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HDFC MoneyBack Plus vs ICICI Rubyx American Express

Side-by-side comparison of the HDFC Bank MoneyBack Plus and the ICICI Bank Rubyx American Express. Verify fees, lounge access, forex markup, and base rewards before you apply.

The short answer

Pick MoneyBack Plus for a lower fee.

MoneyBack Plus costs ₹1,500 less a year.

Head-to-head

  • Annual fee Annual fee outcome: MoneyBack Plus wins.
    MoneyBack Plus ₹500 Waivable at ₹50,000 spend
    Rubyx American Express ₹2,000 Waivable at ₹3,00,000 spend
    MoneyBack Plus saves ₹1,500/yr
  • Forex markup Forex markup outcome: tie.
    MoneyBack Plus 3.5%
    Rubyx American Express 3.5%
  • Domestic lounge Domestic lounge outcome: insufficient data to compare.
    MoneyBack Plus No complimentary lounge access
    Rubyx American Express 8/year (2 per quarter) Conditional · Domestic: 2/quarter · requires ₹75,000 spend in the previous calendar quarter (unlocks the following quarter)
  • Rewards Rewards outcome: insufficient data to compare.
    MoneyBack Plus ~0.3%
    Rubyx American Express Not safely INR-comparable
    conservative base value
    MoneyBack Plus: Strong data Rubyx American Express: Strong data

Reward earning explained

MoneyBack Plus

2 CashPoints / ₹150 · Up to 10 CashPoints / ₹100 on online spend

Strong data
Rubyx American Express

2 pts / ₹100

Strong data

Example usage at this monthly spend

At ₹50k/month spend:

  • MoneyBack Plus: ~₹130/month at base rate
  • Rubyx American Express: Base earn not clearly specified

Illustrative only, using current base rates before caps.

All fields

Field MoneyBack Plus HDFC Bank Rubyx American Express ICICI Bank
Lounge Access
Domestic lounge visits
spend-gated on some cards — see caveats
No complimentary lounge access vs 8/year (2 per quarter)
No complimentary lounge access 8/year (2 per quarter)
International lounge visits
Only available for Rubyx American Express
Not specified No international lounge access
Forex / International Use
Forex markup 3.5% 3.5%
Fees
Recurring annual fee
₹500 vs ₹2,000
₹500 ₹2,000
Annual-fee waiver
₹50,000 vs ₹3,00,000
₹50,000 ₹3,00,000
Interest-free period
Up to 50 days vs Up to 48 days
Up to 50 days Up to 48 days
Monthly interest rate 3.75% / month 3.75% / month
Late-payment charge ₹100–₹1,300 depending on outstanding balance ₹100–₹1,300 depending on outstanding balance
Fuel benefit
1% surcharge waiver · ₹400–₹5,000 transactions · ₹250/month waiver cap · Fuel rewards excluded vs 1% surcharge waiver · ₹400–₹4,000 transactions
1% surcharge waiver · ₹400–₹5,000 transactions · ₹250/month waiver cap · Fuel rewards excluded 1% surcharge waiver · ₹400–₹4,000 transactions
Rewards
Base earn
2 CashPoints / ₹150 vs 2 pts / ₹100
2 CashPoints / ₹150 2 pts / ₹100
Conservative base value
~0.3% vs Not safely INR-comparable
~0.3% Not safely INR-comparable
Earn ceiling
2,500 CashPoints per month; at 10 CashPoints / ₹100, this lane reaches the cap at ₹25,000 of eligible spend vs Not stated
2,500 CashPoints per month at 10 CashPoints / ₹100, this lane reaches the cap at ₹25,000 of eligible spend Not stated
Point value (headline channel)
Issuer headline rate at the travel/SmartBuy channel — not the lowest redemption option.
Only available for MoneyBack Plus
₹0.25 Not specified
Point validity
2 years vs 3 years
2 years 3 years
Insurance — Air accident cover
Only available for Rubyx American Express
Not specified ₹1 crore
Insurance — Lost card liability cover
Only available for Rubyx American Express
Not specified ₹50,000
Insurance — Underwriter
Only available for Rubyx American Express
Not specified Insured by ICICI Lombard General Insurance Company Limited

Notes

  • ICICI Bank Rubyx American Express Credit Card: Condition: ₹75,000 spend in the previous calendar quarter (unlocks the following quarter)
  • Card benefits change frequently. Always verify current terms on the issuer's official website or app before applying.