Diners Club Privilege and Millennia credit cards are two of the most popular credit cards from HDFC Bank. As HDFC Bank allows only one credit card per customer which one to go for when we have both options? Here is a detailed comparison of the HDFC Bank Diners Club Privilege vs Millennia credit cards to help you decide.
Fees and Charges
| Fee Type | Diners Club Privilege Credit Card | Millennia Credit Card |
|---|---|---|
| Joining/Renewal Fee | Rs 2500 plus GST – Issued LTF in most cases | Rs 1000 plus GST – Issued LTF in most cases |
| Welcome Benefit | Complimentary annual memberships of Amazon Prime, Zomato Pro, MMT Black, BB Star, and Times Prime Smart | 1000 CashPoints if the joining fee is paid |
| Renewal Fee Waiver | Rs 3 Lakhs spend in a membership year | Rs 1 Lakh spend in a membership year |
Though the product pages of Diners Club Privilege and Millennia mention a joining/renewal fee, they are issued Lifetime Free in most cases with Smartpay or first 90 days spend conditions.
Rewards
There is a key difference between Diners Club Privilege and Millennia when it comes to rewards. While Millennia is a cashback card, the Privilege is a reward points card.
| Category | Diners Club Privilege Credit Card | Millennia Credit Card |
|---|---|---|
| Base Rewards | 4 Reward Points per Rs 150 | 1% CashPoints up to Rs 1000 every calendar month |
| Transactions on Amazon, BookMyShow, Cult.fit, Flipkart, Myntra, Sony LIV, Swiggy, Tata CLiQ, Uber & Zomato | 4 Reward Points per Rs 150 Some merchants are on Smartbuy/Instant Vouchers where Privilege also gets accelerated reward points. | 5% CashPoints up to Rs 1000 every calendar month |
| Wallet Loads | No Rewards | 1% CashPoints – Same Rs 1000 cap as base rewards |
| Milestone Rewards | Rs 500 BMS/Tata CLiQ GV or 1 month Ola Select/Cure.Fit membership on Rs 40000 spends in a calendar month | Gift vouchers worth Rs 1000 on spends of Rs 1 Lakh in each calendar quarter |
| Return on spends | 1.3% without milestone rewards | 3% to 4% |
Millennia is straightforward when it comes to earning rewards. We can earn base rewards with a cap of Rs 2000 across both categories plus another Rs 1000 as milestone rewards. On Millennia:
- We can spend Rs 20000 every month on the 5% cashpoints category before hitting the cap of 1000 cashpoints.
- If we meet the Rs 1 Lakh spend in a calendar quarter, then the Rs 1000 GV is equivalent to another 1% in rewards.
- The overall Return Rate on Millennia is around 3% to 4% depending on the quantum of spending across the categories.
Without milestone rewards, the Privilege card’s return on spending is 1.3%. So, is Millennia a better card than Privilege when it comes to rewards? Not exactly, because things change when Smartbuy comes into play.
Millennia reward redemption is assumed to be in statement credit.
Diners Club Privilege reward redemption is assumed to be Smartbuy flights/hotels.
Smartbuy Rewards
HDFC Bank Smartbuy rewards tilt the scale in favor of Diners Club Privilege if one is using the rewards for booking flights/hotels on Smartbuy. The Privilege also gets a higher cap of 4000 RP compared to Millennia which gets a cap of Rs 1000 per calendar month.
Below is the table of Smartbuy rewards rates for Millennia and Diners Club Privilege. Privilege card return % is calculated without taking milestone rewards into account.
| Shopping Category | Rewards on Diners Club Privilege | Value for Privilege at 1RP = 50 paise | Cashback on Millennia | Total CB for Millennia with addl. 1% CB |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IGP.com | 10X | 13.3% | 10% | 11% |
| Flights (Cleartrip and Yatra) | 5X | 6.6% | 5% | 6% |
| Hotels (Cleartrip) | 10X | 13.3% | 5% | 6% |
| MakeMyTrip (Hotels) | 10X | 13.3% | 5% | 6% |
| IRCTC | 3X | 3.9% | 5% | 6% |
| Redbus | 5X | 6.6% | 5% | 6% |
| Instant Voucher | 5X | 6.6% | 5% | 6% |
| Apple Tresor | 5X | 6.6% | 5% | 6% |
| Flipkart | 3X | 3.9% | 1% | 2% |
Redemption Options
The redemption options will be the deciding factor for most people making a choice between Diners Club Privilege and Millennia.
| Redemption Option | Diners Club Privilege Credit Card (Value of 1 RP) | Millennia Credit Card (Value of 1 Cashpoint) |
|---|---|---|
| Smartbuy (Flights/Hotels) | 50 paise | 30 paise |
| Airmiles – Intermiles, Singapore Airlines (Krisflyer), Club Vistara | 0.5 Airmiles | Not Available |
| Rewards Catalogue (Including Vouchers) | Up to 35 paise | Not Available |
| Cashback | 20 paise | Rs 1 |
Airport Lounge Access
| Diners Club Privilege Credit Card | Millennia Credit Card | |
|---|---|---|
| Lounge Access | 12 complimentary visits to airport lounges in and outside India | 8 complimentary lounge access within India every year (2 per quarter) |
Which card is better – Diners Club Privilege vs Millennia?
When to choose HDFC Bank Millennia credit card?
- Spends at 5% cashback partners are significant.
- The preferred reward redemption method is cashback/statement credit.
When to choose the HDFC Bank Diners Club Privilege credit card?
- The plan is to transfer reward points as Airmiles or use them for Smartbuy flights/hotels.
- You need the international lounge access feature as Millennia does not have it.
9 thoughts on “HDFC Bank Diners Club Privilege vs Millennia Credit Card”
I am using millennia Card from past 2 years, I think it is a best card, because it gives 1 point equals to 1 Rs.
I redeemed around 9000 to 10000 for evary year.
is there any difference between millenia & diners nclub millenia??
Millennia is issued on Visa, MC and Diners platform. Except the list of airport lounges that you can visit, everything else is the same.
I am a holder of HDFC Diners International CARD
However, I think I have been wrongfully advised by salt lake sector 1 Branch, kolkata 700064 to go for millennia card.
I am still in doubt as to which card is better! Kindly advise
Thanks
If you prefer cashback redemption, Millennia is better.
Millennia giving 5% on flipkart..
why you show 2%..
and how much in % , if we buy flipkart gift card using Diners Club Privilege ?
Flipkart through Smartbuy is 2%. If you directly use Millennia on Flipkart, it will be 5%.
Buy FK GC from Smartbuy Instant Vouchers. The reward rate is in the table.
Hi, I think HDFC Bank Diners Club Privilege Credit Card offers 12 complimentary lounge accesses anywhere in the world, it is not limited to domestic airports only.
Can you please confirm this? Thanks
That’s correct.