HDFC Credit Cards Why I Strongly Recommend Avoiding the HDFC Pixel Credit Card

I want to share my real experience with the HDFC Pixel Credit Card, hoping it helps others make an informed choice. I’ve been using HDFC credit cards for a long time and never expected this kind of service and confusion.


🔻 1.


Low Cashback Value

• Though Pixel claims to give 5% cashback, the real benefit is limited.
  • Cashback is capped at ₹500 per category/month.
  • Even on SmartBuy, the cap is ₹500, while other HDFC cards give ₹1,000–₹2,000 per month.
• 
  
• Worst part: cashback is not credited to your card. You get Pixel Coins, which:
  • Can’t be redeemed until you reach 1,000 coins
  • Don’t have real cashback value
  • Are harder to track and use

🔻 2.


Very Poor Customer Support

• You can’t raise complaints with HDFC Bank directly for Pixel.
• You are forced to use the PayZapp app support, which:
  • Takes 20–30 days to respond
  • Often closes complaints without resolution
  • Has no proper escalation path

Even when I tried contacting HDFC Grievance/Nodal Officers, they just told me to go back to PayZapp support.

🔻 3.


Limit Transfer Problem (Big Issue)

1. While applying for Pixel, I transferred my limit from my MoneyBack card.
2. But it also reduced the limit on my Swiggy and RuPay Biz cards, which wasn’t explained.
3. It took me almost 3 months of back-and-forth to get my limit restored after closing Pixel.
4. This process is tiring — and not everyone will be able to go through it.​

🔻 4.
Confusion in Lifetime Free Offer

• The app said the card was Lifetime Free, but the welcome email showed ₹500 joining + ₹500 annual fee.
• After follow-up, the fee was removed — but this confused many users. Not everyone got the LTF benefit easily.

❌ Final Words – Not Worth It

• Cashback is too limited and hard to redeem
• Support is one of the worst I’ve seen
• Limit transfer is risky and poorly explained
• There are better HDFC cards like Regalia, Millennia, or even basic MoneyBack with more value

Important Point About HDFC Pixel Card – EMI Handling

One thing most people miss about Pixel:
Unlike other HDFC core cards (like Regalia, Millennia, MoneyBack, etc.), Pixel does NOT offer EMI fee or interest waiver if you cancel early.

🔻 Here's my real experience:

With most HDFC cards:
If you cancel a No Cost EMI purchase within 7 days (before statement) → no EMI charges or interest is applied.

But with Pixel Card:
Even if you cancel early: ✔️ You still pay the EMI booking fee
✔️ You still pay interest on EMI (even if you cancel right away)
✔️ There's no reversal – not even within 7 days


😓 I had to pay both EMI interest + cancellation charges, even though the product was returned in time. This is not customer-friendly, and no other HDFC card behaves like this.

📌 Just a heads-up for users considering Pixel – EMI terms are stricter, and there’s no flexibility like regular HDFC cards.

It’s not about hating the card — it’s about knowing these real, fine-print issues before applying


💬 My Suggestion:


Avoid this card, especially if you’re applying based on influencer videos or offers. Please read and understand the full terms and think twice before going for Pixel.

 

[RAMESH BABU N]

The true face of HDFC.

Worst product, thru worst channel.

AVOID IT.

 

[rajcasio]

Blinkit & Reliance smart users - 5% rp
Uber & Makemytrip users - 5% rp
Another option (can choose any 2 categories) to the above categories - Zomato & Bookmyshow, Croma & Reliance Digital, Myntra & Nykaa gets 5% rp
Amazon/Flipkart/Payzapp users - 3% rp - for those who don't have APAY
Rupay upi users - 1% rp - for those who don't have other Rupay that gives 1%
A low end card that gives RP for GOVT & Education spends
If you have got it as LTF...you got nothing to lose

If the card doesn't suits you that's OK..but you can't say to avoid it for other peoples

P.S. YES....the customer care is pathetic

 

[RajS]

I closed the card within a month due to cashbacks were not credited properly. Had to fight for restore limit on other cards after closing

 

[purushotham]

I closed my LTF pixel card no use

To accumulate 1000 points it takes many months that to we should use this card everywhere.

Avoid this card

 

[purushotham]

If you are not getting any other HDFC cards then you can give it a try for few months

 

[rajcasio]

I closed my LTF pixel card no use

To accumulate 1000 points it takes many months that to we should use this card everywhere.

Avoid this card

These RP's can be converted and transferred to bank for CASH.
Most of the STUPID cards gives RP's to buy USELESS vouchers that we don't even wanted it in FIRST place.

 

[S U D O]

pretty much a "use less" card

 

[Joltpost]

I closed my LTF pixel card no use

To accumulate 1000 points it takes many months that to we should use this card everywhere.

Avoid this card

Not necessarily

If you use amazon, you can get 10000 voucher and cap the 500 easily in just two months.

 

[Joltpost]

As someone who has been using this card for half a year now I disagree completely that you should avoid getting the card unless you don't like what it offers.

Though Pixel claims to give 5% cashback, the real benefit is limited.

• Cashback is capped at ₹500 per category/month.
• Even on SmartBuy, the cap is ₹500, while other HDFC cards give ₹1,000–₹2,000 per month.

While this is true that the CB is capped at 500 for each category keep one thing in mind

You pick two categories of your choice which give you combined 1000 per calender month. You also get one ecommerce platform which gives you an additional 500 per calender month.

So in total if you use all the categories alongside smartbuy you get a combined call of 2000 the second highest level of cap a HDFC card offers beaten by Swiggy card.

On top of this you even get the 1% unlimited CP which right now is 5% if you use tap and pay and it works.

Worst part: cashback is not credited to your card. You get Pixel Coins, which:

• Can’t be redeemed until you reach 1,000 coins
• Don’t have real cashback value
• Are harder to track and use

If you shop a lot on Amazon it's very easy to cap the 500 CP and probably get the 3% cap easily too.

One CP is 1 Rupee which has a lot of value. A kiwi of two can give you 1 Rupee in Kiwi Credit card and you have to spend 100

And i fail to see how is it hard to track? If you use the filter options the pixel homepage has you can easily track the rewards...

The only thing I can kinda agree with you is the customer support being bad or mediocre in general. I tend to use the grievance mail to reach out my queries most of the time. Nothing really beats mail support anyday.

I can't comment on the credit limit because this is my first and only HDFC card i have and I'm sorry to those who face it. That said I think it's only if you are eligible for it.

On a side note I used to be just like you and i was in the process of closing the card. After getting the support team finally calling me and rewarding the correct cashpoints I continued using it.

I think I can say that it's a good value card for what it offers. I like the option to credit cashback to my bank account so I can make any payments that i don't need to use the credit card.

I think I'm going to continue using the card throughout until it no longer runs.

And yes there is a difference between cashback credited on statement and credited to the bank account.

 

[SpaceBar]

I want to share my real experience with the HDFC Pixel Credit Card, hoping it helps others make an informed choice. I’ve been using HDFC credit cards for a long time and never expected this kind of service and confusion.


🔻 1.


Low Cashback Value

• Though Pixel claims to give 5% cashback, the real benefit is limited.
  • Cashback is capped at ₹500 per category/month.
  • Even on SmartBuy, the cap is ₹500, while other HDFC cards give ₹1,000–₹2,000 per month.
• 
  
• Worst part: cashback is not credited to your card. You get Pixel Coins, which:
  • Can’t be redeemed until you reach 1,000 coins
  • Don’t have real cashback value
  • Are harder to track and use

🔻 2.


Very Poor Customer Support

• You can’t raise complaints with HDFC Bank directly for Pixel.
• You are forced to use the PayZapp app support, which:
  • Takes 20–30 days to respond
  • Often closes complaints without resolution
  • Has no proper escalation path

Even when I tried contacting HDFC Grievance/Nodal Officers, they just told me to go back to PayZapp support.

🔻 3.


Limit Transfer Problem (Big Issue)

1. While applying for Pixel, I transferred my limit from my MoneyBack card.
2. But it also reduced the limit on my Swiggy and RuPay Biz cards, which wasn’t explained.
3. It took me almost 3 months of back-and-forth to get my limit restored after closing Pixel.
4. This process is tiring — and not everyone will be able to go through it.​

🔻 4.
Confusion in Lifetime Free Offer

• The app said the card was Lifetime Free, but the welcome email showed ₹500 joining + ₹500 annual fee.
• After follow-up, the fee was removed — but this confused many users. Not everyone got the LTF benefit easily.

❌ Final Words – Not Worth It

• Cashback is too limited and hard to redeem
• Support is one of the worst I’ve seen
• Limit transfer is risky and poorly explained
• There are better HDFC cards like Regalia, Millennia, or even basic MoneyBack with more value

💬 My Suggestion:


Avoid this card, especially if you’re applying based on influencer videos or offers. Please read and understand the full terms and think twice before going for Pixel.

Every point is wrong. I am not saying that this card is good, I am saying that the issue you mentioned is not perfectly true.
1. The capping already mentioned before you applied for the card.
2. If you mail to HDFC support they can help you to solve. Payzapp help support also reply you back in er hours.
3. The limit transfer issue has been resolved.
4. This is everytime you have to mail and confirm.

The reward is decent. The waiver is on 1L and you can easily get it back. This card is good for entry level customers. 5% cashback on blinkit, Myntra, nykaa is not bad. SmartBuy Gyftr gives you 5%, Flight booking also has 5%. Yes they have cap but if your spend is more, this card is actually not for you. The reward points has value of 1 Re and you can transfer it when you have more than 1K. You can easily get 3-5% benefits.

 

[purushotham]

Not necessarily

If you use amazon, you can get 10000 voucher and cap the 500 easily in just two months.

Yes possible

But since already have HDFC Millennia LTF and Airtel Axis paid.
I will be using these cards every where.

One thing that annoyed me was for bill payment only possible through payzap application.

So for me it wasn't useful.

 

[Mohammad]

Every point is wrong. I am not saying that this card is good, I am saying that the issue you mentioned is not perfectly true.
1. The capping already mentioned before you applied for the card.
2. If you mail to HDFC support they can help you to solve. Payzapp help support also reply you back in er hours.
3. The limit transfer issue has been resolved.
4. This is everytime you have to mail and confirm.

The reward is decent. The waiver is on 1L and you can easily get it back. This card is good for entry level customers. 5% cashback on blinkit, Myntra, nykaa is not bad. SmartBuy Gyftr gives you 5%, Flight booking also has 5%. Yes they have cap but if your spend is more, this card is actually not for you. The reward points has value of 1 Re and you can transfer it when you have more than 1K. You can easily get 3-5% benefits.

Thank you for your input. I appreciate your perspective and agree that the Pixel card might work fine for some users — especially entry-level ones. But I shared my personal experience after actively using it and raising multiple support issues.

Let me clarify a few things from my side:

1.Capping Transparency – Yes, capping is mentioned. But in real usage, ₹500 per category becomes restrictive, especially when multiple packs are active. And users coming from Regalia or Millennia find this disappointing.

2. Support Experience – I’m glad you got fast replies. But in my case, PayZapp support took 20–30 days, and several tickets were closed without resolution. Even nodal escalations redirected me back to PayZapp, which was frustrating.

3. Limit Transfer Confusion – True, it’s resolved now after a 3-month struggle. My point was: it wasn’t clearly explained during onboarding that it would reduce limits across all floater cards. Many users were affected.

4.Pixel Coin Redemption – Minimum 1,000 point threshold may not bother everyone, but again, it delays the actual cashback benefit. Traditional cards credit cashback directly to statements — simpler and faster.

I agree Pixel gives decent value on Blinkit, Myntra, Flights, etc. if you plan your spends carefully.
But for users expecting direct cashback, quicker support, and better flexibility, it’s just not ideal.

I shared my review so others can decide based on their needs — not hype. Appreciate your balanced counterpoints!

 

[Mohammad]

Thank you for your input. I appreciate your perspective and agree that the Pixel card might work fine for some users — especially entry-level ones. But I shared my personal experience after actively using it and raising multiple support issues.

Let me clarify a few things from my side:

1.Capping Transparency – Yes, capping is mentioned. But in real usage, ₹500 per category becomes restrictive, especially when multiple packs are active. And users coming from Regalia or Millennia find this disappointing.

2. Support Experience – I’m glad you got fast replies. But in my case, PayZapp support took 20–30 days, and several tickets were closed without resolution. Even nodal escalations redirected me back to PayZapp, which was frustrating.

3. Limit Transfer Confusion – True, it’s resolved now after a 3-month struggle. My point was: it wasn’t clearly explained during onboarding that it would reduce limits across all floater cards. Many users were affected.

4.Pixel Coin Redemption – Minimum 1,000 point threshold may not bother everyone, but again, it delays the actual cashback benefit. Traditional cards credit cashback directly to statements — simpler and faster.

I agree Pixel gives decent value on Blinkit, Myntra, Flights, etc. if you plan your spends carefully.
But for users expecting direct cashback, quicker support, and better flexibility, it’s just not ideal.

I shared my review so others can decide based on their needs — not hype. Appreciate your balanced counterpoints!

🔁 Limit Transfer – Facts from My Experience:

1.Limit Transfer at Onboarding Only
When you apply for Pixel, HDFC allows only a one-time limit transfer from an existing card. Once the card is issued, you cannot change or reverse the limit — unless you close the Pixel card.

2. Floater Card Confusion
If your existing HDFC cards (e.g. MoneyBack, Swiggy, Rupay Biz) are on a shared/floater limit, choosing one card during limit transfer reduces the limit across all linked cards — this was not properly explained during onboarding.

3.Restoring Limit Requires Closure
Even if you want to just reallocate the limit (e.g., move ₹75K from Pixel back to MoneyBack), the only option is to close the Pixel card first. There’s no facility for partial reversal while the card is active.

4.Resolution Took 3 Months
In my case, it took over 3 months of follow-up, ticket escalations, and coordination between PayZapp & HDFC Grievance teams to restore my limit — after closing the card.

5.Not Easy for Everyone
The process is complicated, and many users may not have the time or clarity to go through the full resolution cycle. This should have been more transparent from the start.

 

[pikashinchu]

Same I will say, closed my pixel card

 

[Joltpost]

One thing that annoyed me was for bill payment only possible through payzap application.

You now can pay Pixel card bills on third party apps like Google Pay.

Capping Transparency – Yes, capping is mentioned. But in real usage, ₹500 per category becomes restrictive, especially when multiple packs are active. And users coming from Regalia or Millennia find this disappointing.

How is the capping more restrictive than HDFC Millennia and Regalia? The former offers 5% CB on just 10 sites and the latter offers points and more suited for travel.

4.Pixel Coin Redemption – Minimum 1,000 point threshold may not bother everyone, but again, it delays the actual cashback benefit. Traditional cards credit cashback directly to statements — simpler and faster.

HDFC Millennia requires atleast 500 Cashpoints to redeem for statement. What you're asking is a card that credits to statement which this card isn't for and I am fine with that as I prefer cashback credited to my bank account instead of statement.

Again its possible to get the 1000 cap. Infact I'm going to experiment to see if you get 5 +3% CB when I change my reward ecommerce to Amazon.

I agree Pixel gives decent value on Blinkit, Myntra, Flights, etc. if you plan your spends carefully.
But for users expecting direct cashback, quicker support, and better flexibility, it’s just not ideal.

I mean the terms themselves informed you that you'd have to reach atleast a 1000 to redeem them. The same applies for cards like Kiwi..even the Phonepe Card needs atleast 500 points to redeem the CB.

 

[Akshay Ajmera]

Yes, I agree.
Even I find this card worthless.
Only good thing is to get 5% on irctc, which I was not getting with any other card.
Any better card for irctc?

 

[RAMESH BABU N]

Yes, I agree.
Even I find this card worthless.
Only good thing is to get 5% on irctc, which I was not getting with any other card.
Any better card for irctc?

RBL IRCTC RuPay card

 

[Akshay Ajmera]

RBL IRCTC RuPay card

It gives on base ticket only.
Also higher level ticket. I mean in ac only

 

[Joltpost]

It's worth pointing out that the card offers discounts like all HDFC cards out there even for Swiggy.