Cashback SBI Card

Overview

When it launched, the Cashback SBI Card broke the usual cashback formula. Instead of tying you to a short list of partner brands, it hands you a flat 5% back on almost every online purchase. In 2026 it is still one of the cleanest cashback cards you can carry in India: one rate for online, one rate for offline, and the money lands in your statement on its own with nothing to redeem.

Rewards and earning

Every online spend earns 5% cashback and every offline swipe earns 1%. There are no merchant restrictions on the 5% rate, so a purchase from a small independent store earns the same as one from a large marketplace. The caps are worth memorising: online cashback is limited to ₹2,000 per statement cycle, offline cashback is limited to ₹2,000 per statement cycle, and the total cannot cross ₹4,000 in a single cycle. Cashback is credited automatically to your statement within a couple of billing cycles, so you never file a redemption request. Some categories are kept out of the reward net, including rent, wallet loads, fuel, utilities and insurance, so plan those spends on a different card. There is also a 1% fuel surcharge waiver on eligible fuel transactions.

Fees

The card carries a joining fee of ₹999 plus GST, and the renewal fee from the second year is the same ₹999 plus GST. That renewal fee is waived if you spend ₹2,00,000 or more in the previous year, which works out to roughly ₹17,000 a month and is realistic for the online-heavy user this card is built for. Finance charges of up to around 3.5% per month apply if you revolve a balance, and foreign currency transactions carry a markup of about 3.5%, so this is best treated as a domestic card.

Eligibility

SBI Card issues this card to both salaried and self-employed applicants, typically between the ages of 18 and 65, with a stable income and a healthy credit profile. A credit score of 750 or above materially improves your approval odds. Keep your PAN, an address proof and income proof (salary slips or ITR) ready when you apply.

Who it is for

This card suits the diversified online shopper who wants a single, no-nonsense card for internet spending. If your monthly online outgo sits comfortably below the level that fills the ₹2,000 online cap, you pocket almost the full 5% value without playing any category games. It is a weaker fit for very heavy spenders, for frequent travellers (because of the forex markup) and for anyone whose big spends fall in the excluded categories.

Verdict

If you could keep only one card for online spending, the Cashback SBI Card would sit near the top of the shortlist. It out-earns most points based cards in real rupee terms and asks nothing of you at redemption time. Pair it with a lifetime-free card to cover the excluded categories and fuel, and you have a low-effort, high-return two-card wallet.