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IDFC FIRST Bank IndiGo vs SBI Card ELITE Credit Cards – Fees, Lounge, Forex

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

IndiGo
ELITE

The short answer

Verdict

Pick IndiGo for spending abroad.

Pick ELITE for lounge access.

Head-to-head

Three core metrics
  • Annual fee
    IndiGo ₹4,999
    ELITE ₹4,999 Waivable at ₹10,00,000 spend
  • Forex markup
    IndiGo 1.49%
    ELITE 1.99%
    IndiGo saves ~₹500 per ₹1L abroad
  • Domestic lounge
    IndiGo No complimentary lounge access
    ELITE 8/year
    ELITE: +8 lounge visits/yr

Reward earning explained

Per card
IndiGo

3 pts / ₹100 · Up to 6 pts / ₹100 on Indigo

Strong data
ELITE

2 pts / ₹100 · Up to 10 pts / ₹100 on Dining Departmental Grocery

Strong data

Pick based on what matters

4 dimensions

Start with the constraint you care about most: annual fee (IDFC FIRST Bank IndiGo: ₹4,999 vs SBI Card ELITE: ₹4,999), forex markup (1.49% vs 1.99%), or lounge access (No complimentary lounge access vs 8/year).

  • Travel Insufficient data

    Insufficient data to compare travel

    Only SBI Card ELITE has comparable evidence here. Forex markup is 1.99%.

    IndiGo: Strong data ELITE: Strong data
  • Forex markup IDFC FIRST Bank IndiGo wins

    IDFC FIRST Bank IndiGo is better for forex

    IDFC FIRST Bank IndiGo is stronger here. IDFC FIRST Bank IndiGo has a lower forex markup (1.49% vs 1.99%).

  • Lounge access SBI Card ELITE wins

    SBI Card ELITE is better for lounge access

    SBI Card ELITE is stronger here. Domestic lounge access is 8 per year.

  • Rewards Insufficient data

    Insufficient data to compare rewards

    Available evidence is incomplete: IDFC FIRST Bank IndiGo is not safely INR-comparable (no usable point value). SBI Card ELITE conservative base value ~0.5% per ₹100.

    IndiGo: Strong data ELITE: Strong data

All fields

Example usage at this monthly spend

At ₹50k/month spend:

  • SBI ELITE: ~₹250/month at base rate
  • IDFC FIRST IndiGo: Base earn not clearly specified

Illustrative only, using current base rates before caps.

Field IndiGo IDFC FIRST Bank ELITE SBI Card
Lounge Access
Domestic lounge visits
No complimentary lounge access vs 8/year
No complimentary lounge access 8/year
International lounge visits
Not included vs 6 per year
No international lounge access 6 per year
Forex / International Use
Forex markup
Same forex; compare fee and lounge rows.
1.49% vs 1.99%
1.49% 1.99%
Fees
Recurring annual fee ₹4,999 ₹4,999
Annual-fee waiver
Only available for SBI ELITE
Not specified ₹10,00,000
Interest-free period
Up to 45 days vs Up to 50 days
Up to 45 days Up to 50 days
Monthly interest rate
Only available for SBI ELITE
Not specified 3.75% / month
Fuel benefit
Only available for IDFC FIRST IndiGo
No surcharge waiver Not specified
Rewards
Points per ₹100
3 pts / ₹100 vs 2 pts / ₹100
3 pts / ₹100 2 pts / ₹100
Conservative base value
Not safely INR-comparable vs ~0.5%
Not safely INR-comparable ~0.5%
Earn ceiling
Rewards apply only to spend up to your credit limit each statement cycle — shared across General spend, Indigo, Education, FASTag, Fuel, Government services, Insurance, IRCTC, Railways, Rent, Utilities, Wallet loads & UPI vs 10,000 points per calendar month; at 10 pts / ₹100, this lane reaches the cap at ₹1,00,000 of eligible spend
Rewards apply only to spend up to your credit limit each statement cycle — shared across General spend, Indigo, Education, FASTag, Fuel, Government services, Insurance, IRCTC, Railways, Rent, Utilities, Wallet loads & UPI 10,000 points per calendar month; at 10 pts / ₹100, this lane reaches the cap at ₹1,00,000 of eligible spend
Point value (headline channel)
Issuer headline redemption rate — see each card page for the full channel grid.
Only available for SBI ELITE
Not specified ₹0.25

Notes

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