The 28% Savings Hack: An Expert Guide to MakeMyTrip Gift Cards (2025)

Booking a trip on MakeMyTrip (MMT) involves a critical choice before you even search for flights: how will you pay? Using the wrong strategy can cost you a massive 20-28% in savings.

MMT’s gift card (GC) ecosystem is complex. There are three different voucher types, and discounts are wildly different across portals. This guide will show you exactly which strategy to use, from the “Best All-Rounder” (21.5% savings) to the “Pro-Hacker” (28.2% savings).

The 2 Golden Rules of MMT Gift Cards

Before you buy, you must understand these two rules:

1. The “3 Voucher Limit”: MMT only allows you to use a maximum of 3 gift cards per transaction. For a ₹1,00,000 holiday, you cannot use ten ₹10,000 vouchers. You must buy high-denomination vouchers (e.g., two ₹50,000). This makes portals with low denomination limits (like Amex Gyftr at ₹10k) challenging for large bookings.
2. Buy the Specific Voucher: To get the best discounts, buy the voucher specific to your trip.
   • MMT Holiday Epay (Packages): Highest discounts.
   • MMT Hotel Epay (Hotels): High discounts.
   • MMT Epay (General): Lowest discounts.

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Strategy 1: The Champion – HDFC SmartBuy (21.5% Total Savings)

This is the best and most reliable strategy for anyone with an HDFC premium card. It combines a solid instant discount with the most powerful points-earning engine in India.

• Portal: HDFC SmartBuy
• Card to Use: HDFC Infinia
• The Deal: This is a powerful two-part stack. You get both benefits:
  1. A 6% Instant Discount on MMT Holiday & MMT Hotel GCs.
  2. 5X Reward Points (16.5% value back) on the final amount you pay (within the 15,000 bonus points/month cap).

Let’s Do the Math (on a ₹10,000 Holiday Voucher):

1. Voucher Face Value: ₹10,000
2. Instant Discount (6%): A ₹600 discount is applied. You only pay ₹9,400.
3. Earn 5X Points (16.5% Value): You earn 16.5% in points value on the ₹9,400 you paid.
   • 0.165 * 9400 = ₹1,551 (in points value, redeemable 1:1 for travel)
4. Total Savings:
   • Instant Cash Saved: ₹600
   • Value of Points Earned: ₹1,551
   • Total Effective Savings: ₹2,150 (or 21.5%)

Verdict: This is the clear winner for most premium cardholders.

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Strategy 2: The Runner-Up – Amazon (18% Total Savings)

This is the best alternative if you don’t have an HDFC premium card or if you’ve already hit your monthly HDFC points cap.

• Portal: Amazon.in (look for the gift card section)
• The Deal: Amazon offers some of the highest instant discounts:
  • MMT Holiday Epay: 13% Instant Discount
  • MMT Hotel Epay: 11% Instant Discount
• Key Advantage: They sell high-denomination vouchers (up to ₹50,000), which is perfect for the “3 Voucher Limit.”
• How to Stack: Buy the 13% off Holiday GC and pay with your Amazon Pay ICICI Card to get an additional 5% cashback (for Prime members).
  • Total Savings: 13% (Instant) + 5% (Cashback) = ~18%

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Strategy 3: The “Pro-Hacker” – Axis Burgundy (28.22% Total Savings!)

This is an expert-level strategy for high spenders who hold the Axis Magnus for Burgundy card.

• Portal: Amazon.in
• Card to Use: Axis Magnus for Burgundy
• The Condition: This only works if you have already spent over ₹1.5 Lakhs in your card’s Calendar Month cycle.
• The Deal:
  1. Buy the 13% off MMT Holiday GC on Amazon.
  2. Pay the remaining 87% balance with your Burgundy card.
  3. On spends above ₹1.5L, the card earns 35 points per ₹200 (a 17.5% reward rate).

The Math:

1. Instant Discount: 13%
2. Points Earned: 17.5% in points on the 87% you paid. (0.175 * 0.87) = 15.22% back in points.
3. Total Effective Savings: 13% + 15.22% = 28.22%

Verdict: If you are a high-spender with this specific card, this is the single most valuable way to book a holiday in India.

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A “Pro-Hacker” TRAP to AVOID: The Amazon Double-Dip

You might be thinking: “Can I buy a 16.66% back Amazon Shopping Voucher from HDFC SmartBuy, and then use it to buy the 13% off MMT GC on Amazon for a 29.66% total discount?”

The Answer: NO.( But it Works Sometimes, so check before)

Amazon’s terms and conditions prohibit you from using an Amazon Gift Card / Shopping Voucher balance to purchase another third-party gift card (like MakeMyTrip). Your transaction will be blocked. This strategy, while clever, does not work and will leave you with Amazon vouchers you can’t use for your trip.

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Conclusion: Your MMT Booking Checklist

• Best All-Round Strategy: Use HDFC Infinia/DCB on SmartBuy for 21.5% total savings.
• Best for Non-HDFC Users: Use Amazon Pay ICICI Card on Amazon for ~18% total savings.
• Best for High-Spenders: Use Axis Magnus for Burgundy on Amazon (after hitting your ₹1.5L monthly threshold) for a massive 28.22% total savings.
• Remember: You can only use 3 vouchers per booking! Plan your denominations accordingly