Air India SBI Signature Credit Card vs Standard Chartered Ultimate Credit Card
SBI Card · Standard Chartered Bank — side-by-side CardCheck comparison


Air India SBI Signature Credit Card leads overall with a CardCheck Score of 76/100 (+1 pts over Standard Chartered Ultimate Credit Card).
4-Pillar Head-to-Head Breakdown
Air vs Standard- CardCheck Score
- 76Best
- 75
- Rating Verdict
- Very Good
- Very Good
- Reward Power (35%)
- 35/35
- 27/35
- Fee Value & ROI (25%)
- 18/25
- 18/25
- Lounge & Travel (20%)
- 15/20
- 18/20
- Forex & Access (20%)
- 8/20
- 12/20
- Bank
- SBI Card
- Standard Chartered Bank
- Network
- Visa
- Mastercard
- Card type
- Co-branded
- Premium
- Best for
- Air India loyalists — earn Flying Returns miles on everyday spend
- SC's premium Mastercard — 4 lounge/qtr, 3.33% dining & travel, 2% forex
- Joining fee
- ₹4,999Best
- ₹5,000
- Annual fee
- ₹4,999Best
- ₹5,000
- Fee waiver
- ₹5,00,000
- —
- Interest-free days
- 50
- —
- APR (min)
- 42%
- 42%
- APR (max)
- 42%
- 42%
- Late payment fee
- ₹1,300
- —
- Cash advance fee
- 2.5%
- —
- Reward type
- miles
- points
- Min rate
- 1%
- 1.67%Best
- Max rate
- 7.5%Best
- 3.33%
- Points / ₹100
- —
- 3.33
- Point value
- —
- ₹1
- Domestic lounge / qtr
- 2
- 4Best
- Intl lounge / year
- 0
- 4Best
- Priority Pass
- DreamFolks
- Forex markup
- 3.5%
- 2%Best
- Fuel surcharge waiver
- Metal card
- Contactless
- UPI linked
- Min age
- 21
- 21
- Min income / month
- ₹75,000
- ₹1,00,000
- Min CIBIL
- 750
- 750
- Invite only
| Attribute ↓ | ★ Overall pick Column A ![]() | Column B ![]() |
|---|---|---|
01—CardCheck Score & Pillars Differences highlighted | ||
| CardCheck Score | 76Best | 75 |
| Rating Verdict | Very Good | Very Good |
| Reward Power (35%) | 35/35 | 27/35 |
| Fee Value & ROI (25%) | 18/25 | 18/25 |
| Lounge & Travel (20%) | 15/20 | 18/20 |
| Forex & Access (20%) | 8/20 | 12/20 |
02—Basic Info Differences highlighted | ||
| Bank | SBI Card | Standard Chartered Bank |
| Network | Visa | Mastercard |
| Card type | Co-branded | Premium |
| Best for | Air India loyalists — earn Flying Returns miles on everyday spend | SC's premium Mastercard — 4 lounge/qtr, 3.33% dining & travel, 2% forex |
03—Fees Differences highlighted | ||
| Joining fee | ₹4,999Best | ₹5,000 |
| Annual fee | ₹4,999Best | ₹5,000 |
| Fee waiver | ₹5,00,000 | — |
| 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 | miles | points |
| Min rate | 1% | 1.67%Best |
| Max rate | 7.5%Best | 3.33% |
| Points / ₹100 | — | 3.33 |
| Point value | — | ₹1 |
06—Travel & Lounge Differences highlighted | ||
| Domestic lounge / qtr | 2 | 4Best |
| Intl lounge / year | 0 | 4Best |
| Priority Pass | ||
| DreamFolks | ||
07—Forex & Fuel Differences highlighted | ||
| Forex markup | 3.5% | 2%Best |
| Fuel surcharge waiver | ||
08—Features Differences highlighted | ||
| Metal card | ||
| Contactless | ||
| UPI linked | ||
09—Eligibility Differences highlighted | ||
| Min age | 21 | 21 |
| Min income / month | ₹75,000 | ₹1,00,000 |
| Min CIBIL | 750 | 750 |
| Invite only | ||
| Rows won | 04of 08 | 04of 08 |
| Key Specification | Air India SBI Signature Credit Card | Standard Chartered Ultimate Credit Card |
|---|---|---|
| CardCheck Score | 76/100Very Good | 75/100Very Good |
| Annual Fee | ₹4,999 | ₹5,000 |
| Fee Waiver Spend | ₹5L/yr | No waiver |
| Max Reward Potential | 7.5% | 3.33% |
| Domestic Lounge Access | 2 / quarter | 4 / quarter |
| International Lounge | None | 4 / year |
| Forex Markup Fee | 3.5% | 2% |
Choose Air India SBI Signature Credit Card if:
Your spending centers around air india loyalists — earn flying returns miles on everyday spend and you want direct partner rewards with SBI Card.
Choose Standard Chartered Ultimate Credit Card if:
Your spending aligns with sc's premium mastercard — 4 lounge/qtr, 3.33% dining & travel, 2% forex and you prioritize Standard Chartered Bank's redemption benefits.
Frequently asked questions: Air India SBI Signature Credit Card vs Standard Chartered Ultimate Credit Card
- Which is better: Air India SBI Signature Credit Card or Standard Chartered Ultimate Credit Card?
- Air India SBI Signature Credit Card holds a higher overall rating with a CardCheck Score of 76/100 (Very Good) compared to 75/100 (Very Good) for Standard Chartered Ultimate Credit Card (a lead of +1 points). Air India SBI Signature Credit Card provides better net value across rewards and fee structures.
- How do annual fees and fee waiver spend rules compare?
- Air India SBI Signature Credit Card charges an annual fee of ₹4,999 with an annual spend threshold of ₹5 Lakh for renewal fee waiver. In comparison, Standard Chartered Ultimate Credit Card charges an annual fee of ₹5,000 with no official annual spend waiver milestone.
- How do the reward rates and cashback compare between Air India SBI Signature Credit Card and Standard Chartered Ultimate Credit Card?
- Air India SBI Signature Credit Card offers a base reward rate of 1% and up to 7.5% on accelerated partner categories. Meanwhile, Standard Chartered Ultimate Credit Card offers a base rate of 1.67% and up to 3.33% on eligible spends. Compare net returns against your monthly spend in our Rewards Calculator.
- Which card has better airport lounge access: Air India SBI Signature Credit Card or Standard Chartered Ultimate Credit Card?
- Air India SBI Signature Credit Card provides 2 domestic lounge visit(s) per quarter. On the other hand, Standard Chartered Ultimate Credit Card provides 4 domestic lounge visit(s) per quarter and 4 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?
- Air India SBI Signature Credit Card levies a foreign currency markup fee of 3.5%, while Standard Chartered Ultimate Credit Card charges 2%. 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).