HDFC Bank Global Value Program: 1% cashback on international spends

Today, we have many credit cards in India that provide good rewards for domestic spending. Yet, there are very few credit cards that can give similar rewards on international transactions. This is a category of spending that has kept increasing with more people traveling for work or vacations. In this aspect, the HDFC Bank Global Value program is a less discussed/known feature that is a great value add. Here is all about this program and its benefits:

What is the HDFC Bank Global Value Program?

It is an add-on ‘service’ that we can enable on selected HDFC Bank credit cards. It gives 1% extra cashback on international transactions.

Joining/Annual Fee

Joining/Renewal Fee	Rs 199 plus taxes
Welcome Benefit	500 Bonus RP on 1st international transaction

500 reward points on Infinia/Diners Club Black are worth Rs 500 when used for flights/hotel booking. The fee for this program is directly charged to the credit card for which we have enrolled.

Rewards and Benefits

Cashback Benefits	1% Cashback on all International transactions
Maximum Cashback	Rs 1000 per statement cycle
Milestone Benefits	Rs 2,000 Yatra voucher on international spending of Rs. 1.5L in a year
Valid Credit Cards	All HDFC Bank credit cards
Feature Link	https://offers.smartbuy.hdfcbank.com/offer_details/global-value-program-gvp/19187/Zmykm2o%3D

To avail of this benefit, we need to always pay in foreign currency and not convert to INR at the PoS/payment gateway. This benefit is also applicable to foreign currency transactions made from India on international websites.

For the super-premium Infinia and DCB credit cards, the effective reward rate is 1.94% on international transactions with the Global Value program. This makes Infinia and DCB a good option when we need to spend on non-INR transactions.

How to Enroll in HDFC Bank Global Value Program

We can SMS GVPYES to 5676712 from the registered mobile number or call customer service to place our request.

HDFC Bank has stopped taking SMS requests for enrolling in the program. Now, we need to call the phone banking or customer support team and request them to enroll our card in the program. It takes up to 5 business days to complete the enrollment.

Personal Experience

I had opted into the Global Value program back when I got the Regalia credit card. With the upgrade to Infinia, it got added to the new card as well. For a fee of Rs 235 per year, we can get up to Rs 12000 cashback per year on international transactions.

It is worth enabling this program even if we make a couple of international transactions in a year. For someone who travels a lot, this is a great way to save on international spending!