HDFC

PIXEL Play Credit Card

Good fit for everyday cashback on regular spend — ₹500 annual fee.

Top reasons to choose this card

  • 5% on selected categories (domestic)
  • ₹1L fee waiver

What you'd do with it

  • Works when a ₹500 annual fee is acceptable for the accelerated earn rates.
  • Good fit when selected categories is a regular spend category for you.
  • Competitive for day-to-day rewards with an estimated base return around 1%.
Suggested comparison Similar tier comparison Compare with Axis Bank IndiGo →
Choose another card to compare →
Annual fee ₹500 per year
Forex markup 3.5% high
Lounge access 0 no lounge
Base cashback 5% up to · on Selected categories

The catch Forex markup is 3.5%, so this can get expensive for frequent international spends.

  • Fee waiver available
  • Annual fee known
  • Forex markup known
  • No lounge access
  • Monthly interest known

At a glance

Snapshot · usage · fit

Fast facts

Annual fee
₹500 lower than 62 of 112 cards
Joining fee
₹500
Forex markup
3.5% the standard rate (matches 66 cards)
Lounge access
No complimentary lounge access
Reward rate
Up to 5% on Selected categories

Not a fit for

  • No domestic lounge access

Still worth it?

Evidence-backed snapshot

Good fit if

  • Annual fee is relatively low at ₹500.
  • Fee waiver applies at ₹1,00,000 annual spend.
  • Use this when selected categories spends are your main use case and the reward cap still leaves enough value.

Verify before applying

  • Annual fee known
  • Fee waiver available
  • Forex markup known
  • No lounge access
  • Monthly interest known
  • Welcome benefit timing and claim process.
  • Annual fee waiver terms and eligible spend exclusions.
  • Issuer fees, GST, finance charges, and late-payment terms.
  • Reward limits
  • 5% on Selected categories
  • 3% on Ecommerce Platform
  • 1% on elsewhere

Next best move

Open the ranking that matches your constraint, or compare this card with the closest alternative.

Compare with Axis Bank IndiGo Similar tier comparison Best HDFC credit cards See how this card compares within HDFC. Forex ranking (verified) Compared on verified forex markup, then annual fee. Cards under ₹1,000 annual fee Lower-fee options in the current snapshot.

Is this good for lounge access?

No lounge access.

Is this good for international spends?

Forex markup is 3.5%, so frequent international spends may be costly.

Is the annual fee easy to recover?

Fee waiver applies at ₹1,00,000 annual spend. Verify eligible spend exclusions before counting on it.

When do welcome benefits arrive?

No welcome benefit is listed. Check the issuer welcome email, MITC, and current offer page if this benefit matters.

Fees confidence: High Forex confidence: High Rewards confidence: High · issuer terms Lounge confidence: High Waiver confidence: High

Card facts refreshed 11 July 2026.

Spending requirements

Spend gates · caps · milestone thresholds
RequirementAmountPeriodUnlocksRealismStrength
Annual fee waiver₹1,00,000yearAnnual fee waiverreasonablestrong

Watch outs

Before choosing this card
  • Forex markup is 3.5%, so frequent international spends may be costly.

Reward reality

Point value · limits · exclusions
Base earn1% base cashback
Best verified laneSelected categories (domestic)5%
Limits/capsCashback earn has structured caps.

Reward rules

Structured earn rates · eligibility · caps when they bind
ScopeRateEligibilityLimit
Selected categories (domestic)5%——
Ecommerce Platform3%——
General spend1%——

Estimated usage

Example usage at this monthly spend

₹
  • At this monthly spend, you'd earn: ~₹500/month back (base earn · uses base/general earn rate; partner and category bonuses not included)
  • ~₹6,000/year back · net +₹5,500 after ₹500 fee
  • Fee waiver achievable at this spend
  • Forex cost ~₹1,750 per ₹50k international spend

Illustrative only, using current base rates and snapshot data.

Benefits & charges

Side-by-side facts
Benefits

Lounge Access

Domestic (cardholder)
No complimentary lounge access
International (cardholder)
Not included

Rewards

Base cashback
1%
Reward type
Cashback
Point validity
Points expire 2 years after earning · verified 7 Jul 2026
Fees & charges

Fees

Monthly interest rate
3.75% / month
Annual fee
₹500
Joining fee
₹500 · verified 20 Jun 2026
Fee waiver spend
₹1,00,000 · verified 20 Jun 2026 Below catalog median waiver (₹2,00,000 vs ₹1,00,000).
Interest-free period
Up to 50 days · verified 7 Jul 2026

International Use

Forex markup
3.5%

Single source · verify on issuer site

Where to verify
  • Operator-verified anchor
Product tier
Mid-tier

Fuel Benefits

At the pump
  • 1% fuel surcharge waived on transactions ₹400–₹5,000.
  • Maximum waiver ₹250 per statement cycle.

Annual fee break-even math

When does this card pay for itself
₹1L yearly spend to waive the annual fee

Annual fee waiver applies at around ₹1L yearly spend.

Compare with similar cards

Similar tier · similar benefits
SIDE BY SIDE
HDFC Bank PIXEL Play
vs
Axis Bank IndiGo
SIDE BY SIDE
HDFC Bank PIXEL Play
vs
Axis Bank My Zone
SIDE BY SIDE
HDFC Bank PIXEL Play
vs
HSBC India Live+

The fine print

Caps · exclusions · sources · last refresh
  • Category cap: 10,000 RP per month · insurance transactions
  • Category cap: 2000 Reward Points per calendar month · Utility transactions
  • Statement cycle cap: 2,00,000 RP per statement cycle · Maximum earn limit

Expiry: 3 years, and Easy EMI cards/ PhonePe HDFC Bank Ultimo Credit Card/ PhonePe HDFC Bank Uno Credit Card on which reward points/ cash points are valid for 1 year

  • Travel redemption: ₹99 redemption fee per redemption
  • Annual fee: ₹500.
  • Forex markup currently listed at 3.5%.
  • No complimentary lounge access.

Learn more

Important

Data compiled from issuer and public information. Details may change — verify with issuer. Reference data, not financial advice.

Information updated 11 Jul 2026. moneymatters.cards Theme preferences are saved in this browser only.