In-depth review
SBI Card MILES
SBI's flexible-miles entry — generic Travel Credits that transfer to 24 airline & hotel partners at up to ₹1 each, with no single-airline lock-in. For the occasional flyer who wants travel rewards without the alliance homework, a sensible low-commitment start. The value hinges entirely on your willingness to transfer (catalogue redemptions crater to ₹0.25), and frequent travellers will outgrow it for a deeper-partnered card.
Read the full review →Key features
What this card is built to do — the highlights that actually matter.
Welcome Benefit
~₹750 in vouchers, points or cashback in year one — conditional on ₹30,000 of spend within 60 days of card set-up
0.5% on Travel
2 Travel Credits per ₹200 on travel (~0.5% at our 50p default, ~1% if you transfer at a good 1:1 ratio); transfer to 24 airline & hotel partners. Credits expire 24 months after they are earned
0.25% on Other
1 Travel Credit per ₹200 on other spend (~0.25% at our 50p default valuation); fuel, rent, utilities, wallet loads, education, insurance, cash advances and EMI all earn nothing
Airport Lounge Access
4 complimentary domestic airport lounge visits a year (max 2 in any quarter), plus 1 extra visit for every ₹1 lakh of spend, up to 8 more a year. Complimentary Priority Pass membership worth $99 free for the first 2 years — the membership only; each Priority Pass visit costs $27 plus taxes
Annual Fee Waiver
Fee of ₹1,499 + 18% GST (₹1,769 all-in)/yr fully waived when you spend ₹6,00,000/year
Fuel Surcharge Waiver
1% waiver on fuel transactions, capped at ₹250/month
Milestone Bonus
~₹2,500 in bonus rewards on hitting annual spend milestones
✈️ TRAVEL BENEFITS
Lounge access, miles, forex rates and travel perks at a glance.
AIRPORT LOUNGE ACCESS
4 visits/yr
Domestic lounges
₹2,000
Estimated annual value
3%
Forex markup
0.5%
Travel reward rate
- Domestic airport lounge access (4 domestic visits/yr, worth ~₹2,000)
For occasional flyers who want flexible, transferable travel rewards without committing to one airline. Transfer to partners for full value; frequent travellers will outgrow it for a deeper-partnered card.
Full reward structure
What you earn on every rupee, per spend category — as of 11 Oct 2026. Rates assume 1 pt = ₹0.50. How we value points →
| Category | Type | Rate | Monthly cap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Travel | airline miles | 0.5%1 pts/₹100 × ₹0.50 | — |
| Other | airline miles | 0.25%0.5 pts/₹100 × ₹0.50 | — |
Travel: 2 Travel Credits per ₹200 on travel (~0.5% at our 50p default, ~1% if you transfer at a good 1:1 ratio); transfer to 24 airline & hotel partners. Credits expire 24 months after they are earned
Other: 1 Travel Credit per ₹200 on other spend (~0.25% at our 50p default valuation); fuel, rent, utilities, wallet loads, education, insurance, cash advances and EMI all earn nothing
Earns nothing on: Fuel · Wallet Loads · Rent · Education · Utility Bills · Insurance · Cash Advances · EMI Conversions
These spends earn no rewards at all — not a reduced rate, and not the base rate. They are also normally left out of any milestone or fee-waiver calculation.
Fees & charges
The numbers that matter beyond rewards — verify on the issuer site before applying. Fees below are shown inclusive of 18% GST, as of 11 Oct 2026.
| Charge | Amount |
|---|---|
| Annual fee (incl. 18% GST) | ₹1,769 |
| Joining fee (incl. 18% GST) | ₹1,769 |
| Finance charge (APR) | 3.75% p.m. |
| Forex markup | 3% |
| Fuel surcharge waiver | 1%, cap ₹250 |
Perks & benefits
Estimated annual value beyond rewards — ~₹6,500/yr in total.
4 complimentary domestic airport lounge visits a year (max 2 in any quarter), plus 1 extra visit for every ₹1 lakh of spend, up to 8 more a year. Complimentary Priority Pass membership worth $99 free for the first 2 years — the membership only; each Priority Pass visit costs $27 plus taxes
5,000 bonus Travel Credits on ₹5 lakh of annual spend
1% fuel surcharge waiver on transactions of ₹500–₹3,000 at all petrol pumps, capped at ₹250 per statement cycle. Fuel spends still earn no Travel Credits
Spend milestone
- ₹5,00,000 a year₹2,500 of value
Should you get it?
- Best for: Occasional flyer (4-6 flights/year), Does not want airline-specific loyalty lock-in, SBI account holder starting travel rewards journey, Stepping stone before upgrading to a premium travel card
- Mid tier — a solid all-rounder for steady monthly spend.
- Strongest value if you spend heavily on Travel (0.5% back).
- Frequent travellers benefit from the included airport lounge access.
Pros & cons
✓ Pros
- Earns flexible travel credits redeemable for flights and hotels via SBI Card portal
- Not locked to a single airline — credits can be used across multiple carriers
- Good entry point into travel rewards for SBI customers
- Low ₹1,499 annual fee for a travel-focused card
✕ Cons
- Travel portal redemption values lower than direct airline miles programmes
- Not a true airline co-brand — lacks the partner benefits of Air India or IndiGo cards
- ₹1,499 annual fee, and the ₹6 lakh spend needed to waive it is steep for an entry travel card
- Only 4 complimentary domestic lounge visits a year, and the Priority Pass membership carries no free visits — each one costs $27 plus taxes
- The 1,500-credit welcome needs ₹30,000 of spend within 60 days of issuance; it is not unconditional
- Travel Credits expire 24 months after they are earned
Eligibility & documents
Documents required
- 📄PAN card
- 📄Aadhaar / address proof
- 📄Income proof (salary slips or ITR)
How to redeem rewards
Ways to convert what you earn into real value.
- 🎁Convert Travel Credits to partner airline miles and hotel points up to 1:1
- 🎁Redeem Travel Credits for flight and hotel bookings
- 🎁Travel Credits expire 24 months after the date they are earned
What your SBI Card Travel Credits are worth
Realistic value per point by redemption route — the difference is what most people leave on the table.
₹0.50 per Travel Credit against travel bookings — the realistic default if you never transfer
₹0.25 per credit — the floor
The reason to hold the card: 24 partners, and unlike most Indian banks the transfer genuinely doubles value rather than destroying it (₹1/credit at 1:1 against ₹0.50 in the portal). Ratios are identical across Miles, Miles Prime and Miles Elite — those three differ only in EARN rate, not conversion. Twelve partners convert 1:1 (Air India, Aeroplan, BA, Cathay, Qantas, Thai, Vietnam, SpiceJet, AirAsia, IHG, Wyndham, Radisson — Etihad Guest left the table in August 2026 and Air France-KLM Flying Blue on 23 September 2026); Air Arabia, Emirates, Ethiopian, JAL, Saudia, Turkish, United, Accor, Club ITC and Jumeirah One are 2:1. edges.yml models 22 of the 24: Air Arabia has no researched point value, and Orchid's ratio is unreadable in SBI's PDF. Do not read the ratio as the value: Shangri-La at 6:1 is the BEST route on the card (~₹1.07/credit, because a Shangri-La point is worth ~₹6.40), while AirAsia at 1:1 is the worst (~₹0.20). Transfers are FINAL, and Travel Credits accumulate for a maximum of 24 months.
✈ Transfer partners
Direct transfers from this card only, ranked by what a point is worth in the destination programme — plus 14 more partners. Full calculator, every currency →
Full value needs partner transfers (catalogue redemption is only ₹0.25), and fuel, rent, utilities, wallet loads and insurance earn nothing — so the effective return is narrower than the headline.
Frequently asked questions
Does it charge extra for dynamic currency conversion?
How does SBI Miles earn?
What lounge access does it give?
What is the welcome gift and how do I get it?
What is the forex markup?
How has the SBI Card MILES changed over time?
Has the SBI Card MILES been devalued recently?
How did the SBI Card MILES change in 2026?
The bottom line
A sensible low-commitment start for the occasional flyer: Travel Credits transfer to 24 airline & hotel partners at up to ₹1 each with no single-airline lock-in. But the value lives entirely in transferring — redeem in the catalogue and credits crater to ₹0.25 — and several everyday categories are excluded, so frequent travellers will outgrow it for a deeper-partnered card.
How this page was built
Counted from this card’s own record: 2 earn rules, the spends listed as earning nothing and 3 recorded perks. The renewal fee is conditional — it is waived on a published spend target, so the fee you pay depends on what you spend.
Last updated 11 Oct 2026.
Sources & verification
Fees, reward rates, and benefits for the SBI Card MILES are taken from SBI Card's official Most Important Terms & Conditions (MITC) and fee schedule — see the card's official page. Last updated 11 Oct 2026. Reviewed by Devchandra Sah. Always confirm current details on the issuer's site before applying. How we research →
Independence. CardAdvisor is an independent editorial publication. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, sponsored by, or authorised to act for SBI Card. All issuer names, product names, and payment-network marks are the property of their respective owners and appear here for identification and comparison only. Card faces shown on this site are our own original illustrations — we do not display or host issuer card artwork or logos.
Compare head-to-head
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Read more
Guides and reviews related to this card.
SBI Card MILES
SBI's flexible-miles entry — generic Travel Credits that transfer to 24 airline & hotel partners at up to ₹1 each, with no single-airline lock-in. For the occasional flyer who wants travel rewards without the alliance homework, a sensible low-commitment start. The value hinges entirely on your willingness to transfer (catalogue redemptions crater to ₹0.25), and frequent travellers will outgrow it for a deeper-partnered card.
Air India SBI Signature Card
DISCONTINUED for new applicants (SBI closed its Air India co-branded cards from 10 Oct 2024, post-Vistara merger; existing holders keep benefits). For reference: a focused co-brand for people who actually fly Air India: 10 Reward Points per ₹100 on Air India tickets, points that convert 1:1 to Maharaja Points, and a 20,000-point welcome. The ₹4,999 fee and modest 4-point base rate mean it only pays off if Air India is your regular airline.
SBI Card Miles Elite
SBI's flagship flexible-miles card: 6 Travel Credits per ₹200 on travel (~1.5% at our 50-paisa value, up to ~3% on good 1:1 transfers), a low 1.99% forex markup, Priority Pass, and a full fee reversal at ₹15 lakh spend. A genuine premium travel card for high spenders who transfer points — overkill for anyone who won't.
Air India SBI Platinum Credit Card
A card caught mid-transformation — closed to new applications for an extended period, with the loyalty programme underneath it completely rebuilt (Flying Returns gone, Maharaja Club in) and a refreshed co-brand reportedly in development to replace it. For existing holders who fly Air India, a reasonable hold while the programme stabilises. For everyone else, the smart move is to wait for the new card.
SBI Card MILES PRIME
The middle child of SBI's Miles family: 4 Travel Credits per ₹200 on travel (~1% at our 50-paisa value, up to ~2% on good 1:1 transfers), a 2.50% forex markup, Priority Pass and a fee reversal at ₹10 lakh spend. A sensible step up from the base MILES for regular flyers who don't spend enough to justify the Elite.
IRCTC SBI Card Premier
A rare card built specifically around railway booking — 8% value back on AC-class tickets (SBI's T&C pays 10 reward points per ₹125, not the ₹100 IRCTC advertises) plus railway-station lounge access for ₹1,499. For the crores of Indians whose intercity travel is rail, it's one of a handful of cards built around that reality, and the richer of SBI's two IRCTC cards; a regular AC traveller recovers its fee within months. Off-rail earning is ordinary and points redeem only against IRCTC tickets, so pair it with a generalist.
SBI Card ELITE
The ELITE was always a membership portfolio more than a rewards card — and in 2026 the Vistara-Air India merger pulled the Trident and Club Vistara status memberships out. What remains is quietly decent: a low ~1.99% forex, 6 international Priority Pass visits, 5X on everyday categories, and milestones worth up to ₹12,500. It's now a travel-leaning card for the internationally-mobile SBI customer.
Club Vistara SBI Card
Discontinued. This entry Vistara co-brand earned 3 CV Points per ₹200 on all spends, a complimentary Economy-class air-ticket voucher at annual-spend milestones, lounge access and Priority Pass. Vistara merged into Air India in November 2024; the card is closed to new applicants and holders were migrated to Air India. Kept for reference.
Doctor's SBI Card (in Association with IMA)
A niche card for registered doctors: its standout is a Rs.20 lakh professional indemnity cover and IMA association, not its rewards. The 5X on medical, travel and international spend is decent, but base earning is a thin ~0.25%. Worth it mainly for the indemnity protection, not as an everyday rewards card.
Doctor's SBI Card
A profession-specific card for registered doctors whose real draw is a Rs.20 lakh professional indemnity cover, not its rewards. You get 5X points on medical, travel and international spend but only ~0.25% on everything else. Worth it for the indemnity protection; weak as a general rewards card.
Club Vistara SBI Card PRIME
Discontinued. This premium Vistara co-brand earned 4 CV Points per ₹200 on all spends, a complimentary Premium Economy air-ticket voucher at annual-spend milestones, lounge access and Priority Pass. Vistara merged into Air India in November 2024; the card is closed to new applicants and holders were migrated to Air India. Kept for reference.
KrisFlyer SBI Card
The ₹2,999 mid-tier KrisFlyer co-brand: 5 miles per ₹200 on Singapore Airlines and international spends, miles credited straight to KrisFlyer, a 3,000-mile welcome and an easy fast-track to Elite Silver. A reasonable pick for occasional SIA flyers who want to build KrisFlyer Miles without the Apex's ₹9,999 fee.
IRCTC SBI Platinum Card
A ₹500 co-brand for train travellers: 8% value back on IRCTC AC-class tickets (SBI advertises "up to 10%"; its own terms pay 10 points per ₹125, not ₹100), 4 railway lounge visits a year, and a 500-point renewal bonus worth most of the fee. Great if you book rail often — weak at almost everything else.
IndiGo SBI Card ELITE
India's biggest airline finally has a premium co-brand: 7 BluChips per ₹100 on IndiGo bookings (roughly 2.9%), both domestic and international lounges, and up to 24,000 milestone BluChips a year. Launched September 2025, it's a strong pick for frequent IndiGo flyers and ordinary for everyone else.
IndiGo SBI Card
The low-fee entry into IndiGo's BluChips rewards, launched September 2025: 3 BluChips per ₹100 on IndiGo bookings, a 2,500-BluChip welcome, up to 7,500 milestone BluChips and 4 domestic lounge visits, all for ₹1,499. A sensible starter for occasional IndiGo flyers who don't need international lounges.
Air India Maharaja Club 2026: The Big Revaluation, the Vistara Merger, and What It Means for Your Points
Air India's loyalty programme has changed more in two years than in the previous twenty: Flying Returns rebuilt around spend-based earning, Club Vistara folded in after the 2024 merger, then a sweeping 1 April 2026 award-chart revaluation that cut most economy redemption prices while raising premium-cabin ones. It covers the new Maharaja Club end to end — tiers, earning, who won and lost, Star Alliance sweet spots, feeding points from Indian credit cards, and the old Vistara cards.
Value timeline
Every real-world change to this card's rewards, fees and benefits we've tracked — newest first, each linked to its source.
Tracking since 2024 · last change Sept 2026
2026
- ▼ TransferEffective 23 Sept 2026
Air France-KLM Flying Blue removed as a transfer partner
Flying Blue at 1:1; 17 airline partners + 8 hotel partners (25 total)→Flying Blue removed; 16 airline partners + 8 hotel partners (24 total)
SBI dropped Air France-KLM Flying Blue from the MILES-family transfer table with no customer notice we could find. The archived copy of 4 August 2026 lists it as airline row 4 at 1:1; the PDF SBI re-issued on 23 September 2026 does not mention Flying Blue, Air France or KLM anywhere and lists 16 airlines. The change therefore lands between 4 August and 23 September 2026, dated here to the day the new PDF was created. Hotel partners are untouched at 8 and no other ratio moved. Applies identically to MILES, MILES PRIME and Miles Elite, because SBI publishes one transfer table for all three. Aeroplan, British Airways, Cathay and Qantas remain at 1:1 for the same kind of long-haul redemption.
Verification: SBI Card ↗ · Confidence: Reconstructed
- ▼ TransferEffective 13 Aug 2026
Etihad Guest removed as a transfer partner
Etihad Guest at 1:1; 18 airline partners + 8 hotel partners (26 total)→Etihad Guest removed; 17 airline partners + 8 hotel partners (25 total)
SBI retired Etihad Guest from the MILES-family transfer table with no customer notice we could find. Pinned on both sides: the Wayback capture of 4 Aug 2026 still lists it as airline row 8, "Etihad Airways / Etihad Guest / 1:1", among 18 airlines, while the live PDF read on 15 Aug 2026 contains the string "Etihad" zero times across all seven pages and lists 17. The change therefore lands between 4 and 13 August 2026, narrower than the 30 Jul–13 Aug window first recorded. Hotel partners are untouched at 8 and no other ratio moved. Applies identically to MILES, MILES PRIME and Miles Elite — SBI publishes one transfer table with no per-card qualifier; the three differ in earn rate only. WARNING FOR ANYONE RE-READING THE RAW DIFF: its excerpts appear to say Cathay Pacific was removed. That is an artefact of the renumbering (old rows 9-18 became 8-17) mis-pairing chunks — Cathay is still row 7 and still transfers at 1:1.
Verification: SBI Card ↗ · Confidence: High
2024
- ◆ LaunchEffective 23 Apr 2024
SBI Card MILES launched
SBI Card launched its inaugural travel-centric family, MILES, in Mumbai; the base SBI Card MILES is the ₹1,499 entry variant earning 2 Travel Credits per ₹200 on travel (~1%) and 1 per ₹200 elsewhere (~0.5%), with a 1,500-credit welcome on ₹30,000 spend in 60 days and credits transferable to 20+ airline and hotel partners at up to 1:1.
Verification: SBI Card ↗ · Confidence: High
Each change links to the issuer's own document — bank T&C, MITC, notice, press release or product page — where one is public. Where the bank published nothing, it's marked CardAdvisor Research and verified against the card's current terms. Independent of the live terms shown above. This timeline is one card's slice of our market-wide change record across every tracked card.
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Source: <a href="https://cardadvisor.in/cards/sbi-miles#value-timeline">SBI Card MILES value timeline</a>, CardAdvisor (CC BY 4.0).
Terms & reward changes
Tracked updates to this card's fees, rewards and benefits — newest first.
- ➖ Benefit removedEffective 23 Sept 2026
SBI Card removed Air France-KLM Flying Blue from the MILES-family transfer partners (terms re-issued 23 Sep 2026). Travel Credits still transfer to the other airline and hotel partners.
- ➖ Benefit removedEffective 13 Aug 2026
Etihad Guest has been removed from the SBI Card MILES transfer-partner table. Travel Credits can no longer be converted to Etihad Guest miles (previously 1:1); airline partners drop from 18 to 17, 25 partners in all. Verified against SBI's rewards T&C of August 2026 - the earlier table still listed Etihad on 4 August, the current one does not. If you hold Travel Credits earmarked for Etihad, they remain redeemable via the other 24 partners or SBI's travel portal.
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