Is the Apollo SBI Card SELECT Worth It?
Enter what you spend where this card pays more, and the benefits you would use. See what it is worth to you in rupees, after its fee.
- 207Cards to check
- FreeCost
- Grocery card
- ₹1,769 fee a year (with GST)
- Fee waived from ₹25,000 a month
- 0.5% base, up to 2% on dining; 10% only at partner merchants
- 4 lounge visits a year
- Pays in reward points
- groceries only at Apollo 24|7, Apollo Pharmacy, Apollo Hospitals & Clinics: 10% back, up to ₹5,000 a month
- dining: 2% back, up to ₹5,000 a month
- spending ₹25,000 or more a month: the ₹1,769 fee is waived
- flyers: 4 airport lounge visits a year
- you spend less than ₹25,000 a month (₹3,00,000 a year, rent and wallet loads not counted): the ₹1,769 fee is then charged
- most of your spending is fuel, rent, wallet top-ups or government payments: those earn nothing on this card
- you rarely spend on Apollo 24|7, Apollo Pharmacy, Apollo Hospitals & Clinics: the 10% rate applies only there, everything else earns 0.5%
- you often pay in foreign currency: 3.5% is added to every foreign spend
- you sometimes pay only the minimum due: interest of 3.75% a month (45% a year) outweighs any reward
Your spend a month, by kind
Terms on the normal rate: 1 Reward Point per Rs. 200 (~0.5%) on all other purchases. Reward Points redeem only as Apollo Health Credits at Re. 1 each
Total on the card: ₹0 a month
Abroad and benefits
Every rate on this card, and what your spend earns
| Spend category | Rate | Monthly cap | Where it applies | Your spend earns |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UPI payments (scan and pay) | 0.5% | No cap | The card's normal rate | - |
| Online shopping | 0.5% | No cap | The card's normal rate | - |
| Dining and food delivery | 2% | ₹5,000, shared with other bonus rates | All merchants in the categoryTerms: 2 Reward Points per ₹100 (~2%) on Dining, Movies & Entertainment and Travel, capped at 5,000 points a statement cycle SHARED across all three, then 1 RP per ₹200; 1 RP = Re.1 | - |
| Groceries | 0.5% | No cap | Anywhere else in the category | - |
| Groceries, only at listed merchants | 10% | ₹5,000 | Only at: Apollo 24|7, Apollo Pharmacy, Apollo Hospitals & ClinicsTerms: 10 RP per ₹100 (~10%) at Apollo 24|7 and Apollo Pharmacy only, capped at 5,000 points a statement cycle, beyond that, 1 RP per ₹200. Paying by UPI at Apollo earns only 1 RP per ₹200, so swipe or tap. 1 RP = 1 Health Credit = Re.1. Mapped to GROCERY as there is no healthcare category | - |
| Travel: flights, hotels, trains | 2% | ₹5,000 | All merchants in the categoryTerms: 2 Reward Points per ₹100 (~2%) on Travel, Dining and Movies & Entertainment; 1 RP = Re.1. The 5,000-point statement-cycle cap covers this tier and the dining row together, ONE ceiling between them, not 5,000 each | - |
| Fuel | Earns nothing | - | earns nothing on this card | - |
| Bills and recharges | 0.5% | No cap | The card's normal rate | - |
| Rent | Earns nothing | - | earns nothing on this card | - |
| Insurance premiums | 0.5% | No cap | The card's normal rate | - |
| School and college fees | 0.5% | No cap | The card's normal rate | - |
| Wallet top-ups | Earns nothing | - | earns nothing on this card | - |
| Taxes and government payments | Earns nothing | - | earns nothing on this card | - |
| Spend abroad or in a foreign currency | 0.5% | No cap | The card's normal rate | - |
| Everything else | 0.5% | No cap | The card's normal rate | - |
Card data sourced via CardAdvisor.in, India Credit Card Facts, CC BY 4.0, adapted by SkyloFin.
Common Questions
When is a credit card worth its annual fee?
When the rewards you actually earn in a year are more than the fee plus 18% GST, or when you spend enough for the bank to waive the fee. This calculator works out both from the card's own published terms.
Why is GST added to the fee?
Card fees carry 18% GST, so a ₹1,000 fee costs ₹1,180. Where the bank already quotes the fee with GST, it is not added twice.
What does 'capped' mean?
Many cards limit the reward you can earn in a month in a category. Spending above the cap earns nothing extra, so the calculator stops counting there.
Is a lifetime free card always better?
Not always. A paid card with higher rewards can leave you with more once you spend enough. The break-even line shows the monthly spend where that starts.
Guides in Plain Words
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