IDFC FIRST Select Credit Card vs Air India SBI Signature Credit Card
IDFC FIRST Bank · SBI Card — side-by-side CardCheck comparison
CardCheck Score BattleDeterministic 0–100 Benchmark Rating
100% Unsponsored MITC Data
IDFC FIRST BankScoreExcellent
Annual FeeFree
Max Reward5%
ScoreVery Good
Annual Fee₹4,999
Max Reward7.5%
IDFC FIRST Select Credit Card leads overall with a CardCheck Score of 88/100 (+12 pts over Air India SBI Signature Credit Card).
4-Pillar Head-to-Head Breakdown
IDFC vs AirReward Power
35%IDFC34/35
Air35/35
Air Wins
Fee Value & ROI
25%IDFC25/25
Air18/25
IDFC Wins
Lounge & Travel
20%IDFC15/20
Air15/20
Tie (15/20)
Forex & Access
20%IDFC14/20
Air8/20
IDFC Wins
01—CardCheck Score & Pillars
- CardCheck Score
- 88Best
- 76
- Rating Verdict
- Excellent
- Very Good
- Reward Power (35%)
- 34/35
- 35/35
- Fee Value & ROI (25%)
- 25/25
- 18/25
- Lounge & Travel (20%)
- 15/20
- 15/20
- Forex & Access (20%)
- 14/20
- 8/20
02—Basic Info
- Bank
- IDFC FIRST Bank
- SBI Card
- Network
- Visa
- Visa
- Card type
- Regular
- Co-branded
- Best for
- Lifetime-free mid-tier — 6X on select categories + 2 lounge/quarter
- Air India loyalists — earn Flying Returns miles on everyday spend
03—Fees
- Joining fee
- FreeBest
- ₹4,999
- Annual fee
- FreeBest
- ₹4,999
- Fee waiver
- —
- ₹5,00,000
- 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
- miles
- Min rate
- 1%
- 1%
- Max rate
- 5%
- 7.5%Best
- Points / ₹100
- 0.5
- —
- Point value
- ₹0.25
- —
06—Travel & Lounge
- Domestic lounge / qtr
- 2
- 2
- Intl lounge / year
- 0
- 0
- Priority Pass
- DreamFolks
07—Forex & Fuel
- Forex markup
- 1.5%Best
- 3.5%
- Fuel surcharge waiver
08—Features
- Metal card
- Contactless
- UPI linked
09—Eligibility
- Min age
- 21
- 21
- Min income / month
- ₹50,000
- ₹75,000
- Min CIBIL
- 720Best
- 750
- Invite only
Rows won
06of 09
03of 09
| Attribute ↓ | ★ Overall pick Column A | Column B |
|---|---|---|
01—CardCheck Score & Pillars Differences highlighted | ||
| CardCheck Score | 88Best | 76 |
| Rating Verdict | Excellent | Very Good |
| Reward Power (35%) | 34/35 | 35/35 |
| Fee Value & ROI (25%) | 25/25 | 18/25 |
| Lounge & Travel (20%) | 15/20 | 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 | Regular | Co-branded |
| Best for | Lifetime-free mid-tier — 6X on select categories + 2 lounge/quarter | Air India loyalists — earn Flying Returns miles on everyday spend |
03—Fees Differences highlighted | ||
| Joining fee | FreeBest | ₹4,999 |
| Annual fee | FreeBest | ₹4,999 |
| Fee waiver | — | ₹5,00,000 |
| 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 | miles |
| Min rate | 1% | 1% |
| Max rate | 5% | 7.5%Best |
| Points / ₹100 | 0.5 | — |
| Point value | ₹0.25 | — |
06—Travel & Lounge Differences highlighted | ||
| Domestic lounge / qtr | 2 | 2 |
| Intl lounge / year | 0 | 0 |
| Priority Pass | ||
| DreamFolks | ||
07—Forex & Fuel Differences highlighted | ||
| Forex markup | 1.5%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 | ₹50,000 | ₹75,000 |
| Min CIBIL | 720Best | 750 |
| Invite only | ||
| Rows won | 06of 09 | 03of 09 |
Quick Verdict & Key Differences
Verified MITC Data
| Key Specification | IDFC FIRST Select Credit Card | Air India SBI Signature Credit Card |
|---|---|---|
| CardCheck Score | 88/100Excellent | 76/100Very Good |
| Annual Fee | Free (₹0) | ₹4,999 |
| Fee Waiver Spend | No waiver | ₹5L/yr |
| Max Reward Potential | 5% | 7.5% |
| Domestic Lounge Access | 2 / quarter | 2 / quarter |
| International Lounge | None | None |
| Forex Markup Fee | 1.5% | 3.5% |
Choose IDFC FIRST Select Credit Card if:
Your spending centers around lifetime-free mid-tier — 6x on select categories + 2 lounge/quarter and you want direct partner rewards with IDFC FIRST Bank.
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.
Frequently asked questions: IDFC FIRST Select Credit Card vs Air India SBI Signature Credit Card
- Which is better: IDFC FIRST Select Credit Card or Air India SBI Signature Credit Card?
- IDFC FIRST Select Credit Card holds a higher overall rating with a CardCheck Score of 88/100 (Excellent) compared to 76/100 (Very Good) for Air India SBI Signature Credit Card (a lead of +12 points). IDFC FIRST Select 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 Select 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, Air India SBI Signature Credit Card charges an annual fee of ₹4,999 with an annual spend threshold of ₹5 Lakh.
- How do the reward rates and cashback compare between IDFC FIRST Select Credit Card and Air India SBI Signature Credit Card?
- IDFC FIRST Select Credit Card offers a base reward rate of 1% and up to 5% 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: IDFC FIRST Select Credit Card or Air India SBI Signature Credit Card?
- IDFC FIRST Select Credit Card provides 2 domestic lounge visit(s) per quarter. On the other hand, Air India SBI Signature Credit Card 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 Select Credit Card levies a foreign currency markup fee of 1.5%, 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).