SBI Card ELITE Review: Is the ₹4,999 Fee Worth It in 2026?

SBI Card ELITE is a ₹4,999 (plus GST) lifestyle card that earns 10 Reward Points per ₹100 on dining, departmental stores and groceries, adds up to 50,000 milestone points a year and charges a 1.99% forex markup. Each point is worth ₹0.25 as statement credit, so the card covers its fee only for people who spend around ₹30,000 a month or more and actually use the lounges and the movie offer.

Abhishek Kumar By Abhishek Kumar · Content Writer Updated 5 November 2026 Reviewed by BankCreds Financial Experts

Key facts

Joining fee
₹4,999 + GST
Annual fee
₹4,999 + GST. Renewal fee waived off on annual spends of Rs. 10 lakh or more in the preceding year
Base reward
2 Reward Points per Rs (about 0.5% value)
Best category
Dining, departmental stores and grocery: about 2.5% value
Lounge
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
Forex markup
1.99% of the amount
Network
Visa, Mastercard, American Express
Apply on SBI Card's site

Opens the bank's own page for this card. Approval and the credit limit are the bank's decision.

In short

A solid mid-premium card for regular diners, grocery spenders and occasional foreign travellers, but the ₹10 lakh waiver and 0.5% base rate make it costly for light users.

Best for

  • Families spending ₹10,000 or more a month on dining and groceries
  • People who fly a few times a year and want lounges without a spend condition
  • Occasional foreign travellers who want a 1.99% markup instead of 3.5%

Skip it if

  • You spend less than ₹25,000 a month on the card
  • Most of your spending falls outside dining, groceries and departmental stores

Highlights

  • Annual fee ₹4,999 plus GST, waived at ₹10 lakh of yearly spend
  • 10 points per ₹100 (2.5%) on dining, departmental stores and groceries
  • Up to 50,000 milestone points (₹12,500) a year
  • 8 domestic and 6 international lounge visits a year
  • Forex markup 1.99%

Who SBI Card ELITE is made for

ELITE sits one step below SBI Card's top-end AURUM and is meant for peoples who eat out, buy groceries in bulk and travel a few times a year. SBI Cards and Payment Services Limited offers it on Visa, Mastercard or American Express. The ₹4,999 fee is high for a card where most spends earn only 0.5%, so the value depend on using its three or four big benefits rather than the base rate. The whole SBI range is on our SBI Card page.

What you get for the fee

  • 5X on three categories. Dining, departmental stores and grocery earn 10 points per ₹100, worth 2.5%, up to 10,000 points a calendar month.
  • Milestone points. 10,000 at ₹3 lakh, 10,000 more at ₹4 lakh, 15,000 at ₹5 lakh and 15,000 at ₹8 lakh of yearly spend, 50,000 in all, which SBI Card values at ₹12,500.
  • Travel extras. 2 domestic lounge visits every quarter, 6 Priority Pass visits a year abroad, and a 1.99% forex markup.
  • Welcome and movies. A ₹5,000 e-gift voucher once the fee is paid, and up to ₹6,000 a year off BookMyShow tickets.

Changes from 2024 to 2026

Like most SBI cards, ELITE stopped giving points on rent from 1 April 2024, on government payments from 1 June 2024 and on digital gaming from 1 December 2024. The more bigger loss was insurance: the free ₹1 crore air accident cover was discontinued from 15 July 2025. Since 1 April 2026, statement credit redemptions come in 4,000-point blocks, up to 60,000 a month.

Status: active and open to new applicants. A secured ELITE Advantage version against an SBI fixed deposit also listed at the same ₹4,999 fee. Our credit cards section has other premium options.

Frequently asked questions

What is the SBI Card ELITE annual fee and can it be waived?
ELITE charges ₹4,999 on joining and ₹4,999 a year from the second year, plus 18% GST, so ₹5,898.82. The renewal fee is waived if you spent ₹10 lakh or more in the previous year, roughly ₹83,334 a month. In the first year a ₹5,000 welcome e-gift voucher arrives after the fee is paid, and add-on cards are free.
What are SBI Card ELITE reward points worth?
A point is worth ₹0.25 when redeemed against your bill, at 4 points per ₹1. So the 10 points per ₹100 on dining, departmental stores and groceries return 2.5%, and the 2 points per ₹100 elsewhere return 0.5%. Bill credit has worked only in lots of 4,000 points since 1 April 2026, and each request costs ₹99 plus GST.
What income do I need for SBI Card ELITE?
SBI Card does not publish a minimum income for ELITE and asks only for a stable income. Its card finder places the card under a monthly income filter of 1 lakh to 2 lakh, but that is a browsing aid, not a rule. Applicants must be 21 or older if salaried, and approval depends on SBI Card's own assessment.
How many airport lounge visits does SBI Card ELITE give?
ELITE gives 2 complimentary domestic lounge visits every quarter, 8 a year, and 6 international visits a calendar year through a Priority Pass membership, with at most 2 a quarter. SBI Card states no spend condition for these. Priority Pass visits beyond the free ones cost up to USD 27 plus taxes each, and the membership is valid for 2 years.
Does SBI Card ELITE still include air accident insurance?
No. The complimentary air accident cover of ₹1 crore on ELITE was discontinued from 15 July 2025. The card's terms still mention fraud liability cover of up to ₹1 lakh for losses from fraudulent use of the card. If you relied on the old air cover, you will need a separate travel or life policy.
How does the ELITE BookMyShow movie offer work?
On BookMyShow you get ₹500 off or the cost of 2 tickets, whichever is less, for up to 2 tickets a month. Used every month that adds up to the ₹6,000 a year SBI Card advertises. It works only on the primary card, and the convenience fee is still payable, so the real saving depends on how often you watch films.

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); SBI Card ELITE product page (page content served from SBI Card's card data file); SBI Card credit card listing (data feed behind the 'Credit Cards' listing page and card finder); SBI Card credit cards listing page, 'Get ready to apply' checklist (content file /templatedata/common/content-tab); SBI Card credit cards listing page, 'Get ready to apply' checklist; SBI Card credit cards listing page FAQ (content file /templatedata/common/faq)

Last verified: 5 November 2026

Written by Abhishek Kumar, 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.

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