IDFC FIRST Wealth Credit Card vs SBI Card PULSE
IDFC FIRST Bank · SBI Card — side-by-side CardCheck comparison
CardCheck Score BattleDeterministic 0–100 Benchmark Rating
100% Unsponsored MITC Data
IDFC FIRST BankScoreElite
Annual FeeFree
Max Reward5%
SBI CardScoreGood
Annual Fee₹1,499
Max Reward2.5%
IDFC FIRST Wealth Credit Card leads overall with a CardCheck Score of 91/100 (+24 pts over SBI Card PULSE).
4-Pillar Head-to-Head Breakdown
IDFC vs SBIReward Power
35%IDFC34/35
SBI24/35
IDFC Wins
Fee Value & ROI
25%IDFC25/25
SBI20/25
IDFC Wins
Lounge & Travel
20%IDFC18/20
SBI15/20
IDFC Wins
Forex & Access
20%IDFC14/20
SBI8/20
IDFC Wins
01—CardCheck Score & Pillars
- CardCheck Score
- 91Best
- 67
- Rating Verdict
- Elite
- Good
- Reward Power (35%)
- 34/35
- 24/35
- Fee Value & ROI (25%)
- 25/25
- 20/25
- Lounge & Travel (20%)
- 18/20
- 15/20
- Forex & Access (20%)
- 14/20
- 8/20
02—Basic Info
- Bank
- IDFC FIRST Bank
- SBI Card
- Network
- Visa
- Visa
- Card type
- Premium
- Regular
- Best for
- IDFC's flagship lifetime-free premium — 0% forex, 10X on top spends, 4 lounge/quarter
- Health-conscious users — 10X on pharmacy & fitness + lounge access
03—Fees
- Joining fee
- FreeBest
- ₹1,499
- Annual fee
- FreeBest
- ₹1,499
- Fee waiver
- —
- ₹2,00,000
- Interest-free days
- 45
- 50Best
04—Interest
- APR (min)
- 8.5%Best
- 42%
- APR (max)
- 46.2%
- 42%Best
- Late payment fee
- ₹1,300
- ₹1,300
- Cash advance fee
- —
- 2.5%
05—Rewards
- Reward type
- points
- points
- Min rate
- 1%Best
- 0.25%
- Max rate
- 5%Best
- 2.5%
06—Travel & Lounge
- Domestic lounge / qtr
- 4Best
- 2
- Intl lounge / year
- 2Best
- 0
- Priority Pass
- DreamFolks
07—Forex & Fuel
- Forex markup
- 0%Best
- 3.5%
- Fuel surcharge waiver
08—Features
- Metal card
- Contactless
- UPI linked
09—Eligibility
- Min age
- 21
- 21
- Min income / month
- ₹1,50,000
- ₹35,000
- Min CIBIL
- 750
- 700Best
- Invite only
Rows won
09of 12
03of 12
| Attribute ↓ | ★ Overall pick Column A | Column B |
|---|---|---|
01—CardCheck Score & Pillars Differences highlighted | ||
| CardCheck Score | 91Best | 67 |
| Rating Verdict | Elite | Good |
| Reward Power (35%) | 34/35 | 24/35 |
| Fee Value & ROI (25%) | 25/25 | 20/25 |
| Lounge & Travel (20%) | 18/20 | 15/20 |
| Forex & Access (20%) | 14/20 | 8/20 |
02—Basic Info Differences highlighted | ||
| Bank | IDFC FIRST Bank | SBI Card |
| Network | Visa | Visa |
| Card type | Premium | Regular |
| Best for | IDFC's flagship lifetime-free premium — 0% forex, 10X on top spends, 4 lounge/quarter | Health-conscious users — 10X on pharmacy & fitness + lounge access |
03—Fees Differences highlighted | ||
| Joining fee | FreeBest | ₹1,499 |
| Annual fee | FreeBest | ₹1,499 |
| Fee waiver | — | ₹2,00,000 |
| Interest-free days | 45 | 50Best |
04—Interest Differences highlighted | ||
| APR (min) | 8.5%Best | 42% |
| APR (max) | 46.2% | 42%Best |
| Late payment fee | ₹1,300 | ₹1,300 |
| Cash advance fee | — | 2.5% |
05—Rewards Differences highlighted | ||
| Reward type | points | points |
| Min rate | 1%Best | 0.25% |
| Max rate | 5%Best | 2.5% |
06—Travel & Lounge Differences highlighted | ||
| Domestic lounge / qtr | 4Best | 2 |
| Intl lounge / year | 2Best | 0 |
| Priority Pass | ||
| DreamFolks | ||
07—Forex & Fuel Differences highlighted | ||
| Forex markup | 0%Best | 3.5% |
| Fuel surcharge waiver | ||
08—Features Differences highlighted | ||
| Metal card | ||
| Contactless | ||
| UPI linked | ||
09—Eligibility Differences highlighted | ||
| Min age | 21 | 21 |
| Min income / month | ₹1,50,000 | ₹35,000 |
| Min CIBIL | 750 | 700Best |
| Invite only | ||
| Rows won | 09of 12 | 03of 12 |
Quick Verdict & Key Differences
Verified MITC Data
| Key Specification | IDFC FIRST Wealth Credit Card | SBI Card PULSE |
|---|---|---|
| CardCheck Score | 91/100Elite | 67/100Good |
| Annual Fee | Free (₹0) | ₹1,499 |
| Fee Waiver Spend | No waiver | ₹2L/yr |
| Max Reward Potential | 5% | 2.5% |
| Domestic Lounge Access | 4 / quarter | 2 / quarter |
| International Lounge | 2 / year | None |
| Forex Markup Fee | 0% | 3.5% |
Choose IDFC FIRST Wealth Credit Card if:
Your spending centers around idfc's flagship lifetime-free premium — 0% forex, 10x on top spends, 4 lounge/quarter and you want direct partner rewards with IDFC FIRST Bank.
Choose SBI Card PULSE if:
Your spending aligns with health-conscious users — 10x on pharmacy & fitness + lounge access and you prioritize SBI Card's redemption benefits.
Frequently asked questions: IDFC FIRST Wealth Credit Card vs SBI Card PULSE
- Which is better: IDFC FIRST Wealth Credit Card or SBI Card PULSE?
- IDFC FIRST Wealth Credit Card holds a higher overall rating with a CardCheck Score of 91/100 (Elite) compared to 67/100 (Good) for SBI Card PULSE (a lead of +24 points). IDFC FIRST Wealth Credit Card is classified in our Elite tier due to superior spend returns and comprehensive travel perks.
- How do annual fees and fee waiver spend rules compare?
- IDFC FIRST Wealth Credit Card charges an annual fee of ₹0 (Lifetime Free / Zero Fee) with no official annual spend waiver milestone for renewal fee waiver. In comparison, SBI Card PULSE charges an annual fee of ₹1,499 with an annual spend threshold of ₹2 Lakh.
- How do the reward rates and cashback compare between IDFC FIRST Wealth Credit Card and SBI Card PULSE?
- IDFC FIRST Wealth Credit Card offers a base reward rate of 1% and up to 5% on accelerated partner categories. Meanwhile, SBI Card PULSE offers a base rate of 0.25% 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: IDFC FIRST Wealth Credit Card or SBI Card PULSE?
- IDFC FIRST Wealth Credit Card provides 4 domestic lounge visit(s) per quarter and 2 international lounge visit(s)/yr. On the other hand, SBI Card PULSE provides 2 domestic lounge visit(s) per quarter. 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?
- IDFC FIRST Wealth Credit Card levies a foreign currency markup fee of 0%, while SBI Card PULSE 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).