2 CashPoints / ₹150 · Up to 10 CashPoints / ₹100 on online spend
Strong data Pairwise comparison
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HDFC Bank MoneyBack Plus vs ICICI Bank Rubyx American Express Credit Cards – Fees, Lounge, Forex
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
VerdictPick Rubyx American Express for lounge access.
Head-to-head
Three core metrics- Annual fee MoneyBack Plus saves ₹1,500/yrMoneyBack Plus ₹500 Waivable at ₹50,000 spendRubyx American Express ₹2,000 Waivable at ₹3,00,000 spend
- Forex markup MoneyBack Plus 3.5%Rubyx American Express 3.5%
- Domestic lounge Rubyx American Express: +8 lounge visits/yrMoneyBack Plus No complimentary lounge accessRubyx American Express 8/year (2 per quarter) Conditional · Domestic: 2/quarter · requires ₹75,000 spend in the previous calendar quarter (unlocks the following quarter)
Reward earning explained
Per card2 pts / ₹100
Strong dataPick based on what matters
3 dimensionsStart with the constraint you care about most: annual fee (HDFC Bank MoneyBack Plus: ₹500 vs ICICI Bank Rubyx American Express: ₹2,000), forex markup (3.5% vs 3.5%), or lounge access (No complimentary lounge access vs 8/year (2 per quarter)).
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Forex markup Tie Both cards are similar for forex
Forex markup is 3.5%.
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Lounge access ICICI Bank Rubyx American Express wins ICICI Bank Rubyx American Express is better for lounge access
ICICI Bank Rubyx American Express is stronger here. Domestic lounge access is 2 per quarter.
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Rewards Insufficient data Insufficient data to compare rewards
Available evidence is incomplete: HDFC Bank MoneyBack Plus conservative base value ~0.26666666666666666% per ₹100. ICICI Bank Rubyx American Express is not safely INR-comparable (no usable point value).
All fields
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.
| Field | MoneyBack Plus HDFC Bank | Rubyx American Express ICICI Bank |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| 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 Only available for MoneyBack Plus | ₹100–₹1,300 depending on outstanding balance | Not specified |
| 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 Only available for MoneyBack Plus | 2 years | Not specified |
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.
HDFC Bank MoneyBack Plus
Verify with issuer , opens external siteICICI Bank Rubyx American Express
Verify with issuer , opens external site