SBI Elite Credit Card Review

SBI Elite Credit Card Review

SBI Elite Credit Card is an all-around premium credit card that offers benefits in a variety of categories such as travel, shopping, movies, and more. SBI Card Elite is a highly rewarding card, especially if you are a high spender, with a reward rate of 2.5 percent (on certain categories).

The State Bank of India provides the ELITE Card to people who travel frequently throughout the country and around the world. It is a travel and lifestyle credit card that provides a variety of benefits such as domestic and international lounge access, as well as discounts on international and domestic flights and hotel reservations. Here is our review of the SBI Elite Credit Card, where we delve deep into the pros, cons, rewards, cashback, and more. We attempt to answer the question of whether you should get one for yourself or not?

Fees and Charges

LabelPrice
Joining Fees Rs. 4999
Annual Fees Rs. 4999
Interest rate 3.50% per month (42% per annum)

Pros & Cons

Pros
  • Earn up to 50,000 Bonus Reward Points per year, worth Rs. 12,500.
  • Earn 10,000 bonus Reward Points when you spend Rs. 3 lakhs or Rs. 4 lakhs in a calendar year.
  • Complimentary Priority Pass Program membership
  • Outside of India, you are entitled to six complimentary airport lounge visits per calendar year (2 visits per quarter)
  • Two complimentary domestic airport lounge visits each quarter
  • Complimentary Club Vistara Silver membership.
  • 1 Upgrade Voucher is included free of charge.
  • For every Rs. 100 spent on Vistara flights, you will receive 9 Club Vistara Points.
  • Trident Privilege Red Tier membership.
  • Forex markup fees of 1.99%
  • For every Rs.100 spent on international transactions, you will receive 2X Reward Points.
  • 1% fuel surcharge waiver on all transactions between Rs. 500 and Rs. 4,000 at any petrol pump in the country (up to Rs 250 per billing cycle)
Cons
  • Though it provides excellent opportunities to earn rewards, the redemption options are not particularly appealing. There is a statement credit option, but it is in a 4:1 ratio, which is not a great deal.
  • Free Priority Pass membership is only valid for two years after which it must be renewed for $99 to continue enjoying the six complimentary lounge visits per year.
  • Even though the first-year fee is refunded in the form of welcome e-vouchers, the brand options are extremely limited.

Rewards and Cashback

  • Earn 10,000 bonus points for crossing spend milestones of Rs. 3 lakhs and Rs. 4 lakhs in a calendar year.
  • Earn 15,000 bonus reward points for every Rs. 5 lakhs spent in a year.
  • Earn an additional 15,000 rewards after spending Rs. 8 Lakh in a single year.
  • Get your annual fee refunded if you spent Rs. 10 lakhs or more.

Who Should get an SBI Elite Credit Card?

Even though it has a high annual fee, the SBI Elite Credit Card is best suited for people who are heavy spenders and want an all-arounder premium card. The card’s reward rate is not particularly high, but it is adequate. However, the card provides decent travel benefits to users, making it a good travel credit card.

In terms of hotel rewards, cardholders receive a 10% discount on top of a 2.50% reward rate at participating Trident hotels. Cardholders who purchase Air Vistara tickets will also earn 2.25% rewards on their purchases. These hotel and flight booking rates enable cardholders to earn significant rewards.

If you are wary of the high annual fees or steep waivers, you can go for the SBI Prime credit card which has a lower annual fee. Additionally, you can get an SBI IRCTC Premier credit card (review) to complement the main card.

Eligibility

1. Age

  • Cardholder must be between the ages of 18-70 years

2. Location

  • Indian Resident

3. Documents

  • Income proof
  • Address proof
  • ID Proof
  • Photograph

Ratings and Reviews

Source: SBI Bank

  • Cashback and Rewards 3/5 The Priority Pass Membership is only valid for two years, after which you must pay $99 to continue receiving the six free lounge visits. Added to that, SBI Card’s reward mechanism is also not the best.
  • Fees and charges 3/5 Despite the fact that the first-year fee is refunded in the form of welcome e-vouchers, the brand options are extremely limited. The annual fee waiver of Rs 10 lakhs is also pretty steep.
  • Eligibility – 3.5/5 You need a good stream of income to get this approved, but you can get it faster if you have an existing relationship with SBI or SBI Card.
  • Overall 4/5 With so many luxurious benefits, the SBI Elite Credit Card is undoubtedly for the elite segment. So, if you want to live like the elite and can afford to pay a high annual fee for it, this card is ideal for you. You can also put your travel expenses on this card to take advantage of its benefits at most.

Conclusion

The SBI Elite is as good a premium credit card as they come. If you are someone who is always on the lookout for additional benefits including airport lounge access, premium memberships, bonus rewards, and cost-effective foreign transactions, the SBI Elite is the one for you. The fees and reward returns can be an issue, but if you spend a lot on it then it all seems worth it.

FAQs

What is SBI Card ELITE Credit Card and how does it work?

SBI Card ELITE Contactless Credit Card is a premium credit card from SBI Card. You can make a contactless payment by simply tapping your SBI Credit Card on a POS machine. As a result, you won’t need to swipe or dip your credit card.

How to get SBI Elite credit card welcome gift voucher?

● Within 15 days of paying your annual fees, you will receive an SMS with e-voucher options to choose from. Within 5 days of the request, the e-voucher will be sent to your registered mobile number/e-mail ID.
● You can redeem your e-gift voucher at Pantaloons, Shoppers Stop, or Hush Puppies/Bata by showing the code at the respective brand store.
● For Yatra and Shopper Stop, the code can be redeemed online at the time of purchase.
● The Aditya Birla Retail Voucher can be redeemed at the following brands: Louis Philippe, Van Heusen, Allen Solly, Peter England, Planet Fashion, and Simon Carter.

How to cancel SBI Elite credit card?

SBI credit cardholders who want to cancel or close their credit card account can do so by calling the toll-free number, 1860-180-1290, or 39-02-02-02. (by using the local STD code as prefix).

Is SBI Elite credit card worth it?

If you travel frequently, the SBI Elite Credit Card is an excellent choice because it provides numerous travel benefits. Another benefit available with this card is Trident Red Tier Membership. This membership entitles you to the following benefits: 1,000 welcome points upon registration.

Is SBI Card Elite credit card internationally acceptable?

Your SBI Card ELITE entitles you to the lowest foreign currency mark-up charge of 1.99% on international transactions. In addition, for every Rs. 100 spent on international transactions, you will receive 2 reward points.

Is it good to increase my credit limit on an SBI ELITE card?

Log in to sbicard.com and navigate to the ‘Offers or Benefits’ section on the left-hand menu. If you are eligible for a credit increase, you will see an option to increase your credit limit. Check your account for any Credit Limit Increase offers and click the ‘Submit’ button.

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