COMPARE
IDFC FIRST Classic Credit Card vs SBI SimplySAVE Credit Card
On net annual value, IDFC FIRST Classic comes out ahead for online shoppers, frequent travellers and high spenders (by up to ₹21,233 a year), and SBI SimplySAVE for everyday spenders (by ₹509 a year). IDFC FIRST Classic is lifetime free against a ₹499 annual fee, includes spend-linked railway lounge visits and charges no forex markup against 3.5%. Figures as of .
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Who comes out ahead — by how you spend
Estimated net annual value for four typical spend profiles: the rewards each card earns on that spend (a merchant or portal bonus only on the share of spend it plausibly reaches), plus the perks and milestone bonuses that spender would use, less any annual fee the spend does not waive (with GST) and the forex markup on spending abroad. Lounge access carries no rupee value here.
| Spender | IDFC FIRST Classic Credit Card | SBI SimplySAVE Credit Card |
|---|---|---|
Everyday spender ≈ ₹40k/mo across groceries, bills, dining and fuel | ₹3,225/yr | ₹3,734/yr✓ +₹509/yr |
Online shopper ≈ ₹60k/mo, mostly e-commerce and subscriptions | ₹4,215/yr✓ +₹272/yr | ₹3,943/yr |
Frequent traveller ≈ ₹1.2L/mo with heavy travel and forex spend | ₹11,175/yr✓ +₹12,689/yr | −₹1,514/yr |
High spender ≈ ₹2.5L/mo across every category | ₹19,010/yr✓ +₹21,233/yr | −₹2,223/yr |
Illustrative profiles, not a personalised result — your categories decide the real winner. Run these two on my spending →
What your points are actually worth
A point's headline value means little without the earn rate behind it. Here's the real math — the value of a point by how you redeem it, the resulting return by category, and the net rupees for your own spend.
| Value of one point, by route | IDFC FIRST Classic Credit CardIDFC Reward Points | SBI SimplySAVE Credit CardSBI Reward Points |
|---|---|---|
| Cash / statement credit | ₹0.25BEST | ₹0.25BEST |
| Gift vouchers | ₹0.25BEST | ₹0.25BEST |
Return by categoryearn rate × point value
Headline reward rate per category, before monthly caps.
Your spend, head to head
Enter your monthly spend — net value is the annual rewards after the card fee, at each card's best realistic redemption (our recommender's model, caps and fee-waivers included).
Total ₹60,000/mo · ₹7,20,000/yr
Want the money-first pick across your whole wallet? Run the recommender →
| IDFC FIRST Classic Credit Card | SBI SimplySAVE Credit Card | |
|---|---|---|
| Fees | ||
| Joining fee | Free | ₹499 |
| Annual fee | Lifetime free ✓ | ₹499/yr |
| Annual fee — all-in (incl. 18% GST) | Free ✓ | ₹589 |
| Fee waiver at | Lifetime free | ₹1,00,000/yr spend |
| Welcome benefit | ~₹500 | ~₹500 |
| Rewards | ||
| Best everyday reward | 1.25% on Dining | 1.67% on Dining ✓ |
| Dining | 1.25% | 1.67% ✓ |
| Groceries | 0.38% | 1.67% ✓ |
| Base rate — other spends | 0.38% ✓ | 0.17% |
| Travel | 1.25% ✓ | 0.17% |
| Utility Bills | 0.13% | 0.17% ✓ |
| Charges | ||
| Forex markup | 0% ✓ | 3.5% |
| Finance charge | 0.71% p.m. | 3.75% p.m. |
| Cash advance | — | — |
| Add-on card | — | — |
| Perks | ||
| fuel waiver | ~₹500/yr · 1% fuel-surcharge waiver on fuel transactions between ₹200 and ₹5,000, capped at ₹200 per statement cycle | ~₹600/yr · 1% fuel surcharge waiver (up to ₹100/month) |
| insurance | ~₹500/yr · Personal accident cover of ₹2 lakh and lost-card liability of ₹25,000 (valid with at least one transaction in the last 30 days), plus complimentary roadside assistance worth ₹1,399 up to 4 times a year | — |
| lounge access | ~₹2,400/yr · 4 complimentary railway lounge visits per quarter, unlocked by ₹20,000 of spend in the prior calendar month | — |
| movie ticket | ~₹600/yr · 25% off up to ₹100 on movie tickets once a month (via the District app), when spend-active the previous month | — |
| Eligibility | ||
| Min income | ₹25,000/mo | — |
| Min age | — | — |
| UPI linked | — | — |
| Expert rating | 4.4 / 5 ✓ | 3.8 / 5 |
Reward rates above are the realistic value you keep — points earned × what a point is worth at each card's own best redemption, before monthly caps — so cards with different point values compare fairly. Bank-portal accelerators (earned only by booking through the issuer's own portal, on a slice of spend) are bounded upside, listed separately here rather than blended into the everyday rates.
Which should you pick?
Choose the IDFC FIRST Classic Credit Card if you want strong rewards on dining at a lower annual fee. Consider the SBI SimplySAVE Credit Card if you spend more on dining. Your actual best card depends on how you spend — run your numbers below.
IDFC FIRST Classic Credit Card vs SBI SimplySAVE Credit Card — FAQs
Which has a lower annual fee, IDFC FIRST Classic Credit Card or SBI SimplySAVE Credit Card?
As of 27 Oct 2026, IDFC FIRST Classic has the lower annual fee: nothing, as it is lifetime free, against ₹499 (₹589 with 18% GST) on SBI SimplySAVE. SBI SimplySAVE waives its fee after ₹1,00,000 of spend in a card year.
Do IDFC FIRST Classic Credit Card and SBI SimplySAVE Credit Card offer airport lounge access?
As of 27 Oct 2026, neither IDFC FIRST Classic nor SBI SimplySAVE includes airport lounge access. IDFC FIRST Classic has no airport lounge access in our catalogue, only 4 railway lounge visits a quarter, unlocked by ₹20,000 of spend in the previous month. For spending abroad, IDFC FIRST Classic adds no forex markup, against 3.5% on SBI SimplySAVE.
Which card has lower forex markup, IDFC FIRST Classic Credit Card or SBI SimplySAVE Credit Card?
As of 27 Oct 2026, IDFC FIRST Classic has the lower forex markup: none at all, against 3.5% on SBI SimplySAVE. With 18% GST on the markup, ₹1,00,000 spent abroad costs about ₹4,130 extra on SBI SimplySAVE and nothing extra on IDFC FIRST Classic.
For a frequent traveller, is the IDFC FIRST Classic Credit Card or SBI SimplySAVE Credit Card better value?
On figures as of 27 Oct 2026, IDFC FIRST Classic comes out ahead for a frequent traveller (about ₹1.2 lakh a month with heavy travel and forex spend), with a net annual value (rewards, perks and milestones, less the annual fee and forex markup) of ₹11,175 against −₹1,514 on SBI SimplySAVE, a ₹12,689 gap. That figure includes the forex markup on this traveller's spend abroad, where IDFC FIRST Classic charges 0% against 3.5% on SBI SimplySAVE.
For everyday spending, which returns more: IDFC FIRST Classic Credit Card or SBI SimplySAVE Credit Card?
On figures as of 27 Oct 2026, SBI SimplySAVE comes out ahead for an everyday spender (about ₹40,000 a month across groceries, bills, dining and fuel), with a net annual value (rewards, perks and milestones, less the annual fee and forex markup) of ₹3,734 against ₹3,225 on IDFC FIRST Classic, a ₹509 gap. At this spend SBI SimplySAVE waives its ₹499 annual fee. Best everyday rates: 1.25% on dining for IDFC FIRST Classic, 1.67% on dining for SBI SimplySAVE.
Which is better, IDFC FIRST Classic Credit Card or SBI SimplySAVE Credit Card?
As of 27 Oct 2026, IDFC FIRST Classic earns 1.25% on dining at best, paid as IDFC Reward Points, and SBI SimplySAVE earns 1.67% on dining at best, paid as SBI Reward Points. IDFC FIRST Classic comes out ahead on net annual value for online shoppers, frequent travellers and high spenders, and SBI SimplySAVE for everyday spenders. IDFC FIRST Classic is lifetime free against a ₹499 annual fee and includes spend-linked railway lounge visits.