Is the SBI Prime 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
- Dining card
- ₹3,539 fee a year (with GST)
- Fee waived from ₹25,000 a month
- 0.5% base, up to 2.5% on dining
- 12 lounge visits a year
- Pays in reward points
- dining: 2.5% back, up to ₹1,875 a month
- groceries: 2.5% back, up to ₹1,875 a month
- spending ₹25,000 or more a month: the ₹3,539 fee is waived
- flyers: 12 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 ₹3,539 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 dining or groceries: the 2.5% 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: 2 RP per ₹100 (~0.5%) base. Utility bill standing instructions earn 20 RP per ₹100 up to 3,000 points a month, but SBI closed new Autopay registrations in April 2021, so we do not score it
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 | 0.5% | No cap | The card's normal rate | - |
| Dining and food delivery | 2.5% | ₹1,875 | All merchants in the categoryTerms: 10X (10 RP/₹100, ~2.5% at ₹0.25/point) on dining and movies. SBI caps accelerated points at 7,500 a calendar month ACROSS dining, departmental stores, grocery and movies together, we apply the cap per category, so a spender who maxes two is credited a little high | - |
| Groceries | 2.5% | ₹1,875, shared with other bonus rates | All grocery and departmental stores except Metro Cash & Carry, Reliance Market and Walmart, which SBI names as ineligible for the accelerated rateTerms: 10X (~2.5%) on groceries and departmental stores, sharing the 7,500-point monthly accelerated cap with dining and movies | - |
| Travel: flights, hotels, trains | 0.5% | No cap | The card's normal rate | - |
| 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 | - |
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
Short reads that explain how it works before you decide.
- GuidesBest Credit Cards Under ₹500 a Year in India (2026)Credit cards with an annual fee of ₹500 or less (before GST) in 2026, ranked by the reward rate each bank states, with fee waivers.Read the guide →
GuidesNo-Cost EMI: What It Really Costs You, With a Worked ExampleNo-cost EMI is not a trick, but it is rarely free. Here is where the money goes: the discount you give up, the processing fee, and GST on the interest, worked out on a Rs 30,000 phone.Read the guide →- GuidesBest Online Shopping Credit Cards in India (2026)The credit cards that pay the most back on online shopping in 2026, which sites count, the monthly cap and the annual fee.Read the guide →
