Card Portfolio for Context
- Axis Bank - Neo (LTF) & Airtel (Paid) - Rs. 4,00,000 combined.
- Federal Bank - Imperio (LTF) - Rs. 1,86,000
- HDFC Bank - Millennia (Paid) + Swiggy (LTF) + Tata Neu Plus Rupay (LTF) - Rs. 1,00,000 combined.
- ICICI Bank A-Pay (LTF) - Rs. 3,40,000
- IDFC First Bank - Select (LTF) - Rs. 3,00,000.
- Kotak Mahindra Bank - Zen Signature (LTF) - Rs. 42,000
- SBI Cashback (Paid) - Rs. 20,000
I’m stuck in a frustrating loop with HDFC Bank and could use some wisdom from this community. I’ve got three HDFC cards: Millennia (paid), Swiggy (LTF), and Tata Neu Plus RuPay (LTF), with a combined credit limit of 1 lakh. Sounds decent, but it’s choking me, and HDFC’s refusal to budge on a limit increase is driving me up the wall.
It all started in May 2022 with an IndiGo 6E Rewards card, limit 25k. For two years, I begged the Chennai office for an upgrade, sending emails and couriers like I was auditioning for a persistence award. Finally, in May 2024, they threw me a bone: upgraded me to Millennia and bumped my limit to 1 lakh. Fast forward to now, May 2025, and I’m still capped at 1 lakh across all three cards. In the past year, I’ve spent over 3.5 lakhs on these cards, hitting the spend milestones for Millennia and Swiggy cards. I’m not defaulting, paying on time, and my CIBIL score’s a solid 777. So why the hell won’t HDFC increase my limit?
I’ve requested a limit enhancement twice since May 2024, sending two or three couriers to the Chennai office (wasting good money on postage). Each time, I get a vague “internal policy” rejection with zero explanation. It’s like talking to a brick wall (named Bhanu Rekha) that occasionally emails you. I’m starting to wonder if my account’s been shadow-banned or flagged. Here’s where it gets spicy: I had a bit of a spat with my old RM a while back. He’s now some credit risk officer in my city (thanks, LinkedIn stalking). Could he be screwing with my profile? Do RMs or credit officers even have that kind of power to mark an account as risky or block limit increases? Or am I just paranoid?
I’ve emailed the Principal Nodal Officer, the Priority Address Desk, you name it. No dice. I’ve got my salary slips ready, a great track record, and a portfolio of other cards with way better limits (SBI’s an exception, those guys are a mystery, & Kotak’s in another league). This 1 lakh limit is a joke for my spending needs. Just yesterday, I wanted to buy home appliances worth 1.5 lakhs, lured by HDFC’s offers and cashback. But my limit laughed in my face, and I had to pass. Plus, my credit utilisation ratio is creeping up, which isn’t doing my CIBIL any favors long-term.
So, here’s what I’m dying to know:
- Why is HDFC stonewalling me? Is there something specific they’re not telling me? Has anyone else been stuck like this?
- Are there RBI guidelines that force banks to justify limit increase denials or ensure fair evaluation? Can I appeal to the Banking Ombudsman over this, or is it just HDFC’s internal policy playground?
- Has anyone successfully escalated to an “MD Desk” or some higher-up? I read a thread here about someone getting an Infinia issue resolved by emailing an MD Desk. Does that even exist, and if so, what’s the contact?
- Could my old RM-turned-credit-risk-officer actually be tanking my requests? How do I check if my account’s flagged?
- Any pro tips to get HDFC to take my limit enhancement seriously? I’m not chasing a 500-rupee bump I need a significant increase to match my spending (3.5 lakhs in a year should count for something).
Please drop your advice. If you’ve got stories of fighting HDFC, I’m all ears.
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