Club Vistara SBI Credit Card – Benefits, Fees & Eligibility

Introduction

The Club Vistara SBI Credit Card, offered by SBI Card, is a co-branded mid-level travel credit card designed for frequent domestic flyers. Positioned to enhance the travel experience, it provides a range of benefits including Club Vistara (CV) Points on all spends, complimentary domestic airport lounge access, and a complimentary Priority Pass membership.

This card is tailored for individuals who frequently fly with Air Vistara and seek to maximize their rewards and travel perks. It offers a decent reward rate and valuable milestone benefits, making it a competitive option in the travel credit card segment. However, it is important to note that the Club Vistara SBI Credit Card has been discontinued.

Welcome Benefits

Upon card activation and payment of the annual membership fee, cardholders receive a complimentary economy class air ticket e-voucher and Club Vistara Base membership. Additionally, you can earn 1,000 bonus Club Vistara Points if you spend ₹50,000 within 90 days of card activation.

Fees

• Joining Fee: ₹1,499 + GST
• Renewal Fee: Nil
• Spend-Based Waiver: None
• Rewards Redemption Fee: Nil
• Foreign Currency Markup: 3.5% on the transaction amount
• Interest Rates: 3.50% per month (42% per annum)
• Fuel Surcharge: No waiver applies to fuel transactions.
• Cash Advance Charges: 2.5% of the amount withdrawn, with a minimum charge of ₹500.

Rewards

The Club Vistara SBI Credit Card allows you to earn Club Vistara (CV) Points on your everyday spending.

• Earning Rate: Earn 3 Club Vistara Points for every ₹200 spent on all retail categories, including fuel transactions.
• Milestone Benefits:
  • Receive 1 complimentary economy class air ticket on achieving annual spending of ₹1.5 lakh, ₹2.5 lakh, and ₹5 lakh.
  • Get 1 hotel e-gift voucher worth ₹5,000 from Yatra on an annual expenditure of ₹5 lakh.

Rewards Redemption Guide

Club Vistara Points earned with your card are directly transferred to your Club Vistara membership account.

• Redemption Options: You can redeem the accumulated CV Points for class upgrades, booking award flights, or making reservations under the Vistara Cash + Points program on Air Vistara and its partner airlines.
• Point Value: 1 Club Vistara Point (CV) is equivalent to ₹0.20.

Card Review

The Club Vistara SBI Credit Card was a strong contender for frequent domestic flyers seeking a mid-level travel credit card. It offered a compelling mix of travel benefits and a decent reward rate for its annual fee.

Pros:

• Offers lucrative value-added travel benefits for a mid-level co-branded card.
• Provides complimentary domestic lounge access and Priority Pass membership.
• Features a decent reward rate of 3 CV Points per ₹200 on all categories, including fuel.
• Includes comprehensive insurance cover for various travel-related incidents.
• Milestone benefits offer additional flight tickets and a Yatra e-voucher for high spenders.

Cons:

• The card has been discontinued, limiting new applications.
• Priority Pass lounge visits are chargeable, not complimentary.
• There is no spend-based waiver available for the annual fee.
• A foreign currency markup of 3.5% is relatively high for international transactions.
• Cash advance charges are significant at 2.5% of the amount withdrawn.

Ideal User Profile: This card was ideal for individuals who frequently travel domestically, particularly with Air Vistara, and are looking for a credit card that rewards their travel spends with air miles and provides valuable travel perks like lounge access and insurance coverage.

Verdict: While the Club Vistara SBI Credit Card offered good value for its membership fee, especially for Vistara loyalists, its discontinuation means it is no longer available for new applications. Existing cardholders can continue to enjoy its benefits.

Important Product Details

• Travel Benefits:
  • Enjoy 4 complimentary access to domestic airport lounges annually, with a maximum of 1 visit per quarter.
  • Receive complimentary membership to the Priority Pass lounge access program for 24 months (worth USD 99). Note that lounge visits through Priority Pass are chargeable at USD 27 + applicable taxes per visit.
• Insurance Benefits:
  • Air accident cover up to ₹50 lakhs.
  • Lost card liability cover of up to ₹1 lakh.
  • Loss of check-in baggage cover of up to ₹72,000.
  • Delay of check-in baggage cover of ₹7,500.
  • Baggage damage cover of up to ₹2,500.
  • Loss of travel documents cover of up to ₹12,500.
  • Cover against up to 4 flight cancellations in a year, each limited to ₹3,500.
• Other Features:
  • Contactless Advantage: Tap & Pay with ease for fast, convenient, and secure transactions.
  • Global Acceptance: Accepted at over 24 million outlets globally, including 3,25,000 in India.
  • Cash Access Across the World: Withdraw cash from over 1 million MasterCard or Visa ATMs worldwide.
  • Flexipay EMI: Convert eligible purchases of ₹2,500 or more into easy monthly EMIs.
  • Safe and Secure: Chip and PIN enabled for enhanced security against counterfeiting and skimming.
  • Add-on Cards: Empower your family with add-on cards for parents, spouse, children, or siblings above 18 years of age.
  • Easy Bill Pay Facility: Pay electricity, telephone, mobile, and other utility bills conveniently.
  • Balance Transfer on EMI: Transfer outstanding balances from other banks’ credit cards to your Club Vistara SBI Card at a lower interest rate and repay in easy EMIs.

Other Details

• The Club Vistara SBI Credit Card has been discontinued for new applications.
• All applicable taxes will be charged on all fees, interest, and other charges.
• The value proposition of this co-brand product may be jointly funded by SBI Card and the co-brand partner.
• Continued use of the card will be deemed as acceptance of any amendments to the Terms and Conditions.
• Any disputes arising out of the offer between the Cardholder and SBICPSL shall be subject to arbitration in New Delhi, with proceedings conducted in English.