Which card has a lower forex fee: ICICI Sapphiro Credit Card or SBI Card ELITE?

SBI Card ELITE has lower forex markup (1.99% vs 3.5%).

Which card has a lower annual fee: ICICI Sapphiro Credit Card or SBI Card ELITE?

ICICI Sapphiro Credit Card has a lower annual fee (₹3,500 vs ₹4,999).

Which card offers better lounge access?

ICICI Sapphiro Credit Card: 16/year domestic lounge. SBI Card ELITE: 8/year domestic lounge.

Which card has a higher base reward rate?

Base reward rates are not fully available for both cards in the current snapshot.

Pairwise comparison Add another card →

ICICI Bank Sapphiro Mastercard vs SBI Card ELITE Credit Cards – Fees, Lounge, Forex

Side-by-side comparison of the ICICI Bank Sapphiro Mastercard and the SBI Card ELITE. Verify fees, lounge access, forex markup, and base rewards before you apply.

Forex SBI Card ELITE

Quick comparison

Three core metrics

Sapphiro Mastercard ICICI Bank

Annual fee ₹3,500
Forex markup 3.5%
Domestic lounge 16/year

ELITE SBI Card

Annual fee ₹4,999 Waivable at ₹10,00,000 spend
Forex markup 1.99%
Domestic lounge 8/year

Reward earning explained

Per card

Sapphiro Mastercard

2 pts / ₹100 on General spend

ELITE

2 pts / ₹100 on General spend

Pick based on what matters

4 dimensions

Start with the constraint you care about most: annual fee (ICICI Bank Sapphiro Mastercard: ₹3,500 vs SBI Card ELITE: ₹4,999), forex markup (3.5% vs 1.99%), or lounge access (16/year vs 8/year).

Travel Insufficient data

Insufficient data to compare travel

Only SBI Card ELITE has comparable evidence here. Forex markup is 2%.

Sapphiro Mastercard: Limited data ELITE: Limited data
Forex markup SBI Card ELITE wins

SBI Card ELITE is better for forex

SBI Card ELITE is stronger here. Forex markup is 2%.

Sapphiro Mastercard: Limited data ELITE: Limited data
Lounge access Tie

Both cards are similar for lounge access

Domestic lounge access is 16/year. Domestic lounge access is 8/year.

Sapphiro Mastercard: Limited data ELITE: Limited data
upi Tie

Both cards are similar for UPI usage

Mastercard network does not support UPI payments. Visa network does not support UPI payments.

Verify with issuer

All fields

Standard view

Example usage at this monthly spend

At ₹50k/month spend:

SBI ELITE: ~₹250/month at base rate
Sapphiro: Base earn not clearly specified

Illustrative only, using current base rates before caps.

Field	Sapphiro Mastercard ICICI Bank	ELITE SBI Card
Lounge Access
Domestic lounge visits 16/year vs 8/year	16/year	8/year
International lounge visits 2/year vs 6/year	2/year	6/year
Forex / International Use
Forex markup 3.5% vs 1.99%	3.5%	1.99%
Fees
Annual fee ₹3,500 vs ₹4,999	₹3,500	₹4,999
Joining fee ₹6,500 vs ₹4,999	₹6,500	₹4,999
Fee waiver spend Only available for SBI ELITE	Not specified	₹10,00,000
Rewards
Points per ₹100	2 pts	2 pts
Point cash value Only available for SBI ELITE	Not specified	₹0.25

Notes

Card benefits change frequently. Always verify current terms on the issuer's official website or app before applying.