SBI
IRCTC SBI Card Premier Credit Card
Good fit for frequent IRCTC users — ₹1,499 annual fee.
Top reasons to choose this card
- 8 complimentary lounge visits
- ₹2L fee waiver
What you'd do with it
- Competitive for day-to-day rewards with an estimated base return around 1%.
- Good fit when IRCTC is a regular spend category for you.
- Useful for travelers who need around 8 domestic lounge visits a year.
- Strong lounge access 8 railway lounge visits per year (max 2/quarter) — IRCTC Executive Lounges
- Supports UPI Supports UPI via RuPay network.
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Annual fee ₹1,499 per year
Forex markup 3.5% high
Lounge access 8 railway visits / year
Rewards / ₹100 10 pts up to · ₹100 on IRCTC
The catch Verify current airport lounge list and guest rules before relying on lounge access.
- Welcome benefit timing may vary
- Fee waiver available
- Annual fee known
- Forex markup known
- 8 railway lounge visits per year (max 2/quarter) — IRCTC Executive Lounges
At a glance
Snapshot · usage · fitFast facts
- Annual fee
- ₹1,499 higher than 60 of 112 cards
- Joining fee
- ₹1,499
- Forex markup
- 3.5% the standard rate (matches 66 cards)
- Lounge access
- 8 railway lounge visits per year (max 2/quarter) — IRCTC Executive Lounges · No airport lounge access
- Reward rate
- Up to 10 pts / ₹100 on IRCTC
Good fit for
- Strong lounge access
- Supports UPI
Still worth it?
Evidence-backed snapshotGood fit if
- Fee waiver applies at ₹2,00,000 annual spend.
- Use this for IRCTC spends, but verify caps and exclusions before relying on the headline rate.
- 8 railway lounge visits per year (max 2/quarter) — IRCTC Executive Lounges
Verify before applying
- Annual fee known
- Fee waiver available
- Forex markup known
- 8 railway lounge visits per year (max 2/quarter) — IRCTC Executive Lounges
- Verify current lounge list
- Airport lounge list may change
- ₹1,500 welcome benefit listed
- Welcome benefit timing may vary
- Welcome benefit timing and claim process.
- Annual fee waiver terms and eligible spend exclusions.
- Issuer fees, GST, finance charges, and late-payment terms.
- Reward terms to verify: base earn is 1 points per ₹100, but caps and excluded categories are not fully structured.
Next best move
Compare with Axis Bank IndianOil Axis Bank Premium RuPay Similar tier comparison Best SBI credit cards See how this card compares within SBI. Forex ranking (verified) Compared on verified forex markup, then annual fee. Lounge access shortlist Discovery list of cards with cardholder lounge access. Lounge ranking (verified) Compared on verified lounge access, then annual fee.
Is this good for lounge access?
8 railway lounge visits per year (max 2/quarter) — IRCTC Executive Lounges. Check current spend criteria, guest rules, visit caps, and airport acceptance before relying on it.
Is this good for international spends?
Forex markup is 3.5%, so frequent international spends may be costly.
Is the annual fee easy to recover?
Fee waiver applies at ₹2,00,000 annual spend. Verify eligible spend exclusions before counting on it.
When do welcome benefits arrive?
A welcome benefit worth ₹1,500 is listed, but timing may depend on joining fee payment, card activation, first eligible transaction, or issuer processing.
Spending requirements
Spend gates · caps · milestone thresholdsRequirementAmountPeriodUnlocksRealismStrength
Annual fee waiver₹2,00,000yearAnnual fee waiverreasonablestrong
Milestone spend₹2,500yearMilestone benefittrivialdirectional
Watch outs
Before choosing this card- Forex markup is 3.5%, so frequent international spends may be costly.
Reward reality
Point value · limits · exclusionsVerified value₹1 per pointHeadline redemption
Best verified laneIRCTC (domestic)10 pts / ₹100
Reward rules
Structured earn rates · eligibility · caps when they bindScopeRateEligibilityLimit
IRCTC (domestic)10 pts / ₹100Up to 10% value back on AC1, AC2 and AC Chair Car (CC) ticket booking…—
Travel5 pts / ₹1005 Reward Points per ₹125 on air travel and IRCTC e-catering (issuer rate per …—
Dining (domestic)3 pts / ₹1003 Reward Points per ₹125 on dining and utility bills paid via standing instru…—
General spend1 pt / ₹100Base earn 1 Reward Point per ₹125 on retail spends (modeled as general bucket…—
Estimated usage
Example usage at this monthly spend
₹
- At this monthly spend, you'd earn: Estimated using base earn (1 pt / ₹100). ~500 pts/month. Partner/category bonuses not included.
- Fee waiver achievable at this spend
- Forex cost ~₹1,750 per ₹50k international spend
Illustrative only, using current base rates and snapshot data.
Benefits & charges
Side-by-side factsBenefits
Lounge Access
- Domestic (cardholder)
- No airport lounge access
- Railway (cardholder)
- 8 railway lounge visits per year (max 2/quarter) — IRCTC Executive Lounges
- International (cardholder)
- Not included
Rewards
- Base earn
- 1 pt / ₹100 value depends on redemption
- Headline point value
- ₹1.00 per Reward Point (Headline redemption) · verified 7 Jul 2026 Operator-verified headline rate — full channel grid in Redemption value.
- Point validity
- Points expire 24 months after earning (from registration date) · verified 7 Jul 2026
Redemption value
- You earn
- Reward Points
- Redemption
- ₹1.00 per Reward Point · verified 7 Jul 2026
Insurance Cover
- Lost card liability cover
- ₹1 lakh · verified 7 Jul 2026
- Underwriter
- Insured by ICICI Lombard General Insurance Company Limited · verified 7 Jul 2026
Fees & charges
Fees
- Monthly interest rate
- 3.75% / month
- Annual fee
- ₹1,499
- Joining fee
- ₹1,499
- Fee waiver spend
- ₹2,00,000 Near catalog median waiver (₹2,00,000 vs ₹2,00,000).
- Interest-free period
- Up to 50 days · verified 7 Jul 2026
International Use
- Forex markup
- 3.5%
Single source · verify on issuer site
Where to verify
- Operator-verified anchor
- Product tier
- Mid-tier
Fuel Benefits
At the pumpNo verified fuel benefit available.
Annual fee break-even math
When does this card pay for itself ₹1.5L Break-even using base rewards to offset ₹1,499 fee
Base rewards only: at base earn rates, you need roughly ₹1.5L in yearly spend to offset the ₹1,499 annual fee.
Compare with similar cards
Similar tier · similar benefitsThe fine print
Caps · exclusions · sources · last refreshExpiry: 24 months
- Travel redemption: ₹99 redemption fee per redemption
- Annual fee: ₹1,499.
- Forex markup currently listed at 3.5%.
- 8 railway lounge visits per year (max 2/quarter) — IRCTC Executive Lounges · No airport lounge access.