How a Pune techie racked up Rs 2 lakh in credit card rewards with these HDFC Bank cards

Using HDFC cards, a Pune techie earned ₹2 lakh in credit card rewards.

What if we told you that you could earn Rs2 lakh — just by using your credit cards smartly? No gimmicks. No overspending. Just disciplined, strategic usage. That’s exactly what Suraj Kumar Talreja, a Pune-based data analyst, did over the last year.

Working with V Square Systems and formerly employed at Standard Chartered Bank, Talreja recently took to X (formerly Twitter) to share his journey of earning 2,00,000 reward points — equivalent to Rs 2,00,000 — through his HDFC BizBlack and Infinia credit cards.

Here’s how I earned 2,00,000 reward points in just 1 year worth a whopping ₹2,00,000 using my HDFC BizBlack & Infinia cards

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No overspending. Just smart planning.

Here’s a thread for anyone who wants to truly master credit cards 🧵👇

— Suraj Kumar Talreja (@suritalreja) August 6, 2025

Here's a brief how exactly Talreja used his cards to the maximum.

HDFC BizBlack: His Tax-Saving Weapon

While most of us dread paying taxes, Talreja used them as an opportunity. His BizBlack card offers 5X reward points on tax and utility payments, including GST and advance tax. And each point is worth Rs 1, as per HDFC’s website (as of August 7, 2025).

His formula was simple:

• Use BizBlack for GST and advance tax
• Earn up to 7,500 bonus points per month, capped
• That’s 90,000 bonus points per year, plus base points
• Net annual reward value: Rs 1,00,000+
• BizBlack Point Mechanics:
• Base rate: 5 Reward Points per Rs 150
• With 5X boost: 25 Reward Points per Rs 150
• Max bonus: 90,000/year
• Redemption value: Rs 1 per Reward Points
• Real benefit: Saving/earning Rs 1 lakh for taxes you pay anyway

If BizBlack was the workhorse, Infinia was the powerhouse. Talreja calls it a “reward-generating machine” when used wisely through SmartBuy and GYFTR vouchers (Gift Your Friends The Reward).

He earned another 1,00,000 points — worth Rs 1,00,000 — just from these tactics:

SmartBuy + GYFTR = My Power Combo, he says.

Here’s how he did it:

• Myntra vouchers (5X points) — especially during gold coin deals with 8% off
• PharmEasy vouchers (10X points) — for baby essentials
• Swiggy Instamart/Blinkit vouchers (5X points) — for groceries
• All bought via SmartBuy, unlocking huge bonus points.
• “This is next-level credit card usage,” Talreja says.

Buy vouchers (earn points), use them to purchase gold coins (discounted), and enjoy both investment and reward value.

Infinia Point Mechanics:

• Base: 5 Reward Points per Rs 150
• SmartBuy: Up to 10X (50 Reward Points per Rs 150)
• Monthly cap: 15,000 bonus points
• Annual reward: ~1,00,000 points
• Redemption: Rs 1 per point (flights, hotels via SmartBuy)

Here are his golden rules for using credit cards:

• Use BizBlack for tax payments
• Use Infinia for expenses via GYFTR vouchers
• Don’t chase reward caps unless you already have the spending
• Track usage. Points = money
• Vouchers might feel boring — but they multiply returns
• Even paying taxes can earn you money