SBI Card has recently introduced two new co-branded credit cards in partnership with IndiGo Airlines - the IndiGo SBI Elite Credit Card and the IndiGo SBI Credit Card. These launches aim to target frequent domestic flyers who regularly travel with IndiGo, India’s largest airline by market share.
In this article, we will take a closer look at the features, rewards, and benefits of these cards, and evaluate whether they truly offer value compared to other options available in the market.
Note: No BluChips will be awarded on Utility, Govt Transactions, Rental, Fuel, Gaming, Crossell and insurance payments.
BluChips function like a currency and can be used to pay for flights. However, the value of BluChips is dynamic and may vary depending on factors such as the flight route, booking date, and availability - at the sole discretion of IndiGo.
Insurance Benefit With Indigo SBI Elite Credit Card:
Let’s break it down. If we take the average value of an IndiGo BluChip point at ₹0.50, the Elite variant delivers about a 3.5% return on IndiGo flight bookings. For a co-branded card dedicated solely to IndiGo, this is surprisingly modest. Frequent flyers should ideally get much stronger rewards, especially when they are locked into a single airline ecosystem. For all other spends, the return rate drops to just 1%, which is quite underwhelming for a premium product.
What makes the proposition worse is the lack of value back on essential spend categories such as insurance, rent, utilities, wallets, and government transactions. These exclusions significantly reduce the card’s day-to-day practicality, and for a card that charges ₹4,999 annually, this is simply not acceptable.
When you place this card alongside other options in the same price range, the shortcomings become even more evident. For instance, the Axis Atlas Credit Card and even the HDFC Regalia Gold (available at roughly half the annual fee) offer far better flexibility, richer milestone benefits, and stronger value returns. Even if we compare within the IndiGo co-branded ecosystem, the IDFC First Bank IndiGo Credit Card actually delivers slightly better value on rewards than the SBI IndiGo Elite Card.
So the question remains, why would someone choose this product when better alternatives exist, both within IndiGo’s co-branded line-up and in the broader premium card segment? At the moment, the IndiGo SBI Credit Cards seem like a missed opportunity to create a truly competitive offering for frequent flyers.
In this article, we will take a closer look at the features, rewards, and benefits of these cards, and evaluate whether they truly offer value compared to other options available in the market.
Charges
| Card Variant | Joining Fees | Annual Fees | Waiver Conditions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Indigo SBI Credit Card | Rs. 1499 + GST | Rs. 1499 + GST | Not Available |
| Indigo SBI Elite Credit Card | Rs. 4999 + GST | Rs. 4999 + GST | Not Available |
Welcome & Renewal Benefits
| Card Variant | Welcome Benefits | Renewal Benefits |
|---|---|---|
| Indigo SBI Credit Card | 2500 Bluechips after joining fees payment and 1st transaction within 60 days from account setup. | 2500 Bluechips after renewal fees payment. |
| Indigo SBI Elite Credit Card | 5000 Bluechips & 1 6E Eats Voucher after joining fees payment and 1st transaction within 60 days from account setup. |
Main Benefits
Airport Lounge Access
- Enjoy 4 Domestic Lounge access in a year capped at 1 access per quarter (Eligible on spends of ₹ 50,000 per quarter) using Indigo SBI Credit Card.
- 8 Domestic Lounge access in a year capped to 2 access per quarter (Eligible on spends of ₹ 1 Lakh per quarter) using Indigo SBI Elite Credit Card.
- 6 complimentary International Lounge access, capped at 2 per quarter, using Indigo SBI Elite Credit Card.
Fuel Surcharge Waiver
- 1% fuel surcharge waiver on transactions between ₹500 and ₹4,000
- Maximum waiver: Rs. 200 (Indigo SBI Credit Card) & Rs. 400 (Indigo SBI Elite Credit Card)
Reward Program
A. Earning Reward Points
| Card Variant | Transaction Type | Reward Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Indigo SBI Credit Card | Flight Booking on Indigo Website/App | 3 IndiGo BluChips per ₹100 spent |
| Hotel, Flight & Travel MCCs | 2 IndiGo BluChips per ₹100 spent | |
| All Other Spends | 1 IndiGo BluChips per ₹100 spent | |
| Indigo SBI Elite Credit Card | Flight Booking on Indigo Website/App | 7 IndiGo BluChips per ₹100 spent |
| Hotel, Flight & Travel MCCs | 3 IndiGo BluChips per ₹100 spent | |
| All Other Spends | 2 IndiGo BluChips per ₹100 spent |
Note: No BluChips will be awarded on Utility, Govt Transactions, Rental, Fuel, Gaming, Crossell and insurance payments.
B. Redeeming Reward Points
IndiGo BluChips can be redeemed for booking IndiGo flight tickets through the IndiGo website or mobile app.BluChips function like a currency and can be used to pay for flights. However, the value of BluChips is dynamic and may vary depending on factors such as the flight route, booking date, and availability - at the sole discretion of IndiGo.
Estimated Value of BluChips:
Typically, you can expect a redemption value of ₹0.40 to ₹0.50 per BluChip. Booking your flight earlier often gives you better value for your BluChips.Milestone Benefits
Get up to 25,000 additional IndiGo BluChips vouchers every year by spending ₹12,00,000.| Card Variant | ||
|---|---|---|
| Indigo SBI Credit Card | ₹2,00,000 | 2500 IndiGo BluChips |
| ₹4,00,000 | 2500 IndiGo BluChips | |
| ₹6,00,000 | 2500 IndiGo BluChips | |
| Indigo SBI Elite Credit Card | ₹3,00,000 | 6000 IndiGo BluChips |
| ₹6,00,000 | 6000 IndiGo BluChips | |
| ₹9,00,000 | 6000 IndiGo BluChips | |
| 12,00,000 | 6000 IndiGo BluChips |
Important Terms:
- Milestone Program renews every card anniversary year.
Insurance Benefit With Indigo SBI Elite Credit Card:
- 4 free flight cancellations per year, each upto Rs. 3,000
Eligibility Criteria
- Must be an Indian resident
- Minimum age: 18 years
- Income: No official disclosure from the bank
TechnoFino Opinion:
To be completely honest, the newly launched IndiGo SBI Credit Cards feel quite underwhelming. With annual fees of ₹4,999 (Elite) and ₹1,499 (Standard), expectations were naturally high. Unfortunately, the overall value proposition falls short of what frequent flyers would reasonably expect from a co-branded card with India’s largest airline.Let’s break it down. If we take the average value of an IndiGo BluChip point at ₹0.50, the Elite variant delivers about a 3.5% return on IndiGo flight bookings. For a co-branded card dedicated solely to IndiGo, this is surprisingly modest. Frequent flyers should ideally get much stronger rewards, especially when they are locked into a single airline ecosystem. For all other spends, the return rate drops to just 1%, which is quite underwhelming for a premium product.
What makes the proposition worse is the lack of value back on essential spend categories such as insurance, rent, utilities, wallets, and government transactions. These exclusions significantly reduce the card’s day-to-day practicality, and for a card that charges ₹4,999 annually, this is simply not acceptable.
When you place this card alongside other options in the same price range, the shortcomings become even more evident. For instance, the Axis Atlas Credit Card and even the HDFC Regalia Gold (available at roughly half the annual fee) offer far better flexibility, richer milestone benefits, and stronger value returns. Even if we compare within the IndiGo co-branded ecosystem, the IDFC First Bank IndiGo Credit Card actually delivers slightly better value on rewards than the SBI IndiGo Elite Card.
So the question remains, why would someone choose this product when better alternatives exist, both within IndiGo’s co-branded line-up and in the broader premium card segment? At the moment, the IndiGo SBI Credit Cards seem like a missed opportunity to create a truly competitive offering for frequent flyers.
