SBI Card MILES Elite
SBI Cards · Mastercard
Why this card?
- 3% back in reward points on travel; 1% on other spends
- ₹4,999 joining and annual fee; renewal fee waived on ₹15 lakh yearly spend
- Unlimited domestic and 6 international airport lounge visits a year
- 1% fuel surcharge waiver
Card details
- Issuer
- SBI Cards
- Network
- Mastercard
- Annual Fee
- ₹4,999
- Joining Fee
- ₹4,999
- Reward Type
- points
- Best Reward Rate
- 2.5% on travel spends — flights, hotels, and travel agencies
- Forex Markup
- 1.99%
- Domestic Lounge
- Unlimited
- Min. Monthly Income
- ₹1,00,000
- Rates verified
- 2026-10-06
Our verdict
SBI MILES Elite sits above the MILES Prime in SBI's travel stack — it earns Travel Credits at its highest rate on travel spends (airlines, hotels, travel agencies), includes 6 international lounge visits, ties domestic lounge access to spends, and carries a below-2% forex rate. Travel Credits can be converted to Air Miles and hotel points, making it a flexible travel rewards card from a government bank.
Pros
- Travel Credits can be converted to Air Miles and hotel points
- Domestic lounge access is linked to spends, which suits frequent travellers who put most spending on the card
- 1.99% forex markup is excellent for an international traveller
- Higher earn on travel spends (airlines, hotels, travel agencies), up to 15,000 Travel Credits a month
Cons
- ₹4,999 fee and ₹15L waiver spend is a high bar for most applicants
- SBI customer service, while improving, still lags behind HDFC and Axis in speed and resolution
- Credits are worth less when used for travel bookings or the catalogue than when converted to Air Miles or hotel points
- 6 international lounge visits may be insufficient for very frequent global travellers