In this article we will provide full review related to the HDFC diners black metal card review. The HDFC Diners Black Metal credit card is a newer and improved version of the Diners Black credit card.
Recently, HDFC Bank has introduced several new credit cards like HDFC IRCTC, HDFC Swiggy, HDFC Marriott, HDFC Tata Neu, and others in the past 12 years.
Additionally, the bank has also launched updated versions of existing cards such as HDFC Infinia Metal and HDFC Regalia Gold. Following this pattern, the bank has now introduced a revamped edition of the Diners Black credit card, known as the Diners Black Metal credit card.
Unlike the HDFC Regalia Gold, the Diners Black Metal version is an enhancement of the older Diners Black card. The question remains whether you should apply for it or not. Read on to discover the answer.
WHAT TO EXPECT FROM HDFC DINERS BLACK METAL CREDIT CARD
Features of Diners Black Metal Card
 What’s Different in the Diners Black Metal Card?
 Advantages of the HDFC Diners Black Metal Card:
  Get 10,000 reward points on quarterly spending of 4 lakhs.
   No daily limit on SmartBuy transactions.
  Withdrawal of vouchers on monthly spending of 80,000.
Drawbacks of the Diners Black Metal Card:
  The annual fee waiver threshold is high.
  The annual Amazon Prime membership is no longer included.
  Acceptance issues may exist with the Diners credit card.
Unchanged Aspects in the New Diners Black Metal Card:
  The reward rate remains at 3.3%.
  Earn double reward points on weekend dining expenses.
  Enjoy unlimited lounge access.
  Experience a 2% forex markup.
  Receive accelerated rewards on the SmartBuy portal.
  Benefit from the miles transfer program.
  Redemption on the SmartBuy portal is capped at 75,000 per month.
  All existing reward points are seamlessly transferred to the Diners Black Metal.
SHOULD YOU APPLY/UPGRADE FOR HDFC DINERS BLACK METAL CARD?
HDFC DINERS BLACK METAL CREDIT CARD FEATURES OF DINERS BLACK METAL CARD
Fees:
 Joining/Annual fee of 10,000 + taxes. Waived off on spending 8 lakhs in the previous year.
 The HDFC Diners Black metal card is currently being offered as a firstyear free to most Diners Black holders. Check for the offer in your net banking or mobile app.
Reward and Benefits:
 Base Reward Rate: 3% reward rate (5 reward points on 150 spent. Value of 1RP=INR 1).
No reward points for fuel, wallet load, EMI (EasyEMI and SmartEMI), and rental spending.
Accelerated Reward Rate: 2x10x RPs on HDFC SmartBuy, i.e. 6.6%33.3% reward rate. The older version has 7.5k and 2.5k monthly and a daily cap on accelerated reward points.
The new HDFC Diners Black Metal card has simplified this, and there is just a 10k monthly cap applicable.
2x RPs on weekend dining. 2x reward points on dining on weekends. Not applicable to Swiggy/Zomato spending. There is a cap of 1000 reward points per day.
Milestones:
The monthly and annual milestones are replaced by a simple quarterly spendbased milestone. You spend 4 lakhs in a calendar quarter (JanMar, AprJun, JulSep, OctDec) and get 10k reward points. A good 2.5% reward rate. Plain and simple.
Lounge Access:
Unlimited domestic and international lounge access for primary and addon cardholders.
WHAT’S NEW IN THE HDFC DINERS BLACK METAL CARD?
The crucial question is, what changes come with the HDFC Diners Black Metal, and is it an improvement or a drawback compared to the current version.
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BENEFITS OF THE HDFC DINERS BLACK METAL CARD
Earning 10,000 reward points for quarterly expenses of 4 lakhs is a significant enhancement in the Diners Black Metal card.
This introduces an impressive 2.5% reward rate, contributing to an overall rate of 5.8% in a quarter if you meet the spending criteria.
If your quarterly spending reaches 4 lakhs, your reward rate on an annual spending of 10 lakhs would be 4.3%, which is quite favorable.
It’s worth noting that this milestone benefit includes rent and fuel expenses, providing additional reward points for these types of spending.
Another positive aspect of the Diners Black Metal card is the absence of daily capping on SmartBuy. Unlike the plastic version of the HDFC Diners Black credit card, which has daily and monthly caps on reward points, the new Metal card only has a monthly cap of 10,000 reward points on SmartBuy.
This change simplifies the process and enhances flexibility.On the other hand, the withdrawal of vouchers on monthly spends of 80,000 might be viewed as either a drawback or an advantage, depending on individual preferences.
In the context of an annual spending of 10 lakhs, obtaining the 10,000 reward points milestone only once a year seems more beneficial than receiving vouchers worth 9,000 for missing the monthly 80,000 spend more than three times a year, given an average spending of 67,000 for the remaining nine months.
DRAWBACKS OF THE HDFC DINERS BLACK METAL CARD
High Annual Fee Waiver Threshold:
The previous HDFC Diners Black had its annual fees waived with a 5 lakh annual spend, already considered high but manageable for the bank’s targeted customers.
However, the new HDFC Diners Black Metal card raises this annual spend waiver to 8 lakhs per annum, which, in my opinion, is quite high. Many may find it challenging to meet this spending threshold, even if it’s their primary card.
Withdrawal of Annual Amazon Prime Membership:
With the old HDFC Diners Black, an 8 lakh annual spend provided benefits like an annual subscription for Amazon Prime, MMT Black, Club Marriott, Forbes, and Times Prime.
The new HDFC Diners Black Metal card, however, only offers these memberships as welcome benefits and not every year. Additionally, it includes only Amazon Prime, Swiggy One, and Club Marriott memberships, dropping MMT Black, Forbes, and Times Prime entirely.
Acceptance Issues with HDFC Diners Black Metal Card:
Diners credit cards face acceptance issues, particularly outside large cities or in other countries.
During a trip to Mauritius, for example, the Diners Black card was not accepted anywhere, necessitating reliance on another credit card for spending.
Consistent Features in the HDFC Diners Black Metal Card:
Certain features remain unchanged in the new Diners Black Metal card, making it consistent with its predecessor:
 3.3% reward rate, one of the best in the industry.
 2x reward points on weekend dining spends, capped at 1000 points per day (excluding Swiggy/Zomato).
 Unlimited lounge access at domestic and international airports, also applicable to addon cardholders.
No need for a separate Priority Pass card; your credit card is sufficient.
 A low forex markup of 2%, offering nearly a 1% reward rate on foreign spending, which can be further enhanced to approximately 1.95% with enrollment in HDFC’s Global Value Program.
Other Features of HDFC Diners Black Metal Card
 Accelerated rewards on the SmartBuy portal, ranging from 210x reward points on various purchases.
 A miles transfer program with conversion ratios continuing from the previous Diners Black.
 Redemption on the SmartBuy portal capped at 75k reward points per calendar month for flights and hotel bookings.
Transfer of all existing reward points from the plastic Diners Black card to the Diners Black Metal card, with an extended validity period.
Should You Apply/Upgrade for the New Diners Black Metal Card?
In most cases, the answer is yes due to the higher reward rate, increased monthly limit on SmartBuy, removal of the daily cap, and the added benefit of the first year being free for most Diners Black holders.
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However, if your current HDFC Diners Black Metal Card is lifetime free, and your annual spends are below 8 lakhs with no expected increase, it may not be necessary to upgrade. The decision also depends on individual spending patterns, as illustrated in the provided tables.