Have you ever wondered if a credit card can actually pay for your next vacation: Flight tickets, airport lounge access, hotel stay, meals, etc.? Your daily spends on your credit card can earn you regular/accelerated reward points. These points can then be used for booking flights, hotel accommodation and paying for your meals during your vacation. The credit card can help you and add-on cardholders get unlimited free airport lounge access. We are talking about the Diners Club Black Metal Edition Credit Card. It provides travel and lifestyle benefits that most individuals seek. In this article, we will do a Diners Club Black Metal Edition Credit Card review, understand its features and benefits, and why you should consider getting it.Crafted in premium brushed metal, this card doesn’t just look luxurious, it feels like a statement piece in your wallet. It offers unlimited global lounge access, up to 33% value back, and lifestyle privileges that justify its elite status. In this review, let’s decode its features, benefits, rewards, eligibility, and whether it’s worth the Rs. 10,000 annual fee.

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HDFC Diners Club Black Credit Card

Joining Fees: 10000

Renewal Fees: 10000

Reward Percentage: Upto 2%

Best For: Shopping

Category Of Card: Rewards

• Welcome Benefit:

  10000 points on paying joining fees

• Renewal Benefits:

  Spend Rs. 5 Lakhs in 12 Months and get Renewal Fee waived for next renewal year

• Usps:

  Complimentary Annual memberships of Club Marriott, Times Prime, Amazon Prime, Swiggy One (3 months) and MMT BLACK, Complimentary Golf games across the finest courses in the world (6 per quarter)

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Pros:

• Unlimited airport lounge access worldwide for primary and add-on cardholders
• 5 Reward Points per ₹150 spent, equating to a 3.3% reward rate
• Up to 10X Reward Points on spends via SmartBuy, offering up to 33% value back
• Complimentary annual memberships to Club Marriott, Amazon Prime, Swiggy One (3 months), and MMT BLACK on spending ₹1.5 lakh within the first 90 days
• 6 complimentary golf games per quarter at select courses worldwide
• Low foreign currency markup fee of 2%

Cons:

• High annual fee of ₹10,000 plus taxes
• Renewal of complimentary memberships requires annual spending of ₹8 lakh
• Potential acceptance issues with the Diners Club network in certain regions
• No Reward Points on fuel, EasyEMI, and wallet transactions

Overview Table

Fees & Benefits

The joining fee for the Diners Club Black Metal Edition Credit Card is Rs. 10,000 + GST.

The cardholder can get complimentary annual memberships of Club Marriott, Amazon Prime, and Swiggy One. The cardholder must spend Rs. 1,50,000 within 90 days of card issuance to be eligible for the complimentary memberships. Wallet loading, EMI principal and interest transactions will not be counted for calculating the spends for welcome benefits eligibility.

The welcome benefits will be unlocked within 48 hours of achieving the eligibility criteria. Once unlocked, the cardholder can avail of the welcome benefits within 90 days from the end of the welcome benefit period.

The annual renewal fee on the card is Rs. 10,000 + GST. There are no annual renewal benefits on this card. If the cardholder spends Rs. 8 lakhs or above in a card anniversary year, the renewal fee is waived for the next renewal year.

Rewards structure

The Diners Club Black Metal Edition Credit Card provides a base reward of 5 reward points for every Rs. 150 spent. The cardholder can earn 3X to 10X accelerated reward points through the SmartBuy portal as follows.

On the SmartBuy portal, there is a monthly limit on the amount of gift vouchers of specific brands that can be purchased in a calendar month. For example, a cardholder can buy a maximum of Rs. 1,500 Bigbasket gift vouchers and Rs. 10,000 Amazon Pay gift vouchers in a calendar month. There is a convenience fee on the purchase of gift vouchers of specific brands like Amazon Pay, Amazon Shopping Voucher and Flipkart.

On the SmartBuy portal, the cardholder can earn a maximum of 10,000 accelerated reward points daily and in a calendar month. There is no capping on the 1X base reward rate. The accelerated reward points are credited within 90 working days from the late date of the transaction month.

2X reward points on weekend dining

If you are a foodie who likes to dine out every weekend, the Diners Club Black Metal Edition Credit Card provides you with 2X reward points on weekend dining. The cardholder earns 10 reward points/Rs. 150 spent instead of the usual 5 reward points/Rs. 150 spent. Transactions done on Saturday and Sunday at standalone restaurants qualify for this benefit.

Quarterly milestones

When a cardholder spends Rs. 4 lakhs or more in a calendar quarter, they get 10,000 bonus reward points. The reward points will be posted to the cardholder’s statement within 7 working days of achieving the spend criteria. Wallet loading, EMI principal and interest transactions will not be counted for calculating the spends for quarterly milestone eligibility.

Limits on earning reward points

There are limits on the reward points that can be earned in specified categories as follows.

• Reward points for insurance transactions will have a maximum capping of 5,000 per month.
• Reward points for utility transactions will have a maximum capping of 2,000 per month.
• Reward points for telecom transactions will have a maximum capping of 2,000 per month.
• Reward points for grocery transactions will have a maximum capping of 2,000 per month.
• Education payments made through 3rd party apps like CRED, MobiKwik, etc., will not earn any reward points. However, education payments made directly through the school/college website or their POS terminals will earn reward points.
• The maximum reward points that can be earned in a statement cycle is 75,000.

If a retail transaction is converted into SmartEMI, the reward points accrued will be reversed.

Exclusions

Transactions in the following categories will not earn any reward points.

• Fuel purchases
• EasyEMI
• E-wallet loading
• Rent payments
• Government transactions
• Online skill-based gaming

Fees on certain payments

1. For spends of more than Rs. 10,000 in a month on online skill-based gaming platforms (MCC 5816), like Dream11, Rummy Culture, etc., there will be a 1% fee. The fee will apply on the entire amount spent for the month in this category, and not just incremental spends above Rs. 10,000.
2. For spends of more than Rs. 10,000 in a month on loading third-party wallets (MCC 6540), like Paytm, MobiKwik, etc., there will be a 1% fee. The fee will apply on the entire amount spent for the month in this category, and not just incremental spends above Rs. 10,000.
3. For spends of more than Rs. 50,000 in a month on utility bill payments (MCC 4900), like mobile recharges and postpaid bills, electricity, DTH, etc., there will be a 1% fee. The fee will apply on the entire amount spent for the month in this category, and not just incremental spends above Rs. 50,000. Insurance premium payments will not be classified as utility bill payments. Hence, the insurance premium payments will not be charged the 1% fee.
4. For rent payments, there will be a fee of 1% of the transaction amount.
5. For spends of more than Rs. 15,000 in a month on fuel transactions, there will be a 1% fee. The fee will apply on the entire amount spent for the month in this category, and not just incremental spends above Rs. 15,000.

The reward points are valid for 3 years from the date of credit.

Rewards redemption

The reward points earned with the Diners Club Black Metal Edition Credit Card can be redeemed in various ways. The cardholder can derive a redemption value of up to Rs. 1 per reward point. Let us look at the redemption options.

Flights and hotel bookings

The cardholder can use reward points to book flights and hotels on the SmartBuy portal. The booking options include domestic and international flights and hotels. The redemption value is 1 reward point = Rs. 1.

Suppose you spend with a merchant like IGP, Jockey, Pharmeasy, or do a paid hotel booking through the SmartBuy platform. You will earn 10X reward points (50 reward points) for every Rs. 150 spent for all these transactions. It means, you will earn 33 reward points for every Rs. 100 spent on these transactions on the SmartBuy platform.

Now, when you redeem these 33 reward points for flights or hotel bookings on the SmartBuy platform, you will get a redemption value of Rs. 1 for each reward point. Thus, your 33 reward points earned on spending Rs. 100 will get you redemption benefits worth Rs. 33. It translates into a 33% value back for flight and hotel booking redemptions through the SmartBuy platform.

For travel bookings (flights, hotels, and experiences), a maximum of 70% of the transaction value can be paid with reward points. The balance must be paid with the Diners Black Metal Edition Credit Card. In case of reward points redemption for flight tickets, the cardholder earns 5X accelerated reward points on the balance 30% or higher amount paid with the HDFC Bank credit card. In case of reward points redemption for hotel booking, the cardholder earns 10X accelerated reward points on the balance 30% or higher amount paid with the HDFC Bank credit card.

The redemption of reward points for flights and hotel bookings on the Smartbuy portal is capped at 75,000 reward points per calendar month.

Product catalogue/gift vouchers

The reward points can be redeemed against products and gift vouchers through the SmartBuy portal or net banking. The redemption value is usually in the Rs. 0.40 to Rs. 0.50 per reward point.

Cashback

The cardholder can redeem reward points for cashback. The redemption value is 1 reward point = Rs. 0.30. The redemption of reward points against statement balance (cashback redemption) is capped at 50,000 reward points per calendar month.

Transfer to airline/hotel partners

HDFC Bank has partnered with various airlines and hotels for the transfer of credit card reward points. The reward points can be transferred to each partner in a specified ratio as follows.

The cardholder can choose from 19 partners (15 airlines and 4 hotels) to transfer the reward points.

Additional features

The Diners Club Black Metal Edition Credit Card provides the following additional features.

Complimentary airport lounge access

The card provides unlimited complimentary airport lounge access in India and abroad. The access is complimentary for the primary and add-on card members.

Golf benefits

The cardholder can enjoy 6 complimentary golf games every quarter at participating golf courses across the globe.

Lower forex mark-up

Most credit cards from most banks have a foreign currency mark-up of up to 3.5%. However, the Diners Club Black Metal Edition Credit Card has a lower foreign currency mark-up of 2%. Thus, the card can help you save a decent amount of money on foreign currency spends during your international trips.

Additional Rewards

• Unlimited Global Lounge Access: For both primary and add-on members
• Complimentary Golf Access: 6 free games per quarter globally
• Low Forex Mark-Up: 2% vs. 3.5% standard
• Metal Build: Adds durability, exclusivity, and a premium feel
• Concierge & Travel Desk: For hotel, dining, and event bookings
• Insurance Coverage: Air accident cover worth Rs. 2 crore

How to Apply

You can apply for the Diners Club Black Metal Edition Credit Card through the HDFC Bank website or mobile application.

The eligibility criteria for a salaried individual is as follows.

• The applicant’s age must be between 21 and 60 years
• The net monthly income must be equal to or more than Rs. 2.5 lakhs

The eligibility criteria for a self-employed individual is as follows.

• The applicant’s age must be between 21 and 65 years
• The Income Tax Return (ITR) must be more than Rs. 30 lakhs

Optimal use

A cardholder can get up to a 10X reward rate for specified transactions on the SmartBuy platform. For example, the cardholder can earn 5X reward points (16.67% reward rate) for booking flights and 10X reward points (33% reward rate) for booking hotels through the SmartBuy platform.

Similarly, a cardholder can buy gift vouchers of various online and offline brands from the SmartBuy portal. When a cardholder uses the card directly with these brands, they will get a 3.3% reward rate. However, when the cardholder pays these brands with their gift cards bought from the SmartBuy platform, they will earn 3X reward points (9.99% reward rate).

Tips to Maximise Rewards

• Use SmartBuy for all hotel, flight, and voucher purchases to earn 10X points.
• Convert spends to airline transfers for higher redemption value (use 2:1 partners).
• Dine out on weekends to get 2X points.
• Reach Rs. 4 lakhs every quarter to unlock 10,000 bonus points.
• Always redeem for travel bookings (not cashback) to maximise value.

Eligibility & Documents

For Salaried Applicants:

• Age: 21–60 years
• Net Monthly Income: Rs. 2.5 lakhs or more

For Self-Employed Applicants:

• Age: 21–65 years
• ITR: Rs. 30 lakhs or more per annum

Documents Required:

• PAN card
• Aadhaar card / Passport / Driving License
• Latest salary slip or ITR
• Address proof (utility bill, passport, etc.)

Expert Verdict/Conclusion

The Diners Club Black Metal Edition Credit Card is a complete lifestyle card. It provides an accelerated reward rate of up to 33% along with multiple redemption options, including 19 hotel and transfer partners. The milestone benefits add to the overall reward rate. The card also provides lifestyle benefits like complimentary airport lounge and golf access. So, if you want a credit card with good travel benefits or an overall lifestyle credit card, you may consider the Diners Club Black Metal Edition Credit Card.

FAQ

Q1. Is the annual renewal fee waived automatically?

A: The renewal fee of Rs. 10,000 is waived if you spend Rs. 8 lakhs in the previous year.

Q2. Does this card offer fuel surcharge waiver?

A: No, fuel spends do not earn points or surcharge waivers.

Q3. How can I apply for the Diners Club Black Metal Edition Credit Card?

A: Apply through the HDFC Bank website or via NetBanking pre-approved offers.

Q4. What’s the reward point validity?

A: Reward points are valid for 3 years from the date of credit.

Q5. Can add-on members use lounge access?

A: Yes, both primary and add-on cardholders get unlimited access.