HDFC Regalia First Review 2026: 0.45% Base Rate, Fees, Caps & FAQs
HDFC Regalia First earns 3 Reward Points per ₹200 at ₹0.30 a point — 0.45% — after the May 2026 change. An entry into the Regalia family with genuinely modest returns. Fees, caps, and FAQs.
Regalia First is the entry point to HDFC's Regalia family, and after the May 2026 rate change it is a 0.45% card: three Reward Points per ₹200 at ₹0.30 a point.
That is a low number and it deserves stating plainly. Regalia First earns roughly a quarter of what INFINIA earns and under a third of Regalia Gold, at a fee that is not proportionally lower.
HDFC Bank Regalia First Credit Card Quick Overview
| **Card type** | Entry-level Regalia-family card |
|---|---|
| **Best for** | Applicants who cannot yet qualify for Regalia Gold |
| **Joining / renewal fee** | ₹1,000 + GST, same on renewal — renewal waived at ₹1 lakh of annual spend |
| **Network** | Visa, Mastercard |
| **Base reward rate** | **0.45%** |
| **Reward currency** | HDFC Bank Reward Points, valued at ₹0.3 each |
| **Lounge access** | None published |
| **Forex markup** | 2.0% |
Reward Structure: How You Earn
Regalia First earns 3 Reward Points per ₹200 — 0.45% at the ₹0.30 redemption rate.
HDFC moved this card from ₹150 to ₹200 earning blocks on 15 May 2026. Points that used to accrue every ₹150 now accrue every ₹200 — a real 25% cut, with no change to what a point is worth. Any review or comparison site still quoting a ₹150 basis for this card is out of date.
| Spend | Effective rate |
|---|---|
| Everything else | 0.45% |
| Fuel, rent, wallet loads, government, gaming | **0%** |
HDFC's own page for this card has been contradictory. It has carried both "4 Reward Points per ₹150" and "3 Reward Points per ₹150", neither of which is current. The rate cut to 3 points took effect on 1 September 2024, and the block moved to ₹200 on 15 May 2026. The current rate is 3 per ₹200. Any source quoting either older figure is stale, and there have been two cuts in under two years.
Category Restrictions: Where You Won't Earn
- Where you earn nothing: Earns nothing at all: fuel; EasyEMI and e-wallet loading; rent, property management, maintenance and packers-and-movers; government transactions; education paid through third-party apps such as CRED, Cheq or MobiKwik (paying a college or school directly still earns); and online skill-based gaming. Points are also REVERSED if a retail transaction is later converted to SmartEMI.
- Point expiry: Reward Points are valid for 24 months from accrual and lapse thereafter — HDFC states 'Unredeemed Reward Points will expire/lapse after 2 years of accumulation'.
- Redemption fee: ₹99 per redemption.
Fees and Charges
| Charge | Amount |
|---|---|
| Joining fee | ₹1,000 + GST |
| Renewal fee | ₹1,000 + GST |
| Finance charges | Up to 3.75% per month (45% per annum). The rate applied depends on the card variant and the cardholder's profile. |
| Interest-free period | Up to 50 days, and only if the previous month's balance was cleared in full. No interest-free period applies once a balance is revolved or a cash advance taken. |
| Minimum amount due | 5% of the total outstanding, or the sum of 100% of EMI, fees, charges, interest and any overlimit amount plus 1% of the principal — whichever is higher. Subject to a minimum of ₹200. |
| Cash advance fee | 2.5% of the amount withdrawn, subject to a minimum of ₹500. |
| Cash advance interest | Up to 3.75% per month, charged from the date of withdrawal until repayment in full. |
| Forex markup | 3.5% on the INR-converted amount for most variants; premium variants carry 2%. |
| Dynamic currency conversion | 1.75% markup on transactions made in Indian rupees at an international merchant or an overseas-registered merchant, with effect from 15 May 2026. |
| Late payment | Nil up to ₹100; ₹100 for ₹101–₹500; ₹500 for ₹501–₹1,000; ₹600 for ₹1,001–₹5,000; ₹800 for ₹5,001–₹10,000; ₹1,100 for ₹10,001–₹25,000; ₹1,300 for ₹25,001–₹50,000; ₹1,300 above ₹50,000. |
| Overlimit | 2.5% of the overlimit amount, subject to a minimum of ₹550. |
| Payment return | 2% of the payment amount, subject to a minimum of ₹450. |
| Rent payment | 1% of the transaction amount on rent payments made through third-party merchants, levied FROM THE SECOND rental transaction of the calendar month — so the first rent payment each month is free of it. Rent and property-management transactions also earn no Reward Points at all, w.e.f. 1 January 2023. |
| Wallet load | 1% on wallet-loading spends exceeding ₹10,000 in a calendar month, excluding PayZapp, with effect from 1 October 2025. The fee applies to the total wallet-loading spend for the month, capped at ₹4,999. |
| Utility payments | 1% on utility spends exceeding ₹50,000 in a calendar month for consumer cards (₹75,000 for business cards), with effect from 1 October 2025. The fee applies to the total utility spend for the month, capped at ₹4,999. |
| Education payments | 1% on education transactions made through third-party applications such as CRED, NoBroker or Cheq, capped at ₹4,999 per transaction. Education paid DIRECTLY through a college or school website, or at its POS machine, attracts no fee. |
| Fuel transactions | 1% on fuel transactions exceeding ₹15,000 for consumer cards (₹30,000 for business cards), with effect from 1 October 2025. The fee applies to the total transacted amount, capped at ₹4,999 per transaction. |
| Online skill-based gaming | 1% on online skill-based gaming spends exceeding ₹10,000 in a calendar month, with effect from 1 October 2025, applied to the month's total and capped at ₹4,999. |
| Card replacement | ₹100 plus taxes. |
| Add-on card | Nil. |
| Reward redemption | ₹99 plus taxes on redemption through the rewards catalogue. |
| EMI processing | ₹199 plus taxes on retail EMI conversion. |
| GST | 18% on all fees, interest and charges. |
Is the HDFC Bank Regalia First Credit Card Worth It?
At 0.45%, this card is hard to recommend on rewards. The fee is not trivial and the return does not cover it for most spending patterns.
Its real use is as a stepping stone. If HDFC will not yet issue you Regalia Gold, Regalia First establishes the relationship, and HDFC upgrades within the family readily. Treat it as a twelve-month position rather than a card to hold.
Two rate cuts in two years is the thing to weigh. September 2024 cut the points, May 2026 cut the block. A card whose economics have moved twice against holders in that span is not one to build a spending strategy around.
The Fair Usage ceiling is 25,000 Reward Points per statement cycle, half what the rest of the Regalia family gets — though at 0.45% you would need ₹16 lakh in a cycle to reach it.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the current Regalia First earn rate? 3 Reward Points per ₹200, which is 0.45% at the ₹0.30 redemption rate. HDFC's own page has carried outdated figures; this is the rate after the 15 May 2026 change.
Why do different sites quote different rates for this card? Because it has been cut twice. It earned 4 points per ₹150 until 1 September 2024, then 3 per ₹150, and since 15 May 2026 it earns 3 per ₹200. Sites quoting either older figure have not updated.
Is Regalia First worth the fee? On rewards alone, usually not. Its value is as an entry point to the Regalia family if Regalia Gold is out of reach.
Can I upgrade to Regalia Gold? HDFC upgrades within the Regalia family readily once the relationship is established. That is the main argument for holding this card at all.
How much can I earn in a cycle? The Fair Usage Policy caps this card at 25,000 Reward Points earned per statement cycle — half the rest of the Regalia family.
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