Karnataka Bank Cards

About Karnataka Bank

Karnataka Bank is a private-sector bank founded in 1924 and headquartered in Mangaluru, with a strong presence across Karnataka and South India. It reaches the credit card market entirely through a co-branded partnership with SBI Card, offering two tiers: the entry-level SimplySAVE for everyday cashback, and the stronger-rewarding Prime for customers who want a higher earn rate. Both include utility bill payment cashback and fuel surcharge waivers.

Card-by-Card Breakdown

Karnataka Bank SimplySAVE SBI is the accessible entry point at ₹499, well-suited to everyday, low-to-moderate spend where a large fee gap isn't worth taking on.

Karnataka Bank Prime SBI costs considerably more at ₹2,999 but delivers a meaningfully higher earn rate - the ₹2,500 gap needs to be recovered through stronger rewards on higher monthly spend before it becomes the better value choice.

Applying for a Karnataka Bank Credit Card

Since SBI Card is the actual issuer for both tiers, approval follows SBI Card's standard underwriting - a minimum income around ₹3 lakh p.a. and a CIBIL score of 700+. Existing Karnataka Bank account holders across Karnataka and South India typically see faster processing given the established banking relationship, though the application itself runs through SBI Card's systems.

How Karnataka Bank Compares to Other SBI Co-Branded Issuers

Karnataka Bank follows the same SimplySAVE/PRIME structure used by City Union Bank, Central Bank of India, and several other regional banks that partner with SBI Card instead of running an independent card program. Since the fee tiers and underlying benefits are essentially identical across these partnerships, the practical choice between banks usually comes down to where you already hold a savings or salary account, since that relationship typically speeds up approval regardless of which specific bank's branding appears on the card.

Prime earns up to 20 reward points per ₹100 on utilities and birthday spends, 10 RP on dining/groceries/movies, and 2 RP on other spends; SimplySAVE earns 10 RP per ₹150 on dining, movies, departmental stores, and groceries.

Debit Card Lineup

Unlike its credit cards, which run entirely through the SBI Card co-brand, Karnataka Bank issues its own debit cards directly against savings, current, and overdraft accounts. The lineup spans 12 variants across the RuPay and Visa networks and ranges from basic, zero-fee everyday cards to government scheme-linked variants to fee-bearing NCMC-enabled premium options:

• Basic RuPay/Visa Classic tier - the MoneyPlant RuPay Classic and Visa Classic Debit Cards, plus the Visa Classic Contactless and Visa International Contactless Debit Cards, carry no issuance fee, with AMC either waived or set at ₹200 + GST depending on the variant.
• Government scheme-linked variants - the MoneyPlant RuPay Kisan Debit Card is built for farmers and agriculture professionals, the RuPay PMJDY Debit Card is issued exclusively against Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana accounts and bundles a complimentary ₹2,00,000 accidental death/disablement insurance cover, and the RuPay MUDRA Debit Card serves MUDRA loan account holders - all three are free of issuance and AMC.
• NCMC-enabled and premium international variants - the MoneyPlant NCMC RuPay Domestic Debit Card (₹200 + GST AMC) and the higher NCMC RuPay Select International Premium Debit Card (₹1,000 + GST issuance and AMC) add "One Nation, One Card" transit functionality for metro and bus payments, while the MoneyPlant NCMC Contactless RuPay Platinum International Debit Card (₹300 + GST issuance and AMC) layers in complimentary domestic airport lounge access once per year.
• Deposit-focused card - the Deposit Only Debit Card is a zero-fee, digital-first card built around high cash-deposit limits (up to ₹30 lakhs) and linking up to three accounts, rather than everyday spending.

None of these debit cards carry a points-based rewards program; value instead comes from merchant-specific instant discounts (e.g. dining offers at US Pizza, wellness offers at VLCC and Himalaya) alongside the network and scheme-specific features described above.

Explore the full card portfolio below to find the right card for your spending profile.