HOTEL PROGRAM
Club ITC: Transfer Partners & What a Green Point Is Worth
One of the few hotel currencies with a published value — ITC’s own terms fix a Green Point at ₹1 against hotel bills — and reachable from five Indian bank currencies, level with IHG One Rewards and Wyndham and one behind Accor ALL among the hotel programmes we model.
Card data updated
Realistic value
₹1.00 / point
Type
Hotel loyalty
ITC’s own published rate against hotel services. Gift cards run at 1.25 Green Points to the rupee, and Reward Nights are priced separately. See how we value points →
Club ITC is the loyalty programme of ITC Hotels — the ITC Hotels, Welcomhotel, Mementos, Storii and Fortune brands, 150-plus properties running from a Fortune business hotel to the ITC Grand Chola. For an Indian cardholder it has one property no other big hotel programme offers: the value of the currency is written into the terms. ITC's own rules say a Green Point is worth ₹1 against hotel services. Where a Marriott or IHG point is worth whatever tonight's dynamic award price makes it, a Green Point settles a room, a dinner or a spa bill at a rate you can read before you transfer — and five Indian bank currencies can reach it, level with IHG One Rewards and Wyndham and one behind Accor ALL in our transfer graph. (Axis fed it too until some point between 10 and 25 September 2026, when Axis dropped Club ITC from its own partner list.)
Which Indian cards transfer into Green Points
The ratio is set by the card, not the bank, and the spread is wide — from one Pioneer Private or Lumière point buying one Green Point to five Aurum points buying one.
| Card / currency | Ratio | Note |
|---|---|---|
| HDFC Infinia, Diners Club Black, Regalia Gold | 2:1 | All three at the same ratio — the one HDFC hotel partner where Regalia Gold is not a rung behind Infinia. |
| IndusInd Pioneer Private | 1:1 | The only IndusInd card ITC names, and the best use IndusInd points have. Invite-only. |
| RBL Lumière / Nova | 1:1 / 2:1 | Both invite-only. ITC's table also lists Insignia and World Safari Plus at 3:1 and iGlobe at 4:1. |
| SBI Card MILES, MILES PRIME, MILES ELITE | 2:1 | Travel Credits at half the ratio their 1:1 airline partners get, into a point worth about the same — a top-up, not the reason to hold the card. |
| SBI Card AURUM | 5:1 | 20 paise per Aurum point, below the ₹0.25 SBI publishes for its own catalogue. A route that loses money. |
Two mechanics are worth knowing before you press transfer. ITC's own partner pages carry the minimums and timings the banks do not always show: HDFC transfers start at 100 Green Points and move in multiples of 100, crediting in two to four working days; IndusInd needs 500 Reward Points and takes ten to twelve working days; RBL has no minimum on Lumière and Nova and lands within seven; SBI MILES lands in three to five, though SBI's terms reserve up to twenty-one. And every route is one-way — a transfer into Green Points cannot be reversed, so move what you will spend, not what you hold.
What a Green Point is worth
This is the rare case where we are not estimating. Club ITC's terms define the currency outright: the value of 1 Green Point is equal to ₹1 for redemption against hotel services, unless otherwise specified. That "unless otherwise specified" carries two exceptions. ITC Hotels gift cards cost 1.25 Green Points for every rupee loaded, so the gift-card rail returns 80 paise on the point. And Reward Nights — free nights bought outright with Green Points — are priced separately by ITC, so a night can land either side of ₹1 depending on the hotel and the date. Green Points have no cash value and cannot be sold, which is the trade for the certainty: they spend only at ITC.
Hold the ratio and the value together and the routes sort themselves. HDFC at 2:1 returns 50 paise per Reward Point — above the 30-paise catalogue, below what the same points do at 1:1 into an airline. And Aurum's 5:1 is a warning: five points that fetch ₹1.25 in SBI's own catalogue become a single Green Point.
How earning and redemption really work
Members earn Green Points on eligible spend at participating hotels — rooms, dining, spa — at 2% for a base member, 4% at Silver, 6% at Gold and 8% at Platinum and Platinum Select. Tiers are earned by nights or spend in a calendar year: Silver at 6 nights or ₹60,000, Gold at 16 nights or ₹1,60,000, Platinum at 30 nights or ₹3,00,000, and each tier comes with its own value vouchers on upgrade. Redemption is the simple part: Green Points settle a hotel bill at the desk, book Reward Nights, or convert to ITC Hotels gift cards at the 1.25 rate.
The rule that costs people the balance is inactivity. An account that neither earns nor redeems a Green Point for twenty-four consecutive months forfeits everything, and forfeited points are never reinstated. Any earn or redemption resets the clock, and ITC's own partner terms date a converted balance from the day it is credited, so a transfer is itself activity. Green Points cannot be moved to another member's account, and on the member's death the membership ends and the balance is cancelled; there is no family pool and no inheritance.
Who should chase Green Points
Green Points suit the cardholder who already stays or dines at ITC, Welcomhotel or Fortune properties and wants a hotel currency whose value is fixed rather than auctioned. If your points are HDFC, the 2:1 is fair — but only if an ITC stay is in your calendar, because a Green Point spends nowhere else. If you never stay at ITC, no ratio makes this programme worth feeding; a transferable airline currency or a euro-pegged hotel point like Accor ALL keeps your options open.
Below are the cards that route into Club ITC, with the ratio each one gets and the fine print worth knowing before you move a balance.
How to transfer credit-card points to Club ITC
Every standing route from an Indian reward currency, read from our transfer graph rather than typed alongside it. A ratio given as a range differs by card — the graph knows which cards sit at each end, and you should still confirm the live rate in your bank’s rewards portal before transferring. Never assume a promotional rate is the standing one.
| From (currency & cards) | Ratio | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| IndusInd Reward PointsIndusInd Bank | 1:1 | Pioneer Private only, at 1:1 — the best thing IndusInd points can do, on an invite-only card. Minimum 500 points; ITC credits in 10–12 working days, and a rejected request auto-credits back. |
| RBL Reward PointsRBL Bank | 1:1 / 2:1 (per card) | Lumière 1:1 and Nova 2:1, both invite-only, with no minimum. ITC’s table also names Insignia and World Safari Plus at 3:1 and iGlobe at 4:1, cards we do not carry. Credited within 7 working days. |
| HDFC Reward PointsHDFC Bank | 2:1 | 2:1 on Infinia, Diners Club Black and Regalia Gold alike — the one HDFC hotel partner where Regalia Gold is not a rung behind. ITC’s own page sets the floor at 100 Green Points (200 Reward Points), in multiples of 100, credited in 2–4 working days. |
| SBI Card Travel CreditsSBI Card | 2:1 | 2:1 from all three MILES cards — half the ratio the card gets into its 1:1 airline partners, into a point worth about the same, so Club ITC is a top-up here rather than the reason to hold the card. ITC quotes 3–5 working days; SBI’s terms allow up to 21. |
| SBI Reward PointsSBI Card | 5:1 | Aurum only, at 5:1 — 20 paise a point against the ₹0.25 SBI itself publishes for its catalogue, so this route loses money. Minimum 500 points in 500s, up to 5 working days. |
Expiry and pooling
The two rules that decide whether you still hold the points when you come to spend them. Both are quoted from Club ITC Terms & Conditions (Green Points definition; Membership Cancellation / Expiry of Points), read on 2026-09-05.
Expiry
Green Points expire after 2 years of inactivity, and qualifying activity restarts the clock.
“Members must remain active in the Club ITC Program to retain Green Points they accumulate. If a Club ITC Member account is inactive for twenty-four (24) consecutive months, that member account will forfeit all accumulated Points.”
Extending
“Club ITC Members can remain active in the Club ITC Program and retain accumulated Green Points by earning or redeeming Green Points, at least once every twenty-four (24) months.”
“Once Green Points are forfeited, they cannot be reinstated, but a Club ITC Member can earn new Green Points, if the Member makes any Eligible Spend(s) subsequently.”
Sharing and pooling
Green Points cannot be moved to another member's account.
“Accrued points do not constitute property of the members and are non-transferable to another membership account.”
“In the event of death, the Club ITC membership stands terminated, and all accrued points will automatically stand cancelled.”
Source: Club ITC Terms & Conditions (Green Points definition; Membership Cancellation / Expiry of Points), read 2026-09-05. Programmes change these terms without notice — check yours before relying on a date.
Cards that transfer to Club ITC
Each card below can feed Green Points via a points transfer. Tap any card for its full review — fees, reward rates and eligibility.
₹12,500/yr
annual fee · ≈ ₹14,750 incl. GST
● BEST FOR: 3.3% reward points on Groceries
Annual fee
Joining fee
Top reward
Welcome bonus
Fee waiver
Forex markup
Fuel waiver
HDFC Infinia is invitation-only for HDFC's top relationship customers. Sanjay, a senior executive with an HDFC salary account, uses SmartBuy to book business flights: 5X points = ₹1 per ₹6 spent. His ₹5L/month spend earns about ₹2 lakh in points a year at the 3.3% base — on ELIGIBLE spend only: fuel, rent, government, wallet loads, EMI, third-party-app education and property management earn nothing here, and grocery and utility each stop at 2,000 points a month, so a real ₹5L/month wallet lands below that figure. Unlimited Priority Pass covers his weekly lounge visits globally. The 2% forex markup on ₹20L/year international spend saves ₹30,000 before GST against the 3.5% standard markup on most HDFC cards.
Why it stands out 10X SmartBuy points — the highest points density in Indian credit cards
Best suited for Infinia is for HDFC's top-tier relationship customers — typically those with ₹30L+ invested in HDFC products or a salary account with significant AUM. If you can get invited, the SmartBuy accelerator (10X on hotels, 5X on flights) is the highest points density on any Indian card.
₹10,000/yr
annual fee · ≈ ₹11,800 incl. GST
● BEST FOR: 4.33% reward points on Dining
Annual fee
Joining fee
Top reward
Welcome bonus
Fee waiver
Forex markup
Min income
The HDFC Diners Club Black Metal is HDFC's premium all-rounder — 5 reward points per ₹150 (~3.3% at ₹1/point) across spends, with SmartBuy turning travel into double-digit returns (10X on hotels and partner brands like IGP, Jockey and PharmEasy, ~33%; 5X on flights, buses and Myntra, ~16.5%; 3X on trains and brand vouchers). The ₹10,000 fee waives at ₹8 lakh of annual spend. It adds 2X on weekend dining at standalone restaurants, Club Marriott, Amazon Prime and Swiggy One one-year memberships once you spend ₹1.5 lakh in the first 90 days, a 10,000-point milestone on ₹4 lakh quarterly spend, and unlimited access to 1,300+ lounges worldwide on the Diners Club network itself. Largely spared the May 2026 HDFC devaluation, it remains one of the strongest premium cards for high spenders.
Why it stands out ~3.3% base with rich SmartBuy accelerators, three bundled memberships and unlimited 1,300+ lounges; ₹10,000 fee waives at ₹8 lakh
Best suited for For HDFC customers who book travel via HDFC SmartBuy and spend ₹50,000+ per month total. The SmartBuy 10X multiplier is what makes this card exceptional — if you do not use SmartBuy, the Infinia or Regalia Gold offers better everyday value.
₹25,000/yr
annual fee · ≈ ₹29,500 incl. GST
● BEST FOR: 3% reward points on all spends
Annual fee
Joining fee
Base reward
Welcome bonus
Fee waiver
Forex markup
The Pioneer Private is the flagship of IndusInd's Pioneer Private banking tier — you hold it by virtue of being a Pioneer Private banking client, not by applying online. There is no joining fee; the annual fee is ₹25,000 + GST, waived on ₹10 lakh of spend in the previous year, and rises to ₹50,000 + GST only if you are downgraded out of Pioneer Private status. It earns 3 reward points per ₹100 on most spends (a reduced 0.7 per ₹100 on transport, utilities, insurance, education, telecom, security brokers, cleaning and government categories, and nothing on fuel), and — like the rest of the Pioneer range — points redeem at 1 point = ₹1 for cash or vouchers, 1:1 to airmiles, or 1:1 to ITC Green Points. That makes the base earn a genuine 3% in value. A 6,000-point welcome bonus lands on ₹1 lakh of spend in the first 30 days. Perks are the widest in the IndusInd range: zero forex markup, unlimited domestic and international Priority Pass lounge access (plus 12 international guest visits) that is not subject to the 1 April 2026 domestic spend criteria, unlimited domestic golf games and lessons plus 4 international rounds a year on ₹50,000 of previous-statement spend, 2 uncapped BookMyShow movie tickets a month, 2 airport Meet & Greet and 2 airport Pick-and-Drop services a year, and a ₹1 lakh Taj gift certificate at ₹75 lakh of annual spend. The dining and hotel bundle needs reading carefully: the Taj Epicure Preferred or Club ITC Culinaire Select membership, EazyDiner Prime with ₹3,000 of vouchers every six months and 2 Postcard Hotel nights are complimentary in the first year only, must be actively claimed, and renew in later years only on ₹50 lakh of previous-year spend — and IndusInd has put ITC Culinaire issuance on hold.
Why it stands out The top card of IndusInd's Pioneer Private banking programme — reserved for Private-banking clients, with zero forex markup, 3 reward points per ₹100 that redeem at ₹1, unlimited lounges and golf, and Taj or ITC dining memberships. Not available to apply for.
Best suited for For an IndusInd Pioneer Private banking client with very high, internationally-tilted spending who will use the zero-forex, unlimited lounges, golf and Taj/ITC memberships. It is not a card the general public can obtain — the Private-banking relationship is the entry gate.
₹50,000/yr
annual fee · ≈ ₹59,000 incl. GST
● BEST FOR: 2% reward points on all spends
Annual fee
Joining fee
Base reward
Welcome bonus
Forex markup
The RBL Lumière is RBL Bank's invite-only, ultra-premium metal flagship at a ₹50,000 + GST annual fee. It earns 4 reward points per ₹200 (2% at ₹1/point) on general spends and 5X — 20 points per ₹200 (10%) — on the Lumière rewards portal. The travel bundle is genuinely unlimited: unlimited domestic and international lounge access for the cardholder and guests, unlimited complimentary golf rounds with 12 lessons a year, eight airport meet-and-greet services a year, a dedicated concierge and 0% forex markup. On joining it ships a welcome e-gift voucher worth ₹30,000 — a choice of Taj Experiences or Marriott — plus a complimentary Club Marriott or ITC Culinaire membership, offsetting most of the year-one fee. The annual fee is not spend-waivable; it is reversed only for customers maintaining a Total Relationship Value of ₹2 crore with RBL Bank.
Why it stands out Invite-only 18g metal card — unlimited lounges, unlimited golf and 0% forex at ₹1/point value
Best suited for For the ultra-affluent RBL private-banking client who receives an invite, spends across travel and the Lumière portal, and values unlimited lounge, unlimited golf and concierge over headline cashback.
₹9,999/yr
annual fee · ≈ ₹11,799 incl. GST
● BEST FOR: 1% reward points on all spends
Annual fee
Joining fee
Base reward
Welcome bonus
Fee waiver
Forex markup
SBI's super-premium metal flagship, AURUM delivers a genuinely premium bundle — a 1-year Club Marriott membership, unlimited international lounges via a complimentary DreamFolks membership, 16 domestic visits a year (4 per quarter, add-on cards included), 16 golf rounds and an unusually generous direct free-movie benefit — wrapped around a base reward rate of about 1% (4 reward points per ₹100 at ₹0.25/point; fuel, rent, government and wallet loads are excluded). A milestone voucher ladder (Tata CliQ ₹1,500 at ₹1L/month, Tata CliQ Luxury ₹5,000 at ₹5L, Taj ₹10,000 at ₹10L, Apple ₹20,000 at ₹20L) can lift a high-spender's effective return toward ~3.7%, and a 40,000-point (~₹10,000) welcome benefit offsets much of the ₹9,999 fee (waived at ₹12 lakh). You buy this card for its specific perks, not its everyday earning, which loses cleanly to the HDFC Infinia it is priced against.
Why it stands out Club Marriott + unlimited international lounges + 16 domestic visits — a perks-first metal card
Best suited for For high-spending SBI customers who value the lounge bundle, Club Marriott and the free-movie benefit, and will climb the milestone voucher ladder. Not for those chasing a high everyday earn rate.
₹2,500/yr
annual fee · ≈ ₹2,950 incl. GST
● BEST FOR: 1.25% reward points on all spends
Annual fee
Joining fee
Base reward
Welcome bonus
Fee waiver
Forex markup
Min income
HDFC Regalia Gold is a premium all-rounder, but the 15 May 2026 revision trimmed it. The base earn dropped to 5 reward points per ₹200 (~1.25% at ₹0.50/point, down from 4 RP/₹150), and from July 2026 domestic lounge access is gated behind ₹60,000 of quarterly spend. It still earns an accelerated 25 RP per ₹200 (~6.25%) at partner brands (Myntra, Marks & Spencer, Nykaa, Reliance Digital), and SmartBuy turns flights into 5X (~6.25%) and hotels into 10X (~12.5%), capped 4,000 RP/month. The ₹2,500 fee waives at ₹4 lakh of annual spend, with quarterly ₹1,500 vouchers (₹1.5L) and ₹5,000 flight vouchers (₹5L and ₹7.5L). The ₹2,500 welcome benefit is not automatic — HDFC's terms gate it on ₹1 lakh of net retail spend in the first 90 days, though its own FAQ still advertises it unconditionally. Redemption is capped at 70% of a booking's value and at 50,000 reward points a calendar month. Still capable, just no longer the effortless pick it was.
Why it stands out Accelerated ~6.25% at partner brands and via SmartBuy, but a thinner ~1.25% base and spend-gated lounges after the May 2026 devaluation; ₹4 lakh fee waiver
Best suited for For premium spenders who will use SmartBuy and the partner-brand accelerators and can clear ₹60,000/quarter to keep lounge access — less compelling for low-effort everyday use now.
₹4,999/yr
annual fee · ≈ ₹5,899 incl. GST
● BEST FOR: 1.5% airline miles on Travel
Annual fee
Joining fee
Top reward
Welcome bonus
Fee waiver
Forex markup
Fuel waiver
SBI Card Miles Elite is the ₹4,999 flagship of SBI's Miles family, earning 6 Travel Credits per ₹200 on travel and 2 per ₹200 on everything else (about 1.5% and 0.5% at our 50-paisa value, up to 3% and 1% on good 1:1 transfers), with credits transferable to airline and hotel partners at up to ₹1 each. It pairs a low 1.99% foreign-currency markup with 8 domestic lounge visits a year, a complimentary Priority Pass (6 international visits, free for the first two years). A 5,000-credit welcome (on ₹1 lakh in 60 days) and a 20,000-credit milestone at ₹12 lakh reward volume, and the annual fee is fully reversed at ₹15 lakh of spend. Full value depends on transferring credits — catalogue redemption drops to ₹0.25 each.
Why it stands out 6 Travel Credits per ₹200 on travel (up to ~3% on 1:1 transfers) with a low 1.99% forex markup and Priority Pass
Best suited for For frequent flyers who spend ₹12 lakh or more a year on the card and transfer their credits to airline and hotel partners, and who value both domestic and international lounge access plus a low forex markup abroad.
₹12,500/yr
annual fee · ≈ ₹14,750 incl. GST
● BEST FOR: 2% reward points on all spends
Annual fee
Joining fee
Base reward
Welcome bonus
Fee waiver
Forex markup
The RBL Nova is an invite-only premium metal card at a ₹12,500 + GST fee that is waived from the second year on ₹10 lakh of eligible annual spend. It earns 4 reward points per ₹200 (2% at ₹1/point) on general spends and an accelerated 12 points per ₹200 (6%) on flights and hotels booked through the Nova portal. Reward points transfer to airline partners including Air India Maharaja, Singapore KrisFlyer and Qatar Privilege Club at 2 points to 1 partner point. The travel sheet is strong for the fee: 12 domestic and 12 international lounge visits a year (with 4 international guest visits), 4 golf rounds with 12 lessons, and a ₹12,500 Taj Experiences or Luxe welcome gift card that covers the year-one fee before GST.
Why it stands out Invite-only metal card — 6% on flights & hotels, ₹12,500 welcome gift and airline point transfer
Best suited for For the frequent flyer who receives an invite, books flights and hotels through the Nova portal and will transfer points to airline programmes, while clearing ₹10 lakh a year to waive the renewal fee.
₹2,999/yr
annual fee · ≈ ₹3,539 incl. GST
● BEST FOR: 1% airline miles on Travel
Annual fee
Joining fee
Top reward
Welcome bonus
Fee waiver
Forex markup
Fuel waiver
SBI Card MILES PRIME is the ₹2,999 mid-premium sibling in SBI's Miles family, earning 4 Travel Credits per ₹200 on travel and 2 per ₹200 on other spends (about 1% and 0.5% at our 50-paisa value, up to 2% and 1% on good 1:1 transfers), with credits transferable to airline and hotel partners at up to ₹1 each. It carries a 2.50% forex markup, 8 domestic lounge visits a year and a complimentary Priority Pass with 4 international visits (free for the first two years). A 3,000-credit welcome (on ₹60,000 in 60 days) and a 10,000-credit milestone at ₹8 lakh reward steady spenders, and the annual fee is reversed at ₹10 lakh of spend. As across the family, value lives in transferring credits — catalogue redemption falls to ₹0.25 each.
Why it stands out 4 Travel Credits per ₹200 on travel (up to ~2% on 1:1 transfers) with Priority Pass and a fee reversal at ₹10 lakh spend
Best suited for For regular flyers spending ₹8–12 lakh a year who transfer credits to partners and want Priority Pass and a fee waiver, without the Elite's higher fee and ₹15 lakh reversal threshold.
₹1,499/yr
annual fee · ≈ ₹1,769 incl. GST
● BEST FOR: 0.5% airline miles on Travel
Annual fee
Joining fee
Top reward
Welcome bonus
Fee waiver
Forex markup
Fuel waiver
SBI Card MILES is SBI's flexible-miles entry — generic Travel Credits that transfer to 26 airline and hotel partners at up to ₹1 each, with no single-airline lock-in. The base MILES earns 2 Travel Credits per ₹200 on travel and 1 per ₹200 on other spend (about 0.5% and 0.25% at our 50-paisa value, up to 1% and 0.5% on good 1:1 transfers), with a 1,500-credit welcome, a 5,000-credit milestone at ₹5 lakh, and the ₹1,499 fee waived at ₹6 lakh. For the occasional flyer who wants travel rewards without the alliance homework, it is a sensible low-commitment start. The value hinges entirely on your willingness to transfer — catalogue redemptions crater to ₹0.25 and the travel portal pays ₹0.50, which is the value we model by default — and fuel, rent, utilities, wallet loads and insurance are excluded from earning. Frequent travellers will outgrow it for a deeper-partnered card.
Why it stands out Flexible Travel Credits transferable to 24 airline & hotel partners at up to ₹1 each — no airline lock-in
Best suited for For occasional flyers who want flexible, transferable travel rewards without committing to one airline. Transfer to partners for full value; frequent travellers will outgrow it for a deeper-partnered card.