SBI Card Miles Elite – Benefits, Fees & Eligibility

Introduction

The SBI Card Miles Elite is a premium credit card specifically designed for frequent travelers, offering extensive benefits and generous rewards on travel-related expenditures. This card comes with a joining fee of ₹4,999 + GST and provides a welcome gift of 5,000 Travel Credits upon meeting a spend threshold. Cardholders can enjoy complimentary access to both domestic and international airport lounges, a low foreign currency markup, and comprehensive travel insurance coverage. Its reward program allows for flexible redemption of Travel Credits against airline miles, hotel points, or travel bookings.

Welcome Benefits

• Get 5,000 Travel Credits as a Welcome Gift.
• These Travel Credits will be credited upon spending ₹1,00,000 within the first 60 days of card issuance.
• The Travel Credits are also credited upon payment of the joining fee.
• These bonus Travel Credits can be redeemed for up to ₹5,000 towards any stay or travel bookings.
• Upon reaching the spend threshold, bonus Travel Credits shall be received within 15 days.

Fees

• Joining Fee (one-time): ₹4,999 + GST
• Renewal Fee (per annum): ₹4,999 + GST
• Spend-Based Waiver: Annual Fee reversal on annual spends of ₹15 Lakh in a membership year. This fee reversal is preconditioned on the fee being levied during the renewal cycle.
• Add-on Fee (per annum): Nil
• Rewards Redemption Fee: ₹99
• Foreign Currency Markup: 1.99% on International usage
• Interest Rates: 3.50% per month (42% per annum)
• Fuel Surcharge: 1% waiver for each transaction between ₹500 and ₹4,000. Maximum Surcharge Waiver of ₹500 per month, per statement cycle. Government Service Tax extra as applicable.
• Cash Advance Charges: 2.5% or ₹500 (whichever is higher)

Rewards

Earning Travel Credits

• Earn 6 Travel Credits for every ₹200 spent on travel.
• Earn 2 Travel Credits for every ₹200 spent on all other purchases.
• Travel Credits accrual is excluded for transactions on Fuel, EMI, Wallet Upload, Property Rental, Utilities, and Insurance categories.
• Travel Credits are valid for a period of two years from the date of accrual.

Milestone Benefits

• Earn 20,000 Bonus Travel Credits on annual spends of ₹12 Lakh.
• Get one additional Domestic Airport Lounge visit with every spend of ₹1 Lakh.
  • This is over and above the complimentary visits.
  • Additional lounge visits, based on spend milestones, are capped at 15 visits in a membership year.
  • This additional lounge visit is applicable to both the Primary Cardholder and a Guest.
  • Customers will receive a Voucher Code via SMS and E-Mail within 120 days of becoming eligible. To redeem, the customer needs to apply the Voucher Code and update travel details on the Lounge Key link.

Domestic Lounge Access

• Get 8 complimentary Domestic Airport Lounge visits every year (maximum 2 visits per quarter).
• Additionally, you can get up to 15 additional Domestic Airport Lounge visits based on spends of every ₹1 Lakh.
• This offer is provided by Mastercard and RuPay for a limited period.
• MasterCard/RuPay reserves the right to add, alter, modify or change the list of lounges under this program without prior notice.

International Lounge Access

• Get a complimentary Priority Pass Membership, valued at $99, providing access to 1000+ International Airport Lounges worldwide.
• Enjoy 6 complimentary International Airport Lounge visits every year, outside India (maximum 2 visits per quarter).
• Only Primary Cardholders are eligible for the Priority Pass Program.
• The Priority Pass Program is complimentary for the first two years from card issuance.
• All visits beyond the complimentary limit are chargeable at a usage fee of $27 + applicable taxes.

Insurance Benefits

• Flight Cancellations: Up to 6 flight cancellations per year, each limited to ₹3,500.
• Lost Card Liability: Up to ₹1 Lakh.
• Air Accident Cover: Up to ₹1 Crore. (Note: This complimentary cover will be discontinued with effect from 15 July 2025).
• Loss of Check-in Baggage: Up to ₹72,000.
• Delay of Check-in Baggage: Up to ₹7,500.
• Loss of Travel Documents: Up to ₹12,500.
• Baggage Damage Cover: Up to ₹5,000.
• Credit Card Fraud Liability Cover: Up to ₹1 Lakh. This cover is valid for a period of 48 hours prior to reporting of loss, to 7 days post reporting of loss.

Other Travel Benefits

• Enjoy a low Foreign Currency Mark-up Charge of 1.99% on International usage.
• 1% Fuel Surcharge Waiver across all petrol pumps for transactions between ₹500 and ₹4,000, with a maximum waiver of ₹500 per month.

Lifestyle Benefits

• Contactless Advantage: Facilitates fast, convenient, and secure daily purchases by simply tapping the card at a secure reader. The unique security key feature ensures only one transaction goes through even if tapped multiple times.
• Worldwide Acceptance: The card is accepted at over 24 million outlets globally, including 3,25,000 outlets in India, wherever MasterCard/RuPay are accepted.
• Add-on Cards: Empower your family members (parents, spouse, children, or siblings above 18 years) with add-on cards.
• Cash Access Across the World: Withdraw cash from over 1 million ATMs across the globe.
• Flexipay: Convert transactions of ₹2,500 or more into easy monthly installments. This can be done by logging into sbicard.com within 30 days of purchase.
• Easy Bill Pay Facility: Pay electricity, telephone, mobile, and other utility bills conveniently using this facility.
• Safe and Secure: The card is chip and PIN enabled, providing enhanced security against counterfeiting and skimming.
• Balance Transfer on EMI: Transfer outstanding balances from other banks' credit cards to your SBI Card Miles Elite to avail a lower rate of interest and pay back in EMIs. This service can be utilized by logging into sbicard.com.

Rewards Redemption Guide

• Travel Credits can be converted into Air Miles, Hotel Points, Travel Bookings, or redeemed from the Shop & Smile Product Catalogue.
• The conversion rates for Travel Credits are:
  • 1 Travel Credit = ₹1 for Air Mile / Hotel Point
  • 1 Travel Credit = ₹0.50 for Travel Bookings
  • 1 Travel Credit = ₹0.25 for Shop & Smile Product Catalogue
• There is no maximum limit for Travel Credit redemption.
• A minimum of 2,000 Travel Credits is required for redemption against various options.
• Requests for transferring Travel Credits will take up to 21 days to be processed.
• Points transfers are final and cannot be refunded or reversed. Once transferred, points will be subject to the terms and conditions of the chosen travel loyalty program.

Partner Airlines for Travel Credit Conversion

• Air Arabia: 2
• Air Asia: 1
• Air Canada: 1
• Air France-KLM: 1
• Air India: 1
• Etihad Airways: 1
• Ethiopian Airlines: 2
• Japan Airlines: 2
• Saudia (Saudi Arabian Airlines): 2
• Thai Airways: 1
• Turkish Airlines: 2
• United Airlines: 2
• Qantas Airways: 1
• Qatar Airways: 2
• Spice Jet: 1

Partner Hotels for Travel Credit Redemption

• Accor: 2
• IHG® Hotels & Resorts: 1
• ITC Hotels: 2
• Orchid Hotels: 1
• Wyndham Hotels & Resorts: 1
• Shangri-La Group: 6

Card Review

The SBI Card Miles Elite is a strong contender for frequent travelers who prioritize extensive lounge access and comprehensive insurance benefits. While its welcome bonus and milestone benefits are appealing, the base reward earning rate of 6 Travel Credits for every ₹200 on travel and 2 Travel Credits on other spends might be considered modest compared to some other premium travel cards available at a similar fee. For instance, cards like the Axis Bank Atlas Credit Card offer a more accelerated reward rate, though the Miles Elite Card boasts a wider array of airline and hotel partners for redemption. The complimentary Priority Pass membership (for the first two years), coupled with a low foreign exchange markup and a suite of travel insurance covers (including flight cancellations and baggage protection), makes it a valuable companion for international journeys. Additionally, its availability on the RuPay network allows for seamless UPI linkage, adding a layer of convenience for domestic transactions. Overall, this card is best suited for individuals whose primary focus is on maximizing lounge access, benefiting from travel insurance, and having flexibility in redeeming travel credits across a broad network of partners, rather than solely optimizing the reward earning rate on everyday spends. A notable drawback is the absence of specific benefits for categories like movies or dining.

Important Product Details

• Generous welcome bonus of 5,000 Travel Credits on meeting initial spend criteria.
• Accelerated rewards on travel spends (6 Travel Credits for every ₹200).
• Complimentary Priority Pass Membership, valid for the first two years, for international lounge access.
• 6 complimentary International Airport Lounge visits and 8 complimentary Domestic Airport Lounge visits annually.
• Additional domestic lounge visits are attainable through spend-based milestones (1 per ₹1 Lakh spend, capped at 15 visits).
• Low foreign currency markup of 1.99%.
• Comprehensive travel insurance, including flight cancellation cover (up to 6 cancellations, ₹3,500 each), baggage loss/delay, lost travel documents, and lost card liability.
• Complimentary Air Accident Liability Cover of ₹1 Crore, though it will be discontinued from 15 July 2025.
• Reward points are not earned on specific categories like fuel, EMI, wallet uploads, property rentals, utilities, and insurance.
• Annual fee reversal on spending ₹15 Lakh in a membership year.
• Available on the RuPay network, enabling UPI linkage for easy payments.

Other Details

• All taxes (including GST) would be charged as applicable on all fees, interest, and charges.
• The value proposition of co-brand products like this may be jointly funded by SBI Card and its co-brand partner, involving fee and revenue sharing between them.
• Cheques payable outside clearing zones are not accepted; only local cheques or drafts payable in Delhi are accepted for payment.
• For assistance, customers can call the SBI Card helpline at 1800 180 1295 (from BSNL/MTNL numbers) or 39 02 12 12 (from all other numbers, prefix local STD code).
• The order of payment settlement for a cardholder account follows specific guidelines available on the SBI Card website.
• SBI Card Miles Elite is a chip and PIN enabled card.
• Contact details for SBI Cards and Payment Services Limited: Unit 401 & 402, 04th Floor, Aggarwal Millennium Tower, E-1,2,3 Netaji Subhash Place, Wazirpur, New Delhi 110034. CIN: L65999DL1998PLC093849.