HDFC Infinia Credit Card reward cut rolled back; 5X points to continue from January 16

HDFC Infinia credit card,

• HDFC Bank reverses planned reduction in Infinia card reward points from Jan 2026
• Infinia cardholders keep earning 5X points on SmartBuy voucher buys.
• Banks are tightening card rewards and perks industry-wide to manage costs

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HDFC Bank has rolled back the recently announced reduction in reward points on its premium HDFC Infinia Credit Card, according to the latest update on its website. The change means that the reward structure on SmartBuy voucher purchases will continue as before, and Infinia cardholders will continue to earn 5X reward points on voucher purchases from January 16, 2026.

Earlier, HDFC Bank had indicated that the reward points multiplier on voucher spends would be reduced from 5X to 3X, a change that was scheduled to take effect from January 16, 2026. The proposed revision would have lowered the effective reward rate from roughly 16.67 percent to about 10 percent before fees.

Following reports of the proposed cut, there was widespread discussions and pushback on social media platforms, with cardholders debating the impact of the reduced rewards. However, the bank has now updated its terms, effectively reversing the planned change.

The rollback means that Infinia cardholders can continue to earn accelerated rewards on voucher purchases under the existing structure, preserving one of the card’s key value propositions.

While HDFC Bank has rolled back the proposed reward devaluation, it is not the only issuer to have revisited or revised card benefits recently. Across the industry, banks have been tightening reward categories and recalibrating perks to manage costs, including limiting reward accruals on specific spend types or adding conditions to existing privileges.

ICICI Bank, for instance, has announced a series of changes to credit card charges, rewards and benefits effective from January 2026. Among the key revisions, the popular BookMyShow Buy-One-Get-One offer will now come with additional conditions, while a 1 percent fee will be levied on wallet-loading transactions of Rs 5,000 or more. Some of these changes have already started to roll out or will be rolled out in phases between January and February 2026 and will apply to all retail credit card holders.

HDFC Bank has also recently revised debit card benefits, tightening the complimentary airport lounge access norms. The lender has moved from physical card swipes to a voucher-based access system with higher minimum spend requirements, highlighting a broader trend of issuers refining benefit structures across card and banking products.