rs 1 lac in a quarter.
2. The number of domestic lounge visits on HDFC Millennia reduced to 1 from 2 per quarter

HDFC Regalia

1. To Access Domestic Lounges you need to spend Rs 1 lac in a quarter.
2. No condition is applicable for International Lounge access using PP issued with HDFC Regalia

HDFC Regalia Gold

1. No changes were made.

Looks like another attempt by HDFC Bank to pocket annual fees by making people upgrade to Regalia Gold who are holding LTF HDFC Regalia and HDFC Millennia.

 

[shrewdoc]

Mine isn't a life time free. Its a paid plastic version. My dad has a LTF plastic version. Both of us got the cards by 2020. Will any of this make a difference?

My thoughts are just a speculation at this point.

But that way would most likely be followed by HDFC in order to cut off loss making customers. They gave away too many LTF Premium cards in Alumni Offer. I think they'll implement that within 1-2 years.

Same with ICICI Sapphiro, too many LTF cards distributed like candies. It's Devaluation might also be on the way.

Also HDFC decreased Infinnia pre-approved ratio to 12.5% from 25% for Imperia Customers this year as per one guy. So, they're definitely working on those LTF Cards issue because those customers aren't motivated enough to spend much on their free cards.

For 1 lounge access, banks pay 990

Banks pay much less. They buy in huge bulks. How do you think they were sustaining Lounges on ₹1k Annual Fee card. But the issue is as I mentioned above: those LTF card holders aren't motivated enough to spend on those cards, hence banks aren't recovering enough to sustain their current business. Thus we see these thresholds being implemented.

But 1L is too high for a card with ₹1k Annual Fee. It should've been ₹50k-₹75k per quarter instead, is what I think. Or else, they should've increased the Cashback Threshold to ₹1500 per month on Millennia atleast. The current scenario doesn't make much sense.

I welcome this move very much. But this needs some corrections according to me. Also, rest of the banks SHOULD follow suit soon, or else, they'll continue to pay out of their own pockets for customers holding free cards with almost NIL spends on them.

I stand corrected.

https://x.com/ankurmittal/status/1719392740461428831?s=20

 

[NOOBY]

https://x.com/ankurmittal/status/1719392740461428831?s=20

So, basically HDFC is asking us to generate enough income for them via MDR so as to pay for the lounge access...

If we spend 1L, even 1% of MDR for card-issuing bank would mean that HDFC would earn Rs.1000, which they would give us for lounge access (if the lounge access price paid by bank to these aggregators is true)

So even if 50% of card holders use lounge access, they would still benefit from the quarterly limit

 

[Aditya12]

So, basically HDFC is asking us to generate enough income for them via MDR so as to pay for the lounge access...

If we spend 1L, even 1% of MDR for card-issuing bank would mean that HDFC would earn Rs.1000, which they would give us for lounge access (if the lounge access price paid by bank to these aggregators is true)

So even if 50% of the population uses the lounge, they would still benefit from the quarterly limit

I don’t think they can recover for the benefits from just the MDR. Sure they’ll eye at EMI’s, insta loans etc.

 

[shrewdoc]

So, basically HDFC is asking us to generate enough income for them via MDR so as to pay for the lounge access...

If we spend 1L, even 1% of MDR for card-issuing bank would mean that HDFC would earn Rs.1000, which they would give us for lounge access (if the lounge access price paid by bank to these aggregators is true)

So even if 50% of the population uses the lounge, they would still benefit from the quarterly limit

Well I still think this figure is inflated because it was a stock exchange filing, but still yeah, they'll pay for lounges from revenue generated from us.

Think like this: How many people will not be able to redeem lounges by not hitting the 1L milestone. HDFC will earn from those cases and pocket that revenue. They'll gift that to those fulfilling ₹1L spends a quarter, which basically means that they're overqualified to hold a Millennia and will then know whom to target for upgrades. Genius strategy in a way, but they'll lose customers this way.

With this, they have established Millennia as a gateway to their so-called premium offerings. Am I right thinking this way?

 

[NOOBY]

I don’t think they can recover for the benefits from just the MDR. Sure they’ll eye at EMI’s, insta loans etc.

Obviously, I never said that the bank is alive only on MDR charges 😅

What I meant was, They are trying to reduce losses of giving out LTF cards by making the customers pay for their lounge access (indirectly)

Main focus of credit card will always be EMI and interest on non-payment.

which basically means that they're overqualified to hold a Millennia and will then know whom to target for upgrades. Genius strategy in a way, but they'll lose customers this way.

People who do not spend 1L in quarter are not playing the miles game anyways... so they would be happy with 5% CB
bank is not going to loose those customers (I feel).

This might push those who were planning to start it, but weren't giving it a go

With this, they have established Millennia as a gateway to their so-called premium offerings. Am I right thinking this way?

Not sure about this, as offerings are given according Credit Limits... and we have many members with 6L+ limits on Millennia/Moneyback+ but not being offered upgrades..

maybe they change logic for giving upgrades... but as upgrades would be paid anyway, only few people would take it (keeping infinia aside as we get RPs as benifits)

 

[kochiro]

 

[krishc]

With this, Regalia becomes useless for me now !!

 

[Slayer]

With this, Regalia becomes useless for me now !!

All cuckdfc cards are useless except Infinia

 

[kochiro]

All cuckdfc cards are useless except Infinia

dcb plastic good too

 

[devine_mortal]

All cuckdfc cards are useless except Infinia

It would also be devalued soon, inshallah!

 

[maheshspanicker]

Get lost, HDFC! Millennia anyways had a limited set of lounges providing access. I have been putting some otherwise non-rewarding spends on the card to get it to 100000 to get the 1000 voucher. But HDFC is starting to seriously annoy me. Why on earth do they insist on competing with SBI for irritating customers the most!?

 

[Walter White]

Get lost, HDFC! Millennia anyways had a limited set of lounges providing access. I have been putting some otherwise non-rewarding spends on the card to get it to 100000 to get the 1000 voucher. But HDFC is starting to seriously annoy me. Why on earth do they insist on competing with SBI for irritating customers the most!?

Atleast SBI abhi bhi lounge access unconditionally de rhe hai. Isliye thoda sa respect dedo inko is baar. 😂

Is incident ke baad Rupay Cards ka demand badega

 

[knight]

Atleast SBI abhi bhi lounge access unconditionally de rhe hai. Isliye thoda sa respect dedo inko is baar. 😂

Is incident ke baad Rupay Cards ka demand badega

SBI cashback ke alawa kisi card ko 1000 ke niche consider nahi krta mai XD

 

[mr_seeker]

> Looks like another attempt by HDFC Bank to pocket annual fees by making people upgrade to Regalia Gold who are holding LTF HDFC Regalia and HDFC Millennia.

Thank god they left Regalia Gold out of this devaluation. I got Regalia Gold LTF in July.

 

[Deleted member 21942]

Thank god they left Regalia Gold out of this devaluation. I got Regalia Gold LTF in July.

How to get Regalia Gold as LTF? Currently I do not have any HDFC credit card.

 

[BCh]

Thank god they left Regalia Gold out of this devaluation. I got Regalia Gold LTF in July.

How did you get RG LTF?

 

[mr_seeker]

How to get Regalia Gold as LTF? Currently I do not have any HDFC credit card.

I got a pre-approved offer from HDFC. I'm an HDFC preferred account holder since 2019.
I wasn't 100% sure if it's conditional LTF or unconditional LTF, so confirmed through my RM before applying and later through HDFC Twitter handle after getting the card.

 

[Deleted member 21942]

I got a pre-approved offer from HDFC. I'm an HDFC preferred account holder since 2019.
I wasn't 100% sure if it's conditional LTF or unconditional LTF, so confirmed through my RM before applying and later through HDFC Twitter handle after getting the card.

Can you please post a screenshot of the pre-approved offer & how much did you maintained balance in your HDFC bank account?

 

[flyhighpaper34]

I have non ltf regalia first..
The only reason is that i can slowly upgrade my way to infinia..
Is this thought process wrong?
Or should i just close it and try after 3 4 years

 

[shrewdoc]

I have non ltf regalia first..
The only reason is that i can slowly upgrade my way to infinia..
Is this thought process wrong?
Or should i just close it and try after 3 4 years

Regalia First is dead. Request for an upgrade or close the card. You can reapply later.