
State Bank of India
IRCTC SBI Card Premier
Data last verified: 11 October 2026
- Joining fee₹1,499 + GST
- Annual fee₹1,499 + GST
- Reward rate0.8% base, up to 2.4% on dining; 8% only at partner merchants
Takes you straight to the application. We earn a commission if you are approved, and you pay nothing extra.
- Joining fee₹1,499 + GST
- Annual fee₹1,499 + GST
- Fee waiverOn ₹2 lakh spend a year
- Forex markup3.5%
- Fuel surcharge waiver1%
- Fuel waiver cap₹250 a month
01IRCTC SBI Card Premier Rewards and Benefits
02IRCTC SBI Card Premier Annual Fee and Charges
- Joining fee
- ₹1,499 + GST
- Annual fee
- ₹1,499 + GST
- Spend-based waiver
- Annual fee waived on ₹2 lakh spend in a year (rent and wallet loads not counted)
- Rewards redemption fee
- Nil
- Forex markup
- 3.5%
- Interest rate
- Not published
- Fuel surcharge waiver
- Yes, up to ₹250 a month
- Card replacement
- Not published
03What It's Worth, in Rupees
If you spend ₹20,000 a month on this card:
- ₹5,000 on dining and food delivery, earning 2.4%₹120
- ₹15,000 on everything else, earning 0.8%₹120
- Back each month, ₹2,880 a year₹240
- Annual fee with 18% GST (waived at this spend)₹0
- In your pocket each year₹2,880
Worked out from this card's reward rates, caps and fee in our data; a rate limited to named merchants is not counted here. Your own spending will differ: see what this card is worth at your spend.
Good for
- 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
Skip it if…
- 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
04How IRCTC SBI Card Premier earns Rewards
0.8% base, up to 2.4% on dining; 8% only at partner merchants.
| Spend category | Rate | Monthly cap | Where it applies |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
Terms on the base 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
05IRCTC SBI Card Premier Travel Benefits
Railway lounges: 8 visits a year. 8 complimentary railway lounge visits a year (2 per quarter) at participating stations. Spending abroad carries a 3.5% forex markup; rewards on it: 0.8% back (the normal rate). See what it costs on your trip
Also on the card. fuel surcharge waiver, insurance cover, airport lounge access.
- Fuel surcharge waiver: 1% fuel surcharge waiver on transactions of ₹500 to ₹4,000, capped at ₹250 per statement cycle
- Insurance cover: ₹50 lakh air accident cover (United India Insurance) and ₹1 lakh fraud liability cover. The ₹10 lakh RAIL accident cover was withdrawn on 26 July 2025; the air cover was not
06Recent Changes
What State Bank of India changed on this card recently. The facts on this page already reflect them.
| Date | Change | Before | Now |
|---|---|---|---|
| 26 Jul 2025 | Reduced: Rail accident cover withdrawnSource: State Bank of India | Air ₹50 lakh + Rail ₹10 lakh cover | Air ₹50 lakh retained; Rail ₹10 lakh withdrawn |
| 26 Dec 2024 | Changed: Value-back now credited on the complete bookingSource: State Bank of India | Cardholder's fare only | Complete booking |
| 15 Jul 2024 | Reduced: Government transactions stop earning reward pointsSource: State Bank of India | Earned | Excluded |
| 15 Apr 2024 | Reduced: Rent payments stop earning reward pointsSource: State Bank of India | Earned | Excluded |
| 11 Jun 2020 | Reduced: Railway booking surcharge waiver cut to 1%Source: State Bank of India | Higher waiver | 1% |
See this card's change history → · All card changes in July 2025 →
07Cards Similar to IRCTC SBI Card Premier
IRCTC SBI Card Premier is a travel card. The two below are the closest on SkyloFin; open any of them, or put them side by side.
| Feature | IRCTC SBI Card Premier | Federal Scapia Credit card | IDFC FIRST Millennia Credit Card |
|---|---|---|---|
| Joining fee | ₹1,499 + GST | Lifetime free | Lifetime free |
| Annual fee | ₹1,499 + GST | Lifetime free | Lifetime free |
| Rewards | 0.8% base, up to 2.4% on dining; 8% only at partner merchants | 2% on most spends; 4% only at partner merchants | 0.38% base, up to 1.25% on dining |
| Domestic lounge | Not included | Unlimited | Not included |
| Forex markup | 3.5% | 0% | 0% |
| Type | Travel | Travel | Dining |
08Explore More
Card facts last verified 11 October 2026.
Card data sourced via CardAdvisor.in, India Credit Card Facts, CC BY 4.0, adapted by SkyloFin.
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Common Questions
What is the joining fee for the IRCTC SBI Card Premier?
The joining fee is ₹1,499 + GST. Check the bank's page before you apply, because fees change and promotional waivers come and go.
What is the annual fee for the IRCTC SBI Card Premier?
The annual fee is ₹1,499 + GST.
Does applying through SkyloFin cost more?
No. You pay the same fees you would pay applying directly with State Bank of India. We earn a commission from the bank when someone applies through our link, and that is how the site is funded.
SkyloFin is not a bank and does not approve applications. Fees, rewards and eligibility rules are set by the provider and can change without notice. Always read the terms on the provider's site before you apply.
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 →






