IDFC FIRST Select Credit Card vs SBI Card Prime
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%
SBI CardScoreGood
Annual Fee₹2,999
Max Reward2.5%
IDFC FIRST Select Credit Card leads overall with a CardCheck Score of 88/100 (+23 pts over SBI Card Prime).
4-Pillar Head-to-Head Breakdown
IDFC vs SBIReward Power
35%IDFC34/35
SBI24/35
IDFC Wins
Fee Value & ROI
25%IDFC25/25
SBI18/25
IDFC Wins
Lounge & Travel
20%IDFC15/20
SBI15/20
Tie (15/20)
Forex & Access
20%IDFC14/20
SBI8/20
IDFC Wins
01—CardCheck Score & Pillars
- CardCheck Score
- 88Best
- 65
- Rating Verdict
- Excellent
- Good
- Reward Power (35%)
- 34/35
- 24/35
- 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
- Premium
- Best for
- Lifetime-free mid-tier — 6X on select categories + 2 lounge/quarter
- Mid-premium lifestyle — 10X on dining & movies + complimentary lounge
03—Fees
- Joining fee
- FreeBest
- ₹2,999
- Annual fee
- FreeBest
- ₹2,999
- Fee waiver
- —
- ₹3,00,000
- 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
- 0.5%
- Max rate
- 5%Best
- 2.5%
- 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
- ₹60,000
- Min CIBIL
- 720
- 720
- Invite only
Rows won
07of 09
02of 09
| Attribute ↓ | ★ Overall pick Column A | Column B |
|---|---|---|
01—CardCheck Score & Pillars Differences highlighted | ||
| CardCheck Score | 88Best | 65 |
| Rating Verdict | Excellent | Good |
| Reward Power (35%) | 34/35 | 24/35 |
| 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 | Premium |
| Best for | Lifetime-free mid-tier — 6X on select categories + 2 lounge/quarter | Mid-premium lifestyle — 10X on dining & movies + complimentary lounge |
03—Fees Differences highlighted | ||
| Joining fee | FreeBest | ₹2,999 |
| Annual fee | FreeBest | ₹2,999 |
| Fee waiver | — | ₹3,00,000 |
| 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 | 0.5% |
| Max rate | 5%Best | 2.5% |
| 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 | ₹60,000 |
| Min CIBIL | 720 | 720 |
| Invite only | ||
| Rows won | 07of 09 | 02of 09 |
Quick Verdict & Key Differences
Verified MITC Data
| Key Specification | IDFC FIRST Select Credit Card | SBI Card Prime |
|---|---|---|
| CardCheck Score | 88/100Excellent | 65/100Good |
| Annual Fee | Free (₹0) | ₹2,999 |
| Fee Waiver Spend | No waiver | ₹3L/yr |
| Max Reward Potential | 5% | 2.5% |
| 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 SBI Card Prime if:
Your spending aligns with mid-premium lifestyle — 10x on dining & movies + complimentary lounge and you prioritize SBI Card's redemption benefits.
Frequently asked questions: IDFC FIRST Select Credit Card vs SBI Card Prime
- Which is better: IDFC FIRST Select Credit Card or SBI Card Prime?
- IDFC FIRST Select Credit Card holds a higher overall rating with a CardCheck Score of 88/100 (Excellent) compared to 65/100 (Good) for SBI Card Prime (a lead of +23 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, SBI Card Prime charges an annual fee of ₹2,999 with an annual spend threshold of ₹3 Lakh.
- How do the reward rates and cashback compare between IDFC FIRST Select Credit Card and SBI Card Prime?
- IDFC FIRST Select Credit Card offers a base reward rate of 1% and up to 5% on accelerated partner categories. Meanwhile, SBI Card Prime 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: IDFC FIRST Select Credit Card or SBI Card Prime?
- IDFC FIRST Select Credit Card provides 2 domestic lounge visit(s) per quarter. On the other hand, SBI Card Prime 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 SBI Card Prime 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).