Credit cards reward your transactions with points or cashback. Premium cards offer accelerated rewards on specific spending categories like travel, dining, or online shopping (e.g. 5x or 10x points). The actual value of these points depends on redemption choices (e.g., flight bookings, shopping vouchers, or statement credit).

The reward yield rate is the net value percentage you get back from your expenditures. For example, if you spend ₹10,000 and earn reward points worth ₹300, your effective reward rate or net yield is 3.0%. Premium cards like HDFC Infinia can yield up to 15%+ on specific categories.

Many premium credit cards allow you to transfer reward points directly to international airline loyalty programs (like Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer, British Airways Executive Club) and hotel loyalty programs (like Marriott Bonvoy, IHG One Rewards) at specific conversion ratios (e.g. 1:1). Booking business class flights or luxury hotels using transferred points often yields a value of ₹1 to ₹3+ per point, far exceeding standard cashback options.