MoneyBack Plus Credit Card

Three months on MoneyBack+, worked out

MoneyBack+ is HDFC's ₹500 starter card, and it rewards one kind of spender well: someone who shops on a few big platforms and can reach ₹50,000 in a quarter. Here is how a quarter looks if you spend ₹18,000 a month, with ₹10,000 of it on Amazon, Flipkart, Swiggy, BigBasket or Reliance Smart SuperStore.

• Partner spend: 20 CashPoints per ₹200, so 1,000 CashPoints a month. That is about ₹250 at ₹0.25 a CashPoint.
• Other spend of ₹8,000: 2 CashPoints per ₹200, so 80 CashPoints, about ₹20.
• Quarter total: ₹54,000 of spend, which crosses ₹50,000 and earns a ₹500 gift voucher.

So one quarter returns about ₹810 in CashPoints plus a ₹500 voucher: ₹1,310 on ₹54,000, roughly 2.4%. Take the voucher away and it falls to 1.5%. The milestone is doing a lot of the work.

The ₹200 rule and why older Reddit numbers look different

Every MoneyBack+ rate is counted per ₹200. According to our CMS records, the base moved from ₹150 to ₹200 on 15 May 2026, which means about 25% fewer points on the same spend. That is why older threads quote a base rate of 0.33%. Today the base works out to about 0.25%, which users rightly call very low.

The caps are worth knowing too: partner bonus CashPoints stop at 2,500 a month, grocery CashPoints at 1,000, and UPI CashPoints at 500 (UPI rewards only apply on the RuPay variant). Fuel, wallet reloads, gift and voucher purchases, rent and government payments earn nothing. CashPoints expire 24 months after you earn them.

HDFC MoneyBack Plus credit card limit

Limit is the most searched question about this card, and it is also a top complaint. Users report starting on a low limit and staying there for a long time, with increases needing salary slips and repeated requests. Others report large jumps, such as one from ₹86,000 to ₹1,82,000. HDFC does not publish a starting limit, so we do not quote one.

Users who got increases describe limit-increase offers from HDFC; asking without one tends to mean salary slips and repeated escalation. Pay in full every month either way.

No lounge, and that is fine for what it is

MoneyBack+ does not include airport lounge access. The extras are modest: an extra 10% off on Swiggy Dineout, up to ₹200, with code HDFCCARDS, and a 1% fuel surcharge waiver up to ₹250 per billing cycle.

Paying the ₹500, or getting it free

The joining and annual fees are ₹500 + GST each, and you get 500 CashPoints when you pay the joining fee. The renewal fee is waived if you spend ₹50,000 in the year, about ₹4,200 a month. Users report one recurring snag: an offer pitched as lifetime free that shows the ₹500 fee on the final application screen. Check that screen before you submit.

The bottom line on HDFC MoneyBack+

Take it as a first HDFC card, use it on the five partner brands, aim for ₹50,000 a quarter, and treat it as a step towards a better card. Most users see it as a route to the HDFC Millennia Credit Card, which users prefer for its 5% cashback on key online merchants.

Skip it if you want a strong everyday rate across all spends, or if you already qualify for Millennia. If you are new to cards, our guide to your first credit card in India covers other starting points.

Credit Card Information Compiled by: Abhijeet Kumar | Reviewed by: Anmol Ratan Sachdeva