If you’re confused between HDFC Millennia Credit Card and Cashback SBI Credit Card, you’re not alone. Both are solid choices if you shop online, but each has its strengths depending on how you spend.
Firstly let’s talk about Cashback SBI credit card-
This card comes with joining fee of Rs.999 and annual fee of Rs. 999(from second year), which can waived of if you spend annual spends for last year are more than Rs. 2,00,000. It can be used in over 29 million outlets across the globe, including 3,25,000 outlets in India. Maximum Cashback that can be earned on online and offline spends in a statement cycle will be capped at Rs.5,000. After reaching the capped limit with CASHBACK SBI Card for that statement month will not earn any CASHBACK.
Now let’s talk about it’s benefits and rewards-
It gives 5% cashback on online spend without any merchant restriction and 1 % on every offline spends but it won’t give cashbacks on Merchant EMI & Flexipay EMI transactions and on following categories: Utility, Insurance, Fuel, Rent, Wallet, School & Educational Services, Jewelry, Railways.
Fuel savings:1% fuel Surcharge Waiver on transaction between Rs.500-300across all petrol pumps in India.
Now let’s talk about HDFC Millennia Credit Card-
Joining/Renewal Membership Fee is ₹1,000/- + Applicable Taxes, renewal fee can be waived if you spend more than Rs. 1 lakh or more in a year. You can get Reward Points equivalent to joining fee Amount as a welcome benefit. Lounge Access-
To qualify, you need to spend ₹1 lakh or more in a calendar quarter (Jan–Mar, Apr–Jun, Jul–Sep, Oct–Dec). Once you meet that, you’ll receive an SMS with a link to the Millennia Milestone page. You can then choose either a ₹1,000 gift voucher or a DreamFolks domestic lounge access vouche
Now let’s talk about it’s Rewards and Benefits-
5% Cashback on Amazon, BookMyShow, Cult.fit, Flipkart, Myntra, Sony LIV, Swiggy, Tata CLiQ, Uber and Zomato
1% cashback on other spends
₹1000 worth gift vouchers on spends of ₹1,00,000 and above in each calendar quarter
Get 10% additional discount on Swiggy Dineout using coupon code HDFCCARDS.
Bottom Line:
Go with SBI Cashback if you want wide online cashback without thinking about merchant names.
Choose HDFC Millennia if you’re loyal to its specific partner brands and want extra perks from HDFC.
I think the HDFC Millennia Credit Card makes more sense for me since I primarily shop on Amazon and Flipkart, which are covered under its 5% cashback category. Plus, I use Cult.Fit, so I can also make use of offers and discounts through HDFC partnerships.
Another reason is that starting with Millennia gives me a good entry point into the HDFC credit card ecosystem, and later I can upgrade to a higher-tier card like Regalia or Infinia as my spending grows.
SBI Cashback is ideal for those who spend widely online and want flat 5% returns without brand restrictions, while HDFC Millennia suits loyal users of Amazon, Swiggy, Flipkart, and similar partners offering 5% cashback along with quarterly vouchers and lifestyle perks like lounge access.
SBI Cashback is a hard to get card as many people, despite having good credit history and behaviour, got rejected for the same. Whereas, HDFC Millennia is one of the most issued cards.
On a comparison level, SBI cashback is a superior card for general online transactions) for the cashback enthusiasts as it gives the benefit directly into the account and for HDFC, (while it gives same benefits as SBI specially on online shopping), the reward points need to be redeemed and that is often a hassle for many people who are not well versed with credit cards and cashbacks.
HDFC also comes with cap on rewards earned and redeemed, which is lower than SBI in most cases.
I’m interested in the HDFC Millennia Credit Card and would like to understand the eligibility criteria a bit better before applying. Could you please share the specific requirements in terms of age, income, and any other important conditions? That’ll really help me figure out if I’m eligible.