IRCTC SBI Platinum Credit Card is the one of the basic cards from SBI Card in collaboration with IRCTC. Being an entry level card, the features are limited, but are highly suitable for those who travel via train a lot. One of the most notable features this card offers is reward rate up to 10% on booking train tickets at IRCTC portal.
IRCTC SBI Platinum Credit Card comes in white color and is exclusively designed by renowned cartoonist R. K. Laxman. Though the card doesn’t feels premium in hand, it’s aesthetically pleasing to the eyes. The card is available on Visa Platinum platform and is enabled for contactless transactions.
Eligibility Criteria
Though SBI Card has not disclosed the eligibility criteria for IRCTC SBI Platinum Credit Card, I gathered following information from their executive:
- Age: Minimum 21 Years
- Salaried: Net Monthly Income > Rs. 25,000 per month
- Self Employed: ITR > Rs. 3 Lakhs per annum
SBI Card is very strict about credit history and there is a high chance of rejection if you don’t have credit history or your credit score is low.
Fees
IRCTC SBI Platinum Credit Card comes with following fees:
- Joining fee: Rs. 500 + GST
- Renewal fee: Rs. 300 + GST
There is no spend based renewal fee waiver criteria and hence one needs to shell out renewal fee every year. SBI Card generally doesn’t issues credit card for free and hence there is no way to escape from joining fee too.
Features
Being a co-branded credit card, IRCTC SBI Platinum Credit Card provides maximum benefits while transacting on it’s partner brand IRCTC.
Welcome Benefit
- 350 activation bonus reward points on spending Rs. 500 or more within 45 days of card issuance, ~ Rs. 350
- Rs. 100 cash back on first ATM cash withdrawal within 30 days of receiving the card, though I wouldn’t recommend doing it as it comes with really high interest charges
Also as a limited period offer, if you apply online for this card, you’ll get a BookMyShow voucher worth Rs. 250. The welcome benefit sets off the joining fee which is a little relief.
Reward Points
- 1 Reward Point = Rs. 1
- Value back on AC1, AC2, AC3 and AC CC train tickets as reward points for tickets purchased on IRCTC
- Peak Season: 10%
- Off-peak Season: 4%
Spend Category Spend Period Reward Points AC I/ II/ III/ Chair Car/ Executive Chair Car Travel dates between 1st April - 14th July and 16th Sep - 14th Jan 4 Points Travel dates between 15th Jan - 31st Mar and 15th July - 15th Sep 10 Points
- 1 Reward Point per Rs. 125 spent on other retail purchases (Non fuel) including railway ticket purchases at IRCTC, 0.8% reward rate
The reward points have validity of 3 years and can only be redeemed on IRCTC portal for train tickets.
Waiver of transaction charges
- 1.8% transaction charge waiver on train ticket booking
Finance Charges
- Foreign Currency Markup of 3.5%
- Revolving credit at interest rate of 3.35% per month
- 1% fuel surcharge waiver for each transaction between Rs. 500 to Rs. 3,000, maximum Rs. 100 per statement cycle
Drawbacks
IRCTC SBI Platinum Credit Card, being an entry level card, I don’t have huge expectations from it. However there are few shortcomings of this card which I would like to highlight.
- Non-uniform reward rate through out the year: Limiting reward rate to 4% for off-peak season is something I don’t understand. SBI Card should have simplified the reward structure by providing 10% reward rate through out the year, instead of bucketing it in to peak and off-peak periods.
- No spend based renewal fee waiver: All other SBI Credit Cards have spend based renewal fee waiver criteria. Not sure why SBI Card excluded this card from the same. This would have been a nice addition to this card and would have encouraged more people to opt for this card.
Verdict
IRCTC SBI Platinum Credit Card is a decent beginner card for those who travel by train a lot. 10% reward rate on train tickets during peak season with no upper limit is quite good. However if you don’t travel by train very frequently, I would suggest you to stay away from this card. If you want to have a low fee SBI Card in your wallet just for partner merchant offers, I would suggest you to stick with SBI SimplyCLICK credit card if your spends are mostly online and SBI SimplySAVE credit card if your spends are mostly offline.
How has been your experience with IRCTC SBI Platinum Credit Card? Let me know in comments below.
