Hi everyone,

I’m trying to decide between ICICI Times Black and HDFC Diners Club Black Metal, and would love some opinions from people who have used either or both.

My goal is a one-card-for-all strategy. I don’t want to maintain 4-5 cards and constantly optimize which card gives the best reward for every transaction.

My Fee Calculation:

I have around ₹6L in surplus funds that I probably won’t need for years. Against this FD, I can get DCB Metal from HDFC at around 6.5% FD interest. (BTW I don't have tax burden for now, so don't want to optimize this FD)

My calculation:

• ₹6L HDFC FD @ 6.5% = ₹39,000 interest
• ₹6L Suryoday SFB FD @ 8.1% = ₹48,600 interest
• Opportunity cost in HDFC = ₹9,600

So my effective annual cost is roughly:

• Times Black: ₹23,600 fee
• DCB Metal: ₹21,400 (₹11,800 fee + ₹9,600 opportunity cost)

The difference is only around ₹2,200, which I’m comfortable ignoring. So the fee isn't really the deciding factor for me.

My expected annual spends (at minimum)

• Online direct: ₹1L
• Online vouchers: ₹1.5L
• Education: ₹4L
• Offline: ₹1L
• Utility: ₹50K
• Travel: ₹50K to ₹1L (My family usually book travel packages, so this might increase in future if I were to book hotels & flights on my own)
• Other spends like Insurance, govt spends, etc are not fixed.

Why these cards?

• Don't want to optimize heavily, so I feel these are the only card in market where I can easily get and cover maximum areas.
• Unlimited lounge access with No Spend Criteria
• Add-on cards for family (I don't mind the onetime fee for TB though)
• Good rewards on travel spends
• Easy redemption
• Good customer/service experience
• Both are forex-positive (although I probably won't use that benefit reguarly)

Why Times Black over DCB Metal?

1. ₹10K EMT Hotel voucher + ₹10K Klook voucher at ₹2L milestone. This effectively covers the joining fee. (DCB Metal doesn't have a comparable joining benefit, and I probably won't complete it's 4L Milestone.)
2. Similar voucher benefits on renewal fee. (DCB doesn't offer an equivalent renewal benefit.)
3. Higher voucher reward rate of 12% vs 10% on DCB.
4. Rewards on government transactions. (DCB doesn't give rewards on them)
5. Better redemption caps on flights and hotels, 90% flights & 95% hotels. (DCB has a 70% cap.)
6. Google Pay NFC support. (DCB isn't supported for Google Pay NFC.)
7. Visa network and wider acceptance. (Diners acceptance might? still be an issue in some places.)
8. Business-class lounge access at some airports, e.g. Delhi. (Not a huge priority for me, but still a plus.)
9. Times Black app has some good periodic offers like Puma vouchers, Lionsgate OTT, and other benefits. (DCB doesn't have this.)

Why DCB Metal over Times Black?

1. Higher base reward rate 3.33% vs 2% on Times Black.
2. Flights & bus bookings are stronger on DCB Metal, ~12% vs ~16.5% on Times Black.
3. Hotels are stronger on DCB Metal, ~33% vs ~24% on Times Black.
4. Train bookings, ~10% on DCB vs 2% Base reward rate on Times Black.
5. Higher Reward Rate via Smartbuy Partners like 5X on Myntra and 10X on PharmEasy. (which Times Black doesn't have)
6. Free add-on cards for family. (Times Black charges for one time add-ons. Though I probably wont mind a one time fee)
7. Airmiles & other Transfer Partners. (Although for now, I prefer direct redemption.)
8. DCB Metal is a flagship product of Diners Club in India. (I feel this may make it more stable long-term, although this is just my assumption.)

What I am looking for:

I don't want to optimize purely for maximum rewards. I’m happy to sacrifice some rewards if one card gives me a significantly better overall experience. Basically, I want a "put almost everything on one card and forget about it" lazy setup.

So, if you had to choose one card and stick with it for the next 3 to 5 years, which would you pick, Times Black or DCB Metal?

Thank you in Advance!

PS: I would also really appreciate feedback around: DCB acceptance, Redemption experience on SmartBuy vs iShop and Customer service experience, and other related topics.

Hi everyone,

I’m trying to decide between ICICI Times Black and HDFC Diners Club Black Metal, and would love some opinions from people who have used either or both.

My goal is a one-card-for-all strategy. I don’t want to maintain 4-5 cards and constantly optimize which card gives the best reward for every transaction.

My Fee Calculation:

I have around ₹6L in surplus funds that I probably won’t need for years. Against this FD, I can get DCB Metal from HDFC at around 6.5% FD interest. (BTW I don't have tax burden for now, so don't want to optimize this FD)

My calculation:

• ₹6L HDFC FD @ 6.5% = ₹39,000 interest
• ₹6L Suryoday SFB FD @ 8.1% = ₹48,600 interest
• Opportunity cost in HDFC = ₹9,600

So my effective annual cost is roughly:

• Times Black: ₹23,600 fee
• DCB Metal: ₹21,400 (₹11,800 fee + ₹9,600 opportunity cost)

The difference is only around ₹2,200, which I’m comfortable ignoring. So the fee isn't really the deciding factor for me.

My expected annual spends (at minimum)

• Online direct: ₹1L
• Online vouchers: ₹1.5L
• Education: ₹4L
• Offline: ₹1L
• Utility: ₹50K
• Travel: ₹50K to ₹1L (My family usually book travel packages, so this might increase in future if I were to book hotels & flights on my own)
• Other spends like Insurance, govt spends, etc are not fixed.

Why these cards?

• Don't want to optimize heavily, so I feel these are the only card in market where I can easily get and cover maximum areas.
• Unlimited lounge access with No Spend Criteria
• Add-on cards for family (I don't mind the onetime fee for TB though)
• Good rewards on travel spends
• Easy redemption
• Good customer/service experience
• Both are forex-positive (although I probably won't use that benefit reguarly)

Why Times Black over DCB Metal?

1. ₹10K EMT Hotel voucher + ₹10K Klook voucher at ₹2L milestone. This effectively covers the joining fee. (DCB Metal doesn't have a comparable joining benefit, and I probably won't complete it's 4L Milestone.)
2. Similar voucher benefits on renewal fee. (DCB doesn't offer an equivalent renewal benefit.)
3. Higher voucher reward rate of 12% vs 10% on DCB.
4. Rewards on government transactions. (DCB doesn't give rewards on them)
5. Better redemption caps on flights and hotels, 90% flights & 95% hotels. (DCB has a 70% cap.)
6. Google Pay NFC support. (DCB isn't supported for Google Pay NFC.)
7. Visa network and wider acceptance. (Diners acceptance might? still be an issue in some places.)
8. Business-class lounge access at some airports, e.g. Delhi. (Not a huge priority for me, but still a plus.)
9. Times Black app has some good periodic offers like Puma vouchers, Lionsgate OTT, and other benefits. (DCB doesn't have this.)

Why DCB Metal over Times Black?

1. Higher base reward rate 3.33% vs 2% on Times Black.
2. Flights & bus bookings are stronger on DCB Metal, ~12% vs ~16.5% on Times Black.
3. Hotels are stronger on DCB Metal, ~33% vs ~24% on Times Black.
4. Train bookings, ~10% on DCB vs 2% Base reward rate on Times Black.
5. Higher Reward Rate via Smartbuy Partners like 5X on Myntra and 10X on PharmEasy. (which Times Black doesn't have)
6. Free add-on cards for family. (Times Black charges for one time add-ons. Though I probably wont mind a one time fee)
7. Airmiles & other Transfer Partners. (Although for now, I prefer direct redemption.)
8. DCB Metal is a flagship product of Diners Club in India. (I feel this may make it more stable long-term, although this is just my assumption.)

What I am looking for:

I don't want to optimize purely for maximum rewards. I’m happy to sacrifice some rewards if one card gives me a significantly better overall experience. Basically, I want a "put almost everything on one card and forget about it" lazy setup.

So, if you had to choose one card and stick with it for the next 3 to 5 years, which would you pick, Times Black or DCB Metal?

Thank you in Advance!

PS: I would also really appreciate feedback around: DCB acceptance, Redemption experience on SmartBuy vs iShop and Customer service experience, and other related topics.

Hi everyone,

I’m trying to decide between ICICI Times Black and HDFC Diners Club Black Metal, and would love some opinions from people who have used either or both.

My goal is a one-card-for-all strategy. I don’t want to maintain 4-5 cards and constantly optimize which card gives the best reward for every transaction.

My Fee Calculation:

I have around ₹6L in surplus funds that I probably won’t need for years. Against this FD, I can get DCB Metal from HDFC at around 6.5% FD interest. (BTW I don't have tax burden for now, so don't want to optimize this FD)

My calculation:

• ₹6L HDFC FD @ 6.5% = ₹39,000 interest
• ₹6L Suryoday SFB FD @ 8.1% = ₹48,600 interest
• Opportunity cost in HDFC = ₹9,600

So my effective annual cost is roughly:

• Times Black: ₹23,600 fee
• DCB Metal: ₹21,400 (₹11,800 fee + ₹9,600 opportunity cost)

The difference is only around ₹2,200, which I’m comfortable ignoring. So the fee isn't really the deciding factor for me.

My expected annual spends (at minimum)

• Online direct: ₹1L
• Online vouchers: ₹1.5L
• Education: ₹4L
• Offline: ₹1L
• Utility: ₹50K
• Travel: ₹50K to ₹1L (My family usually book travel packages, so this might increase in future if I were to book hotels & flights on my own)
• Other spends like Insurance, govt spends, etc are not fixed.

Why these cards?

• Don't want to optimize heavily, so I feel these are the only card in market where I can easily get and cover maximum areas.
• Unlimited lounge access with No Spend Criteria
• Add-on cards for family (I don't mind the onetime fee for TB though)
• Good rewards on travel spends
• Easy redemption
• Good customer/service experience
• Both are forex-positive (although I probably won't use that benefit reguarly)

Why Times Black over DCB Metal?

1. ₹10K EMT Hotel voucher + ₹10K Klook voucher at ₹2L milestone. This effectively covers the joining fee. (DCB Metal doesn't have a comparable joining benefit, and I probably won't complete it's 4L Milestone.)
2. Similar voucher benefits on renewal fee. (DCB doesn't offer an equivalent renewal benefit.)
3. Higher voucher reward rate of 12% vs 10% on DCB.
4. Rewards on government transactions. (DCB doesn't give rewards on them)
5. Better redemption caps on flights and hotels, 90% flights & 95% hotels. (DCB has a 70% cap.)
6. Google Pay NFC support. (DCB isn't supported for Google Pay NFC.)
7. Visa network and wider acceptance. (Diners acceptance might? still be an issue in some places.)
8. Business-class lounge access at some airports, e.g. Delhi. (Not a huge priority for me, but still a plus.)
9. Times Black app has some good periodic offers like Puma vouchers, Lionsgate OTT, and other benefits. (DCB doesn't have this.)

Why DCB Metal over Times Black?

1. Higher base reward rate 3.33% vs 2% on Times Black.
2. Flights & bus bookings are stronger on DCB Metal, ~12% vs ~16.5% on Times Black.
3. Hotels are stronger on DCB Metal, ~33% vs ~24% on Times Black.
4. Train bookings, ~10% on DCB vs 2% Base reward rate on Times Black.
5. Higher Reward Rate via Smartbuy Partners like 5X on Myntra and 10X on PharmEasy. (which Times Black doesn't have)
6. Free add-on cards for family. (Times Black charges for one time add-ons. Though I probably wont mind a one time fee)
7. Airmiles & other Transfer Partners. (Although for now, I prefer direct redemption.)
8. DCB Metal is a flagship product of Diners Club in India. (I feel this may make it more stable long-term, although this is just my assumption.)

What I am looking for:

I don't want to optimize purely for maximum rewards. I’m happy to sacrifice some rewards if one card gives me a significantly better overall experience. Basically, I want a "put almost everything on one card and forget about it" lazy setup.

So, if you had to choose one card and stick with it for the next 3 to 5 years, which would you pick, Times Black or DCB Metal?

Thank you in Advance!

PS: I would also really appreciate feedback around: DCB acceptance, Redemption experience on SmartBuy vs iShop and Customer service experience, and other related topics.

Hi everyone,

I have surplus funds of around ₹5-6 lakhs and am looking to get a premium credit card against an FD. I don't mind keeping the money in an FD as I won't need it for at least the next 5 years.

The thing is that, I have a good CIBIL score, but no income proof currently. Also, my father doesn't like using credit cards, so I am looking to get one in my own name.

​

My approximate yearly spends are around ₹6.6L:

A. Education: ₹2 lakhs

B. Offline spends: ₹1 lakh

C. Online spends (can be done through vouchers): ₹2 lakhs

D. Online spends (direct card spends only): ₹1 lakh

E. Hotels: ₹30,000

F. Flights: ₹30,000

​

Apart from the hotel and flight spends mentioned above, my family does travel occasionally, but those bookings are usually done through travel agents and paid via cheque or bank transfer. So I have only included the spends that I can consistently put on a credit card.

​

​

So, I don't mind paying annual fees, even for premium cards, if I can get good value from rewards, travel benefits, lounge access, etc. Currently, I do most of my spending through a debit card, so shifting those spends to a credit card won't be a problem.

​

Could you please suggest some good FD-backed credit cards? If getting a single premium FD-backed card isn't possible, I'm open to holding multiple FD-backed cards or 1 Premium + other lower end cards as well.

[One more thing: I don't want to wait for pre-approved offers, as I will probably only receive entry-level card offers with this much FD.

Also, I am willing to open a bank account with any bank if required, and I live in a major urban city where almost all major bank branches are available.]

Looking forward to your suggestions. Thanks!

Hi everyone,

I have surplus funds of around ₹5-6 lakhs and am looking to get a premium credit card against an FD. I don't mind keeping the money in an FD as I won't need it for at least the next 5 years.

The thing is that, I have a good CIBIL score, but no income proof currently. Also, my father doesn't like using credit cards, so I am looking to get one in my own name.

​

My approximate yearly spends are around ₹6.6L:

A. Education: ₹2 lakhs

B. Offline spends: ₹1 lakh

C. Online spends (can be done through vouchers): ₹2 lakhs

D. Online spends (direct card spends only): ₹1 lakh

E. Hotels: ₹30,000

F. Flights: ₹30,000

​

Apart from the hotel and flight spends mentioned above, my family does travel occasionally, but those bookings are usually done through travel agents and paid via cheque or bank transfer. So I have only included the spends that I can consistently put on a credit card.

​

​

So, I don't mind paying annual fees, even for premium cards, if I can get good value from rewards, travel benefits, lounge access, etc. Currently, I do most of my spending through a debit card, so shifting those spends to a credit card won't be a problem.

​

Could you please suggest some good FD-backed credit cards? If getting a single premium FD-backed card isn't possible, I'm open to holding multiple FD-backed cards or 1 Premium + other lower end cards as well.

[One more thing: I don't want to wait for pre-approved offers, as I will probably only receive entry-level card offers with this much FD.

Also, I am willing to open a bank account with any bank if required, and I live in a major urban city where almost all major bank branches are available.]

Looking forward to your suggestions. Thanks!

Hi everyone,

I have surplus funds of around ₹5-6 lakhs and am looking to get a premium credit card against an FD. I don't mind keeping the money in an FD as I won't need it for at least the next 5 years.

The thing is that, I have a good CIBIL score, but no income proof currently. Also, my father doesn't like using credit cards, so I am looking to get one in my own name.

​

My approximate yearly spends are around ₹6.6L:

A. Education: ₹2 lakhs

B. Offline spends: ₹1 lakh

C. Online spends (can be done through vouchers): ₹2 lakhs

D. Online spends (direct card spends only): ₹1 lakh

E. Hotels: ₹30,000

F. Flights: ₹30,000

​

Apart from the hotel and flight spends mentioned above, my family does travel occasionally, but those bookings are usually done through travel agents and paid via cheque or bank transfer. So I have only included the spends that I can consistently put on a credit card.

​

​

So, I don't mind paying annual fees, even for premium cards, if I can get good value from rewards, travel benefits, lounge access, etc. Currently, I do most of my spending through a debit card, so shifting those spends to a credit card won't be a problem.

​

Could you please suggest some good FD-backed credit cards? If getting a single premium FD-backed card isn't possible, I'm open to holding multiple FD-backed cards or 1 Premium + other lower end cards as well.

[One more thing: I don't want to wait for pre-approved offers, as I will probably only receive entry-level card offers with this much FD.

Also, I am willing to open a bank account with any bank if required, and I live in a major urban city where almost all major bank branches are available.]

Looking forward to your suggestions. Thanks!