BackToIndia
Open app
NRI Banking, Remittance & Credit

HDFC Bank Diners Club Black Card Review

Mani Karthik2 min readGetting ready

Reviewed by returnees. Cross-checked with RBI, Income Tax Department and MEA. Editorial policy.

HDFC Bank Diners Club Black Card isn’t the best option for anything apart from dining. Here’s why.

HDFC Bank Limited, incorporated in 1994, is headquartered in Mumbai. As of 2019, it has 5,103 branches and 13,160 ATMs across 2,748 towns and cities in India.

Btw, you can find the best credit cards in India listed here.

Its Diners Club Black Card is a premium offering comparable to the Inifinia credit card from the same bank. Infinia is powered by VISA or MasterCard, whereas the Diners Club Black is powered by Diners Club International, which is the first independent company in the world to issue and charge credit cards.

While the card offers a host of features, the constant problems in using it at outlets other than restaurants and airport bars has made it a limiting option for customers. 

Features

  1. Get access to 700+ international and national airport lounges under HDFC’s Exclusive Lounge Program.
  2. Make hotel reservations or flight bookings across 150 airlines on the HDFC Bank Diners Club website.
  • Receive 10,000 reward points when you register and an extra 5,000 points each time you renew your card.
  • Receive 5 reward points every time you spend ₹150 on your card (excluding fuel transactions).
  • Get your renewal fee for the subsequent year waived off on spending ₹5 lakhs within 12 months.
  • You can redeem the reward points for hotel and air ticket bookings, where 1 point is equal to ₹1.
  • You also get the freedom to redeem the points in the form of air miles across HDFC partner airlines or for gifts in the rewards redemption catalogue for this card.
  • The card comes with different types of complementary insurance covers, such as travel insurance cover worth up to ₹55,000, emergency medical expense coverage up to ₹50 lakh, credit liability cover up to ₹9 lakh and air accident cover worth ₹2 crores.
  • 6 complimentary golf games every quarter, applicable at more than 20 golf courses in India and 40 abroad.
  • No add-on card charges.
  • Enjoy 24 x 7 fully dedicated concierge services that will handle your booking and reservations for dining, gift and flower delivery, golf courses, business services, car and limousine rental assistance, courier services, etc.

    • Limitations

    1. This card cannot be used at retail outlets other than restaurants and airport bars, as well as many ecommerce websites, as reported by many customers.
    2. Devaluation of reward points for existing as well as new cardholders.
    3. No benefits of reward points during fuel transactions.
    4. Time consuming offline methods of updating details, such as mobile number, email address, although most other banks enable customers to update their details without having to visit a physical branch or submit any hard copies of documents.

    Advantages

    1. A premium credit card that offers lifestyle benefits
    2. Insurance cover for various types of unforeseen events
    3. Free access to lounges and golf courses globally
    4. Annual fee waiver for cardholders meeting spending milestones

    Disadvantages

    1. Limited acceptance for carrying out transactions
    2. Reduced reward point benefits
    3. No EMI conversion option for convenient payment of credit card dues
    4. Card not accepted in most non-dining outlets

    What do you think of this card? Let us know in comments below.

    Written by

    Mani Karthik

    Mani Karthik

    Founder, BackToIndia · Returnee since 2016

    Mani Karthik is an entrepreneur who moved back to India in 2016 after nearly a decade living and working in the US and the Middle East. He started BackToIndia to help other NRIs navigate the move — banking, taxes, schooling, careers and the everyday reality of resettling in India.

    About BackToIndiaEditorial policyContactJoin the community

    Rules for NRI banking, tax and residency change often. We update guides when policy or our lived experience changes. Nothing here is legal, tax or investment advice — always confirm with a qualified professional in India.

    Free for NRIs

    Get the Return to India Checklist, Planner & Tools

    The exact playbook returnees use to move back without missing a step — built from real journeys, updated for 2026.

    • 12-month Return-to-India checklist
    • RNOR & tax residency planner
    • Banking, schooling & shipping trackers
    Get it free

    No spam. Unsubscribe any time.

    Where to next

    All guidesBrowse everything in NRI Banking, Remittance & CreditTrack it in the appOpen the Tax & Money trackerTrack NRE/NRO, FCNR maturities and RNOR window.Ask other returneesJoin the Getting ready communityReal Q&A with people at your stage of the move.