Ever tried a credit card with the best facility in the railway booking system? If not, then IRCTC SBI premier credit card has brought you some extra advantages and discounts which are attractable to any travel lover. But the amazing thing is that you can earn travel distance every night! Surprised? But it is true; you can earn 10000 miles of travel distance on every night spent at hotels. And not only that, there are some more interesting features. So, don’t be late anymore – scroll down to see “IRCTC SBI card premier credit card review.”
Key-Highlights
In this article
At first sight, the rewards seem to be more than enough, but the highlights are more than that.
- Good rewards at buying tickets, expensing utilities, staying at hotels and much more are awarded to you – especially in railway tickets.
- 10% and 25% car rental benefits from Hertz and Avis car rental.
- Contactless payment can help you prevent losing cards and fraud cases – wave your card, and everything is done!
- Easily convert considerable purchase amount into monthly instalments by using FlexiPay.
- Every night at the hotel can earn 10000 miles and 25% extra from Kaligo.com.
- Rs 10 lakhs and 50 lakhs of coverage amount are provided in case of accidental coverage.
- Rs. 1 lakh of coverage amount can be claimed in case of fraud cases.
Rewards
From the name itself, it is clear about the rewards type and its amount. Still, an elaborated explanation is needed for understanding purposes.
Who should opt for this card?
The net income constraint in the eligibility criteria clarifies that this card is for the ‘fancy’ users. People who love to travel, shopping – the card suits them. Saving is not at all a thing of concern to them. Rather they love to spend money for enjoying their life. A luxurious lifestyle is their motto. Daily usage patterns are entirely different from other people. Rewards attract them much, and they don’t hesitate to follow the transaction or any other goals to avail the rewards. Of course, not all rich people need to apply for this card!
The credit card is exclusively for premium users. If you are a member of a group of those persons who have a net income excellent, you may apply for this card. In fact, you have to be that – otherwise, you will be struck at the constraint of eligibility criteria. Thus, there is no question of common people applying for this card.
Fees
Premium card but not premium charges! It’s not going to happen –well, the charges are moderate, average – not too high and not too low also. Let’s list those.
Features And Benefits
A premium card should come with premium features, which also happens here.
1. A vast collection of rewards
As I mentioned in the second point, the rewards are good in types – means not in every case they are offering the same type of rewards(the reward points) and in amounts. Different cases – different rewards and different amounts, sometimes it is the reward points, sometimes good discount and sometimes values back.
2. A good option for waiving charges
There are mainly two options for waiving transaction charges. One is for railway tickets, and the other is for air tickets. When you consider buying tickets from the official website –irctc.co. you can save 1% and 1.8% of the fare respectively.
3. Privileges from VISA
Again, this point comes under the rewards section. There are exclusive benefits across 900 hotels both in India and abroad. These benefits are under VISA Signature facilities. You can save 10% and 35% on car rental from Hertz and Avis. And the most exciting thing is that you can earn 10000 miles on every night spend at hotels, and from Kaligo.com extra 25% mile is awarded.
4. Contactless payment
The SBI bank made the contactless payment to upgrade to the next level. The daily purchase can be made with just a simple waving your card at a security reader. So, you don’t need to enter the PIN every time, and the process is fast and convenient.
5. Security
Here comes this point linked with the previous one. You don’t have to hand over the card during the transaction – so the chance of losing and stealing is less. And if you mistakenly wave multiple times the card at a security reader, only one transaction would be done. Thanks to the VISA payWave for providing a unique security key feature.
6. Fast and convenient
The same thing is here also. Though it is contactless, it is also as fast as a standard card. You don’t need to hand it over for cash or coins, only waving can do this!
7. Pay bill easily
You can pay the electricity, water, telephone and other utility bills using the IRCTC SBI premier card with an easy pay bill facility.
8. Fraud liability coverage
You have not to pay anything if you are a victim of fraud cases and report within 48 hours of loss of the card. And also, you are eligible to get a coverage amount of Rs 1 lakh, which is valid for 7 days of post reporting time.
9. Lounge access
You can enjoy 8 lounge visits and a maximum of 2 lounge access every year. Here I am giving the list of some lounges and their location.
I forgot to mention one crucial thing on the list: every entry is to the executive lounge. And then another one is that only the primary cardholder can access lounge visits and lounge access, so there is no chance for the add-on cardmember to enjoy every feature and benefit.
10. Accepted worldwide
Your SBI IRCTC card is accepted 24 million outlets all around the world. So, don’t worry, carry your card and enjoy!
11. Card replacement and accidental coverage
You can replace your card anywhere in the world – get in touch with the VISA helpline number. And you will get Rs 50 lakh of coverage amount in case of an accident while travelling overseas.
12. Add your family members easily who are above 18 years old.
13. Convert purchases into EMI
With Flexipay, you can convert any big purchase amount into monthly instalments. To avail this facility, you have to do any transaction whose amount is Rs 2500 or more and log on to the board. Within 30 days of purchase.
14. You will get the cheque or draft delivered to your doorstep by the Easy pay facility when you need money.
15. The same thing happens for the Railway ticket booking also. You have to follow some basic rules and conditions at irctc.co.in.
Why This Card Is Better Than Other Credit Cards?
Here comes the true challenge. Actualsimilar cards offer more in dining and shopping, and SBI IRCTC lags behind them. But there are also some good points which defeat others.
Eligibility Criteria
- You have to be an Indian.
- Your age should be above 21 years old.
- The minimum income requirement is Rs 20000 per month if you are a salaried person. And for a self–employed person, the minimum income should be Rs 3 lakh per annum.
- A good credit score and credit history is needed.
Documents Required
A proof of identity, proof of address/residence is sufficient for applying for this card. You can choose anyone for each case from the below list:
- AADHAR card, PAN card, Voter card slip, driving license – for identity proof.
- Ration card, water bill, gas connection bill, the electric bill – for address proof.
- Form 16 or last 2 months payslip – for income proof.
Similar Cards
As I told you earlier, this card has similar competitors. Let’s have a quick comparison.
How to apply for this card?
I think you have understood the fees, who should apply for this card. And after that, if you have decided to apply for this card, here is how to do so.
- Go to the official sbi site. You will find some questions are asking for details. Fill very carefully.
- In the second step, you have to fill in some other fields – mobile number, PAN number, pin code, Net annual income, and so on. Keep all the documents ready in your hand to avoid an error.
- Fill the forms very carefully. And also, read all the disclaimer terms and conditions before applying.
I am not describing all the points for applying for the card. It is a straightforward process. Fill in the form and enter the following form by clicking on the “next” button. Remember- forms will be rejected in case of any false information.
Frequently Asked Questions
I know you guys are confused with some questions – let me answer those.
1. What is the credit limit of IRCTC SBI premier cards?
Every time this question comes to your mind, you should remember that not only for HDFC – any bank does not disclose it. The only reason behind this is that the bank will decide this by seeing your credit performance.
2. What is the grace period?
On the official site, it is mentioned that the interest-free period or grace period can range between 20 – 50 days.
3. Can I waive the annual fee?
Yes, of course, you can! You can waive off the annual fee by expensing a total of Rs 2.5 lakh in a year.
4. Actually, who would be benefited most from this card?
Generally, the travellers who used to travel by train or air very frequently are benefited a lot because, in travelling, the benefits are much attractive.
Final Talk
Here, the time comes for the conclusion. After the long discussion of facilities and disadvantages, one question comes to our mind: “whether should I apply for the card or not?”I have some complaints about the card. Because the coverage amount is lower than others, you will get only Rs 1 lakh in fraud cases. That really disappoints the victims.
The usage of a credit card seems to be an extra burden for you. You are not a regular customer and have not faced any issues over the transaction till now. Then why should you use a credit card? Because, unlike others, this credit card does not provide any rewards at the offline market. You love travelling – visit various countries frequently. Security may be a top priority for you. Then there is a question of choosing the best credit card. As you have seen before, it offers excellent security. Considering all the situations, this credit card really holds smart value for a mid-budget and fancy customer.
I hope all the doubts are cleared by reading this article. Thank you and see you again later!
They reject the application without any strong reason for a person carrying 800+ cibil. Waste of time in applying. They didn’t care to reply their decision of rejection too.