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HDFC Bank Millennia vs SBI Card PULSE Credit Cards – Fees, Lounge, Forex

Side-by-side comparison of the HDFC Bank Millennia and the SBI Card PULSE. Verify fees, lounge access, forex markup, and base rewards before you apply.

Millennia
PULSE

The short answer

Verdict

Pick Millennia for rewards.

Head-to-head

Three core metrics
  • Annual fee
    Millennia ₹1,000 Waivable at ₹1,00,000 spend
    PULSE ₹1,499 Waivable at ₹2,00,000 spend
    Millennia saves ₹499/yr
  • Forex markup
    Millennia 3.5%
    PULSE 3.5%
  • Domestic lounge
    Millennia 4/year (1 per quarter) Conditional · Domestic: 1/quarter · requires ₹1,00,000 spend in the previous calendar quarter (unlocks the following quarter)
    PULSE 4/year (1 per quarter)

Reward earning explained

Per card
Millennia

1% · 5% on eligible amazon, bookMyShow, cult.fit, flipkart, myntra, sonyLIV, swiggy, tata CLiQ, uber, and zomato

Strong data
PULSE

2 pts / ₹100 · 10 points/₹100 on eligible dining, movies, and health Pharmacy Sports Dining Movies

Strong data

Pick based on what matters

3 dimensions

Start with the constraint you care about most: annual fee (HDFC Bank Millennia: ₹1,000 vs SBI Card PULSE: ₹1,499), forex markup (3.5% vs 3.5%), or lounge access (4/year (1 per quarter) vs 4/year (1 per quarter)).

  • Forex markup Tie

    Both cards are similar for forex

    Forex markup is 3.5%.

  • Lounge access Tie

    Both cards are similar for lounge access

    Domestic lounge access is 1 per quarter.

  • Rewards HDFC Bank Millennia wins

    HDFC Bank Millennia is better for rewards

    HDFC Bank Millennia is stronger here. HDFC Bank Millennia conservative base value ~1% vs SBI Card PULSE's ~0.5%.

All fields

Example usage at this monthly spend

At ₹50k/month spend:

  • Millennia: ~₹500/month at base rate
  • SBI PULSE: ~₹250/month at base rate

Illustrative only, using current base rates before caps.

Field Millennia HDFC Bank PULSE SBI Card
Lounge Access
Domestic lounge visits
spend-gated on some cards — see caveats
4/year (1 per quarter) 4/year (1 per quarter)
International lounge visits No international lounge access No international lounge access
Forex / International Use
Forex markup 3.5% 3.5%
Fees
Recurring annual fee
₹1,000 vs ₹1,499
₹1,000 ₹1,499
First-year cost
Only available for Millennia
₹1,000 Not specified
Annual-fee waiver
₹1,00,000 vs ₹2,00,000
₹1,00,000 ₹2,00,000
Monthly interest rate 3.75% / month 3.75% / month
Late-payment charge
Only available for Millennia
₹100–₹1,300 depending on outstanding balance Not specified
Fuel benefit
Only available for Millennia
1% surcharge waiver · ₹400–₹5,000 transactions · ₹250/month waiver cap · ₹1,00,000/year waiver cap · Fuel rewards excluded Not specified
Rewards
Base earn
1% vs 2 pts / ₹100
1% 2 pts / ₹100
Conservative base value
~1% vs ~0.5%
~1% ~0.5%
Earn ceiling
₹1,000 per calendar month vs 7,500 points per calendar month; at 10 pts / ₹100, this lane reaches the cap at ₹75,000 of eligible spend
₹1,000 per calendar month 7,500 points per calendar month; at 10 pts / ₹100, this lane reaches the cap at ₹75,000 of eligible spend
Point value (headline channel)
Issuer headline redemption rate — see each card page for the full channel grid.
₹1 vs ₹0.25
₹1 ₹0.25
Point validity
Only available for Millennia
2 years Not specified

Notes

  • HDFC Millennia Credit Card: Condition: ₹1,00,000 spend in the previous calendar quarter (unlocks the following quarter)
  • Card benefits change frequently. Always verify current terms on the issuer's official website or app before applying.