How to Maximize Rewards on Swiggy: The Ultimate 2025 Guide (10% Cashback vs. 18% in Points)
Swiggy isn’t just for food delivery anymore. It’s our go-to for daily groceries (Instamart), Food Delivery, restaurant discounts (Dineout). With these services becoming a frequent, almost daily expense, most of us are leaving significant money on the table by using the wrong credit card.
What if you could get 10% back on every single order? Or, for the savvy points hacker, what if you could turn your daily dal makhani and grocery runs into a free flight, earning an effective 18% back in travel points?
This is not only possible, but it’s also straightforward. We’ll break down the three best strategies to maximize your rewards on Swiggy, from simple cashback to the ultimate points-hacking methods.
Strategy 1: The “Simple & Powerful” Direct Cashback (Up to 10%)
This is the easiest “set it and forget it” method. No gift cards, no portals—just use the right credit card for your Swiggy orders and get an automatic discount. This is the best choice for users who value simplicity and high, reliable cashback.
Top Picks for 10% Cashback:
- HDFC Swiggy Co-Branded Card:
- Reward: 10% cashback on all Swiggy spends (Food, Instamart, Dineout).
- Best For: The Swiggy loyalist. If Swiggy is your primary app for food and groceries, this card is a must-have.
- Airtel Axis Bank Card:
- Reward: 10% cashback on Swiggy (and Zomato, BigBasket).
- Best For: The all-rounder who also spends on Airtel bills and other partner merchants.
Excellent All-Rounders (5% Cashback):
If you don’t want a specific co-branded card, these “all-rounder” cards are fantastic:
- SBI Cashback Card: 5% cashback on all online spends, including Swiggy.
- HDFC Millennia Card: 5% cashback on Swiggy.
- Axis ACE Card: 4% cashback on Swiggy.
The Takeaway: For 90% of users, using one of these cards directly on the Swiggy app is the simplest and most effective way to save.
Strategy 2: The “Ultimate Points Hacker” Gift Card Strategy (Up to 18% in Points!)
This is the advanced strategy for premium cardholders. If your goal is to earn high-value airline miles and hotel points (not just cashback) and to hit your card’s milestone targets, this is for you.
The Core Concept: Unlike other brands, Swiggy gift cards rarely have instant discounts. The entire saving comes from using a premium credit card on a specific bank portal (like HDFC SmartBuy or ICICI iShop) to earn a massive amount of reward points on the gift card purchase.
Option 1: HDFC SmartBuy Portal (16.66% Value)
This is the most popular and consistent method for HDFC premium cardholders.
- Cards: HDFC Infinia / Diners Club Black Metal
- How: Go to the HDFC SmartBuy portal, find “Swiggy” in the gift voucher section, and buy the voucher (available in denominations like ₹250, ₹500, ₹1000, ₹2000).
- Reward: You earn 5X Reward Points on this purchase.
- The Math: On HDFC Infinia, a ₹150 spend earns 25 points (5X). Since 1 HDFC point = ₹1 for flight/hotel bookings, you are getting ₹25 back on ₹150 spend, which is a 16.66% value back in travel points.
Option 2: ICICI iShop Portal (Up to 18% Value)
ICICI has launched its own powerful portal to compete with SmartBuy, and its top-tier cards offer incredible returns.
- Cards: ICICI Emeralde Private Metal, Times Black, etc.
- How: Go to the ICICI iShop portal and purchase Swiggy vouchers.
- Reward (Card-Specific):
- ICICI Emeralde Private Metal: 18% back in points!
- ICICI Times Black: 12% back in points.
- ICICI Emeralde PVC: 6% back in points.
- ICICI Sapphiro, Rubyx & others: 3% back in points.
- The Catch: ICICI iShop may charge a ~2.5% processing fee on Swiggy vouchers. This still makes the Emeralde Private Metal a top contender at ~15.5% net value back (18% – 2.5%).
Option 3: Amex Reward Multiplier (Up to 5X Points)
- Cards: Amex Platinum (5X), Gold (5X), MRCC, etc.
- How: Go to the Amex Reward Multiplier portal and purchase Gift vouchers.
- Reward: You earn 2X-5X MR points (e.g., 5X for Platinum) on the voucher purchase.
Strategy 3: The “Monthly Perk” Direct Discount
This is a niche but powerful strategy. Some lifestyle credit cards offer flat discounts on Swiggy once or twice a month. For a single, large Food order, this can be better than any points or cashback.
- Axis Select Card: Offers ₹200 off on Swiggy, twice a month (on minimum orders of ~₹1000).
- Axis My Zone Card: Offers ₹120 off on Swiggy, twice a month (on minimum orders of ~₹500).
How to use: Check your card’s monthly benefits. A ₹200 discount on a ₹1000 order is a 20% flat discount, which beats all other strategies for that specific transaction.
Conclusion: What’s the Best Swiggy Strategy for You?
- If you are a Swiggy power-user and want maximum simplicity:
- Get the HDFC Swiggy Co-Branded Card or Airtel Axis Card for 10% direct cashback.
- If you are a points enthusiast with a premium card:
- Buy Swiggy GVs on HDFC SmartBuy with Infinia/DCB (16.66% back) or ICICI iShop with Emeralde Private (18% back) to turn your daily orders into flights and hotels.
- If you are a casual user with a good all-round card:
- Use your SBI Cashback or HDFC Millennia card for a solid 5% direct cashback.
- If you place 1-2 large orders a month:
- Check if your Axis Select or My Zone card offers a flat discount that beats the cashback percentage.
