American Express Membership Rewards Credit Card vs CASHBACK SBI 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₹1,500
Max Reward2%
SBI CardScoreVery Good
Annual Fee₹999
Max Reward5%
CASHBACK SBI Card leads overall with a CardCheck Score of 70/100 (+10 pts over American Express Membership Rewards Credit Card).
4-Pillar Head-to-Head Breakdown
American vs CASHBACKReward Power
35%American24/35
CASHBACK34/35
CASHBACK Wins
Fee Value & ROI
25%American20/25
CASHBACK20/25
Tie (20/25)
Lounge & Travel
20%American4/20
CASHBACK4/20
Tie (4/20)
Forex & Access
20%American12/20
CASHBACK12/20
Tie (12/20)
01—CardCheck Score & Pillars
- CardCheck Score
- 60
- 70Best
- Rating Verdict
- Good
- Very Good
- Reward Power (35%)
- 24/35
- 34/35
- Fee Value & ROI (25%)
- 20/25
- 20/25
- Lounge & Travel (20%)
- 4/20
- 4/20
- Forex & Access (20%)
- 12/20
- 12/20
02—Basic Info
- Bank
- American Express
- SBI Card
- Network
- Amex
- Visa
- Card type
- Regular
- Regular
- Best for
- Consistent earner — MR Points on every ₹50 + bonus 1,000 MR for 4 monthly spends
- Online cashback
03—Fees
- Joining fee
- ₹1,500
- ₹999Best
- Annual fee
- ₹1,500
- ₹999Best
- Fee waiver
- ₹90,000Best
- ₹2,00,000
- Interest-free days
- —
- 50
04—Interest
- APR (min)
- 42%
- 42%
- APR (max)
- 42%
- 42%
- Late payment fee
- —
- ₹1,300
- Cash advance fee
- —
- 2.5%
05—Rewards
- Reward type
- points
- cashback
- Min rate
- 1%
- 1%
- Max rate
- 2%
- 5%Best
- Points / ₹100
- 2
- —
- Point value
- ₹0.25
- —
06—Travel & Lounge
- Domestic lounge / qtr
- 0
- 0
- Intl lounge / year
- 0
- 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 age
- 18
- 21
- Min income / month
- ₹25,000
- ₹25,000
- Min CIBIL
- 720
- 700Best
- Invite only
Rows won
01of 06
05of 06
| Attribute ↓ | Column A | ★ Overall pick Column B |
|---|---|---|
01—CardCheck Score & Pillars Differences highlighted | ||
| CardCheck Score | 60 | 70Best |
| Rating Verdict | Good | Very Good |
| Reward Power (35%) | 24/35 | 34/35 |
| Fee Value & ROI (25%) | 20/25 | 20/25 |
| Lounge & Travel (20%) | 4/20 | 4/20 |
| Forex & Access (20%) | 12/20 | 12/20 |
02—Basic Info Differences highlighted | ||
| Bank | American Express | SBI Card |
| Network | Amex | Visa |
| Card type | Regular | Regular |
| Best for | Consistent earner — MR Points on every ₹50 + bonus 1,000 MR for 4 monthly spends | Online cashback |
03—Fees Differences highlighted | ||
| Joining fee | ₹1,500 | ₹999Best |
| Annual fee | ₹1,500 | ₹999Best |
| Fee waiver | ₹90,000Best | ₹2,00,000 |
| Interest-free days | — | 50 |
04—Interest Differences highlighted | ||
| APR (min) | 42% | 42% |
| APR (max) | 42% | 42% |
| Late payment fee | — | ₹1,300 |
| Cash advance fee | — | 2.5% |
05—Rewards Differences highlighted | ||
| Reward type | points | cashback |
| Min rate | 1% | 1% |
| Max rate | 2% | 5%Best |
| Points / ₹100 | 2 | — |
| Point value | ₹0.25 | — |
06—Travel & Lounge Differences highlighted | ||
| Domestic lounge / qtr | 0 | 0 |
| Intl lounge / year | 0 | 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 age | 18 | 21 |
| Min income / month | ₹25,000 | ₹25,000 |
| Min CIBIL | 720 | 700Best |
| Invite only | ||
| Rows won | 01of 06 | 05of 06 |
Quick Verdict & Key Differences
Verified MITC Data
| Key Specification | American Express Membership Rewards Credit Card | CASHBACK SBI Card |
|---|---|---|
| CardCheck Score | 60/100Good | 70/100Very Good |
| Annual Fee | ₹1,500 | ₹999 |
| Fee Waiver Spend | ₹90,000/yr | ₹2L/yr |
| Max Reward Potential | 2% | 5% |
| Domestic Lounge Access | None | None |
| 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 CASHBACK SBI Card if:
Your spending aligns with online cashback and you prioritize SBI Card's redemption benefits.
Frequently asked questions: American Express Membership Rewards Credit Card vs CASHBACK SBI Card
- Which is better: American Express Membership Rewards Credit Card or CASHBACK SBI Card?
- CASHBACK SBI Card holds a higher overall rating with a CardCheck Score of 70/100 (Very Good) compared to 60/100 (Good) for American Express Membership Rewards Credit Card (a lead of +10 points). CASHBACK SBI Card provides better net value across rewards and fee structures.
- How do annual fees and fee waiver spend rules compare?
- American Express Membership Rewards Credit Card charges an annual fee of ₹1,500 with an annual spend threshold of ₹90,000 for renewal fee waiver. In comparison, CASHBACK SBI Card charges an annual fee of ₹999 with an annual spend threshold of ₹2 Lakh.
- How do the reward rates and cashback compare between American Express Membership Rewards Credit Card and CASHBACK SBI Card?
- American Express Membership Rewards Credit Card offers a base reward rate of 1% and up to 2% on accelerated partner categories. Meanwhile, CASHBACK SBI Card offers a base rate of 1% and up to 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 CASHBACK SBI Card?
- American Express Membership Rewards Credit Card provides no complimentary domestic lounge access. On the other hand, CASHBACK SBI Card provides no complimentary domestic lounge access. Note that most issuers now require meeting minimum quarterly spend criteria (typically ₹10,000 to ₹50,000 in the preceding quarter) to unlock lounge access.
- 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 CASHBACK SBI 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).