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IDFC FIRST IndiGo vs SBI ELITE

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

Pick IndiGo for spending abroad.

Head-to-head

  • Annual fee Annual fee outcome: tie.
    IndiGo ₹4,999
    ELITE ₹4,999 Waivable at ₹10,00,000 spend
  • Forex markup Forex markup outcome: IndiGo wins.
    IndiGo 0%
    ELITE 1.99%
    IndiGo saves ~₹1,990 per ₹1L abroad
  • Domestic lounge Domestic lounge outcome: insufficient data to compare.
    IndiGo No complimentary lounge access
    ELITE 8/year
  • Rewards Rewards outcome: insufficient data to compare.
    IndiGo Not safely INR-comparable
    ELITE ~0.5%
    conservative base value
    IndiGo: Strong data ELITE: Strong data

Reward earning explained

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

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.

All fields

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
0% vs 1.99%
 0% 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.

Related comparisons

Next useful checks

IDFC FIRST Bank IndiGo

Verify with issuer , opens external site

SBI Card ELITE

Verify with issuer , opens external site
Data refreshed through 2 Oct 2026 moneymatters.cards Privacy Current Money Matters snapshot
Important

Data compiled from issuer and public information. Details may change — verify with issuer. Reference data, not financial advice.

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