2 pts / ₹100
Strong dataICICI Bank Rubyx American Express vs SBI Card Prime Credit Cards – Fees, Lounge, Forex
Side-by-side comparison of the ICICI Bank Rubyx American Express and the SBI Card Prime. Verify fees, lounge access, forex markup, and base rewards before you apply.
The short answer
VerdictNo decisive winner on the core dimensions — the head-to-head below shows where the small differences are.
Head-to-head
Three core metrics- Annual fee Rubyx American Express saves ₹999/yrRubyx American Express ₹2,000 Waivable at ₹3,00,000 spendPrime ₹2,999 Waivable at ₹3,00,000 spend
- Forex markup Rubyx American Express 3.5%Prime 3.5%
- Domestic lounge Rubyx American Express 8/year (2 per quarter) Conditional · Domestic: 2/quarter · requires ₹75,000 spend in the previous calendar quarter (unlocks the following quarter)Prime 8/year (2 per quarter)
Reward earning explained
Per card2 pts / ₹100 · 10 points/₹100 on eligible departmental Stores, dining, grocery, and movies
Strong dataPick based on what matters
3 dimensionsStart with the constraint you care about most: annual fee (ICICI Bank Rubyx American Express: ₹2,000 vs SBI Card Prime: ₹2,999), forex markup (3.5% vs 3.5%), or lounge access (8/year (2 per quarter) vs 8/year (2 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 2 per quarter.
-
Rewards Insufficient data Insufficient data to compare rewards
Available evidence is incomplete: ICICI Bank Rubyx American Express is not safely INR-comparable (no usable point value). SBI Card Prime conservative base value ~0.5% per ₹100.
All fields
Example usage at this monthly spend
At ₹50k/month spend:
- SBI Prime: ~₹250/month at base rate
- Rubyx American Express: Base earn not clearly specified
Illustrative only, using current base rates before caps.
| Field | Rubyx American Express ICICI Bank | Prime SBI Card |
|---|---|---|
| Insurance — Air accident cover Only available for Rubyx American Express | ₹1 crore | Not specified |
| Insurance — Lost card liability cover Only available for Rubyx American Express | ₹50,000 | Not specified |
| Insurance — Underwriter Only available for Rubyx American Express | Insured by ICICI Lombard General Insurance Company Limited | Not specified |
| Lounge Access | ||
| Domestic lounge visits spend-gated on some cards — see caveats | 8/year (2 per quarter) | 8/year (2 per quarter) |
| International lounge visits Not included vs 4 per year | No international lounge access | 4 per year |
| Forex / International Use | ||
| Forex markup | 3.5% | 3.5% |
| Fees | ||
| Recurring annual fee ₹2,000 vs ₹2,999 | ₹2,000 | ₹2,999 |
| Annual-fee waiver | ₹3,00,000 | ₹3,00,000 |
| Interest-free period Up to 48 days vs Up to 50 days | Up to 48 days | Up to 50 days |
| Monthly interest rate | 3.75% / month | 3.75% / month |
| Fuel benefit Only available for Rubyx American Express | 1% surcharge waiver · ₹400–₹4,000 transactions | Not specified |
| Rewards | ||
| Points per ₹100 Some reward lanes are unsupported — base rate only for comparison. | 2 pts / ₹100 | 2 pts / ₹100 |
| Conservative base value Not safely INR-comparable vs ~0.5% | Not safely INR-comparable | ~0.5% |
| Earn ceiling Not stated vs 3,000 points per month; at 20 pts / ₹100, this lane reaches the cap at ₹15,000 of eligible spend | Not stated | 3,000 points per month; at 20 pts / ₹100, this lane reaches the cap at ₹15,000 of eligible spend |
| Point value (headline channel) Issuer headline redemption rate — see each card page for the full channel grid. Only available for SBI Prime | Not specified | ₹0.25 |
| Point validity Only available for SBI Prime | Not specified | 2 years |
Notes
- ICICI Bank Rubyx American Express Credit Card: Condition: ₹75,000 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.
ICICI Bank Rubyx American Express
Verify with issuer , opens external siteSBI Card Prime
Verify with issuer , opens external site