ICICI Bank Sapphiro Credit Card vs SBI Card Elite
ICICI Bank · SBI Card — side-by-side CardCheck comparison
CardCheck Score BattleDeterministic 0–100 Benchmark Rating
100% Unsponsored MITC Data
ICICI BankScoreVery Good
Annual Fee₹3,500
Max Reward4%
SBI CardScoreVery Good
Annual Fee₹4,999
Max Reward2.5%
ICICI Bank Sapphiro Credit Card leads overall with a CardCheck Score of 75/100 (+3 pts over SBI Card Elite).
4-Pillar Head-to-Head Breakdown
ICICI vs SBIReward Power
35%ICICI31/35
SBI24/35
ICICI Wins
Fee Value & ROI
25%ICICI18/25
SBI18/25
Tie (18/25)
Lounge & Travel
20%ICICI18/20
SBI18/20
Tie (18/20)
Forex & Access
20%ICICI8/20
SBI12/20
SBI Wins
01—CardCheck Score & Pillars
- CardCheck Score
- 75Best
- 72
- Rating Verdict
- Very Good
- Very Good
- Reward Power (35%)
- 31/35
- 24/35
- Fee Value & ROI (25%)
- 18/25
- 18/25
- Lounge & Travel (20%)
- 18/20
- 18/20
- Forex & Access (20%)
- 8/20
- 12/20
02—Basic Info
- Bank
- ICICI Bank
- SBI Card
- Network
- Visa
- Visa
- Card type
- Premium
- Premium
- Best for
- Premium lifestyle — lounge access, golf, dining and travel rewards
- SBI's flagship — lounge access, Priority Pass + dining & travel rewards
03—Fees
- Joining fee
- ₹6,500
- ₹4,999Best
- Annual fee
- ₹3,500Best
- ₹4,999
- Fee waiver
- ₹6,00,000Best
- ₹10,00,000
- Interest-free days
- 50
- 50
04—Interest
- APR (min)
- 42%
- 42%
- APR (max)
- 42%
- 42%
- Late payment fee
- ₹1,200Best
- ₹1,300
- Cash advance fee
- 2.5%
- 2.5%
05—Rewards
- Reward type
- points
- points
- Min rate
- 0.5%
- 0.5%
- Max rate
- 4%Best
- 2.5%
- Points / ₹100
- 4
- —
- Point value
- ₹0.25
- —
06—Travel & Lounge
- Domestic lounge / qtr
- 4Best
- 2
- Intl lounge / year
- 4
- 6Best
- Priority Pass
- DreamFolks
07—Forex & Fuel
- Forex markup
- 3.5%
- 1.99%Best
- Fuel surcharge waiver
08—Features
- Metal card
- Contactless
- UPI linked
09—Eligibility
- Min age
- 18
- 21
- Min income / month
- ₹75,000
- ₹1,00,000
- Min CIBIL
- 750
- 750
- Invite only
Rows won
06of 09
03of 09
| Attribute ↓ | ★ Overall pick Column A | Column B |
|---|---|---|
01—CardCheck Score & Pillars Differences highlighted | ||
| CardCheck Score | 75Best | 72 |
| Rating Verdict | Very Good | Very Good |
| Reward Power (35%) | 31/35 | 24/35 |
| Fee Value & ROI (25%) | 18/25 | 18/25 |
| Lounge & Travel (20%) | 18/20 | 18/20 |
| Forex & Access (20%) | 8/20 | 12/20 |
02—Basic Info Differences highlighted | ||
| Bank | ICICI Bank | SBI Card |
| Network | Visa | Visa |
| Card type | Premium | Premium |
| Best for | Premium lifestyle — lounge access, golf, dining and travel rewards | SBI's flagship — lounge access, Priority Pass + dining & travel rewards |
03—Fees Differences highlighted | ||
| Joining fee | ₹6,500 | ₹4,999Best |
| Annual fee | ₹3,500Best | ₹4,999 |
| Fee waiver | ₹6,00,000Best | ₹10,00,000 |
| Interest-free days | 50 | 50 |
04—Interest Differences highlighted | ||
| APR (min) | 42% | 42% |
| APR (max) | 42% | 42% |
| Late payment fee | ₹1,200Best | ₹1,300 |
| Cash advance fee | 2.5% | 2.5% |
05—Rewards Differences highlighted | ||
| Reward type | points | points |
| Min rate | 0.5% | 0.5% |
| Max rate | 4%Best | 2.5% |
| Points / ₹100 | 4 | — |
| Point value | ₹0.25 | — |
06—Travel & Lounge Differences highlighted | ||
| Domestic lounge / qtr | 4Best | 2 |
| Intl lounge / year | 4 | 6Best |
| Priority Pass | ||
| DreamFolks | ||
07—Forex & Fuel Differences highlighted | ||
| Forex markup | 3.5% | 1.99%Best |
| Fuel surcharge waiver | ||
08—Features Differences highlighted | ||
| Metal card | ||
| Contactless | ||
| UPI linked | ||
09—Eligibility Differences highlighted | ||
| Min age | 18 | 21 |
| Min income / month | ₹75,000 | ₹1,00,000 |
| Min CIBIL | 750 | 750 |
| Invite only | ||
| Rows won | 06of 09 | 03of 09 |
Quick Verdict & Key Differences
Verified MITC Data
| Key Specification | ICICI Bank Sapphiro Credit Card | SBI Card Elite |
|---|---|---|
| CardCheck Score | 75/100Very Good | 72/100Very Good |
| Annual Fee | ₹3,500 | ₹4,999 |
| Fee Waiver Spend | ₹6L/yr | ₹10L/yr |
| Max Reward Potential | 4% | 2.5% |
| Domestic Lounge Access | 4 / quarter | 2 / quarter |
| International Lounge | 4 / year | 6 / year |
| Forex Markup Fee | 3.5% | 1.99% |
Choose ICICI Bank Sapphiro Credit Card if:
Your spending centers around premium lifestyle — lounge access, golf, dining and travel rewards and you want direct partner rewards with ICICI Bank.
Choose SBI Card Elite if:
Your spending aligns with sbi's flagship — lounge access, priority pass + dining & travel rewards and you prioritize SBI Card's redemption benefits.
Frequently asked questions: ICICI Bank Sapphiro Credit Card vs SBI Card Elite
- Which is better: ICICI Bank Sapphiro Credit Card or SBI Card Elite?
- ICICI Bank Sapphiro Credit Card holds a higher overall rating with a CardCheck Score of 75/100 (Very Good) compared to 72/100 (Very Good) for SBI Card Elite (a lead of +3 points). ICICI Bank Sapphiro Credit Card provides better net value across rewards and fee structures.
- How do annual fees and fee waiver spend rules compare?
- ICICI Bank Sapphiro Credit Card charges an annual fee of ₹3,500 with an annual spend threshold of ₹6 Lakh for renewal fee waiver. In comparison, SBI Card Elite charges an annual fee of ₹4,999 with an annual spend threshold of ₹10 Lakh.
- How do the reward rates and cashback compare between ICICI Bank Sapphiro Credit Card and SBI Card Elite?
- ICICI Bank Sapphiro Credit Card offers a base reward rate of 0.5% and up to 4% on accelerated partner categories. Meanwhile, SBI Card Elite offers a base rate of 0.5% and up to 2.5% on eligible spends. Compare net returns against your monthly spend in our Rewards Calculator.
- Which card has better airport lounge access: ICICI Bank Sapphiro Credit Card or SBI Card Elite?
- ICICI Bank Sapphiro Credit Card provides 4 domestic lounge visit(s) per quarter and 4 international lounge visit(s)/yr. On the other hand, SBI Card Elite provides 2 domestic lounge visit(s) per quarter and 6 international lounge visit(s)/yr. 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?
- ICICI Bank Sapphiro Credit Card levies a foreign currency markup fee of 3.5%, while SBI Card Elite charges 1.99%. 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).