Is the CUB SalarySe Level Up Credit Card 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
- Shopping card
- No annual fee
- 0.2% base, up to 1% on UPI payments
- Pays in reward points
- UPI payments: 1% back
- online shopping only at SalarySe UPI payments, and online spends made with the Level Up card details, the accelerated rate does not apply to spends routed through any other UPI app: 1% back
- anyone who wants no annual fee, ever
- spending abroad: 2% markup, most cards add 3.5%
- most of your spending is fuel or wallet top-ups: those earn nothing on this card
- you spend a lot on government payments: the card's terms do not state a rate there, so we count nothing
- you rarely spend on UPI payments or SalarySe UPI payments, and online spends made with the Level Up card details, the accelerated rate does not apply to spends routed through any other UPI app: the 1% rate applies only there, everything else earns 0.2%
- you sometimes pay only the minimum due: interest of 3.5% a month (42% a year) outweighs any reward
Your spend a month, by kind
Terms on the normal rate: Base 1 SCoin per ₹100 (0.2%) on UPI via any other app, on any payment under ₹2,000 at a small offline merchant (SalarySe UPI too), and on CUB's base categories (rent, railways, insurance, education, telecom, government, bill-pay MCC 6012, tolls, post office). 5 SCoins = ₹1; 18-month expiry
Also earns nothing on: Jewellery and quasi-cash transactions earn no SCoins.
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) | 1% | No cap | All merchants in the categoryTerms: 1% on SalarySe UPI and online card spends up to ₹20,000 a month, 2% above it. | - |
| Online shopping | 0.2% | No cap | Anywhere else in the category | - |
| Online shopping, only at listed merchants | 1% | No cap | Only at: SalarySe UPI payments, and online spends made with the Level Up card details, the accelerated rate does not apply to spends routed through any other UPI appTerms: Accelerated, 5 SCoins per ₹100 (1%) on SalarySe-UPI and online card spends up to ₹20,000 a month, 10 per ₹100 (2%) above it; not on base categories. Non-salary-day SCoins are capped at 10% of the credit limit a month, counted in SCoins (₹1 lakh limit = 10,000 SCoins, about ₹2,000) | - |
| Dining and food delivery | 0.2% | No cap | The card's normal rate | - |
| Groceries | 0.2% | No cap | The card's normal rate | - |
| Travel: flights, hotels, trains | 0.2% | No cap | The card's normal rate | - |
| Fuel | Earns nothing | - | earns nothing on this card | - |
| Bills and recharges | 0.2% | No cap | The card's normal rate | - |
| Rent | 0.2% | No cap | The card's normal rate | - |
| Insurance premiums | 0.2% | No cap | The card's normal rate | - |
| School and college fees | 0.2% | No cap | The card's normal rate | - |
| Wallet top-ups | Earns nothing | - | earns nothing on this card | - |
| Taxes and government payments | Not stated | - | the card's terms state no rate here; many cards pay nothing on these | - |
| Spend abroad or in a foreign currency | 0.2% | No cap | The card's normal rate | - |
| Everything else | 0.2% | 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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