HDFC Regalia First Credit Card Review

By | September 13, 2018

Important Note: Content Outdated. Please Refer to my latest review here: HDFC Regalia First Review

HDFC has added two new variants of Regalia called Regalia First and Doctor’s Regalia recently to their physical application form which i noticed last week by mid July 2016. This new card is added as soon as Allmiles card got devalued recently. They have to differentiate Allmiles and Regalia First which is the whole reason for Allmiles devaluation. Wondering what HDFC is actually trying to do by doing this. Maybe they don’t want many people to get hands on with the original Regalia. Lets dive into the details..

HDFC Regalia First Credit Card

HDFC Regalia First Credit Card

HDFC Regalia First Rewards and Benefits:

There is no change in point earning rate but the point value is way too low (Rs. 0.40 per point) whereas original regalia point value is Rs.0.75

  • Normal reward points (4 RP for Rs.150
  • Accelerated reward points (8 RP for Rs.150)
  • 1 Reward point = Rs. 0.40

While the reward points remains same, the major difference i see is in the Priority pass lounge access limit and reward point value. The original regalia card has 12 Free access whereas Regalia first has only 4 Free access which is same with Allmiles.

Features of Regalia Credit Card:

  • Reward rate: ~1%  normally, upto ~2% on accelerated rewards
  • Accelerated Rewards: You can earn 2X Reward points on dining, selected air bookings and for purchases done on regalia website.
  • Complementary Airport lounge access: Yes,  up to 4 free accesses to the Priority Pass lounges every year & 2 Lounge access per quarter through MasterCard Lounge or Visa Lounge Program
  • Fuel Surcharge Waiver: 0% surcharge (Minimum transaction of INR 400. Maximum cash back of INR 500 per statement cycle)
  • Foreign Exchange Markup fee: 2% + Service Tax (Best Credit Card for Foreign travel)
  • Special Features: Better Markup Fee, Better Rewards
  • Insurance Coverage: Air accident compensation of Rs. 50 Lakhs, Protection worth up to Rs. 10 lakhs against any medical emergency when you are traveling outside India.
  • Personal Concierge Service: Global Concierge Assistance for all your travel & other needs. Its kind of virtual assistant service over phone. (I’ve tried, its kind of useless)

Its hard to differentiate Regalia First & Allmiles Card. While the reward rate through points remain same 1%, the difference is better forex markup fee, insurance and also Mastercard lounge access is not yet revoked for Regalia range of cards i guess.

Overall, you get a Premium feel in just ‘looks’ with half the benefits compared to its original version, especially in lounge access and point value. If you hold Allmiles or Moneyback credit card, you can give a try to upgrade to Regalia First and i’m sure they won’t be having any strict rules to issue this card.

March 2017 Update: Priority Pass issued by HDFC is now chargeable ($27) for Domestic Lounge Access. You can now use them only to access international lounges. You’re now left with Visa/Master card lounge access which is inbuilt with the card.

What do you think about this unwanted version of Regalia? Makes any sense? Do share your views below.

271 thoughts on “HDFC Regalia First Credit Card Review

  1. SeethaRaman V

    Hi, Each Reward point earned with Regalia First card is worth only 40 paise when redeemed…

    Reply
    1. Siddharth Post author

      Nice Find,
      Just updated the info accordingly.
      So Regalia first gives half the value back compared to original Regalia.

      Reply
      1. Kritika Sen

        Hi Siddharth, I’m being offered a free upgrade from Money-back to Regalia First and I have 23185 RP. Should I exhaust my RP’s and then upgrade or let the RP’s be carried forwarded with a depreciated value (I think they carry only 40% forward).

        Reply
        1. Sharathkumar Anbu

          Hi Kritika Sen,

          I would recommend to redeem the points for Cashback before you upgrade to Regalia First since you can’t redeem the points for cashback post upgrade. Regalia first points can be used only for flight or hotel bookings there after.

          So choice is up to you whether you want some cashback or use the points for flight ticket booking later

          Money back card point is worth 20 paise when you redeem for Cashback, Regalia first each point is worth 30 paise when you flight tickets in their website.

          Conversion ratio for Money back card to Regalia first card will be 83%. i.e. 83% of existing reward points will be transferred to the upgraded card.

          Reply
        2. Malavkumar Patel

          My wife’s card was upgraded from Diners Club Rewardz to Diners club Miles and points were transferred 1 to 1 without any depreciation, So you can upgrade card without redeeming reward points and hope to get full transfer and enjoy higher value of points in Regalia First.

          Reply
          1. Sharathkumar Anbu

            In future when they reconcile, if they get to know that they have transferred points without using conversion ratio, They may deduct the points in future. It happened when I was holding Money back card long back.

    2. Dev

      Reward point is now worth 30paisa… >:(

      My Regalia First card is life-time free. Can I upgrade to the original one for free?

      Reply
  2. jagadeesan

    hi sir,
    i am having sbi platinum card for the past two years. till now they have not increased my limit. if i am calling to customer care they r telling currently there r no offers. but at the same time in kotak bank they have increased my limit. what is the reason?
    secondly, i would like to apply credit card in indian bank, bank of india, punjab national bank, union bank of india, central bank of india and indian overseas bank. but all these banks are saying that either we should have an one year account or any loans running in their bank. i don’t know why they are saying like this… kindly help me sir
    thanks and regards,
    jagadeesan

    Reply
    1. Siddharth Post author

      Take credit cards in Private banks. They’re the ones that give more benefits and higher limits.

      Reply
  3. ketan

    HIII SIDDHARTH

    All miles have 0.50 rs value and this have 0.40 so all miles ppl dont have any benefits…dey will loose 0.10…any other benifit in regalia first compare to all miles?

    Thanks

    Reply
    1. Siddharth Post author

      Lounge access, insurance & forex markup fee is better on Regalia First.
      While point value reduced, the overall value back via points is same in allmies/regalia first

      Reply
      1. KETAN

        THANKS A LOT BRO FOR REPLYING

        AND CONTINUE THE G8T WORK

        CHEERS

        Reply
  4. amit kumar

    i am hdfc bank regalia card holder with 2.6lakh limit.i want to know about next upgrade and limit enhancement

    Reply
  5. amit kumar

    my regalia card with limit 2.6lakh and my usage is very low and i am holding only this single card and my cibil score is 836 .my question is that in this case is bank increase my limit in future

    Reply
    1. Siddharth Post author

      If usage is less than 50%, limit enhancement maybe tough. After all, why would you need more limit while you aren’t using the available limit. That’s how bank see!

      Reply
  6. amit kumar

    hello after which credit limit one expect to upgrade to regalia card

    Reply
    1. Siddharth Post author

      2L or above is good number. Though it depends upon the relationship with bank, usage, etc.

      Reply
  7. urluck

    This card comes free for lifetime . Indus ind platinum Aura card also comes – free for lifetime.

    Can you suggest other cards free for lifetime with airport longue access ?

    Reply
  8. urluck

    I know HDFC money back card, Indus ind platinum aura , RBL cards are free for lifetime.
    Any other cards ??

    Reply
  9. urluck

    My HDFC Regalia card mentions WORLD below mastercard logo. what is it ? It is not visa signature card. ? is it same ?

    The customer care officer on HDFC says, for Regalia card – only upgrade possible is Imperia. Dinners card will be downgrade and not upgrade from Regalia card.

    Pls guide me.

    Reply
    1. Siddharth Post author

      Its Regalia Mastercard World. You can try upgrading to Diners Black or Infinia after 6 months.

      Reply
  10. Darshan

    I want to get a credit card for the first time. I have been offered regalia first, but from the comments I see diners black is better. Please advice if there is any other alternative.

    Reply
    1. Siddharth Post author

      Diners black wont be offered initially, if you get, its one of the nice cards around.

      Reply
  11. Ashish

    All miles have 0.50 rs value and this have 0.40 so all miles ppl dont have any benefits…dey will loose 0.10…any other benifit in regalia first compare to all miles?

    Actully Allmiles will gain .10 paisa per 150 RS spent,
    IN all miles you get 3 points per 150, point value 50 paisa making 1.5Rs per 150 spent
    In Regalia firest you get 4 points per 150, point value 40 paisa making 1.6 Rs per 150 spent

    Reply
  12. sandeep

    you said that you got bussiness regalia card in 11/2015 with limit less than 2l and after 9 months your card is upgraded to diners black and you says minimu limit required for diners black is 5l so how it is possible that bank is increased your limit around 3 times in less than one year

    Reply
    1. Siddharth Post author

      Anything is possible when you have good relationship value with the bank.

      Reply
  13. RAHUL Bansal

    What does good relationship value means? can you please clarify. At least give some pointers money wise.

    Reply
    1. Siddharth Post author

      More savings/current a/c balance.. preferred or imperia customers.. home loans, etc
      Anything from which bank earns money from you.

      Reply
  14. Ashfaque

    Is Regalia original still continuing? that gives reward value of 0.75ps

    Reply
  15. Surendra

    I have superia card and have option to upgrade the card to VISA PLT Moenyback International ?

    should i go for it ? another option of regelia which they are offering.

    Reply
      1. Kailas B

        Siddharth, I’ve Regalia first Since FEB 2020 ,can I able to upgrade in Regalia ?

        Reply
        1. Satish Patil

          Kailas, normally you will have to wait for at least 6 months to increase the possibility of approval for the upgrade request.

          Reply
        2. Sree

          I got my upgrade option on reaching 5 lacs milestone on regalia first

          Reply
  16. Mohit Jindal

    I have been asked to upgrade from Diners premium to regalia first.

    Should i go ahead. I am confused which one is better

    Reply
      1. Mohit Jindal

        I have received Regalia first
        What is the remedy now?
        I havent activated the card yet?

        Moreover the card received is of Master card and not visa signature which means there is no domestic lounges except for those 4 in priority pass

        How should i move ahead
        I am a frequent traveller and need a travel card with good lounge benefits

        Reply
  17. Mohit Jindal

    The website says, Regalia first master card members, does not have access to domestic lounges through the credit card. it will be only through priority pass.
    It this information correct.

    You have mentioned above that it will be 2 per quarter.

    Please reply asap

    Reply
      1. Aditya Agrawal

        Hi Siddharth

        I have tried using Regalia First VISA Signature First on various lounges (Bangalore/Delhi) but it has never worked. PP of course works. Would you know if there is restricted lounge access on this card in spite of this being a VISA Signature card?

        P.S> I have quite a fan of your blog and keep coming back for gyaan! Keep up the good work.

        Reply
        1. Siddharth Post author

          Thanks for being a regular reader 🙂
          It should have worked, else you might be running out of visits.

          In bangaloare, Visa access is there only for one lounge – Plaza Premium.
          I’ve reviewed all of them, did you check them out? it might help.

          Reply
          1. Mahesh

            Hi Siddarth,
            The below has been updated in regalia first features in HDFC website.
            Please note :
            1) A per visit charge of $27* will be applicable for any accompanying/additional guests
            2) With effect from 1st Mar’2017, All domestic visits and also 4th International visit for both primary card holder & Add-on card holder through Priority Pass will be chargeable at the rate of $27*
            Does this mean that Airport Lounge Access will be chargeable?

          2. Siddharth Post author

            Yes,
            All domestic Lounge visits are chargeable on Priority Pass. You’re now forced to use Marstercard/Visa for Domestic Lounge Access. 6 PP Visits complimentary only for International Lounges.

  18. Shiv

    Hello Siddharth,

    I’ve a HDFC Money Back card and I’m being offered a Regalia First Mastercard as a free upgrade with no annual/renewal fee. Is it worth the upgrade?

    Thanks in advance.

    Reply
      1. Sunil Kumar

        Hi Siddharth,
        Please point out some benefits of Regalia First over Moneyback card.
        Currently using Moneyback card, planning to upgrade in couple of months.
        Mostly I spend on Online shopping, so I prefer SmartBuy to get 10X Rewards. Then, redeem them to my statement.
        Obviously I will ask them for Regalia, but just in case they don’t allow,
        which one would be better for me to upgrade ?

        Reply
  19. Ramesh

    I am an HDFC superia Life time free master credit card holder with 2.5 lac limit since 2013, My card is due for renewal next month and i had been upgraded to Money back platinum Master credit card recently. I spoke to HDFC customer Care executive and expressed my dissatisfaction about their upgrade to moneyback. He suggested me to send the upgrade form to Chennai along with necessary documents. During last year 2015-2016 I had drawn a salaried annual income with perks and perqusities of Rs. 12.84 lacs duirng last year. I am a salaried official of SBI drawing gross monthly income of Rs. 76,000/- and net monthly income of Rs. 40000/-.
    I had applied for upgrade to Life time free Regalia Master Credit card instead of existing money back intl card provided to me.

    My track record of card usage and payment is excellent. Will the bank consider my request and upgrade to Regalia variant.

    Reply
    1. Siddharth Post author

      Limit is good enough for Regalia. So yes, you will most likely get it.

      Reply
    2. Captain Bishuddha Bharatiya

      Mr. Ramesh since your credit card is 3 years old I would like to ask you that your card have not got any credit limit enhancement ever ?

      Reply
  20. Madhuri Bharatiya

    I have HDFC Visa All Miles Credit Card from September 2015. The card came with a credit limit of Rs. 1,50,000 and they have not increased it ever ( though I was told by credit card representative from my Branch that credit card limit will be increased after 6 months if the credit utilization is high) . I utilize about 95% of my limit every month and I pay total amount due every month without any delay . I have asked HDFC call center to increase my credit card limit many times but every time say that I do not have any offers in my card.
    I would like to send a credit card upgrade / limit enhancement form and my latest IT Return to HDFC, Chennai office. So do you think that HDFC will upgrade my card to Regalia and my limit will be increased ? I will file IT return of Rs. 2,70,000 or if it is necessary I can also file IT return of Rs. 4,00,000. What do you suggest ? My CIBIL score is 769.

    Reply
    1. Siddharth Post author

      2.7L on IT is too low for Regalia. If you really want regalia. 4L IT is good and process the upgrade+limit enhancement through your RM and you’ll certainly get it. Note that bank wants you more to spend on shopping/travel websites to send you more offers.

      Reply
        1. pankaj

          hello madhuri in my view hdfc bank has no rule for limit increase because in my case since sep.2013 i hold hdfc card they initially give me 50k limit and use of my card is very low 2-5% only per month some time 0% but on 1/1/14 bank increase my limit to 80k and after thar in november 2014 they upgrade my card to allmiles with 200000 limit and on august 2015 they upgrade my card to regalia life time free and 0n feb 2016 my limit is increased to 3.8l and on 11/08/2016 on net banking bank offered me credit limit of 4.9l and same time bank is also offered me a jumbo loan of 6l and one interesting thing i want to share with you bank says use card more and more for limit increase but since i hold card i only spent a total 0f 184517 rupees only and now my next card upgrade is infinia card and i have no ITR and no salary slip because i am a farmer.

          Reply
          1. Sunil Kumar

            Yes Pankaj. There is no sure shot thing to understand how bank offers Limit Enhancement and Card Upgrade. I am sharing my experience.
            Sept 2015, opened Salary account in HDFC.
            Mar 2016, there was a camp by HDFC, they offered me AllMiles card with limit 60k.
            I took it as I it was my first CC and was just happy to get EMI options.
            around Jun 2016, they increased the limit to 90k.
            Nov 2017, offered MoneyBack card.
            Dec 2017, offered Credit Limit to 187000.

            Now, I am planning to ask for Card upgrade in few months. I have Salary Account in HDFC since 2015 and a decent CIBIL Score.

  21. Ramesh

    Sir Captain Bishuddha Bharatiya , My limit got enhanced every year and at present it is Rs. 2.5 lacs

    Reply
    1. Captain Bishuddha Bharatiya

      Mr. Ramesh thanks a lot for your reply. My All Miles credit card is 12 months old. I am desperate to get my card limit increased. Hope they will do it now. Can’t wait anymore.

      Reply
    2. Captain Bishuddha Bharatiya

      It will be very helpful Mr. Ramesh if you can tell that your credit card came with how much credit limit and how many times and how much limit was increased every time ?

      Reply
  22. Mohit Jindal

    Sir,
    I have the option to chose between Regalia First and Diners premium which card should i choose

    I am interested in lounge access
    Plus i also wish to have an add on card for my wife

    Regalia First has no benefits of lounge for add on
    Does Diners premium have any . I have no idea.

    Please suggest asap so that i can confirm the bank accordingly

    Reply
    1. Siddharth Post author

      “Regalia” has the add-on priority pass feature which will help. but Diners premium don’t have. however, am unsure about regalia first. Check with bank.

      Reply
  23. Mohit Jindal

    With regalia first they are giving priority pass with only four lounge access(domestic + international)

    Diners premium website says 5 international and unlimited national

    Still should i go for priory pass + Regalia first or
    Diners premium

    Reply
    1. Siddharth Post author

      Well, the answer is with you 🙂
      If you need more lounge access u have to go for Diners.
      Not to forget, with most mastercard debit cards, you get free domestic lounge access 2/quarter

      Reply
  24. Mohit Jindal

    Thanks sir

    The confusion was whether diners is widely accepted internationally in comparision to Priority pass

    Thats why raised the point which is better PP or diners

    Reply
    1. Siddharth Post author

      You can check it on respective websites to the countries to visit.
      PP generally gets accepted almost in every lounge.

      Reply
  25. Kuldeep

    Hi Siddharth,
    I don’t have a credit history and bank is offering regalia card against a 4l fd. Is it worth it if I just want to have a credit card? Most likely not going to use lounges and other travel benefits. Rgds

    Reply
    1. Siddharth Post author

      As long as other benefits are useful to you, yes, you can get it.

      Reply
  26. Nandhakumar

    1.Yesterday I was received regalia first card from hdfc with 1 lakh limit and already hold axis privilege card with 1 lakh limit.
    2.but I was applied diners premium card
    3.and if I will hold this card or ask cus care to change for diners premium or anything.is it possible to get.

    Reply
    1. Siddharth Post author

      Diners premium tough with this limit. If you use it high, you have a chance.

      Reply
  27. Ajit

    My current limit is 2.96 lac. I need Regalia card, but they are offering regalia first instead. My annual CTC is around 16.75 & monthly salary ranges between 1.10 to 1.20. bank says i am not eligible for upgrade to Regalia. However customer care asked to send a form to Chennai, but he wasn’t convincing either. Do you think i will get the card? How many days do they take to deliver the card? I want to make a international payment of 3lac next week. Please help

    Reply
    1. Siddharth Post author

      Yes, you’ll possibly get approved if you send the IT docs to chennai. I would however suggest you to try through RM, it has better success rate 🙂

      Reply
    2. Prashant Gupta

      Go to hdfc bank branch fill the form and drop it in the drop box…..u will get card within 10 days if everything is fine….. u cant get card within 5 days…they take time to process…….i also applies through branch in the same way……..

      Reply
  28. Nandhakumar

    What is “world” mentioned above mastercard logo in my regalia first card..

    Reply
  29. Pranav Kapoor

    How do I qualify for an upgrade from Regalia First to Regalia. I want the extra lounge visits and Taj membership.

    Reply
  30. Nandhakumar

    1.Limit upgrade is only possible after 6 months or any other way to short period to upgrade.

    Reply
    1. Siddharth Post author

      Possible after 3 months if you have updated (increased) salary documents.

      Reply
  31. Amit

    Which is better Visa or MAstercard variant in terms of lounge access??
    Also I checked with Cus Care they said i will get 4 lounge access on PP but nothing on Creditcard.. IS it so??

    Reply
    1. Siddharth Post author

      Mastercard is better.
      Yes, no lounge access on Regalia First “credit card”.
      Its available on the Original Regalia only.

      Reply
      1. Aaron Abraham

        Could you elaborate as to why the MasterCard is better?

        Reply
  32. Anoop

    I was recently at my local HDFC branch. I have a MoneyBack card with them against an FD of INR 60k and limit of INR 45k. I’ve had this for 2 years now, with consistent usage (min 1k max 35-40k per month) and autopay turned on.

    They offered me the Regalia First, with fees waived if you signup for SmartPay (payment of a postpaid bill, for example). Quite surprising, this is supposed to be a super premium card! But here I am, waiting on a free Regalia First with a 45k credit limit! (Though I am a Preferred customer along with the rest of my family, so maybe that’s why..)

    Anyway, just wanted to share this information with you / your readers 🙂

    Reply
    1. Siddharth Post author

      Yes, happens. They issue easily for Preferred Customers. The Original Regalia is getting tough to get though.

      Reply
      1. Anoop

        Any idea what I could apply for next? (Eyeing Regalia & Diners).

        Do I have to contact my RM for the Diners card?

        I do everything online and haven’t even met the last 3 RMs assigned to me. They keep changing!

        Reply
        1. Siddharth Post author

          Diners is good for 10x rewards and lounge access. It all depends on what benefit you’re looking for!

          Reply
  33. Jay Joshi

    Dear Siddharth
    Please help.
    Last year when I was in Gujarat, one of my aqentences held Branch managers post and suggested that I open an account with HDFC which would give me Regalia Visa signature card. I would also have Priority Pass with 5 annual free entry to Airport lounge world wide. It will be year in October of getting the card.

    I have so far not used or activated the credit card as in London there are no HDFC branches. I only visit India once or twice a year and I do not need to use the credit card but this time I may use it when I use airport lounge in London when I visit India and pay for my wifes enterence to lounge. The only attraction to obtain Priority pass was to use the Airport lounge and this limited to 5 entry a year. My wife will have to pay what ever the charges are applicable currently or swipe the card twice.

    My limit is Rs.300.000. I do not need any loan as I have other bank account with ICICI, Bank of India and Bank of Baroda and they are all current accounts and without credit card facility.

    I need to know how can the credit card be activated and also change the bank provided pin number to one of my choice. Do I only have to pay by HDFC Visa signature card when using the Lounge with Priority card.

    Reply
    1. Siddharth Post author

      Generate OTP from net banking and visit ATm to set your own PIN. Just swipe the PP card, if you exceed free accesses, they will charge your CC automatically.

      Reply
  34. Himanshu

    Hey Siddharth,

    I don’t have a CC in-hand atm (although I carried an ICICI Platinum previously but one day got super pissed when they charged me for using my payback points so I cancelled it). I have also got a few credit cards in USA and Singapore in the past (none of which are active anymore)

    I do have bank accounts in Axis and ICICI (HDFC offered me to open a new account but I got tired of managing so many accounts)

    Now here’s the thing:

    I recently spoke to a Sales Rep at HDFC when I walked into their office and the guy insisted on me getting a CC (which I don’t mind as long as its a LTF). With my current net salary being just a tad below 1.2l / month (which seems to be the minimum threshold for Regalia), the rep told me I qualify for Regalia First.

    The kicker though is: he says there’s no difference between Regalia and Regalia First other than the number of free lounge stays.

    If that’s the case, then what’s with the 1 RP = 0.40 RP being different to original Regalia? The brochure he shared with me shows identical returns for Regalia? Or could it be a case of him not being entirely honest (or maybe its me who’s misunderstanding)

    Either way, I’d appreciate it if you could clarify for me the key differences between Regalia and Regalia First (other than the lounge access ofcourse). As much as I love traveling, I’m just not doing much nowadays while I don’t get enough lounge use for this difference to be a deal breaker. A lower RP valuation is a different matter though

    Secondly, I would also love to know what you feel about having an account with HDFC. My company has a direct affiliation with HDFC so I can always open an account anytime – just as long as its worth it (I really don’t want any more tedious bank management – I’m always up for a fresh experience though)

    Cheers and apologies for the long winded response~

    Reply
    1. Siddharth Post author

      Well, forget HDFC and start using US Credit Cards 😉
      They have insane offers.

      If not,
      Yes, HDFC a/c is good.
      You can get Regalia even after 6 months of Regalia First usage.
      You can also get Regalia Directly if your Company (with good current a/c usage) can recommend you 🙂

      Reply
  35. Harjeet Singh

    Please suggest which credit card is better in terms of reward points, flight booking, airport lounge access, shopping and cashback. HDFC Regalia First or Standard Chartered Landmark Rewards Platinum Card?
    Is there any other credit card which you want to suggest?
    Thanks

    Reply
  36. Prabhu

    Hi Siddharth,

    I started my credit card journey with basic card with the limit of 18000. Later moved to the Gold…. Platinum… and went on… Now I am holding Regalia Credit Card with the limit of 800000. I do all the transaction over credit card only like mobile bill, purchasing, broadband, electricity bill, water bill, Insurance and many more.I have never missed any payment from past ten years. And currently I have rewards points around 70000. I am looking to convert this towards card. Is there anyway I can convert this to cash? I do not want to shell out this points to buy gifts.. I have already used close to 30000 points in buying items form reward catalogue.

    Looking forward for some valuable hints and points.

    Reply
    1. Siddharth Post author

      That’s an impressive credit limit Prabhu and 10 yrs is long enough as well.
      70k reward points value is 42k INR (60ps per point now) if redeemed on their website.

      Only way to use it is on flight tickets & mobile recharges.
      Consider taking your family for a vacation 🙂

      Reply
  37. ganesh

    Hi Siddharth,

    i am looking for a card who provide benefit of movie ticket 1+1.
    hdfc providing me diners card first but after seeing my transaction they said you can also go for Regalia first card.
    Is movie ticket benefit is available with Regalia card.
    Can you please suggest which card should i go.I am only looking benefit of movie ticket.

    Reply
  38. Ashokkumar

    Hi Siddharth,

    I received a card upgrade from All miles(After devaluation of rewards) to Regalia First and Jet Privilege Platinum as choices.

    I have choosen Regalia First and they told that they will give World Master Card as per the previous card.

    Which one is good for domestic and international lounge access, World Master Card or Visa Signature??

    Please advice

    Reply
    1. Siddharth Post author

      Ashok,
      Go for Visa Signature, coz some say that Mastercard lounge access not avail on Allmiles/Regalia First.

      Reply
  39. amit

    hi on which credit limit is eligible to get upgrade to regalia first currently i have 52000 rs limit

    Reply
      1. Sumit

        But bank give me online offers for upgrade from money back to regalia first at 52000rs limit ltf

        Reply
  40. amit

    i saw today on hdfc broucher two new cards bharat cash back and freedom card both of has annual fees 500rs.

    Reply
  41. Prasun Goenka

    Hi Siddharth,

    I have received a card upgrade offer from Money back to Regalia First card.

    Please advise which one should I opt for on the basis of the features they offer.

    Also, let me know the criteria for being eligible for Regalia original.

    Thanks for you help in advance.

    Reply
    1. Siddharth Post author

      Parsun,
      Upgrade it and wait for another 4-6 months to get original regalia.

      Reply
  42. srikanth potnuru

    Hi, i have just taken hdfc regalia first credit card. i got it for life time free. they said i am eligible for this credit card since i had a loan and my sal was above 70k.
    I need clarification for lounge access. My icici coral debit card (visa) gives me 2 free per quarter. what about this other than priority pass.? I have got visa version. do i have access to it?

    How to use priority membership? just swipe the membership card or credit card, little confusing.

    Reply
    1. Siddharth Post author

      Srikanth,
      Check out My latest post on Priority Pass. That should clear all your doubts 🙂

      Reply
  43. BIJIT TALUKDAR

    Dear Siddharth,

    I have received my Regalia First CC last month and already used it. Now I came to know this card is not eligible for lounge access (except priority pass). Can it be changed to Visa signature if I pursue? I travel a lot, hence lounge access is a prime criteria for me.

    Please advise.

    Bijit

    Reply
    1. Siddharth Post author

      Yes, that should be fine.
      But if you do this, the linked priority pass will no longer work and they will issue new ones.

      Reply
  44. Nandhakumar

    1.how upgrade regalia first to diners black.
    2.if any chance to get FD based upgrade
    3.already I have preferred a/c with decent transactions and current limit is 1 lakh

    Reply
  45. Babua

    Dear Siddharth,

    For the last 8 years i am using HDFC Bank’s different types of Credit Card, currently i am holding HDFC Visa Superia Lifetime Free Credit Card, i have a limit of 1,95000, i have been offered to upgrade my existing card to Regalia First, for your info i am a Classic Customer of the bank & i used to spend near about 2,10,000 per year & i am a good pay master who never forget to settle dues in time, well, after going through your opinion i came to learn that Original Regalia is way better than what i have been offered, now my question is whether i am eligible to get Original Regalia instead of Regalia First or not? if yes, then how to do that?

    Regards

    Reply
    1. Siddharth Post author

      Apply for Upgrade to Regalia + Limit Enhancement and it has to go through, considering your usage history.

      Reply
  46. Sahaj

    Hi Siddharth,
    very nice site,,, great info man….
    I am being offered a regalia first card by a sales rep. who called me randomly and he said that it can be LTF if I use smart pay or take an add on card with it.. I want to ask whether they will give me in writing that its LTF ??? and how to go for REgalia and that tooLTF….
    any other good comparable card recommendation thats LTF.( life time free is the main criterion )…..sorry for too many questions..
    TIA

    Reply
  47. Swastik

    I have Regalia First, SBI Platinum, CItibank Premier miles & ICICI Jet Dual Coral card Visa & Amex (I will discontinue this)

    Which one is the best bank for the buck? I want to plan a travel by year end so Regalia and Premiere Miles if I want to collect points which one should I opt for as Regalia First gives me 4 points on 150 spent and Premiere Miles provides 4 miles on 100 spent. I have huge spends month on month so if I stick to one card would make sense to collect enough points or miles to my benefit.

    Would need your advice on which one to use and keep.

    Reply
  48. Devilal Pandit

    Dear sir, I have Regalia first card. But it is working only through online payment/ transaction. Its not working for Physical transaction. Yesterday I have tried many times at store and petrol pumps but it did not work. It was showing transaction declined, tpn cardholder, call to issuer etc. I also called to customer care they said card is ok, don’t have any problem with card. And it’s working at HDFC atm because I changed my pin. And I just got the card yesterday. Please help me sir in this matter. I will be highly thankful to you.

    Reply
  49. DEEPANKAR BHATTACHARJEE

    hi,
    I have Hdfc money back card, the bank is offering me an upgrade to regalia first. I am drawing a net monthly salary of 75 K but still they wont give the regalia (original) as they need minimum 1.2 lacs net per month salary is this a new development for reagalia card issuance?

    Reply
  50. Deepak Srinivasan

    Hi ,

    Last month upgraded my money back card to Regalia First card with without limit increase current limit is 49K, how can I increase my limit ??? Is there possible ? and also having two SBI Simply and SBI FFB card with 50 K for this reason I am having low in regalia first limit ?

    Reply
  51. Aashish amber

    Hi Siddharth,

    I was using HDFC regalia First card to buy Amazon India gift card. But I was unable to do so as the payment option was not accepting my card saying it is issued outside India. Is it with all regalia/regalia first credit card , or I got unlucky ? What to do now ?

    Reply
    1. Siddharth Post author

      Might be a temporary issue. Make sure your card is active. it has to pass through.

      Reply
  52. Maulik Shah

    I got Regalia first card couple of weeks back and checked with MasterCard helpline, they are saying I don’t have Airport Lounge access on that card. Even on HDFC Regalia First Website MasterCard Lounge program pages takes to a page where it says Offer Expired. On the same page Visa still shows lounge access program and list of lounges one can visit. Any idea how do I request for affiliation change ?

    Reply
    1. Siddharth Post author

      Yes, its available only on original regalia.
      You can write an email or ask Customer care guys to switch it.

      Reply
  53. Nandhakumar

    1.if limit enhancement is possible against fixed deposit.if possible then how much I will open FD.

    Reply
  54. Rahul Mohite

    Hi Siddharth,
    Your blog is very informative and gives more awareness. I like to inform that I received my Regalia First kit today but it did not had any priority pass in it being primary holder. I checked the HDFC Regalia First credit card page where it stated that “Priority Pass membership is on request. Customer has to complete 4 transactions in a statement within the first 90 days to be eligible for Priority Pass membership. Upon completing the 4 transactions in a statement, a link on which Priority Pass could be applied will be sent to customer post the statement is generated. ” I was very surprised to see this since it was not before when I applied on 4th Jan. The only reason to apply was to get Priority Pass and now I need to deal with some changed terms and conditions to receive the Priority Pass. Would be very please if you could help me to get the Priority Pass.

    Reply
    1. Siddharth Post author

      Yes, they’ve added new conditions to reduce the Priority pass usages as it costs them too much money.
      You have to possibly do the txn’s on time to get hands on it.

      Reply
  55. Rahul Mohite

    I got my Regalia First credit card yesterday but it did not have the Priority Pass. I checked on HDFC RegaliaFirst website where it stated that “Priority Pass membership is on request. Customer has to complete 4 transactions in a statement within the first 90 days to be eligible for Priority Pass membership. Upon completing the 4 transactions in a statement, a link on which Priority Pass could be applied will be sent to customer post the statement is generated. ” Could you please clarify which transactions are they referring since it was not present before when I applied for Regalia First Credit card on 4th Jan.

    Reply
  56. shaz

    One of the most beautiful reviews I have come across.
    I ain’t sure about the reward program, though, and never seem to run behind rewards 🙂 I use it only for the convenience that all my bills are under one roof.
    I have been using credit cards since a decade and only with one bank, HDFC.
    I have been using this card since a while and the only thing I liked about this is 2% cross currency markup. As I travel more and charge everything on my card.
    My card has got a decent limit of 3L, and I have turned down the request for Regalia, since I see no point in upgrading from Regalia first to Regalia as either way I will get 2%. I guess I have some more years before my current card expires.
    I have never seen any issues with some people suggesting we need to stick up with 10% or 20% of the usage. I completely max out my card most of the time, atleast more than 6 times during a year.
    But I make sure I pay off everything at the end of the billing cycle as my primary goal is to have every penny spent in a neat report.
    And I also think it gives me enough peace of mind, of not having to run and follow up with any points. I guess most of the points just come up and they expire or are unused. i havent used any of the points since my first card:)
    i have a question, which I try researching during my spare time. However, I have not had much success. What happens if the person who is holding credit card passes away. Does the debt fall on the next of his kin, even when there is no co-applicant.
    I have heard, if entire bills are cleared off and there is no outstanding of any thing on the CC expect the previous month’s bill, the bill is automatically cleared as CC carries some insurance. But this holds good only in case of death.
    Is it true? Could you throw some light

    Regards

    Reply
    1. Siddharth Post author

      Yes, you’re right.
      When the card doesnt have any credit shield, it will pass on to his kin on assets that were passed to the Kin ASIAK. I’m not sure how it actually works though.

      Reply
  57. Priyanka Selukar

    Hi Siddharth,
    I travel frequently both domestic and internationlly and I am looking for Lounge access as my main privilege. Suggest the best amongst Regalia, Regalia First and all miles?

    Reply
    1. Siddharth Post author

      Regalia is the topmost among the three Priyanka. That should help you with everything you need.

      Reply
  58. Arun Govind

    Hi Siddharth,
    I received a life time free regalia first credit card last week. My credit limit is 1.7 lakhs and net monthly salary is 60K approx. Do I stand any chance to get an upgrade to regalia after a few months?

    Reply
  59. Ashok

    Had Moneyback card for 4 years and tried for Regalia twice using physical form and got rejected. Then the only option left for me to ask for Regalia First and it got approved. Got Regalia First and it is better than Moneyback card in every way.

    What can I do to get the Diners Premium card as a secondary card to my Regalia First?
    Mainly for the Golf access (never tried. looks interesting) and lounge benefits. And of course the Diners rewards.

    Reply
  60. Rohith

    Hi Sidharth,
    I have 5.7K points on my recently upgraded regalia first card , of which 5K points were accrued before the up-gradation. It says on HDFC website that regalia points expire every two years. I plan keep the points till end of two years from now and redeem. What would happen to my 5K points from earlier card in that case? Will it expire before two years from today based on the dates when those individual points got accrued. My previous card was platinum plus.

    Reply
    1. Siddharth Post author

      Its never suggested to hold the points for more than a yr. 6 months is the best number. This is because the value of points gets devalued back to back every few months or an yr.

      Reply
  61. Santosh

    I had an moneyback credit card which got upgraded to hdfc regalia first, recently. I wanted hdfc regalia.
    How long should I wait for the regalia.Should I send letter or ask RM. My credit limit is 2.2L and credit record is good.

    Reply
    1. Siddharth Post author

      wait for 6 months and use the card as much as possible to increase the probability of upgrade.

      Reply
  62. Praveen Perumalla

    For the benefit of the everyone can you update the recent reduction in complementary PP lounge access for regalia and RF? From 12 to 6 for R, 4 to 3 for RF.

    Reply
    1. Siddharth Post author

      Let me try to make a post for that. But i’ve already updated the respective articles.

      Reply
  63. Arv

    I have applied for a regalia first CC. My basic purpose of the CC is to swipe for international transaction like IELTS/PTE examination and also for some other immigration services over 3lac. Now my question is will i get reward points for these transactions as well? Because i saw one point in the T&C that the reward points will be applicable only in retail transactions. Is it valid in this case?

    Also i have to make one transaction of 3.5 lac at one go? Will HDFC increase my limit on request?

    Reply
    1. Siddharth Post author

      You’ll get points on that. Limits depends on lots of factors.

      Reply
  64. Anil Das

    Hi Sidharth
    Recently i have receiced the Regalia first master card with a limit of 1.96 lakhs. Before applying for the card RM said that there is no annual/renewal charge for it as being corporate credit card. It is nowhere mentined about the exemption of such fee. It is also not mentioned what is the statement date. How can i b confirmed about them. I expect to use about 30 – 40 % of the limit every month clearing all dues in time.

    Reply
  65. Rohith Mohan

    Hi
    I got upgraded to regalia first recently and I have completed 10+ transactions in the first billing cycle and the bill is generated as well. As per HDFC website

    “Customer has to complete 4 transactions in a statement within the first 90 days to be eligible for Priority Pass membership. Upon completing the 4 transactions in a statement, a link on which Priority Pass could be applied will be sent to customer post the statement is generated. ”

    I didn’t receive any links from HDFC so I called them up and they said even if I did more than 4 transactions I have to wait for 90 days to get the priority pass application link. This is contradictory to what their website says and doesn’t make any sense at all.
    Anybody facing the same issue? Any comments Sidharth?

    Reply
    1. Siddharth Post author

      Maybe they’re discouraging people who get access to PP these days. If they say so, yes you got to wait.
      Consider yes bank preferred or Exclusive card if you’re keen on Priority pass.

      Reply
      1. Rohith Mohan

        I sent a mail to their customer care and they dispatched the card. Looks like the person who attended my call earlier had no clue about the process.

        Reply
    2. Anuj Karwa

      After making 4 transactions with the new credit card, let the bill get generated for that bill cycle. Within 10 days of bill generation, PP application mail would be sent to the registered email ID. If you dont receive the same, then u can complaint to the CC after 10 days of bill generation. They would take the complaint and send the PP immediately.

      Reply
  66. Anil Das

    I have recently received Regalia first master card and started its use. As I had been asked by the hdfc representative (RM) that I would have life time free corporate credit card as I am a central govt employee, but on dialing to the customer care I came to know that I will have to pay the annual charge which will be reflected on next bill. I want to know the reality of mis-guide by RM

    Reply
    1. Siddharth Post author

      These days you get LTF on doing some Payzap txn etc. talk to customer care.

      Reply
  67. Suneet

    Hi Siddharth,

    Once we get Priority Pass linked with Regila First card, do we need to pay any fee for PP membership or for each lounge access ?

    As per HDFC , PP membership is complimentary so I guess no fee.. as per PP, lounge access is free so guess no fee.

    Can you please make it clear ? And also we still can access lounge with Regila First even with PP ..right ?

    Reply
    1. Siddharth Post author

      Suneet,
      4 Visits are free after which you’ll be charged 27$ per visit.

      Reply
      1. Satish Narayana

        Today i got a call from HDFC back regards RF CC with unlimited lounge access. and when i Questioned back about info by comparing with available info in website, replied like the benefits are updated. Is it correct info.

        Reply
  68. Ankur

    Hi,

    I applied for a Regalia card by sending a physical form via a relationship manager. Think he mixed up and ticked Regalia First, and the application got approved. Now I have a Regalia First card, that too the MasterCard variant. I got two questions –

    1) How soon can I submit a request for upgrade to Regalia? It’s only been days since I got the card.
    2) Can I get the Visa Signature variant now? If so, how?

    Thanks in advance.

    Reply
  69. Rajdeep

    when you say the point value is .4 for RF, the only way to get this value is to redeem the points on their website? There is no cash adjustment against the bill due?
    Also for redeeming at their above website it seems we need to generate some voucher and then only we can redeem the points. And yes, the voucher generation charge is 75 Rs each time plus the points accrued are valid only for a duration of 2 years!! With all these stupidity for redeeming the points you still think this is a good card?

    Reply
    1. Siddharth Post author

      Yes, you’re correct. Its still a good card post devaluations. Donot forget the 5X rewards 🙂

      Reply
  70. Anuj Karwa

    Currently I have a LTF Business Regalia first credit card with limit of Rs 75000. I am restricting my spendings to 30%(i.e. 22500 per month) so that I can have a good cibil score. i want to increase my credit card limit. I have an income of Rs 10 lacs an annum. Should I just wait and watch till HDFC increases my credit card limit or should I mail them to increase my limit with my ITR? or is there a third option?

    Also, I was thinking of applying for a 2nd LTF credit card. So, based on my ITR income of 10 lac rupees p.a., which bank will offer me with highest credit card limit and how much should i expect it to be?

    Reply
    1. Vineet

      You can call their call center and check if their is any credit limit offer available for you, if offer is there they increase your limit over the call only by verifying you through OTP.

      Regarding your second part, difficult to get high credit limit with LTF variant. I will suggest you can get any good LTF card and try to increase credit limit after 6 months.

      Reply
  71. Ashi

    Hi,

    I have recently applied for regalia first card and it is yet to be delivered. I had a couple of ques regarding PP –
    1) Will I get the priority pass along with the credit card kit ?
    2) If no then what is the process for getting the PP and how long does it generally take for the PP to get delivered?

    I am planning a trip to Singapore for the first week of April so wanted to know if I will have my PP by that time.

    Thanks !

    Reply
  72. Ranjan Banik

    Hi Siddharth,

    My Platinum Plus got replaced with Regalia First (limit 1.5L) of Visa Signature. My questions are –

    1. what will happen to the reward points ?
    2. I am preferred customer with a corporate salary account, home loan with HDFC. Is it possible to get Regalia? what are the extra benefit?
    3. Pardon my ignorance – what is this lounge facility and how to avail that?

    Regards
    Ranjan

    Reply
  73. Sahil

    Hi siddharth,

    I am using a Diners premium Credit Card with the bank and having a good credit score…also I wanted another card from HDFC like regalia as they provide good benefits…i have researched other Cards as well but narrowed down to hdfc regalia. My usage is of travel Dining, majorly. I am also having savings account with them. Will I get another card from HDFC

    Reply
    1. Siddharth Post author

      It depends on lots of factors. Check with your RM.

      Reply
  74. Dhaval Doshi

    Hi.
    I am currently using the HDFC All Miles Credit Card. I want to upgrade to a better card. Preferably HDFC Bank only. So i was offered the following 2 Cards:
    1. Regalia First.
    2. Jet Platinum.

    I am fine with Cards from other banks as well.

    Can you please suggest what i should go for. My usage isnt that much. I would like a card that would give me good reward points and other benefits such as lounge access, discounts etc.

    Please help. This is my first post on this group.

    Reply
    1. Siddharth Post author

      Its you who got to decide if you want Miles or Reward Points 🙂
      If its me, i’ll take Regalia First

      Reply
  75. Swas

    I have Regalia First, SBI Platinum, CItibank Premier miles & ICICI Jet Dual Coral card Visa & Amex (I will discontinue this)

    Which one is the best bank for the buck? I want to plan a travel by year end so Regalia and Premiere Miles if I want to collect points which one should I opt for as Regalia First gives me 4 points on 150 spent and Premiere Miles provides 4 miles on 100 spent. I have huge spends month on month so if I stick to one card would make sense to collect enough points or miles to my benefit.

    Would need your advice on which one to use and keep.

    Reply
  76. Manu Thakur

    Dear Sir,

    Will I earn reward points on online payments and transactions done through Regalia First, as on the website it is mentioned “For valid Retail Purchases”.
    However, the personal banker said reward points can be earned through online transactions as well.
    Need clarification on this.

    Thanks

    Reply
    1. Siddharth Post author

      Yes, you will get points for that. Its a retail spend.

      Reply
  77. Nehal

    Hi Siddharth,

    Ive just got my first credit card. Its a HDFC Regalia Master Card Variant. I was told by customer care that to get the Priority Pass i need to make 4 transactions within 30 days and there’s no threshold for the minimum amount of the transaction.

    My statement has gotten generated but I havnt received a link for applying for PP. Customer care said the link will self generate.

    I have the following queries-

    1) How long does it take for the link to self generate? What if its still not generated till the last date to clear my dues?

    2) Is the VISA variant better? Can i ask for a change even after using the MC variant?

    3) Is the domestic access to airport lounges seriously chargeable now?

    Thanks in advance!

    Reply
    1. Siddharth Post author

      1. Talk to CC
      2. MC is better
      3. Only on PP. You can still use MC for domestic lounge access.

      Reply
  78. Satsheel R

    I have a regalia first card. My limit initially was only Rs 75000. After 6 months, I put a mail to hdfc to enhance my credit limit and they revised my credit limit to Rs 1 lac which i feel is a very small increase. Should I have specified to increase my limit to Rs 150000 or does hdfc always increases the credit limit by a small amount?
    When asking for limit enhancement, is it safe to send our ITR copy along with the mail or should we send it only if they ask??

    Reply
    1. Siddharth Post author

      They increase the limit by marginal % even if ITR is shown. Usually 15-25% as i’ve seen it with over 5 HDFC cards.
      But if automatic enhancement comes you may get 2X the limit.

      Reply
    2. Captain Bishuddha Bharatiya

      My wife send her ITR and upgradation + LE form to Chennai and they increased her limit from Rs. 20,000 to Rs. 75,000. I was very surprised.

      Reply
  79. Deep Patel

    Hi. Thanks for the review. I recently got my limit increased to 2L for my HDFC business moneyback card. I am also now eligible for Business Regalia first. I like the cashback that my current card offers but I am flexible enough to try other rewards also.

    Should I upgrade? Or should I try to apply for some other card within the 2L range. Preferable HDFC as all my current banking is with HDFC. But I dont mind trying another bank too. Is Diners rewards a good option, though it does not show in my available upgrades in my netbanking. I dont buy air travel much with my card.

    Thanking you in anticipation!

    Reply
    1. Siddharth Post author

      Moneyback is better in this case, especially if you spend more online.

      Reply
  80. Pradyumna

    Hi Sid

    Which one is better – SBI simplysave or Regalia First?

    Reply
  81. Karthikeyan K

    Hi Sid, thank you for such informative posts. Recently I got a SBI simply click card based on your site’s article. I am a very heavy online spender (esp. in amazon) I got a decent limit of 2.94L.
    I have a HDFC Money back card which was a free re-issue of my earlier HDFC platinum card. The limit in this card is 1.8L. But offline rewards are only ~0.4%. I also have a ICICI platinum card with a ~1.3L limit.
    I need a good card for offline spends which gives me at least ~1%. Do I stand a chance in getting an upgrade to HDFC regalia credit card(not the first)? My monthly net after tax and PF is ~93K. I used to have a salary account with HDFC but not anymore.

    Reply
    1. Siddharth Post author

      Upgrade to Regalia first then Regalia. For 1% even HDFC debit card would do for offline spends 🙂

      Reply
      1. Karthikeyan K

        Thank you for the quick reply. I will check with HDFC if I qualify for a free upgrade to Regalia First. I have this moneyback card for a year now and this was a lifetime free upgrade from my platinum card.

        Reply
  82. Chowdary

    Hey Siddarth,

    HDFC Regalia First vs Money Back. which one to prefer for expenses like online shopping, movies and grocery shopping etc.

    Reply
      1. Awadhesh kumar pal

        sir please confirm me regalia first is better credit card or all miles

        Reply
  83. GAURAV

    HII,

    I have HDFC Business regalia. I want to apply for PP. i have got an sms with the link for the same. By what time will i get my pass.

    Also do i need to pay for the priority pass membership. do i need to pay for the lounge access via PP? i have heared that membership and access via hdfc priority pass is chargable? is it true?

    Reply
  84. Aakash Sharma

    I already own a CitiBank Premiermiles VISA Signature card and an HDFC Moneyback Card. This gives me some benefits for travel.
    I have now been offered an upgrade to Diners Rewardz or to Regalia First, both have the fee waived off. There are a few points for consideration, which I would like to get help on:

    1. 10x offer on Diners Rewardz : Do we always get this? There is another 1 on 1 Movie Ticket offer. I know this is promotional, but I want to know how often is this promotion there? Also Diners offers these points through a lot of partners.

    2. Conversion rate of reward points – 0.75 on Diners Rewardz vs 0.40 on Regalia First : Will this difference always be there? On the other hand, 3 points on Diners Rewardz vs 4 points on Regalia First, which is better in the longer run?

    3. Priority Pass vs Diners Complimentary Access: Keeping in mind my Citibank VISA Signature, which way should I go? Is the Citibank VISA Signature Lounge Access going to cover enough lounges? Is it enough for my needs? I don’t fly very often, but I do shop and pay online a lot.

    4. Upgradability and Limit Enhancement : My RM told me that once I go the Diners Club way, I can’t get a Regalia in the future. I want to know if this is true. Will I have to upgrade to Diners Club Premium and Black even if I want a Regalia in the future? I want to keep this as a factor.

    Keeping these points in mind, someone please help me out between the two choices.

    Reply
    1. Siddharth Post author

      1. Nothing is permanent, but it will be there for quite sometime.
      2. Rewardz
      3. Too big to answer in a comment!
      4. No, but i can’t confirm as i haven’t done such conversions.

      Reply
  85. Ninad Mehta

    I have recently got HDFC regalia first credit card. And I am travelling abroad in next 2-3 days. For accessing international lounge I came to know that I need to have Priority Pass. On inquiring, came to know that I can apply once I carry out certain number of transactions and then I can apply for it. I have below understanding:
    -> For accessing domestic lounges – I don’t need priority pass. I can use my visa signature card.
    -> For accessing international lounges – I need priority pass. Visa signature card won’t be of any use there.

    Can you please confirm above understanding?

    Reply
  86. Ninad Mehta

    From the general feedback I have is that if I user my HDFC Regalia First credit card at stores outside India, then the fee that is applicable is minimum for this card. So, it would be helpful if someone can explain giving an example (I a m visiting malaysia, so my transactions would be in MYR).

    Since I am traveling with my family I suspect my expenditure would be high (70-80K atleast).

    Also, I was wondering whether to get HDFC multicurrency Forex card (need to spend around Rs. 500 + taxes extra) for this trip or just to use HDFC Regalia First credit card instead. Any advise from experts?

    Which one is better HDFC forex card or Regalia first credit card? Please suggest.

    Reply
  87. Chaitanya

    I visited Plaza Premium Lounge (Domestic) at the KIA, Bangalore on 16-Mar-2017. I used my Priority Pass to visit the lounge. Although, I could’ve just used my Regalia Fist credit card but I wasn’t aware of a parallel lounge access program by Visa. Note, that I wasn’t charged anything on my credit card for the visit. So as of 16-March, I was able to access domestic lounges free of cost.

    Reply
    1. Siddharth Post author

      Looks like even now HDFC is not charging on PP for domestic access, but they’ll eventually do it in coming days. They likely don’t want to give surprises to its members all of a sudden. 😀

      Reply
  88. Harikrishna

    I was offered an upgrade from hdfc signature to regalia first but only 20% of my existing reward points would be carried to the upgraded card
    Is this is a good deal
    Thanks

    Reply
    1. Prashant Gupta

      Your points in terms of regalia conversion will be transferred. Rupee value before and after conversion should be same. Check the coneversion for signature and regalia in terms of rupee.

      Reply
  89. Mouli

    Its mentioned as 8 Points/150 for Spends on Dining (Stand-alone restaurants only). What they mean by Stand-alone restaurants only ?

    Reply
  90. Akhil

    Hi Siddharth,
    Your blog has helped me a lot in understanding the CC world, it was after reading your blog I applied and got Regalia first on FD (2 lakhs FD), I got a limit of 1.5 lakhs for the same on the card, I also got PP. Its been more than 6 months that I got the card.
    Now this limit is not sufficient for me, my current ITR is at 6L, I realised that limit enhancement is not available for cards based on FD, so my questions are :

    1) will it be possible to submit my ITR to enhance my limit on my card (this is an FD card).
    2) Since this is an FD card will I be eligible for Up-gradation based on my ITR now or in the future say 1 year from now. (its been more that 6 months that i got this card),
    3) Or will i be asked to close this FD card and then be issued a new Card based on my ITR.

    regards

    Reply
  91. thomas

    got an email saying regalia and regalia first pp domestic charge will be from may 25

    Reply
  92. murali krishna

    hai siddarth my take home comes around 1.45lakhs/ month(govt doctor) when i applied for cc they issued me regalia first (febrauary) with 1.2 lakhs , and iam also having citi rewards card with 1 lakh limit which iam using for last three years. i want to enhnce my credit limit on HDFC when i should apply again for limit enhancement. iam 34 now and my usage comes around 40-50k / month with CIBIL 795

    Reply
    1. Siddharth Post author

      You can apply for LE after 6 months, you may ask for “Doctors Regalia”

      Reply
  93. Aman

    Hi
    I have 2 cards
    Yes bank with 3l limit issued in march 17
    & axis with limit 1.5L (3 yrs old)

    The Hdfc branch said regalia first ltf (based on axis) now or you can get regalia in Sep (based on yes card)

    Should i get this regalia first card now or go for regalia? Should I wait and not look credit hungry by applying for a new card in 3 months from march?

    Reply
  94. Anuj Karwa

    On HDFC bank my rewardz regalia website, when you clicked on “mastercard offers” section it previously used to specifically say that Regalia First credit card is not eligible for mastercard lounge program but I checked the website today, it says that both regalia and regalia first card are eligible for 2 free lounge access per quarter. Can someone confirm who have regalia first mastercard credit card whether they are able to access airport lounges under the mastercard lounge program??

    Reply
  95. Rahul Monani

    Hi siddharth,
    Great info. Just wanted to ask – which variant of regalia first is better – visa or mastercard??

    I read above that mastercard variant is not eligible for lounge access and only visa has lounge access for regalia first.
    My RM says that they dont have any control which variant the HQ might issue. What to do?? How to ask them to issue me a visa variant?

    Reply
    1. Siddharth Post author

      Visa would do. You can ask them post issuance for card variant change.

      Reply
  96. Sheedhar k

    There has been some changes in the terms and conditions of hdfc bank with mastercard recently. It seems that now regalia first credit card are eligible for lounge access under mastercard.

    Reply
  97. Biju

    Hi Siddharth

    Nice Blog!!
    I initially applied for Diners club premium which they approved but on further reading about its acceptance issue across various merchants/Online i asked them to change it to Regalia First.

    I just received HDFC regalia first Master card even though i had asked for VISA during the application process. Are there any benefits in getting it changed to VISA ?I am not frequent traveler so not worried about lounge access much.

    Reply
    1. Siddharth Post author

      No difference for your req., stay with MC 🙂

      Reply
    2. Prashant Gupta

      Only difference is of Visa Blockbuster weekend offer where one can get discount of Rs.500 on tickets + food. I have just realised as i have 8-9 credit cards but none Visa Signature which i upgraded to Diners Black.

      Reply
  98. Shourav

    Which is a better credit card between the following:

    1. hdfc regalia first vs diners club premium
    2. hdfc regalia vs diners club black

    Reply
  99. Biju

    I also don’t have any visa Signature hence was looking for this one. Have ICICI Coral but i guess that’s VISA Platinum card which has Buy one get One movie ticket offer..

    Reply
  100. Shivi

    Newly launched SBI “Prime” is way better than HDFC Regalia First now!

    Reply
  101. Ankit

    Hi Siddharth,

    I currently hold a Moneyback MC Credit Card from HDFC Bank.
    They are offering me 2 options to upgrade
    1) JetPrivilege World Card
    2) Regalia First MC

    I am inclined towards the Regalia First card as:
    1) I do not travel much – maybe 4 -5 flights in a year. Most of Jetprivilege rewards come only when you book on jetairways.com which is anyways costlier and less punctual than other airlines.
    2) The lounge access is equal in both cards.
    3) I think if I go with Regalia First, then there is a clear path to upgrade to Regalia card which is what I want.
    4) Most of my spends are retail in nature.
    5) I spend a lot on movies – I think I will get better movie offers from Regalia first.

    Please help me decide which card I should go for.

    Thanks

    Reply
  102. Pranay vij

    Do we get domestic lounge access for add on card with regalia first. Btw great work in updating the masses with such useful information.

    Reply
  103. Vineet

    With the latest downgrades, is it worth staying with regalia first? All 2x reward points removed, each point is 30p

    Reply
    1. Tarun

      Even I am holding regalia first. Considering the devaluation in the recent past, I am thinking about replacement of this card. I hold a salary savings account with HDFC.

      Any good suggestions (CardExpert Team) for a primary card at annual CTC 14 LPA.

      Reply
  104. rajesh

    I have been offered HDFC regalia first credit card and they asked me for insurance coverage to sign up for 1 year to get life time free card Is it so?Also want to know which card is better i.e Master or visa card variant.please let me know at the earliest

    Reply
  105. sasi

    Hi Siddarth,

    Having some query in HDFC infinia card.
    I am using HDFC regalia first credit card for the past three months with 8L credit limit and i want to get upgraded to infinia card. May i know the chances of getting upgrade to infinia card. and what is the criteria for the approval based on my existing card

    Thanks & Regards,
    Sasi

    Reply
  106. Captain Bishuddha Bharatiya

    Dear Sid,
    I am a very active reader of your blog. I browse your page twice a day in search of new contents. My dream is to get a diners black card in future.
    6 months ago I upgraded my All Miles ( 1.5 lakhs ) to Regalia First ( 1.8 lakhs limit) upon your recommendation .
    Now I want to upgrade my Regalia First to Regalia and my latest ITR is of Rs. 4.1 lakhs and my CIBIL is 777 . I have a virtual preferred ac. and also a Insta Jumbo Loan of Rs. 1.85 lakhs from last 4 months. My total spends in last 6 months was Rs. 4 lakhs only. My questions are :-
    1. What are my chances of upgrade ?
    2. How can I make sure that I get Master Card variant ?
    3. How much limit can I expect ?
    4. If upgrade gets successfull than again after six months i.e., on March 2018 can I ask for limit enhancement with my same ITR ?

    Reply
    1. Siddharth Post author

      Its simple.
      More Relationship value with bank = Easy approval.
      Yes, you can ask LE with same ITR every 6 months, provided spends are good. Though LE will be usually less in such cases.

      Reply
      1. Captain Bishuddha Bharatiya

        With my current relationship value do you think I can get Regalia ?

        Reply
      2. Captain Bishuddha Bharatiya

        My application for upgrade as well as limit enhancement both got denied because my income is not sufficient for Regalia. Feeling very sad. What to do Sid ?

        Reply
        1. Siddharth Post author

          You may need to at-least increase your relationship value to Preferred with good balance and try after 6 months.

          Reply
          1. Captain Bishuddha Bharatiya

            I already have a virtual preferred account from 2.5 years .

  107. VISHAL VERMA

    last week I applied to Regalia first, ( Upgraded from Diner Rewardz – No use now) through bank branch. There was one section in card selection form “Get a Life Time Free/ First Year Free Credit Card
    by availing one of the below-mentioned products ” I have selected SmartPay since it is free. Do they provide LTF credit card as mentioned in the form.

    Reply
  108. Gaurav

    Hi, I’m using Regalia first from last 12 months, and i need to access “Plaza Premium Lounge (International Departures) New Delhi” next month, and i just read the new condition ” The Primary card holder can avail 3 complimentary access to International Priority Pass lounges “OUTSIDE INDIA” in a calendar year. Can i access PP Lounge, New Delhi with Priority Pass free access???

    Reply
    1. Narinder

      Hi Gaurav, I feel even on international airports in India, you cann’t use PP Lounge free of cost, You can use your Visa/Master card for that. PP issued by HDFC gives free access outside India only.

      Reply
  109. sony

    Hi

    I would like to know is it possible to get regalia first with a fixed deposit,as I don’t have an account/credit card from hdfc.I hold credit card from SBI.
    I had spent and need to spend more on international transactions,this is the very reason for opting regalia first and i also found it would be useful for domestic use.
    if yes how much limit is possible?

    Thankyou

    Reply
  110. MS Rao

    Have tried to upgrade from All Miles (Credit limit -6.29 Lakhs)to Regalia for almost Three months, and finally have accepted auto upgrade for my exiting All miles to Regalia First on 21st August. Received card on 26th August and have completed 4 transactions and placed request for P.P on 29th August. Received Priority pass on 3rd September with only 3 free visits.

    Reply
  111. Vinith

    Hi Sid,

    Hope you are in good health! I got a chance to see your page today and love your spirit and your responses to each and every individual posting here!

    I am also one of them, completely ignorant of the credit card world. I have just been issued a credit card Regalia first ( Master card) by HDFC and already hold a debit card Visa platinum by HDFC. Am one of their preferred customer.

    Please pardon me for my ignorance and can you let me know on what items must I use debit card like petrol, movies etc and for what credit card eg. Lounge etc. I am also travelling with my wife abroad in a few days, is there something I must do to avail free lounge access or it is by default. And if there will be extra charges on using my cc abroad.

    Looking forward to hearing from you & thanks in advance.

    Reply
    1. Siddharth Post author

      Use credit card anywhere & everywhere, so you get opportunity to upgrade in future which may in-turn get you better rewards!

      Reply
      1. Vinith

        Dear Sid,

        Thank you for your quick revert to my query.

        Could you also tell me about the free airport lounge usage policy on the card & does it come complimentary ?

        Reply
  112. Parminder Singh

    they promised life time free card if I do 3 payzapp transactions even on 10 Rs , but they deducted 1299₹ the very first day.

    Reply
  113. Prashant Gupta

    Parminder do 3 payzapp transactions and then write and call customer care to reverse the fees. Be admant about the promise.

    Reply
  114. Akhil Gupta

    What’s the maximum rewards points that can be earned per month with regalia first credit card under hdfc 10x reward programme.

    Reply
  115. Shailesh Pai

    Any idea if the Doctors regalia is on par with Regalia or Regalia first?
    There is no information whatsoever on website and the bank guys claim it’s on par with Regalia but don’t want to take any risk before applying.

    Reply
  116. Rakesh R

    I am a salaried employee with no credit history. I applied for YES Bank, Indusind Bank visa signature, SBI Prime etc but all got rejected. (SBI Rejected my application for not having current month’s salary slip! I have given previous two months but they did not agree). AMEX assesd my creditscore as 7 😛 and rejected it right away.

    Finally thought of trying with HDFC (No relation such as account, FD or anything), next day of application, got a call from their call center, asked details and they said I am eligible for Regalia first, Schedule an appointment the very next day and gave all the documents and filled the application. In another couple of days got an SMS “Card is approved in principle subjected to internal checks and on the same day (29th Oct), a phone number verification and Home address verification was done.

    Got another SMS today saying the card is approved and I will be receiving it in next 3 days!!

    They are offering it life time free if I add a smartpay bill.

    So my queries are,

    1. How they approved it without a relationship and credit history where others are rejecting it.
    2. Is Regalia First worth as a first Credit Card for a person like me ? i.e, No credit history to improve it?
    3. How is the utility bill instruction via Smartpay covers the card fee? I read they are not charging for this facility

    Reply
  117. Captain Bishuddha Bharatiya

    Hi Sid.
    Just now I got an email from HDFC bank that today I am eligible for 10X rewards points on retail spends as today is my birthday. But when I try to open terms & conditions page it does not open. So please tell me what might be the maximum upper limit of points . I have Regalia First Visa .
    I also have a SBI Prime with Rs. 75,000 limit. I swiped Rs. 75,000 just now . Than I paid Rs. 55,110 which was successfull but it still shows that available limit is 0.

    Reply
  118. Coolbuddy

    I have almost 9 credit cards from citibank rewards, icici platinum and indusind platinum being the least used to hdfc regalia first, yes prosperity edge and two from sbi ie sbi simply click and sbi prime visa.. Due to influx of offers recently from hdfc my regalia first was used a lot and i have accumulated a lot of points lately. I am unaware of places to use these reward points effectively as flight booking, air miles and recharge don’t suit me. Siddharth can you please suggest some option.. Can they be redeemed in the bill for cash. Any evouchers that can be availed. Help would be appreciated.

    Reply
  119. Sameer

    Dear HDFC I applied for a credit card but I received a mail tell that my application has been kept on hold as i already have a credit card of HDFC but where as this is the first time i have applied for Hdfc i tried to get in touch with customer care but i couldn’t talk to your relationship manager as IVR SERVICE ask for credit card no which i don’t have my no 8951466643 kindly let me know how to contact customer service and rectify the issue

    Reply
  120. Nehit gupta

    I have submit the whole amount on due date but still companu has debited me the 450 rs with no reason plz help us

    Reply
  121. vijayan

    iam a government salaried person . iam using hdfc superia card . what all documents needed to upgrade my card to regalia first. salary certificate enough?

    Reply
  122. ANUGU RAVINDER REDDY

    Hi everyone,
    HDFC Regalia First add on Card was accepted at plaza premium, Hyderabad; cumulative 2 per quarter.

    Reply
    1. pv

      were you traveling to an international destination or domestic.
      -i mean, is regalia first also acceptable at lounges for international travel

      Reply
  123. Nitin Arora

    Hi, I have one query, does the add on card for hdfc regalia first also have same card number as the parent card albeit with different name?

    Reply
  124. pv

    am travelling mumbai-istanbul-zurich on 08may18

    1. will my regalia-FIRST-visa gain me & spouse (addon) & mother (addon) free access to the clipper/any lounge at mumbai T2 departure
    (regalia first website states: 2 visits per quarter to *domestic* lounges)

    2. for mum-zurich, will i gain free access to clipper/any lounge with my icici visa coral debit card

    tia

    Reply
  125. Prashant Gupta

    Lounge access is only for the primary holder. U need 3 different cards for lounge access.

    Reply
  126. Anjana

    Hi Sidharth
    I have a standard chartered card since 1995,an Amex jet privilege and and a regalia first card ,which card should I use maximum to get maximum benefits ? I prefer using all my points for travel.

    Reply
  127. Praveen

    Hi Sid,

    I am following your articles quite a long time now. Also, upgraded my self with required set of cards. Can you help me how to get .40 paise reward rate with Regalia First card. When I am looking into the HDFC site its giving me .30 paise. So recently it got changed ? Please update?

    Regards,
    Praveen

    Reply
  128. Abhilash Balakrishnan

    Hi Sid, just came across this post and it’s quite incredible how you manage to keep this updated so frequently.. I have an sbi credit card and my limit is 120000(using it since more than 2 years) Hdfc called me up and asked me if I wanted a cc. I just received the hdfc regalia first cc (master card) with a credit limit of 40000. Wanted to check with you what can be done. I was told that since my salary is about 95000 per month (before taxes) and my cibil score is 820, that my credit limit right at the start would be 1lakh, I have 2 queries:
    1. I have received the master card (not the visa which seems better based on the user comments and your comments) – should I ask for it to be changed? I behave received the card just 5 minutes back
    2. The limit that was promised was 80000 to 1 lakh, should j take it up with them or should I start with this.?
    Any comments would be greatly appreciated! Thanks a ton!

    Reply
    1. Rex

      Now master card is better because recently visa had revamped lounge list and has removed most of lounges located in international departure area.
      You should follow up with your RM about credit limit increase.. though usually it can be done only 6 months from date of issuance.
      Regards
      Rex

      Reply
  129. Jay

    Hi Sid,

    Firstly, thanks for the amazing reviews and info on credit cards and other banking/finance services. I have recently started following your website and kind of addicted now. (I own HDFC regalia first, Citi rewards, Amex platinum travel card and Std Chartered Manhattan cards)
    Like you I also love using the benefits associated with credit cards specially the lounge access. Lately i have started learning about air miles but not able to understand much (I hardly travel by Jet or any major airlines so not sure if it is of any use for me!!)
    So my query for you today is, basically i have an option to upgrade my Regalia first to Regalia but i need to close the existing card first.
    Now i have close to 19000 points in the card and want to know what would be the best value to convert these?
    1. Planning to travel to Mumbai so should i book my flight tickets via regalia website @ 0.30INR per Point value?
    2. Convert them to shopping vouchers through reward website HDFC? (i do not know the conversion value)
    3. Convert to Air miles? (I have jet privilege account, never used it though)

    Or any other suggestions

    Thanks
    Jay

    Reply
  130. Nikhil R Das

    Hi Siddharth,

    I hold an HDFC Times card since over a year now and my spends have been around 7-8 lakhs initially but ever since the devaluation, I have shifted my spends to my SBI Prime in the last 6-7 months (very happy with the Prime). I have never been offered any upgrade or limit enhancement by HDFC (LE not really necessary as I use my Amex Platinum Reserve as my primary and have these as a backup when Amex is not accepted).
    I’m thinking of closing the HDFC TIMES card down unless, I can get my hands on the Regalia First (and then eventually, Regalia).
    1. How do I get in touch with an RM who can help me with the upgrade? I tried with the customer service but they keep saying that there are no offers and ask me to send the form to their Chennai office.
    2. Any other suggestions for getting the Regalia? My limit in HDFC Times and SBI Prime is Rs. 75000 each and on Amex is 2.5+ lakhs. My cibil is also 780+ and I’ve had both cards for almost 1.5 years now without any default or partial payments.

    Thanks and Regards,
    Nikhil

    Reply
  131. SANAL KUMAR

    Hi Siddharth,

    I am holding a HDFC MC PLAT MONEYBACK CARD INTL card from last 2 yrs. Now the bank is asking for an upgrade to REGALIA FIRST. I an not a regular user of credit cards and cards are mainly used for offers and larger purchases. My primary card which I use is from ICICI(HP-Coral credit) and having a limit of 70K. Kindly guide me on the same

    Reply
    1. Prashant Gupta

      You should go for Regalia First…its a better card……

      Reply
  132. Richard

    Hello there, I am applying for my Regalia First CC. Heard there is 0% fuel surcharge for fuelling on all Fuel stations. Yet my friend told me that however the tax for the surcharge amount will be charged on your billing cycle. Pls can you verify this for me, as I fuel like almost 20K a month. Will this affect me if I use Regalia First for fuelling?

    Reply
  133. Priyanka

    Hi.. my money back card has just been upgraded to regalia first.. please tell when redeeming the Points from HDFC CATALOGUE, regalia first falls in which category?? A,B,C…. G???

    Reply
  134. Akshay

    Hi Siddharth,

    Absolutely loved all of your articles ! so crisp and concise. Thanks for doing this 🙂

    Recently i was offered an upgrade to regalia first from time titanium card when i requested card closure. They are offering life time free regalia first card after using the regalia card for auto payment of any utility for first three months.

    I also have one Amex MRCC which i use often and plan to keep regalia first as a back up ( to be used rarely ).

    Reply

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