Is the IRCTC SBI Card Premier 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
- Travel card
- ₹1,769 fee a year (with GST)
- Fee waived from ₹16,667 a month
- 0.8% base, up to 2.4% on dining; 8% only at partner merchants
- Some lounge visits a year
- Pays in reward points
- travel only at IRCTC: 8% back
- dining: 2.4% back
- spending ₹16,667 or more a month: the ₹1,769 fee is waived
- flyers: some 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, wallet top-ups or government payments: those earn nothing on this card
- you pay mostly by UPI: a Visa or Mastercard card cannot pay by UPI
- you rarely spend on IRCTC: the 8% rate applies only there, everything else earns 0.8%
- you often pay in foreign currency: 3.5% is added to every foreign spend
Your spend a month, by kind
Terms on the normal rate: 1 RP per ₹125 (~0.8%) base. SBI sweeps the whole point balance to your IRCTC loyalty account on the 15th of each month, where 1 point is worth ₹1 against a ticket, so the catalogue rate never applies. Worth ₹1 only if you actually book AC rail
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 | 0.8% | No cap | The card's normal rate | - |
| Dining and food delivery | 2.4% | No cap | All merchants in the categoryTerms: 3 RP per ₹125 (~2.4%) on dining and on utility bills paid by STANDING INSTRUCTION, SBI pays this on auto-debits, not one-off utility payments | - |
| Groceries | 0.8% | No cap | The card's normal rate | - |
| Travel: flights, hotels, trains | 0.8% | No cap | Anywhere else in the category | - |
| Travel: flights, hotels, trains, only at listed merchants | 8% | No cap | Only at: IRCTCTerms: SBI's Travel Reward Point Calculation clause says 10 points per ₹125 (8%) on AC tickets; a customer-help FAQ in the SAME booklet says 10 per ₹100 (10%), the calculation clause governs. Air and e-catering earn 5 RP per ₹125 (4%), capped 750 pts/cycle. Plus a 1% railway transaction-charge saving | - |
| Fuel | Earns nothing | - | earns nothing on this card | - |
| Bills and recharges | 2.4% | No cap | All merchants in the categoryTerms: 3 RP per ₹125 (~2.4%) on utility bills paid by standing instruction. One-off utility payments earn the base rate | - |
| Rent | Earns nothing | - | earns nothing on this card | - |
| Insurance premiums | 0.8% | No cap | The card's normal rate | - |
| School and college fees | 0.8% | 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 | 0.8% | No cap | The card's normal rate | - |
| Everything else | 0.8% | 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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