SBI Cashback Card Credit Card Review 2026 — Fees, Rewards & Benefits

Rewards

A rare flat 5% cashback on almost all online spends with no merchant restrictions, plus 1% offline — cashback is auto-credited to the statement.

Online spends (most merchants)	5% cashback
Offline spends	1% cashback
Monthly cashback cap	Around ₹5,000 per statement cycle
Excluded categories	Rent, fuel, utilities, insurance, wallets & more

Features & benefits

Uncapped merchant coverage online

The 5% rate applies to online spends across nearly all merchants rather than a short partner list, subject to category exclusions.

Auto-credit cashback

Cashback posts to your statement automatically within a couple of billing cycles — nothing to redeem, ever.

1% offline rate

Offline swipes still earn 1% cashback, so the card works as a standalone everyday card.

Fuel surcharge waiver

1% fuel surcharge waived on transactions of ₹500 to ₹3,000, capped at ₹100 per statement cycle.

Contactless and app control

Tap-to-pay plus full card controls, limits and EMI conversion in the SBI Card app.

Pros & cons

Pros

Flat 5% cashback online without being tied to specific merchants
Cashback auto-credits to the statement — no redemption process at all
1% cashback on offline spends keeps the card useful everywhere
Renewal fee waived on a reachable ₹2 lakh annual spend
1% fuel surcharge waiver up to ₹100 per month

Cons

Monthly cashback cap of around ₹5,000 limits very heavy spenders
Long exclusion list: rent, fuel, utilities, insurance, education, wallets and more
No airport lounge access after benefit revisions
3.5% forex markup makes it poor for international use

Joining fee	₹999 + GST
Annual fee	₹999 + GST (waived on ₹2 lakh annual spend)
Interest rate	Around 3.5% per month (approx. 42% p.a.)
Forex markup	3.5% on international transactions
Late payment fee	Up to ₹1,300 depending on outstanding amount
Cash advance fee	2.5% of amount withdrawn (min. ₹500)

Joining fee

₹999 + GST

Annual fee

₹999 + GST (waived on ₹2 lakh annual spend)

Interest rate

Around 3.5% per month (approx. 42% p.a.)

Forex markup

3.5% on international transactions

Late payment fee

Up to ₹1,300 depending on outstanding amount

Cash advance fee

2.5% of amount withdrawn (min. ₹500)

Age	21 to 70 years
Income	Regular income; roughly ₹25,000+ per month improves approval odds
Credit score	750+ recommended
Documents	PAN, address proof, and income proof (salary slips or ITR)

Age

21 to 70 years

Income

Regular income; roughly ₹25,000+ per month improves approval odds

Credit score

750+ recommended

Documents

PAN, address proof, and income proof (salary slips or ITR)

In-depth review

Overview

The SBI Cashback Card did something genuinely unusual when it launched: it offered 5% cashback on online spending without tying you to a merchant list. In 2026 it remains the simplest high-rate cashback card in India — one rate for online, one for offline, cashback credited automatically, and nothing to redeem.

Rewards and benefits

Online spends earn a flat 5% and offline spends earn 1%, with cashback auto-credited to your statement within about two billing cycles. The freedom from merchant lists is the killer feature — a niche marketplace purchase earns the same 5% as Amazon. The important caveats: accelerated cashback is capped at around ₹5,000 per month, and a fairly long exclusion list (rent, fuel, utilities, insurance, education, wallet loads, jewellery among others) earns nothing. For a typical online-heavy household, though, the caps are generous enough that the card returns several thousand rupees a year.

Fees and fine print

The ₹999 + GST annual fee is waived at ₹2 lakh annual spend — about ₹17,000 a month, which most target users will clear. Interest is around 3.5% per month if you carry a balance. There is no lounge access after benefit revisions, and the 3.5% forex markup rules it out for foreign trips. This is a domestic online workhorse, not a travel card.

Verdict

If you had to carry exactly one card for online spending, this is arguably the one. It out-earns most points cards without any redemption gymnastics, and the fee waiver is realistic. Pair it with a lifetime-free card for the excluded categories and you have a near-optimal two-card setup for very little effort.

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