Is the IRCTC HDFC Bank Credit Card Worth It?
Enter what you spend where this card pays more, and the benefits you would use. See what it is worth to you in rupees, after its fee.
- 207Cards to check
- FreeCost
- Travel card
- Needs ₹25,000 a month income
- ₹590 fee a year (with GST)
- Fee waived from ₹12,500 a month
- 1% on most spends; 5% only at partner merchants
- Some lounge visits a year
- Pays in reward points
- travel only at IRCTC website & Rail Connect app: 5% back, up to ₹1,000 a month
- spending ₹12,500 or more a month: the ₹590 fee is waived
- flyers: some airport lounge visits a year
- you spend less than ₹12,500 a month (₹1,50,000 a year, rent and wallet loads not counted): the ₹590 fee is then charged
- most of your spending is fuel, rent, education or wallet top-ups: those earn nothing on this card
- you rarely spend on IRCTC website & Rail Connect app: the 5% rate applies only there, everything else earns 1%
- you often pay in foreign currency: 3.5% is added to every foreign spend
- you sometimes pay only the minimum due: interest of 3.75% a month (45% a year) outweighs any reward
Your spend a month, by kind
Terms on the normal rate: 1 Reward Point per ₹100 (~1%) on other retail spends, capped 1,000 RP a month and 12,000 a year, 1 point ≈ ₹1 on rail/SmartBuy. UPI spends carry their own 500 RP monthly sub-cap, and grocery its own 1,000 RP monthly cap.
Also earns nothing on: Gift cards, SmartEMI and Dial-an-EMI conversions.
Total on the card: ₹0 a month
Abroad and benefits
Every rate on this card, and what your spend earns
| Spend category | Rate | Monthly cap | Where it applies | Your spend earns |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UPI payments (scan and pay) | 1% | No cap | The card's normal rate | - |
| Online shopping | 1% | No cap | The card's normal rate | - |
| Dining and food delivery | 1% | No cap | The card's normal rate | - |
| Groceries | 1% | No cap | The card's normal rateTerms: the base rate's terms cap this category separately; the cap is not counted | - |
| Travel: flights, hotels, trains | 1% | No cap | Anywhere else in the category | - |
| Travel: flights, hotels, trains, only at listed merchants | 5% | ₹1,000 | Only at: IRCTC website & Rail Connect app (train tickets); +5% extra via HDFC SmartBuyTerms: 5 Reward Points per ₹100 (~5%) on IRCTC rail bookings, capped 1,000 RP a month and 12,000 a year. The extra 5% via HDFC SmartBuy is itself capped at ₹1,000 a month (₹12,000 a year), and the 1% IRCTC transaction-charge waiver has its own ₹1,000 monthly ceiling. | - |
| Fuel | Earns nothing | - | earns nothing on this card | - |
| Bills and recharges | 1% | No cap | The card's normal rate | - |
| Rent | Earns nothing | - | earns nothing on this card | - |
| Insurance premiums | 1% | No cap | The card's normal rate | - |
| School and college fees | Earns nothing | - | earns nothing on this card | - |
| Wallet top-ups | Earns nothing | - | earns nothing on this card | - |
| Taxes and government payments | Earns nothing | - | earns nothing on this card | - |
| Spend abroad or in a foreign currency | 1% | No cap | The card's normal rate | - |
| Everything else | 1% | No cap | The card's normal rate | - |
Common Questions
When is a credit card worth its annual fee?
When the rewards you actually earn in a year are more than the fee plus 18% GST, or when you spend enough for the bank to waive the fee. This calculator works out both from the card's own published terms.
Why is GST added to the fee?
Card fees carry 18% GST, so a ₹1,000 fee costs ₹1,180. Where the bank already quotes the fee with GST, it is not added twice.
What does 'capped' mean?
Many cards limit the reward you can earn in a month in a category. Spending above the cap earns nothing extra, so the calculator stops counting there.
Is a lifetime free card always better?
Not always. A paid card with higher rewards can leave you with more once you spend enough. The break-even line shows the monthly spend where that starts.
Guides in Plain Words
Short reads that explain how it works before you decide.
- GuidesBest Credit Cards Under ₹500 a Year in India (2026)Credit cards with an annual fee of ₹500 or less (before GST) in 2026, ranked by the reward rate each bank states, with fee waivers.Read the guide →
GuidesNo-Cost EMI: What It Really Costs You, With a Worked ExampleNo-cost EMI is not a trick, but it is rarely free. Here is where the money goes: the discount you give up, the processing fee, and GST on the interest, worked out on a Rs 30,000 phone.Read the guide →- GuidesBest Online Shopping Credit Cards in India (2026)The credit cards that pay the most back on online shopping in 2026, which sites count, the monthly cap and the annual fee.Read the guide →
