New Delhi: If you often use your HDFC Bank debit card for free airport lounge access, this update is important for you. The bank has changed how complimentary lounge entry works on its debit cards. Instead of simply swiping your card at the lounge, customers will now need a digital voucher to get access. Also, the minimum spending requirement has been increased, reported Moneycontrol. These new rules will come into effect from January 10, and will apply to eligible debit cardholders going forward.

How the New Lounge Voucher System Works

Once your eligibility is confirmed, HDFC Bank will send you an SMS or email with a link to claim your lounge access voucher. You’ll need to verify your request by entering an OTP sent to your registered mobile number. You will receive a voucher code or QR code after successful verification which must be shown at the airport lounge to get entry.

Minimum Spend Requirement Increased

Under the revised rules, HDFC Bank debit card users will now need to spend at least Rs 10,000 in a calendar quarter to be eligible for complimentary airport lounge access. Earlier, the minimum spend required was Rs 5,000.

However, this condition will not apply to HDFC Infiniti Debit Card holders. Customers using the Infiniti card will continue to enjoy free lounge access without any minimum spending requirement.

Eligible Transactions and Free Lounge Visits by Card Type

Only purchase transactions made using the debit card will be considered while calculating the quarterly spending requirement. Other types of transactions will not be counted, as noted by Moneycontrol.

Meanwhile, the number of complimentary lounge visits remains unchanged and continues to depend on the debit card variant:

Millennia Debit Card: 1 free visit per quarter

Platinum Debit Card: 2 free visits per quarter

Times Points Debit Card: 1 free visit per quarter

Business Debit Card: 2 free visits per quarter

GIGA Debit Card: 1 free visit per quarter

Infiniti Debit Card: 4 free visits per quarter

This means cardholders should check both their spending eligibility and card type to know how many lounge visits they can enjoy.

Which Transactions Count and Voucher Validity Explained

Only purchase transactions made using the debit card will be counted towards the quarterly spending requirement. As per Moneycontrol, the following transactions will not be included:

ATM cash withdrawals

UPI or wallet payments (GPay, PhonePe, Paytm, etc.)

Credit card bill payments made via debit card

Debit card EMI transactions

New debit cardholders will also need to meet the Rs 10,000 spending requirement to become eligible for complimentary lounge access.

Voucher Validity: 

Once issued, the lounge access voucher will remain valid till the end of the next calendar quarter, after which it will expire if not used.

What This Means for Debit Card Users

With the updated lounge access rules, HDFC Bank is clearly encouraging higher card usage and digital verification. Customers who regularly use complimentary lounge benefits will now need to keep a close watch on their quarterly spending and complete the voucher process in advance. As per Moneycontrol, physical debit card swipes will no longer work from January 10, making it important for travellers to switch to the new digital voucher system.