American Express Membership Rewards Credit Card vs Air India SBI Signature Credit Card
American Express · SBI Card — side-by-side CardCheck comparison
CardCheck Score BattleDeterministic 0–100 Benchmark Rating
100% Unsponsored MITC Data
American ExpressScoreGood
Annual Fee₹4,500
Max Reward7%
SBI CardScoreVery Good
Annual Fee₹4,999
Max Reward7.5%
Air India SBI Signature Credit Card leads overall with a CardCheck Score of 76/100 (+15 pts over American Express Membership Rewards Credit Card).
4-Pillar Head-to-Head Breakdown
American vs AirReward Power
35%American35/35
Air35/35
Tie (35/35)
Fee Value & ROI
25%American14/25
Air18/25
Air Wins
Lounge & Travel
20%American4/20
Air15/20
Air Wins
Forex & Access
20%American8/20
Air8/20
Tie (8/20)
01—CardCheck Score & Pillars
- CardCheck Score
- 61
- 76Best
- Rating Verdict
- Good
- Very Good
- Reward Power (35%)
- 35/35
- 35/35
- Fee Value & ROI (25%)
- 14/25
- 18/25
- Lounge & Travel (20%)
- 4/20
- 15/20
- Forex & Access (20%)
- 8/20
- 8/20
02—Basic Info
- Bank
- American Express
- SBI Card
- Network
- Amex
- Visa
- Card type
- Regular
- Co-branded
- Best for
- Consistent earner — MR Points on every ₹50 + bonus 1,000 MR for 4 monthly spends
- Air India loyalists — earn Flying Returns miles on everyday spend
03—Fees
- Joining fee
- ₹1,000Best
- ₹4,999
- Annual fee
- ₹4,500Best
- ₹4,999
- Fee waiver
- ₹90,000
- —
- Interest-free days
- 48
- 50Best
04—Interest
- APR (min)
- 42%Best
- 45%
- APR (max)
- 47.88%
- 45%Best
- Late payment fee
- —
- ₹1,300
- Cash advance fee
- 3.5%
- 2.5%Best
05—Rewards
- Reward type
- points
- points
- Min rate
- 1%
- 1%
- Max rate
- 7%
- 7.5%Best
- Points / ₹100
- 2
- 4Best
- Point value
- ₹0.5
- ₹1
06—Travel & Lounge
- Domestic lounge / qtr
- —
- 2
- Lounge spend criteria
- —
- No spend condition
- Intl lounge / year
- —
- 0
- Priority Pass
- DreamFolks
07—Forex & Fuel
- Forex markup
- 3.5%
- 3.5%
- Fuel surcharge waiver
08—Features
- Metal card
- Contactless
- UPI linked
09—Eligibility
- Min income / month
- ₹37,500
- ₹75,000
- Invite only
Rows won
03of 09
06of 09
| Attribute ↓ | ||
|---|---|---|
01—CardCheck Score & Pillars Differences highlighted | ||
| CardCheck Score | 61 | 76Best |
| Rating Verdict | Good | Very Good |
| Reward Power (35%) | 35/35 | 35/35 |
| Fee Value & ROI (25%) | 14/25 | 18/25 |
| Lounge & Travel (20%) | 4/20 | 15/20 |
| Forex & Access (20%) | 8/20 | 8/20 |
02—Basic Info Differences highlighted | ||
| Bank | American Express | SBI Card |
| Network | Amex | Visa |
| Card type | Regular | Co-branded |
| Best for | Consistent earner — MR Points on every ₹50 + bonus 1,000 MR for 4 monthly spends | Air India loyalists — earn Flying Returns miles on everyday spend |
03—Fees Differences highlighted | ||
| Joining fee | ₹1,000Best | ₹4,999 |
| Annual fee | ₹4,500Best | ₹4,999 |
| Fee waiver | ₹90,000 | — |
| Interest-free days | 48 | 50Best |
04—Interest Differences highlighted | ||
| APR (min) | 42%Best | 45% |
| APR (max) | 47.88% | 45%Best |
| Late payment fee | — | ₹1,300 |
| Cash advance fee | 3.5% | 2.5%Best |
05—Rewards Differences highlighted | ||
| Reward type | points | points |
| Min rate | 1% | 1% |
| Max rate | 7% | 7.5%Best |
| Points / ₹100 | 2 | 4Best |
| Point value | ₹0.5 | ₹1 |
06—Travel & Lounge Differences highlighted | ||
| Domestic lounge / qtr | — | 2 |
| Lounge spend criteria | — | No spend condition |
| Intl lounge / year | — | 0 |
| Priority Pass | ||
| DreamFolks | ||
07—Forex & Fuel Differences highlighted | ||
| Forex markup | 3.5% | 3.5% |
| Fuel surcharge waiver | ||
08—Features Differences highlighted | ||
| Metal card | ||
| Contactless | ||
| UPI linked | ||
09—Eligibility Differences highlighted | ||
| Min income / month | ₹37,500 | ₹75,000 |
| Invite only | ||
| Rows won | 03of 09 | 06of 09 |
Quick Verdict & Key Differences
Verified MITC Data
| Key Specification | American Express Membership Rewards Credit Card | Air India SBI Signature Credit Card |
|---|---|---|
| CardCheck Score | 61/100Good | 76/100Very Good |
| Annual Fee | ₹4,500 | ₹4,999 |
| Fee Waiver Spend | ₹90,000/yr | No waiver |
| Max Reward Potential | 7% | 7.5% |
| Domestic Lounge Access | Check terms | 2 / quarter |
| International Lounge | None | None |
| Forex Markup Fee | 3.5% | 3.5% |
Choose American Express Membership Rewards Credit Card if:
Your spending centers around consistent earner — mr points on every ₹50 + bonus 1,000 mr for 4 monthly spends and you want direct partner rewards with American Express.
Choose Air India SBI Signature Credit Card if:
Your spending aligns with air india loyalists — earn flying returns miles on everyday spend and you prioritize SBI Card's redemption benefits.
Popular Comparisons for American Express Membership Rewards Credit Card
Direct side-by-side MITC term matchups
Popular Comparisons for Air India SBI Signature Credit Card
Direct side-by-side MITC term matchups
Frequently asked questions: American Express Membership Rewards Credit Card vs Air India SBI Signature Credit Card
- Which is better: American Express Membership Rewards Credit Card or Air India SBI Signature Credit Card?
- Air India SBI Signature Credit Card holds a higher overall rating with a CardCheck Score of 76/100 (Very Good) compared to 61/100 (Good) for American Express Membership Rewards Credit Card (a lead of +15 points). Air India SBI Signature Credit Card gains its scoring lead primarily through lounge & travel privileges (15 vs 4) and fee value & ROI (18 vs 14) while tying on reward potential and forex & terms.
- How do annual fees and fee waiver spend rules compare?
- American Express Membership Rewards Credit Card charges an annual fee of ₹4,500 with an annual spend threshold of ₹90,000 for renewal fee waiver. In comparison, Air India SBI Signature Credit Card charges an annual fee of ₹4,999 with no official annual spend waiver milestone.
- How do the reward rates and cashback compare between American Express Membership Rewards Credit Card and Air India SBI Signature Credit Card?
- American Express Membership Rewards Credit Card offers a base reward rate of 1% and up to 7% on accelerated partner categories. Meanwhile, Air India SBI Signature Credit Card offers a base rate of 1% and up to 7.5% on eligible spends. Compare net returns against your monthly spend in our Rewards Calculator.
- Which card has better airport lounge access: American Express Membership Rewards Credit Card or Air India SBI Signature Credit Card?
- American Express Membership Rewards Credit Card provides no complimentary airport lounge access. On the other hand, Air India SBI Signature Credit Card provides 2 complimentary domestic lounge visits per quarter (8/year).
- Which card is better for international foreign currency spends?
- American Express Membership Rewards Credit Card levies a foreign currency markup fee of 3.5%, while Air India SBI Signature Credit Card charges 3.5%. Lower forex markup directly reduces costs when transacting overseas or on international e-commerce platforms.
- Is CardCheck's comparison data unbiased and verified against official bank MITC?
- Yes. All credit card fees, interest rates, lounge visit quotas, and reward calculations on CardCheck are 100% unsponsored and verified directly against each bank's official Most Important Terms & Conditions (MITC).