2 Membership Rewards Points / ₹100 · 20 Membership Rewards Points/₹100 on eligible blinkit, bookMyShow, easeMyTrip, flipkart, myntra, nykaa, select 10X partners, uber, and zomato
Strong data Pairwise comparison
Compare 3+ cards →
AMEX SmartEarn vs IDFC FIRST HPCL Power Plus
Side-by-side comparison of the American Express SmartEarn and the IDFC FIRST Bank HPCL Power Plus. Verify fees, lounge access, forex markup, and base rewards before you apply.
The short answer
Pick SmartEarn for a lower fee.
Pick HPCL Power Plus for rewards and spending abroad.
SmartEarn costs ₹4 less a year.
Head-to-head
- Annual fee Annual fee outcome: SmartEarn wins. SmartEarn saves ₹4/yrSmartEarn ₹495 Waivable at ₹40,000 spendHPCL Power Plus ₹499 Waivable at ₹1,50,000 spend
- Forex markup Forex markup outcome: HPCL Power Plus wins. HPCL Power Plus saves ~₹3,500 per ₹1L abroadSmartEarn 3.5%HPCL Power Plus 0%
- Domestic lounge Domestic lounge outcome: insufficient data to compare. SmartEarn No complimentary lounge accessHPCL Power Plus 4/year (1 per quarter) Conditional · Domestic: 1/quarter · requires ₹20,000 spend in the previous month (unlocks the following month)
- Rewards Rewards outcome: HPCL Power Plus wins. conservative base valueSmartEarn ~0.5%HPCL Power Plus ~1%
Reward earning explained
1% · Up to 30 pts / ₹150 on HPCL
Strong dataExample usage at this monthly spend
At ₹50k/month spend:
- IDFC FIRST HPCL Power Plus: ~₹500/month at base rate
- American Express SmartEarn: ~₹250/month at base rate
Illustrative only, using current base rates before caps.
All fields
| Field | SmartEarn American Express | HPCL Power Plus IDFC FIRST Bank |
|---|---|---|
| Lounge Access | ||
| Domestic lounge visits spend-gated on some cards — see caveats No complimentary lounge access vs 4/year (1 per quarter) | No complimentary lounge access | 4/year (1 per quarter) |
| Forex / International Use | ||
| Forex markup Source agreement differs — verify both. 3.5% vs 0% | 3.5% | 0% |
| Fees | ||
| Recurring annual fee ₹495 vs ₹499 | ₹495 | ₹499 |
| Annual-fee waiver ₹40,000 vs ₹1,50,000 | ₹40,000 | ₹1,50,000 |
| Interest-free period Only available for IDFC FIRST HPCL Power Plus | Not specified | Up to 45 days |
| Monthly interest rate Only available for American Express SmartEarn | 3.5% / month | Not specified |
| Fuel benefit 1% surcharge waiver · ₹5,000+ transactions · Fuel rewards excluded vs No surcharge waiver | 1% surcharge waiver · ₹5,000+ transactions · Fuel rewards excluded | No surcharge waiver |
| Rewards | ||
| Base earn 2 Membership Rewards Points / ₹100 vs 1% | 2 Membership Rewards Points / ₹100 | 1% |
| Conservative base value ~0.5% vs ~1% | ~0.5% | ~1% |
| Earn ceiling 500 Membership Rewards Points per month; at 20 Membership Rewards Points / ₹100, this lane reaches the cap at ₹2,500 of eligible spend vs 2,400 points per month; at 30 pts / ₹150, this lane reaches the cap at ₹12,000 of eligible spend | 500 Membership Rewards Points per month at 20 Membership Rewards Points / ₹100, this lane reaches the cap at ₹2,500 of eligible spend | 2,400 points per month at 30 pts / ₹150, this lane reaches the cap at ₹12,000 of eligible spend |
| Point value (headline channel) Issuer headline redemption rate — see each card page for the full channel grid. Only available for American Express SmartEarn | ₹0.25 | Not specified |
| Point validity Only available for IDFC FIRST HPCL Power Plus | Not specified | 2 years |
| Insurance — Personal accident cover Only available for IDFC FIRST HPCL Power Plus | Not specified | ₹2 lakh |
| Insurance — Lost card liability cover Only available for IDFC FIRST HPCL Power Plus | Not specified | ₹25,000 |
| Insurance — Underwriter Only available for IDFC FIRST HPCL Power Plus | Not specified | Insured by New India Assurance |
Notes
- IDFC FIRST HPCL Power Plus Credit Card: Condition: ₹20,000 spend in the previous month (unlocks the following month)
- Card benefits change frequently. Always verify current terms on the issuer's official website or app before applying.
American Express SmartEarn
Verify with issuer , opens external siteIDFC FIRST Bank HPCL Power Plus
Verify with issuer , opens external site