SBI Card ELITE vs HDFC Bank Regalia Gold: Which Fee Earns Its Keep?

For most people who spend ₹75,000 or more a month, HDFC Bank's Regalia Gold returns more than SBI Card ELITE, because its points are worth up to ₹0.65 against ELITE's ₹0.25 and its ₹2,500 fee is waived at ₹4 lakh of yearly spends instead of ₹10 lakh. ELITE comes out ahead when groceries, departmental stores and dining fill most of a smaller monthly bill, or when you cannot meet Regalia Gold's ₹1.5 lakh gross monthly income rule.

By Anjali Bhargawa · Content Writer Updated 5 November 2026 Reviewed by BankCreds Financial Experts

In short

Regalia Gold is the better value for spread-out spending above about ₹75,000 a month, while ELITE suits a grocery and dining heavy household that wants lounge visits and a fuel waiver without an income floor to prove.

Best for

ELITE: families whose card bill is mostly supermarkets, departmental stores and restaurants
Regalia Gold: earners above ₹1.5 lakh gross a month who spend ₹5 lakh or more a year across categories
Regalia Gold: travellers who want insurance cover listed with the card

Skip it if

You carry a balance, since both cards charge 3.75% a month
Most of your spending is rent, fuel or wallet loads, which earn nothing on either card
You would redeem Regalia Gold points as cashback, where they are worth only ₹0.15

Highlights

Fees: ELITE ₹4,999 plus GST, Regalia Gold ₹2,500 plus GST
Waivers: ELITE at ₹10 lakh a year, Regalia Gold at ₹4 lakh
Forex markup: ELITE 1.99%, Regalia Gold 2%
Domestic lounges: ELITE 8 a year, Regalia Gold 3 a quarter on ₹60,000 of quarterly spends
Published income floor: none for ELITE, ₹1.5 lakh gross a month for Regalia Gold

Side by side

Every term from the banks' own pages, last verified 5 November 2026.
Term	SBI Card ELITE	Regalia Gold Credit Card
Bank	SBI Card	HDFC Bank
Joining fee	₹4,999 + GST	₹2,500 + GST
Annual fee and waiver	₹4,999 + GST. Renewal fee waived off on annual spends of Rs. 10 lakh or more in the preceding year	₹2,500 + GST. Retail spends of ₹4 lakh within 12 billing cycles of your anniversary year waive the next year's renewal fee
Base reward	2 Reward Points per Rs (about 0.5% value)	5 Reward Points for every ₹200 spent on eligible retail spends
Best category	Dining, departmental stores and grocery: about 2.5% value	Myntra, Nykaa, Reliance Digital, Marks & Spencer: 5X Reward Points
Lounges	Domestic: 2 complimentary domestic airport lounge visits every quarter (8 a year) International: 6 complimentary Priority Pass lounge visits per calendar year outside India (max 2 per quarter); Priority Pass membership complimentary, valid 2 years	Domestic: 3 complimentary domestic lounge visits per calendar quarter, by swiping the card International: Up to 6 visits per calendar year outside India via Priority Pass, for primary and add-on members
Forex markup	1.99% of the amount	2% of the amount
Network	Visa, Mastercard, American Express	Not stated by the bank
Published minimum income	Stable income; SBI Card says the specific minimum varies by card and does not...	₹1,50,000 a month
Status	Taking applications	Taking applications
Add-on card fee	Nil	Nil
Earned as	Reward Points	Reward Points
Higher-reward categories	Dining, departmental stores and grocery: 5X Reward Points (total 10 Reward Points per Rs.100), about 2.5% value (capping of 10,000 Reward Points per calendar month; then 2 RP per Rs.100, ₹10,000, calendar month)	Myntra, Nykaa, Reliance Digital, Marks & Spencer: 5X Reward Points (5X Reward points will be capped at 5000 RP per month across all brands combined. Base reward points continue with no capping., calendar month)
No rewards on	Fuel (MCC 5172, 5541, 5542, 5983) Rent since 1 Apr 2024 Government transactions since 1 Jun 2024 Digital gaming since 1 Dec 2024 e-Wallet loads (MCC 6540, 6541) Balance transfer, cash advance, ATM withdrawals, fees and charges EMI conversions (points forfeited)	Fuel Rent payments Government related transactions Wallet loads and gift or prepaid card loads (MCC 6540) EasyEMI transactions; points reversed if a purchase is converted to SmartEMI Education payments through third-party apps (from 1 Sep 2024) Online skill-based gaming (from 1 Jul 2025) Cash advances Payment of outstanding balance Card fees and charges
Value of a point	Statement credit (pay card bill): 4 Reward Points = Re. 1	Exclusive Gold Catalogue (SmartBuy): 1RP = ₹0.65 Global flights and hotels: 1RP = ₹0.5; up to 70% of a travel booking; max 50,000 RP a month Airmiles: 1RP = up to 0.5 miles; max 50,000 RP a month Vouchers and catalogue: 1RP = up to ₹0.35 Cashback against statement balance: 15 paise per point from 1 Nov 2025; max 50,000 RP a month
Redemption fee	Rs. 99 + taxes on physical products, statement credit and physically sent vouchers (MITC)	₹99 + GST per catalogue redemption request; ₹50 + GST per cashback redemption request
Expiry	24 months	Reward points valid for 2 years from accumulation
Welcome benefits	Welcome e-Gift Voucher worth Rs. 5,000 (Yatra, Hush Puppies / Bata, Pantaloons, Aditya Birla Fashion, Shoppers Stop) after annual fee is paid	Complimentary Swiggy One and MMT Black Gold memberships on spends of ₹1 lakh within the first 90 days
Milestone benefits	10,000 bonus Reward Points on annual spends of Rs. 3 lakh 10,000 bonus Reward Points on annual spends of Rs. 4 lakh 15,000 bonus Reward Points on annual spends of Rs. 5 lakh 15,000 bonus Reward Points on annual spends of Rs. 8 lakh Annual fee reversal on spends of Rs. 10 lakh	₹1,500 voucher (Marriott, Myntra, Marks & Spencer or Reliance Digital) on ₹1.5 lakh spends in a calendar quarter ₹5,000 SmartBuy flight voucher on ₹5 lakh annual spends, and another ₹5,000 on ₹7.5 lakh Renewal fee waiver on ₹4 lakh annual spends
Fuel surcharge waiver	1% fuel surcharge waiver across all petrol pumps; max Rs. 250 per month, per statement cycle (transaction range not stated on card page)	Fuel surcharge waiver not applicable (MITC fee table); fuel earns no reward points
Insurance cover	Fraud liability cover up to Rs. 1,00,000 (T&C). Complimentary air accident cover of Rs. 1 crore discontinued from 15 July 2025.	Primary cardholder: air accident cover USD 125,000; emergency medical expenses abroad USD 18,750; card liability ₹9,00,000; credit shield ₹9,00,000; missed connection and flight delay USD 313 each (group policy 23 Jul 2026 to 22 Jul 2027)
Interest on unpaid balances	Up to 3.75% a month (45% a year)	Up to 3.75% a month (45% a year)
Late payment fee	Nil up to Rs.100; Rs.100 (Rs.100-500); Rs.500 (Rs.500-1,000); Rs.750 (Rs.1,000-10,000); Rs.950 (Rs.10,000-25,000); Rs.1,100 (Rs.25,000-50,000); Rs.1,300 (above Rs.50,000) of outstanding amount due; plus Rs.100 additional if MAD is missed two consecutive cycles (continues each cycle until MAD is cleared). Taxes extra.	Late payment charges (excl. GST), basis the bill amount, w.e.f. 1 Aug 2024: nil up to ₹100; ₹100 for ₹101 to ₹500; ₹500 for ₹501 to ₹1,000; ₹600 for ₹1,001 to ₹5,000; ₹750 for ₹5,001 to ₹10,000; ₹900 for ₹10,001 to ₹25,000; ₹1,100 for ₹25,001 to ₹50,000; ₹1,300 above ₹50,000. Charged when the Minimum Amount Due is not paid; account is reported past due and late fee levied only after 3 grace days from the due date.
Cash withdrawal	2.5% of transaction amount, minimum Rs.500, at domestic and international ATMs; finance charges from the date of withdrawal (no free credit period); max Rs.15,000 cash per day at ATMs (MCC 6011), within cash limit.	2.5% of the amount withdrawn or ₹500, whichever is higher, plus finance charges at the revolving rate from the date of withdrawal until full payment.
Age (salaried)	21 years or above (minimum). Maximum age stated as 60 years in one place and 70 years in another on SBI Card's listing page	21 to 60 years
Income (salaried)	Stable income; SBI Card says the specific minimum varies by card and does not publish it for this card	Gross monthly income greater than ₹1.5 lakh (government employees: greater than ₹1 lakh)
Income (self-employed)	Stable income; minimum not published for this card	Income Tax Return (ITR) greater than ₹18 lakh per annum
Documents	PAN card (for digital KYC) Copy of Aadhaar card with first 8 digits masked, or any valid government address proof (for digital KYC) Income documents such as salary slip or income tax return may be required, depending on card eligibility and SBI Card policy	Identity proof, address proof and income proof (HDFC Bank general guidance; the card page's document list could not be read) Existing HDFC Bank customers may not need to submit them again
Last verified	5 November 2026	5 November 2026

Two mid-premium cards that reward different wallets

SBI Card ELITE and HDFC Bank's Regalia Gold sits in the same price band, yet they pay for very different habits. ELITE puts its big rate on dining, departmental stores and groceries and a thin rate on the rest, while Regalia Gold pays one steady rate on most retail spends and piles vouchers on top as your yearly total grows.

The fee gap is wide. ELITE costs ₹4,999 plus GST and is reversed only after ₹10 lakh of spend in the previous year, while Regalia Gold costs ₹2,500 plus GST and the renewal goes away at ₹4 lakh. That one difference decide a lot of the maths in the rewards tab.

Who each card is for

ELITE: homes where supermarket and restaurant bills fill most of the statement, people who want 8 domestic lounge visits a year with no spend rule on the card page, and applicants who can't show HDFC's income, since SBI Card is not publishing any minimum income for this card.
Regalia Gold: salaried earners above ₹1.5 lakh gross a month, or self-employed people with an ITR above ₹18 lakh, who spend across shopping, travel and bills and redeem on HDFC's Gold Catalogue or on flights.

The verdict in two sentences

For a ₹75,000 or ₹1.5 lakh month, Regalia Gold returns clearly more in our examples, since its points are worth up to ₹0.65 against ELITE's ₹0.25 and its vouchers start at modest spends. ELITE wins when groceries and dining are most of a smaller bill and you value its fuel waiver, its movie offer and lounge visits that need no spending target.

Both cards are active and accepting applications, and both card have become a bit stingier: Regalia Gold moved to 5 points per ₹200 on 15 May 2026 and tied domestic lounges to spending from 1 July 2026, while ELITE lost its ₹1 crore air accident cover on 15 July 2025. Each card has its own full write-up: the SBI Card ELITE review and the Regalia Gold review.

What you pay to hold each card

Both banks charge the same amount to join as to renew, and both add 18% GST. With tax, ELITE costs ₹5,898.82 a year (₹4,999 plus ₹899.82) and Regalia Gold costs ₹2,950 (₹2,500 plus ₹450). Neither charge for add-on cards.

Charge	SBI Card ELITE	HDFC Regalia Gold
Joining and annual fee	₹4,999 plus GST each	₹2,500 plus GST each
Waiver	Renewal reversed on ₹10 lakh spent in the preceding year	Renewal waived on ₹4 lakh of retail spends in the anniversary year
Interest	3.75% a month, 45% a year	3.75% a month, 45% a year
Cash advance	2.5%, minimum ₹500	2.5% or ₹500, whichever is higher
Over-limit, only with consent	2.5%, minimum ₹600	2.5%, minimum ₹550
Rent	₹199 plus taxes per payment	1%, capped at ₹4,999 per transaction
Utilities	1% of the total above ₹50,000 a billing cycle	1% of the total above ₹50,000 a calendar month
Wallet loads	1% of every load above ₹1,000	1% of the total above ₹10,000 a month
Fuel	1% of all fuel spends above ₹50,000 a cycle, from 1 Dec 2026	1% on a fuel transaction above ₹15,000
Point redemption	₹99 plus taxes	₹99 plus GST (catalogue), ₹50 plus GST (cashback)

Can a normal spender reach the waiver?

For Regalia Gold, yes, quite easily. ₹4 lakh divided by 12 is about ₹33,333 a month, which a family putting groceries, bills and shopping on one card often crosses. ELITE's ₹10 lakh works out to about ₹83,333 every month, so most holders will simply paying the ₹5,898.82 each year. SBI Card does soften year one with a ₹5,000 e-gift voucher once the fee is paid, which covers most of the first fee if you'd shop at those brands anyway.

Late fees and the newer charges

Late fees run on slightly different slabs. On a ₹3,000 outstanding, SBI Card charges ₹750 and HDFC ₹600; on ₹20,000, it is ₹950 against ₹900. SBI also adds ₹100 more when the minimum due is missed two cycles in a row. Both levy the fee only after a 3-day grace period from the due date.

Rent is where the gap get noticeable. A ₹40,000 rent payment costs ₹199 plus taxes on ELITE but ₹400 on Regalia Gold (1% of ₹40,000), and neither card gives a single point on it. Wallet loads go the other way: SBI Card takes 1% of any load above ₹1,000, while HDFC charges only once your month's loads pass ₹10,000. SBI's new fuel and transport fees start on 1 December 2026, which is worth to know if you fill a car on this card.

How the points are earned and what they are worth

SBI Card ELITE

Dining, departmental stores and groceries earn 10 Reward Points per ₹100. Everything else earns 2 points per ₹100, international spends included, but fuel earns none. The only published value is 4 points for ₹1 against your bill, so a point is ₹0.25, which make the rates 2.5% and 0.5%.

The accelerated points are capped at 10,000 a calendar month, which you'd hit only at ₹1 lakh of category spend (10,000 points at 10 per ₹100). Groceries at Metro Cash and Carry, Flipkart Wholesale and Walmart get only the base rate, a costly price for bulk buyers. Rent, government payments, digital gaming, wallet loads and fees earn nothing, and converting a purchase to EMI takes its points away. Statement credit has gone in 4,000-point blocks since 1 April 2026, up to 60,000 points a month, and points expire after 24 months.

HDFC Regalia Gold

Eligible retail spends earn 5 Reward Points per ₹200, counted per transaction in multiples of ₹200. What that is worth depends on where you spend the points:

Gold Catalogue on SmartBuy, ₹0.65 a point: 5 times ₹0.65 is ₹3.25 per ₹200, or 1.625%.
Flights and hotels, ₹0.50 a point: ₹2.50 per ₹200, or 1.25%, for up to 70% of a booking.
Vouchers and catalogue, up to ₹0.35 a point, so 0.875% at best.
Cashback against the bill, 15 paise a point since 1 November 2025: just 0.375%, less than what ELITE gives on its base.

Myntra, Nykaa, Reliance Digital and Marks and Spencer earn 5X, with the 5X points capped at 5,000 a month for all four brands together. Grocery, insurance, utilities and telecom are each capped at 2,000 points a month, UPI at 500. Fuel, rent, government payments, wallet loads, EasyEMI, education paid through apps and skill-gaming earns nothing. Points last 2 years.

Three monthly budgets on both cards

Fuel and rent are left out, as neither card rewards them. ELITE points are counted at ₹0.25 and Regalia Gold at its ₹0.65 Gold Catalogue rate, and the fee is the renewal from year two with GST.

Budget and card	Points in a year	Value of points	Milestone vouchers	Renewal fee	Net a year
₹40,000 a month, ELITE	48,800	₹12,200	None	₹5,898.82	₹6,301.18
₹40,000 a month, Regalia Gold	12,000	₹7,800	None	Waived	₹7,800
₹75,000 a month, ELITE	92,000	₹23,000	None	₹5,898.82	₹17,101.18
₹75,000 a month, Regalia Gold	22,500	₹14,625	₹16,000	Waived	₹30,625
₹1.5 lakh a month, ELITE	1,34,000	₹33,500	None	Reversed	₹33,500
₹1.5 lakh a month, Regalia Gold	45,000	₹29,250	₹16,000	Waived	₹45,250

₹40,000 a month (dining ₹6,000, groceries ₹14,000, other ₹20,000). On ELITE, ₹20,000 of dining and groceries at 10 per ₹100 is 2,000 points and the other ₹20,000 at 2 per ₹100 is 400, so 2,400 a month or 28,800 a year. The year's ₹4.8 lakh crosses the ₹3 lakh and ₹4 lakh marks for 10,000 bonus points each, which takes it to 48,800 points, or ₹12,200. Regalia Gold gives ₹40,000 divided by 200, times 5, which is 1,000 points a month, 12,000 a year, ₹7,800. The ₹4.8 lakh clears its ₹4 lakh waiver but misses the ₹1.5 lakh quarter, since ₹1.2 lakh a quarter (₹40,000 times 3) is less. In year two ELITE nets ₹6,301.18 after its fee and Regalia Gold nets ₹7,800, and in year one both pays a joining fee, which tilts it toward ELITE because of its ₹5,000 voucher.

₹75,000 a month (dining ₹10,000, groceries ₹15,000, other ₹50,000). ELITE earns 2,500 plus 1,000 points a month, 42,000 a year, and the ₹9 lakh year collect all four milestones, 50,000 points, for 92,000 in all or ₹23,000. Regalia Gold earns 1,875 points a month (₹75,000 divided by 200, times 5), 22,500 a year or ₹14,625. Each quarter of ₹2.25 lakh (₹75,000 times 3) clears ₹1.5 lakh, so four ₹1,500 vouchers come to ₹6,000, and ₹9 lakh passes ₹5 lakh and ₹7.5 lakh for two ₹5,000 flight vouchers. That's ₹16,000 of vouchers.

₹1.5 lakh a month (dining ₹20,000, groceries ₹30,000, other ₹1 lakh). ELITE gives 5,000 points on the ₹50,000 of dining and groceries plus 2,000 on the rest a month, 84,000 a year, plus 50,000 in milestones: 1,34,000 points, ₹33,500, and the ₹18 lakh year reverses the fee. Regalia Gold gives 3,750 points a month (₹1.5 lakh divided by 200, times 5), 45,000 a year, ₹29,250, plus the same ₹16,000 of vouchers. Even if you took Regalia Gold points as 15-paise cashback, the ₹75,000 budget would still give 22,500 times ₹0.15, or ₹3,375, plus ₹16,000 of vouchers, ₹19,375 which still beat ELITE's ₹17,101.18. At ₹40,000 it would fall to ₹1,800, well below ELITE.

Lounges, forex, fuel, insurance and the extras

Airport lounges

On count, Regalia Gold looks bigger: 3 domestic visits a quarter is 12 a year against ELITE's 8. But since the quarter starting 1 July 2026 those visits only open if you spent ₹60,000 in the quarter before, which is ₹20,000 a month (₹60,000 divided by 3). ELITE's card page states no spending condition for its 2 a quarter. Abroad the two are level at 6 Priority Pass visits a year; ELITE limits them to 2 a quarter and its membership is valid 2 years, and on Regalia Gold you have to ask phone banking for the Priority Pass card after you has made at least 4 transactions. Extra visits are charged on both. Up to USD 27 plus taxes on ELITE.

Forex and fuel

The forex markup is almost the same. On ₹1 lakh spent abroad, ELITE adds ₹1,990 and Regalia Gold ₹2,000, both before GST. ELITE does earn 2 points per ₹100 on foreign spends, which is ₹500 back on that ₹1 lakh (2,000 points at ₹0.25). For paying in rupees at overseas merchants, HDFC charges 1.75% since 15 May 2026, and SBI Card charges the card's own forex rate on such payments of ₹1,000 or more. Fuel is clear cut: ELITE waives the 1% surcharge up to ₹250 a cycle, and HDFC's terms say Regalia Gold has no fuel waiver at all.

Insurance, welcome and milestones

Insurance is a very much plus point for Regalia Gold. HDFC's group policy for 23 July 2026 to 22 July 2027 lists air accident cover of USD 125,000, emergency medical expenses abroad of USD 18,750, and missed connection and flight delay cover of USD 313 each. ELITE's ₹1 crore air accident cover has ended on 15 July 2025, and what remains is fraud liability cover up to ₹1,00,000.

ELITE's extras are lifestyle ones, BookMyShow takes ₹500 or the price of 2 tickets off, whichever is less, for up to 2 tickets a month, the ₹6,000 a year SBI Card mentions (₹500 times 12), and there is a year of Club ITC Silver after a first spend within 60 days. Regalia Gold's Boarding Edge, added on 15 May 2026, gives any 2 of a spa, an Uber airport ride, hotel dining or a room upgrade each quarter once you upload a boarding pass on SmartBuy. The milestone vouchers we counted in the rewards tab are where Regalia Gold really pulls ahead.

Published rules side by side

Rule	SBI Card ELITE	HDFC Regalia Gold
Age, salaried	21 or above; maximum given as 60 in one place and 70 in another	21 to 60
Age, self-employed	Above 25 for an online application	21 to 65
Income, salaried	Not published	Gross monthly income above ₹1.5 lakh (government employees above ₹1 lakh)
Income, self-employed	Not published	ITR above ₹18 lakh a year
Credit score	Preferably 750 to 900	Not published
Documents	PAN, masked Aadhaar or other address proof, income papers if asked	Identity, address and income proof

What the two banks actually say

HDFC is the stricter of the two on paper. Its eligibility page asks salaried applicants for more than ₹1.5 lakh of gross monthly income, though an HDFC FAQ use the word net instead, so expect the bank to check about your salary slip closely. If HDFC turns you down, its FAQ says you can re-apply after six months.

A minimum income SBI Card doesn't publish for ELITE or for any other card. Its card finder lists ELITE under a monthly income band of ₹1 lakh to ₹2 lakh, but that is a browsing filter, not a rule. Its page gives the maximum age as 60 years in one place and 70 in another, so ask the bank if you're near either. An SBI bank account is not needed. Since 23 September 2026 SBI deposit holders can also apply for the FD-backed ELITE Advantage on the YONO app, but no FD amount or limit ratio is published for it.

How to apply and what decides it

ELITE can be applied for online, through SBI Card's chatbot ILA, on the helpline or at an SBI branch; Regalia Gold online or at an HDFC branch, where existing customers may not need to submit papers again. The RBI's rules leave the decision with the bank, which must assess your own income and repayment capacity and, if it rejects you, tell you the reasons in writing. A score above 750 is generally seen as good on the 300 to 900 scale, but neither bank promise approval on any score. Questions after you apply go to SBI Card customer care or HDFC Bank customer care.

Pros and cons

Pros

ELITE pays 10 points per ₹100 on dining, departmental stores and groceries, which is 2.5% at ₹0.25 a point
ELITE's 8 domestic lounge visits a year carry no spend condition on its card page
Regalia Gold's renewal fee is waived at ₹4 lakh of yearly spends, less than half of ELITE's ₹10 lakh
Regalia Gold points are worth ₹0.65 on the Gold Catalogue, so 5 points per ₹200 returns 1.625%
Regalia Gold adds up to ₹16,000 of milestone vouchers a year at ₹7.5 lakh of spends with ₹1.5 lakh in each quarter

Cons

ELITE's ₹4,999 plus GST fee is reversed only at ₹10 lakh of yearly spends
ELITE earns only 0.5% outside its three categories, and statement credit goes in 4,000-point blocks since April 2026
ELITE lost its ₹1 crore air accident cover on 15 July 2025
Regalia Gold's domestic lounges need ₹60,000 of spends in the previous quarter from July 2026
Regalia Gold has no fuel surcharge waiver and asks for gross monthly income above ₹1.5 lakh

Frequently asked questions

Which costs less to keep, SBI Card ELITE or HDFC Regalia Gold?

Regalia Gold, by a wide margin. It costs ₹2,500 plus GST, or ₹2,950, and the renewal is waived once you spend ₹4 lakh in the anniversary year, about ₹33,333 a month. ELITE costs ₹4,999 plus GST, or ₹5,898.82, and is reversed only after ₹10 lakh of spends in the previous year. ELITE's ₹5,000 welcome voucher softens the first year only.

Whose reward points are worth more, ELITE or Regalia Gold?

Regalia Gold's points are worth more. HDFC values them at ₹0.65 on its Gold Catalogue and ₹0.50 on flights and hotels, while an ELITE point is worth ₹0.25 as statement credit. ELITE makes up for it with 10 points per ₹100 on dining, departmental stores and groceries. Regalia Gold points taken as cashback are worth only 15 paise each.

What income do I need for each card?

HDFC asks salaried Regalia Gold applicants for gross monthly income above ₹1.5 lakh, or above ₹1 lakh for government employees, and self-employed applicants for an ITR above ₹18 lakh a year. SBI Card publishes no minimum income for ELITE and asks for a stable income and a score preferably between 750 and 900. Approval is the bank's decision in both cases.

Which card gives more airport lounge visits?

Regalia Gold offers more domestic visits, 3 a quarter, but only after ₹60,000 of spends in the previous quarter from July 2026. ELITE gives 2 domestic visits a quarter with no spend condition on its card page. Both give 6 international Priority Pass visits a year. ELITE's forex markup is 1.99% against Regalia Gold's 2%.

What changed on these two cards in 2025 and 2026?

Regalia Gold moved to 5 points per ₹200 on 15 May 2026, cut cashback redemption to 15 paise a point on 1 November 2025 and tied domestic lounges to quarterly spends from 1 July 2026. ELITE dropped its ₹1 crore air accident cover on 15 July 2025, and since 1 April 2026 its points convert to statement credit only in blocks of 4,000.

Do ELITE and Regalia Gold earn points on fuel and rent?

No. Neither card gives points on fuel or rent. ELITE at least waives the 1% fuel surcharge up to ₹250 a statement cycle, while Regalia Gold has no fuel waiver. For rent, SBI Card charges ₹199 plus taxes per payment and HDFC charges 1% of the payment, capped at ₹4,999 per transaction.

Sources

SBI Cards and Payment Services Ltd: Most Important Terms & Conditions (PDF 'MITC- Common-30OCT26', Ver FY 27, 16); SBI Card ELITE T&C booklet; SBI Card ELITE T&C booklet (BookMyShow offer); SBI Card ELITE T&C booklet (fraud liability); Shop & Smile Program Terms & Conditions (rewards program T&C for all SBI cards)
HDFC Bank: Part I Key Fact Statement cum Most Important Terms and Conditions (MITC), English, Version 4.18; Rewards Points Program Terms and Condition (Regalia Gold); Regalia Gold Credit Card Fees & Charges; Regalia Gold Credit Card Fees & Charges (FAQ); HDFC Bank Regalia Gold Key Features (microsite)

Last verified: 5 November 2026

Written by Anjali Bhargawa, reviewed by BankCreds Financial Experts

BankCreds does not sell cards or take applications. Fees and rewards change; the bank's own terms on the day you apply are what count, and approval is the bank's decision.