Since you are here, we believe that you have finally made your decision to get a new credit card. You need to keep a few things in mind to get your credit card application accepted. First of all, let’s figure out if you are eligible for an SBI credit card.
SBI CREDIT CARD ELIGIBILITY
Applicant should be an Indian
Minimum age is 18 years
Should have good credit score
SBI CREDIT CARD DOCUMENTATION
1 passport sized photograph.
Address proof like passport, electricity bill, or Aadhaar card
PAN card
Last 90 days salary slips and ITR statement
BEST SBI CREDIT CARDS (2018) – APPLY ONLINE AND CHECK ELIGIBILITY
Credit cards are notorious for their high interest rates, annual fees, and making people spend money on extravagant things. However, if you are smart, you won’t complain about them. In 2018 alone, I’ve saved more than ₹23,000 by taking advantage of my SBI Air India Platinum Card. I am not even including various perks that I got to enjoy because of my SBI credit card. A credit card has many advantages. It can save a good chunk of money throughout the year and pay its renewal fees as well.
If you understand your needs and liabilities, you can exploit credit card in your own favour rather than let your bank make money of you.
State Bank of India has credit cards for all individuals and corporate needs. Credit cards from SBI come with plethora of features and privileges like balance transfer at relatively lower rate of interest.
I’ve listed up 10 State Bank of India credit cards from various categories like Travel, Lifestyle, Shopping, Fuel etc that I personally find good value for money. You should choose one of the following credit cards as per your requirement. If any question, do comment at the end of this post. I’ll do my best to help you.
Remember, the goal of getting a credit card is to save money and enjoy its exclusive benefits rather than get into the debt.
SBI PRIME
Joining Benefits
Get E-gift Voucher worth ₹3,000 for one of these brands – Yatra.com, Shoppers Stop, Marks and Spencer, Pantaloons, Bata, and Hush Puppies.
Rewards
Earn 20 reward points per ₹100 on making Utility bills payments.
Earn 15 reward points per ₹100 on shopping at Reliance Fresh, Reliance Trends, Reliance Footprint, Reliance Smart, Big Basket, and Sahakari Bhandar stores.
Earn 10 reward points per ₹100 on paying bill for Groceries, Dining, Departmental stores, and Cinema.
Milestone Perks
Love pizza? Card members can avail Pizza Hut e-Voucher worth ₹1,000 on spending ₹50,000 in a calendar quarter.
Get renewal fee waived off on annual expenditure of ₹3 lakhs. The benefit extends to E-Gift Voucher worth ₹7,000 on annual expenditure of ₹5 lakhs.
Lounge Visits
You and one companion get access to International Priority Pass Lounges (Abroad) 4 times every quarter and domestic VISA/MasterCard Lounges (India) 8 times every quarter.
Club Vistara Membership
Cardholder gets Club Vistara Silver membership, Lounge Access voucher and one Upgrade voucher.
The cards earns you 9 Club Vistara Points/₹100 spent on tickets purchased from Vistara.
MasterCard/Visa Privileges
Your card gets you exclusive perks over 900 luxury hotels worldwide.
Fees
Annual Fee (one-time): ₹ 2,999 (Welcome gift benefit worth ₹3,000)
Renewal Fee (per annum): ₹2,999
YATRA SBI CARD
Joining Perks
Yatra.com vouchers worth ₹8,250.
Travel Perks
The card saves you ₹1,000 on all domestic flight ticket. (Min. trxn of ₹ 5,000)
Save ₹4,000 on international flight ticket. (Min. trxn of ₹40,000)
Get 20% off discount on domestic hotels. (Min. trxn – ₹3,000. Max. Discount – ₹2,000)
Reward Benefits
Earn 6 reward points/₹100 spent on paying bill for Groceries, Dining, Departmental stores, and Cinema.
Earn 1 reward points/₹100 spent on everything else.
Complimentary Lounge Access
Access to high-quality MasterCard airport lounges.
Enjoy stay at domestic airport lounge two times every calendar quarter.
Complimentary Air Accidental cover
Card member gets Air Accident cover of ₹50 lacs on booking ticket via Yatra.com
Fuel Surcharge Waiver
Get rid of paying 1% fuel surcharge at any petrol pump in India.
Fees
Annual fee (one time): ₹499 + applicable taxes
Renewal Fee (per annum): ₹499 + applicable taxes
Get renewal fee waived off on annual expenditure of more than ₹90,000.
SBI CARD ELITE
Sign-up Bonus
Gift Card worth ₹5,000 from one of these brands: Yatra, Hush Puppies/Bata, Marks & Spencer, Pantaloons, and Shoppers Stop.
Free Movie Tickets
Get movie tickets worth ₹6,000 every year.
Milestone Perks
You can earn up to 50,000 bonus reward points every calendar year worth ₹12,500.
You can also earn 10,000 bonus reward points every calendar year on annual expenditure of at least ₹3 lacs.
ELITE Rewards
Earn 5X Reward Points on Grocery, Departmental stores, and Dining purchases.
The card gives 2 Reward Points/₹100 spent on anything else.
International Lounge Program
Enjoy 6 Complimentary Global Airport Lounge Access (2 visits every quarter).
Get Priority Pass Program complimentary membership.
Complimentary access to thousands of airport lounges worldwide.
Domestic Lounge Program
Complimentary access to domestic airport lounges, twice every quarter.
Club Vistara Membership
The card entitles you to Club Vistara Silver membership.
Earn 9 Club Vistara Points for every ₹100 spent on tickets purchased from Vistara.
Exclusive concierge service.
Enjoy discounts at luxury Spa’s and Lifestyle Stores.
Lowest Forex Markup
The card offers lowest Foreign Currency Mark-up Charge of 1.99% on International usage.
Earn 2 Reward Points per ₹100 spent on transactions outside India.
Trident Privilege Red Tier membership
The cardholder gets Trident Privilege Red Tier membership.
Fees
Annual Fee (one-time): ₹4,999 (Welcome gift worth ₹ 4,999)
Renewal Fee (per annum): ₹4,999
SIMPLYCLICK SBI CARD
Sign-up Bonus
Welcome Amazon.in gift voucher worth ₹500.
Online Offers
The card offers 10X Reward Points on online purchasing at – Amazon / Foodpanda / UrbanClap /Lenskart / BookMyShow / Cleartrip
Card also offers 5X rewards for other online spends.
Milestone Benefits
Spend ₹1 lakh online in a year and get e-voucher (worth ₹2,000).
Fuel Reward
Get freedom from paying 1% fuel surcharge on transaction between ₹500 – ₹3,000.
Freedom from Annual Fee
Spend ₹1 lac in a year and get your annual fee (₹499) reversed.
Annual Fee (one time): ₹499
Renewal Fee (per annum): ₹499
SIMPLYSAVE SBI CARD
Earn While Spending via SBI Reward Points
Earn 2,000 bonus Reward Points on spending ₹2,000 in first 60 days.
Earn 10 Reward Points (RP) for every ₹100 spent on Movies, Departmental Stores, Dining, and Grocery purchases.
Earn 1 Reward Point for every ₹100 spent on all other things. (4 RP = ₹1)
Fuel Reward
Get freedom from paying 1% fuel surcharge on transaction between ₹ 500 – ₹3,000.
Freedom from Annual Fee
Spend at least ₹1 lac in a year and get your annual fee (₹499) reversed.
Annual Fee (one-time): ₹499
Renewal Fee (per annum): ₹499
BPCL SBI CARD
Joining Perks
BPCL SBI Card is currently offering a sign-up bonus of 2000 Reward Points. That’s equivalent of ₹500 and can be redeemed at BPCL outlets, and Shop n Smile.
Other Perks
The card earns 5X Reward Points per ₹100 spent on Movies, Dining, Groceries, Departmental stores, and Utility Bills payments.
Also earn 1 Reward Point per ₹100 spent on everything else (except fuel).
Fuel Rewards
The card offers 13X Reward Points as you spend at any BPCL petrol pump. That’s the equivalent of 3.25% cash back.
Get additional 1% Fuel surcharge waiver.
Maximum surcharge waiver = ₹100 per month.
Fees and charges
Annual Fee (one-time): ₹499
Renewal Fee (per annum): ₹499
(Renewal Fee reversed if annual expenditure is at least ₹50,000)
IRCTC SBI PLATINUM CARD
Joining Benefit
IRCTC SBI Platinum Card is currently offering a sign-up bonus of 350 Reward Points if you spend ₹500 within 45 days getting of the card.
Get additional ₹100 cashback on ATM cash withdrawal within 30 days of card issuance.
Shopping Perks
Earn 10% cashback as Reward Points on tickets purchased from irctc.co.in for any AC class. (1 Reward Point = ₹1)
The card earns 1 Reward Point per ₹125 spent on all other purchases except fuel.
Travelling Privileges
Enoy1.8% transaction charges waiver on train tickets booked via www.irctc.co.in
Also enjoy discounts at airline tickets on IRCTC website.
Fuel Rewards
You no longer need to pay 1% fuel surcharge at any petrol pump across the country with your IRCTC SBI Platinum Card.
Trx. amount should be between ₹500-₹3,000.
Fees
Annual Fee (one-time): ₹500
Renewal Fee (per annum): ₹300
BANK OF MAHARASHTRA – SBI CARD
Welcome Offer
Earn 2,000 bonus Reward points after you use your new card to make ₹2,000 in purchases within first 2 months.
Rewards Earning
The card gives you up to 10X Reward Points for each ₹100 of eligible purchases made at Grocery & Departmental stores.
Earn 1 Reward point per ₹100 spent for all other purchases. (4 Reward points = ₹1)
Fees
Annual fee (one time): ₹499
Renewal fee (per annum): ₹499
(Renewal fee will be reversed if annual expenditure is more than ₹90,000)
DOCTOR’S SBI CARD
Indian Medical Association
Doctor’s SBI Card is the only credit card that is associated with Indian Medical Association (IMA).
Professional Indemnity Insurance
The cardholder gets Professional Indemnity Insurance Coverage of ₹ 10 lacs.
The cardholder is entitled to reimbursement in case of legal & defence expenses.
Sign-up Bonus
Enjoy e-Gift Voucher from Yatra.com worth ₹1,500.
Reward Earnings
Receive 5X Reward Points in specific categories such as Travel Bookings, Medical Supplies & International purchases.
Earn 5X Reward Points on all purchases made on Doctors’ Day (1st July).
Get 1 Reward Point for every ₹100 spent on all other purchases.
Additional Perks
Spend ₹5 lacs in a calendar year and get E-Gift Voucher worth ₹5,000 from Shoppers Stop/Bata/Yatra.com
Renewal Fee reversed if first year annual expenditure is ₹2 lacs.
International Lounge Privileges
Enjoy priority boarding privileges with Priority Pass Program worth $99.
You get complimentary access to more than 1,000 airport lounges worldwide.
As a cardholder, you’re entitled to 4 complimentary International Airport lounge visits each calendar year (twice per quarter).
Domestic Lounge Privileges
The card offers you access to Domestic Airport Lounges (max. 2 visits per quarter and 8 visits in a calendar year).
Fuel Rewards
Spend b/w ₹500- ₹4,000 on fuel purchases at any petrol pump in India and get 1% fuel surcharge waived.
Fees
Annual Fee (one-time): ₹1,499
Renewal Fee (per annum): ₹1,499
AIR INDIA SBI SIGNATURE CARD
Welcome Offer
The current sign-up bonus is 20,000 reward points after new applicants pay joining fee.
Card membership automatically entitles you to Air India Frequent Flyer program – Flying Returns membership.
Additional Perks
Earn 4 Reward Points per ₹100 spent on anything. You can earn up to 1 lakh points in a year.
Redeem your Reward Points into Air India miles. *1 Reward point = 1 Air India Air mile*
Get 5,000 Reward Points as anniversary bonus.
Earn every time you fly
Earn up to 30 Reward points per ₹100 spent on tickets purchased for self from airindia.com/AirIndia app.
Get 10 Reward Points on booking tickets for others.
Luxury Lounge Access at Domestic and International Airports
As a cardholder, you’re entitled to over 600 International Airport lounge visits.
Enjoy priority boarding privileges with Priority Pass Program which is worth $99.
The card offers you access to Domestic Airport lounges with complimentary Visa Lounge Access Program.
Fees
Annual Fee (one-time): Up to ₹4,999
Renewal Fee (per annum): ₹ 4,999
SBI CREDIT CARDS BENEFITS
• SBI credit cards have zero loss liability. This means that if your card ever gets lost or stolen, then you have no liability on any fraudulent transactions.
• The bank has worldwide presence so the card will work at every place.
• Cardholders can turn any costly purchases made into easy monthly instalments.
• Rewards: You can earn reward points on every purchase that you make with your SBI credit card. These reward points can be redeemed against special offers and offers.
• Exclusive Privileges: Additional perks like utility payments via cards, deals on travel, shopping discounts, cash advance facility and balance transfer on EMI are also offered.
HOW TO GET SBI CREDIT CARD?
Since you are here, we believe that you have finally made your decision to get a new credit card. You need to keep a few things in mind to get your credit card application accepted. First of all, let’s figure out if you are eligible for an SBI credit card.
SBI CREDIT CARD ELIGIBILITY
Applicant should be an Indian
Minimum age is 18 years
Should have good credit score
SBI CREDIT CARD DOCUMENTATION
1 passport sized photograph.
Address proof like passport, electricity bill, or Aadhaar card
PAN card
Last 90 days salary slips and ITR statement
APPLY FOR SBI CREDIT CARD ONLINE
To apply for an SBI credit card, you need to visit official website page here – https://www.sbicard.com/en/eapply.page
You will be asked to fill in the following details:
Name
City
Occupation
Date of Birth
Qualification
Annual Income
PAN Number
Email id
Mobile Number
OTP (One Time Password will be sent to the applicant’s mobile number)
After filling the form, you don’t need to do anything. Bank will check your eligibility and other details. They will inform you within a couple of days whether your credit card application is accepted or rejected.
APPLYING FOR SBI CREDIT CARD OFFLINE
One can apply for SBI credit card offline. All you have to do is to go to the nearest branch of SBI. The official will check your eligibility for the credit card and upon verification; you will be given an application form. You’ll have to fill the details and submit the application form along with required documents like your Identity proof, address proof, and income proof.
The bank representative will go through your form and verify details and documents you provided at the time of filling application. Once the representative is satisfied, you will get the credit card.
This is not the only offline option, the applicant can contact State Bank of India by calling customer care service at 39 02 02 02 (prefix your local STD code), or 1800 180 1290 (toll free). These helpline numbers work 24×7.
5 TIPS FOR CHOOSING YOUR FIRST CREDIT CARD
A credit card is a handy tool. It can be used worldwide, help you build your credit rating, cover cash flow shortages and be a valuable source of funds in an emergency.
It sounds good knowing all the benefits that can come with a credit card. However, it’s also important to be aware of the conditions attached to a card. Credit cards come with legal contracts. Hence, it is important that you understand terms and conditions when applying for a credit card.
Knowing the benefits, fees, charges and interest rates will help you choose the type of credit card that best suits your needs. Here are some tips to help you make the most of your credit card.
FIND A CARD THAT SUITS YOUR NEEDS
Different types of credit cards have different benefits and may be better suited to different patterns of spending and repaying. Broadly, credit cards can be grouped into three categories:
Low fee: These cards can be suitable for those who are looking for convenience of a credit card with a low annual fee and who are confident that they would regularly pay off their balance in full. Low-fee cards attract higher interest rates than other types of cards.
Low rate: These may best suit those who carry a balance over from month to month and want to minimise the amount of interest they pay on purchases. Low-rate cards have a higher annual fee than rest of the cards.
Awards: These cards may be suitable for those who intend to pay off their balance in full each month and who want to make the most of their credit card spending by earning awards points. Awards cards attract higher interest rates and annual fees than other cards.
EXPLORE FEATURES AND LEARN ABOUT T&CS
Please read your credit card application carefully to know about your card’s features and associated Terms and Conditions. The information mentioned in small prints may have big impacts on your fees, charges and usage conditions. While some T&Cs are similar on all cards, there are many others that may be particular to the ones you are applying for, so we recommend that you go through all of them.
UNDERSTAND LIABILITIES
If your card has multiple users, know about the liabilities shared by secondary users. Also, if you have applied for Add-on cards, understand the added responsibilities that come with them such as who will manage the cards, pay bills and debts, etc.
KNOW HOW TO CANCEL YOUR CREDIT CARD
Knowing how to cancel your card is as important as knowing how to use it. When you decide to close a Credit Card, make sure all payments have been made and there are no pending dues. Avoid closing cards that still have outstanding balance to be cleared or those that make a significant amount of your credit history. Cancelling such cards impact your credit score.
