SBI Aurum Credit Card
Base Rate
1%
Forex Markup
1.99%
Joining Fee
₹9,999
Milestones
4
💳 Fee Structure
🧮 Reward Calculator
Monthly Spending Breakdown
Net Annual Value
-₹3,549
After ₹9,999 annual fee deduction
Base Rewards
₹4,950
Forex Net
+₹0
Milestones
₹1,500
Milestone Progress
Spend ₹1L in a calendar month → ₹1,500 Tata CLiQ voucher
Spend ₹1L annually
Spend ₹5L annually → ₹5,000 Tata CLiQ Luxury voucher
Spend ₹5L annually
Spend ₹10L annually → ₹10,000 Taj Experiences voucher
Spend ₹10L annually
Spend ₹20L annually → ₹20,000 Apple Premium Reseller voucher
Spend ₹20L annually
📝 Detailed Review
Our In-Depth Verdict
The SBI Aurum Credit Card serves as SBI's flagship entry into the super-premium segment. Geared towards high-net-worth individuals and frequent flyers, it packs an impressive suite of lifestyle and travel privileges. Standout features include unlimited international lounge access, four free monthly movie tickets, complimentary golf sessions, and a low forex markup of 1.99%. From a sheer experiential standpoint, the card confidently competes with top-tier offerings in the Indian market.
However, the primary drawback of the Aurum is its remarkably low base reward rate of roughly 1%. Compared to industry giants like the HDFC Infinia, this limits its appeal as an unoptimized everyday spending card. To truly extract substantial value and justify the ₹9,999 annual fee, cardholders must heavily leverage its milestone program. If you can channel up to ₹20 Lakhs of annual spending through this card, the accumulation of high-value vouchers—ranging from Tata CLiQ to Apple—elevates the effective return rate to a highly competitive 3.7%.
Lounge Access
Unconditional Access
No minimum spend required to unlock lounge visits.
Visits / Year
16visits
Guest Visits
4guests
Supported Networks
Additional Notes
16 complimentary domestic visits per year (4 per quarter). Unlimited international airport lounge access via Dreamfolks, along with 1 complimentary international guest visit per quarter.
🔄 Transfer Partners
Air India (Maharaja Club)
airline
Qatar Airways (Avios)
airline
Club ITC (Green Points)
hotel
AirAsia Rewards
airline
Adani Rewards
airline
⚖️ Pros & Cons
✓Pros
- •Unlimited international airport lounge access with 1 free guest visit per quarter.
- •Exceptional milestone rewards program that can boost the effective return rate up to 3.7%.
- •4 free movie tickets every month via BookMyShow (up to ₹1,000 monthly value).
- •Complimentary premium memberships including Club Marriott, WSJ, Mint, and Dreamfolks.
- •Low forex markup fee of 1.99% for international transactions.
✗Cons
- •Very low base reward rate of 1% compared to competing super-premium cards.
- •No reward points earned on fuel, rent, wallet loads, or government transactions.
- •Subpar point transfer ratios to airlines and hotels (5:1 for most partners).
- •High annual fee of ₹9,999 + taxes with no guaranteed renewal benefit unless the ₹12L waiver is met.
Historical Changes
Track record of card modifications
Exclusion of Government & Gaming Spends
Reward point accrual on Digital Gaming Platforms and Government-related transactions was officially discontinued.
Air Accident Insurance Removed
The complimentary Air Accident insurance coverage of ₹1 crore was discontinued for super-premium portfolios.