3 Travel Credits / ₹150
Strong dataAmerican Express Platinum Travel vs Standard Chartered Bank India Ultimate Credit Cards – Fees, Lounge, Forex
Side-by-side comparison of the American Express Platinum Travel and the Standard Chartered Bank India Ultimate. Verify fees, lounge access, forex markup, and base rewards before you apply.
The short answer
VerdictPick Ultimate for spending abroad and lounge access.
Head-to-head
Three core metrics- Annual fee Platinum Travel ₹5,000Ultimate ₹5,000 Annual-fee waiver not offered
- Forex markup Ultimate saves ~₹1,500 per ₹1L abroadPlatinum Travel 3.5%Ultimate 2%
- Domestic lounge Ultimate: +8 lounge visits/yrPlatinum Travel 8/year (2 per quarter)Ultimate 16/year (4 per quarter) Conditional · International: 1/month · requires ₹20,000 spend in the previous month (unlocks the following month)
Reward earning explained
Per card5 pts / ₹150
Strong dataPick based on what matters
4 dimensionsStart with the constraint you care about most: annual fee (American Express Platinum Travel: ₹5,000 vs Standard Chartered Bank India Ultimate: ₹5,000), forex markup (3.5% vs 2%), or lounge access (8/year (2 per quarter) vs 16/year (4 per quarter)).
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Travel Insufficient data Insufficient data to compare travel
Only Standard Chartered Bank India Ultimate has comparable evidence here. Forex markup is 2%.
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Forex markup Standard Chartered Bank India Ultimate wins Standard Chartered Bank India Ultimate is better for forex
Standard Chartered Bank India Ultimate is stronger here. Forex markup is 2%.
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Lounge access Standard Chartered Bank India Ultimate wins Standard Chartered Bank India Ultimate is better for lounge access
Standard Chartered Bank India Ultimate is stronger here. Standard Chartered Bank India Ultimate offers 16 domestic lounge visits per year versus 8.
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Rewards Insufficient data Insufficient data to compare rewards
Available evidence is incomplete: American Express Platinum Travel is not safely INR-comparable (no usable point value). Standard Chartered Bank India Ultimate conservative base value ~3.3333333333333335% per ₹100.
All fields
Example usage at this monthly spend
At ₹50k/month spend:
- Standard Chartered Ultimate: ~₹1,670/month at base rate
- American Express Platinum Travel: Base earn not clearly specified
Illustrative only, using current base rates before caps.
| Field | Platinum Travel American Express | Ultimate Standard Chartered Bank India |
|---|---|---|
| Lounge Access | ||
| Domestic lounge visits 8/year (2 per quarter) vs 16/year (4 per quarter) | 8/year (2 per quarter) | 16/year (4 per quarter) |
| International lounge visits Not included vs 1 per month | No international lounge access | 1 per month |
| Forex / International Use | ||
| Forex markup Source agreement differs — verify both. 3.5% vs 2% | 3.5% | 2% |
| Fees | ||
| Recurring annual fee | ₹5,000 | ₹5,000 |
| First-year cost Only available for American Express Platinum Travel | ₹5,000 | Not specified |
| Annual-fee waiver Only available for Standard Chartered Ultimate | Not specified | Not offered |
| Monthly interest rate Only available for Standard Chartered Ultimate | Not specified | 3.75% / month |
| Fuel benefit Only available for American Express Platinum Travel | 1% surcharge waiver · ₹5,000+ transactions · Fuel rewards excluded | Not specified |
| Rewards | ||
| Points per ₹150 3 Travel Credits / ₹150 vs 5 pts / ₹150 | 3 Travel Credits / ₹150 | 5 pts / ₹150 |
| Conservative base value Not safely INR-comparable vs ~3.3% | Not safely INR-comparable | ~3.3% |
| Earn ceiling | Not stated | Not stated |
| Point value (headline channel) Issuer headline redemption rate — see each card page for the full channel grid. Only available for Standard Chartered Ultimate | Not specified | ₹1 |
Notes
- Card benefits change frequently. Always verify current terms on the issuer's official website or app before applying.
American Express Platinum Travel
Verify with issuer , opens external siteStandard Chartered Bank India Ultimate
Verify with issuer , opens external site