HDFC Bank's Pixel Play credit card lets you pick your perks! Is it worthy?

HDFC Bank is shaking things up in the credit card market with the launch of its new offering – the Pixel Play Credit Card. This card caters to tech-savvy individuals who value personalization and convenience. 

The card allows you to tailor benefits to your lifestyle and pick shops to earn cashback, as well as choosing card design and billing cycle date.

Let's dive into the details to see if it fits your needs.

Normally, credit cards give you cashback on everything you buy, but at a fixed rate. With Pixel Play, you get to choose the stores YOU shop at the most (like groceries or clothes) and earn extra cashback on those purchases (up to 5%). Let's say you love movies and eat out a lot, you can pick those categories to get more cashback when you spend there. So a user is allowed to  select cashback categories, depending on spending pattern.  For instance, if you enjoy dining, entertainment, and travelling during the summers then you can choose those categories for your cashback. But during the festive season, you can choose to earn cashback from the grocery, electronics, and fashion categories.

 

The Pixel Play Proposition:

Customization is King: Unlike traditional cards with pre-set benefits, Pixel Play allows you to tailor your rewards to your lifestyle. Choose merchants where you earn the most cashback (up to 5% on your chosen categories).

Express Yourself with Design: Go beyond the standard credit card look. Pixel Play lets you pick a design that reflects your personality.

Flexible Billing Cycles: No more struggling to align your payments with your salary cycle. Choose a billing date that works best for you.

All-Digital Convenience: The entire application process, card management, and even EMI conversions happen within the Payzapp app. No need for physical documents or phone calls.

Rewards

• 5% Cashback on choice of any two packs
• - Dining & Entertainment Category – BookMyShow & Zomato
• - Travel Category – MakeMyTrip & Uber
• - Grocery Category – Blinkit & Reliance Smart Bazaar
• - Electronics Category – Croma & Reliance Digital
• - Fashion Category – Nykaa & Myntra
• 3% Cashback on choice of any one E-commerce merchant
• ​​​​​​​- Amazon or Flipkart or PayZapp 
• 1% Unlimited Cashback across all other spends

Choose Your Favorites: You get to pick any TWO of these 5% cashback categories! This lets you maximize your rewards on the things you buy the most, whether it's groceries, clothes, electronics, travel, or something else entirely.

Flexibility is Key: The best part? You can change your chosen categories every three months through the HDFC Bank's PayZapp app, at no additional cost. This allows you to adapt your rewards strategy based on your spending needs.

E-commerce Cashback:

The Pixel Play card also offers cashback for online shoppers:

3% Cashback on One E-commerce Merchant: Choose ANY ONE major e-commerce merchant (like Amazon or Flipkart) to earn a 3% cashback on your online purchases made through that platform.
 

Change Your Choice: Similar to the 5% cashback categories, you can switch your preferred e-commerce merchant every three months within the PayZapp app, free of charge.
 

1% Cashback on Everything Else:

Don't Worry About the Rest: For all your other purchases that don't fall under your chosen 5% cashback categories or your selected e-commerce merchant, you'll still earn a baseline 1% cashback.

Interest Free Credit Period : Up to 50 days of interest free period on your PIXEL Play Credit Card from the date of purchase (subject to the submission of the charge by the Merchant)

Exclusive Dining Privileges:- Get up to 25% savings off on all your restaurant bill payments via Swiggy Dineout (Swiggy Dineout Logo) (20k + restaurants) (Offer inclusive of Restaurant and Swiggy Discount). Offer valid only on payments done via Swiggy App.

Pixel CashPoints: Cashback will be credited in the form of PIXEL CashPoints and can be easily managed under the rewards section of the Pixel Homepage in Payzapp.​ Upon the accumulation of 1000 PIXEL CashPoints, they can be redeemed easily to the PayZapp Wallet and used to purchase your choice of brand vouchers within PayZapp digitally.  Pixel CashPoints are valid for 2 years from the date of accumulation.​

Fuel Surcharge Waiver: 1% fuel surcharge waiver at all fuel stations across India (on a minimum transaction of ₹400 and a maximum transaction of ₹5,000. Maximum waiver of ₹250 per statement cycle). 

Charges

There is a joining fee of Rs 500. However, it’s waived on spending Rs 20,000 within 90 days of card issuance. There is a renewal fee of Rs 500 from the second year, but even this can be waived if you spend Rs 1 lakh or more in the preceding 12 months and get renewal membership fee waived off for next year.

Sounds cool, but is it worth it?

Before you jump in, here are some things to consider:

Cashback Details: The exact details of the cashback program (like how you get the cashback - statement credit, etc.) aren't clear yet.

App Reliance: Everything revolves around the Payzapp app. If you're not comfortable managing your finances through an app, this might not be the card for you.

Compare Options: Other credit cards might offer better cashback rates or reward programs that better suit your spending habits. Do your research!

Additional Points:

• To qualify for this card, you'll need a minimum salary of Rs 25,000 per month if you're salaried, or a minimum annual income of Rs 6 lakh if you're self-employed (as per your income tax return).
• Existing HDFC Bank credit cardholders can soon apply for the Pixel Play card by reducing the credit limit on their existing card.
• You'll receive a digital credit card stored on the PayZapp app for online transactions.
• A physical credit card will be issued for offline purchases.
• Android users can also take advantage of contactless payments (tap-and-pay) at point-of-sale terminals.

Who might like this card?

• People who shop mostly at certain stores and want to earn more cashback there.
• Tech-savvy folks who prefer a completely digital credit card experience.
• Anyone who wants to personalize their credit card and have more control over their rewards.

The Takeaway:

The Pixel Play card is a new option with some interesting features, but it's not perfect for everyone.  Before you apply, make sure the cashback categories and app-based management work for you.