SBI Card has implemented several significant changes to its credit card rules, effective from various dates in 2025, with the most prominent updates starting July 15, 2025. Below is a detailed overview of the key changes based on available information:
Table of Contents
1. Revised Minimum Amount Due (MAD) Calculation
- Effective Date: July 15, 2025
- Details: The calculation of the Minimum Amount Due (MAD) has been revised to include:
- 100% of GST
- 100% of EMI amounts
- 100% of fees and charges
- 100% of finance charges
- Overlimit amount (if any)
- 2% of the remaining outstanding balance
- Impact: Cardholders will now need to pay a higher minimum amount each month to avoid being marked as a defaulter. Paying only the minimum amount may lead to faster accumulation of dues and higher interest charges
2. Discontinuation of Complimentary Air Accident Insurance
- Effective Dates:
- July 15, 2025 (for select cards)
- August 11, 2025 (for additional co-branded cards)
- Details:
- July 15, 2025:
- Complimentary air accident insurance coverage of ₹1 crore will be discontinued for premium cards such as:
- SBI Card Elite
- SBI Card Miles Elite
- SBI Card Miles Prime
- Coverage of ₹50 lakh will be discontinued for:
- August 11, 2025:
- Complimentary air accident insurance of ₹1 crore will be discontinued for co-branded cards, including:
- UCO Bank SBI Card ELITE
- Central Bank of India SBI Card ELITE
- PSB SBI Card ELITE
- KVB SBI Card ELITE
- KVB SBI Signature Card
- Allahabad Bank SBI Card ELITE
- Coverage of ₹50 lakh will be discontinued for several co-branded cards, including:
- UCO Bank SBI Card PRIME
- Central Bank of India SBI Card PRIME
- PSB SBI Card PRIME
- KVB SBI Card PRIME
- Karur Vysya Bank SBI Platinum Credit Card
- South Indian Bank SBI Card PRIME
- South Indian Bank SBI Platinum Credit Card
- Karnataka Bank SBI Card PRIME
- Karnataka Bank SBI Platinum Credit Card
- City Union Bank SBI Card PRIME
- Allahabad Bank SBI Card PRIME
- UBI SBI PLATINUM Credit Card
- OBC SBI VISA PLATINUM Card
- Federal Bank SBI Platinum Credit Card
- BOM SBI PLATINUM Credit Card
- July 26, 2025:
- Complimentary air accident insurance of ₹50 lakh will be discontinued for:
- Impact: Cardholders relying on these insurance benefits for travel safety should explore alternative insurance options.
3. Updated Payment Settlement Order
- Effective Date: July 15, 2025
- Details: Payments made by cardholders will now be adjusted in the following order:
- 100% of GST
- 100% of EMI amount
- 100% of fees/charges
- 100% of finance charges
- Balance transfer
- Retail spends
- Cash advances
- Impact: This change prioritizes settlement of taxes, fees, and interest, which may result in higher interest accrual on unpaid retail spends or cash advances if only partial payments are made.
4. Changes to Reward Points
- Effective Date: December 1, 2024
- Details: Reward points will no longer accrue on spends made on digital gaming platforms or merchants.
- Effective Date: March 31, 2025
- Details:
- Effective Date: April 1, 2025
- Details: SimplyCLICK SBI Cardholders will earn 5X reward points on Swiggy (down from 10X), while 10X rewards continue for other partners like Myntra, BookMyShow, and Apollo 24|7.
- Impact: Frequent travelers and users of specific platforms will earn fewer rewards, affecting the overall value of these cards.
5. Discontinuation of Specific Cards and Benefits
- Effective Date: March 11, 2025
- Details: Issuance of Etihad Guest SBI Credit Cards and Etihad Guest Premier SBI Credit Cards has been discontinued.
- Effective Date: March 28, 2025
- Details: Issuance of Yatra SBI Credit Card has been discontinued.
- Effective Date: April 1, 2025
- Details:
- Club Vistara SBI Card and Club Vistara SBI Card PRIME will no longer offer renewal or milestone benefits (e.g., economy or premium economy ticket vouchers). However, the renewal fees (₹1499 for Club Vistara SBI Card and ₹2999 for Club Vistara SBI Card PRIME) will be waived for cards due for renewal after April 1, 2025.
- Impact: Cardholders may need to reassess the value of these cards and consider alternatives.
6. New Fees and Finance Charges
- Effective Date: November 1, 2024
- Details: Finance charges for unsecured SBI credit cards (excluding Shaurya and Defense cards) increased to 3.75% per month.
- Effective Date: December 1, 2024
- Details: A 1% fee will be charged on utility payments (e.g., electricity, water, gas) exceeding ₹50,000 in a billing cycle. No charges apply for payments below this threshold.
- Effective Date: June 11, 2025
- Details:
- Interest rates for Balance Transfer (BT) on EMI will range from 10.00% to 15.75% p.a., with a processing fee of 0.75% to 1.00% of the booking amount.
- Interest rates for Flexipay will range from 12.75% to 22.00% p.a., depending on the cardholder’s credit score.
- Interest rates for Encash/Encash Inline will range from 13.75% to 21.50% p.a.
- Impact: Higher fees and interest rates may increase the cost of using credit cards for large transactions or carrying balances.
Recommendations for Cardholders
- Review Terms: Check the updated terms and conditions on the official SBI Card website (www.sbicard.com) for your specific card variant.
- Adjust Payments: Pay more than the minimum due to avoid accumulating interest and fees under the new MAD calculation and payment settlement order.
- Explore Alternatives: If the discontinuation of insurance or reward benefits impacts your card’s value, consider upgrading, switching to another card, or exploring alternative insurance options.
- Monitor Spending: Be mindful of utility payments and digital gaming spends to avoid new fees or loss of reward points.
Sources
For the latest and complete details, visit the official SBI Card website (www.sbicard.com) or contact their customer service team.
If you have a specific SBI credit card or need further clarification on how these changes apply, please provide additional details, and I can tailor the response further!
