Is the Doctor's SBI 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
- International card
- ₹1,769 fee a year (with GST)
- Fee waived from ₹16,667 a month
- 0.25% base, up to 1.25% on foreign spends
- 8 lounge visits a year
- Pays in reward points
- travel only at Travel agencies & tour operators: 1.25% back
- foreign spends: 1.25% back
- spending ₹16,667 or more a month: the ₹1,769 fee is waived
- flyers: 8 airport lounge visits a year
- you spend less than ₹16,667 a month (₹2,00,000 a year, rent and wallet loads not counted): the ₹1,769 fee is then charged
- most of your spending is fuel, rent or wallet top-ups: those earn nothing on this card
- you pay mostly by UPI: a Visa or Mastercard card cannot pay by UPI
- 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 Travel agencies & tour operators or foreign spends: the 1.25% rate applies only there, everything else earns 0.25%
- 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.100 on other spends (~0.25% at 4 RP = Re.1). Plus 5X (5 RP per Rs.100) on medical supplies and on all spends on Doctor's Day (1 July).
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) | Earns nothing | - | a Visa or Mastercard card cannot pay by UPI | - |
| Online shopping | 0.25% | No cap | The card's normal rate | - |
| Dining and food delivery | 0.25% | No cap | The card's normal rate | - |
| Groceries | 0.25% | No cap | The card's normal rate | - |
| Travel: flights, hotels, trains | 0.25% | No cap | Anywhere else in the category | - |
| Travel: flights, hotels, trains, only at listed merchants | 1.25% | No cap | Only at: Travel agencies & tour operators (MCC 4722)Terms: 5X Reward Points (5 RP per ₹100, ~1.25%) on travel AGENTS and tour operators only, MCC 4722. Booking direct with an airline, hotel or railway earns the 1 RP base. This card's own T&C booklet publishes no monthly cap; the IMA sibling's booklet caps the same earn at 7,500 RP a month. | - |
| Fuel | Earns nothing | - | earns nothing on this card | - |
| Bills and recharges | 0.25% | No cap | The card's normal rate | - |
| Rent | Earns nothing | - | earns nothing on this card | - |
| Insurance premiums | 0.25% | No cap | The card's normal rate | - |
| School and college fees | 0.25% | 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 | 1.25% | No cap | All merchants in the categoryTerms: 5X Reward Points on international spends (5 RP per ₹100, ~1.25% at 4 RP = Re.1). This card's own T&C booklet publishes no monthly cap; the IMA sibling's booklet caps the same earn at 7,500 RP a month. | - |
| Everything else | 0.25% | 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.
