Creditkeeda
HDFC Bank has introduced a minimum spend and relationship value requirement for customers who wish to continue enjoying the Infinia programme benefits.
As per the latest communication sent to select cardholders, continued access to the Infinia experience will now be aligned to one of the following criteria for a financial year:
₹18 lakh annual spends on the Infinia card, including add-on cards
or₹50 lakh Relationship Value with HDFC Bank
Relationship Value includes the combined average monthly balances maintained across savings, current, fixed deposit and recurring deposit accounts. The financial year is considered from 1 April to 31 March.
Temporary Relief for FY26
In the same communication, HDFC clarified that the new requirement has been waived for the Financial Year 2026. Cardholders will continue to enjoy uninterrupted access to the programme until March 2027. The first review under the new criteria is scheduled for April 2027.
While this gives existing users time to adjust, the message is clear. Infinia is moving towards a structured eligibility model based either on significant card usage or deeper banking relationships.
What This Means for Infinia Cardholders
Infinia has long been considered one of India’s most rewarding super premium credit cards, known for high reward rates on SmartBuy, unlimited lounge access and premium lifestyle benefits.
With this move, HDFC appears to be repositioning the card as a performance-aligned product rather than a legacy privilege. Cardholders who previously retained the card without high annual spends may now need to rethink their strategy.
For customers spending well above ₹18 lakh annually, the change may not materially impact them. However, moderate spenders who held Infinia for selective high reward use cases may find the bar significantly higher.
Industry Perspective
Industry experts note that by setting the Total Relationship Value threshold at ₹50 lakh, HDFC Bank is positioning Infinia squarely between other premium market benchmarks, such as the ₹30 lakh NRV requirement typically associated with Axis Bank Burgundy and the ₹50 lakh NRV benchmark for HSBC Premier.
Axis Bank and HSBC already follow structured wealth-linked eligibility models for their premium propositions.
This positioning suggests a deliberate strategy. The move is widely seen as an attempt to align Infinia with customers who maintain deeper banking relationships, rather than those who primarily optimise the card purely for rewards without significant engagement across HDFC’s broader product ecosystem.
Community Reaction: Divided but Vocal
The credit card community has responded with mixed views.
While most are calling this a big devaluation and a move that does not favour long-time users, some see it as a necessary step to restore exclusivity.
Some believe a super premium card should demand either high annual spending or strong banking relationships. Others feel the goalpost has been shifted, and loyalty is now being replaced with billing targets.
Bigger Picture
The introduction of spend or Relationship Value thresholds signals a broader industry shift. Premium cards are increasingly being tied to measurable engagement, whether through high annual billing or consolidated banking relationships.
For HDFC Bank, this could mean tightening the base and focusing on high value customers. For cardholders, it marks the end of passive access to one of India’s most sought-after premium cards.
The real impact will become clearer closer to April 2027, when the first formal review under the new rules takes place. Until then, Infinia users have time to evaluate whether to scale up spending, deepen their banking relationship, or consider alternatives in the premium card segment.