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2026 Head-to-Head Audit • India Market

SBI AURUM Metal Credit Card
vs
SBI Cashback Credit Card

Skip the marketing fluff. Below is the side-by-side breakdown of fees, yield/rewards math, fine-print restrictions, and the exact household profile each product is built for.

Choose SBI AURUM Metal Credit Card If...

SBI’s flagship invite-only metal card for CXOs, featuring 4 free movie tickets/month and ₹1 Lakh milestone vouchers.

  • ₹12,000/year in free BookMyShow tickets plus ₹10,000 welcome points immediately surpass the joining fee
  • Includes 4 complimentary international airport lounge guest visits per year
Primary Catch: Base reward rate (1% value: 4 points per ₹100 where 1 point = ₹0.25) is much lower than HDFC Infinia
Choose SBI Cashback Credit Card If...

India’s #1 online shopping card: flat 5% unrestricted cashback on virtually ALL online merchants with auto-credit to statement.

  • Works across Amazon, Flipkart, Myntra, Nykaa, and thousands of online merchants without co-brand lock-in
  • Direct statement credit cashback—no reward redemption fees or expiring points
Primary Catch: Excludes utility bills, insurance, rent, fuel, jewelry, school fees, and wallet loads from cashback
Metric / Feature

SBI AURUM Metal Credit Card

SBI Card
★ 4.6 / 5.0

SBI Cashback Credit Card

SBI Card
★ 4.9 / 5.0
Verified 2026 Financials & Terms
Annual / Platform Fee₹9,999 + GST (Waived on ₹12L Annual Spend)₹999 + GST (Waived on ₹2 Lakh Annual Spend)
Regular APR / Rates42.00% p.a. (3.50%/mo)45.00% p.a. (3.75%/mo)
Welcome Bonus / Match40,000 AURUM Points (Worth ₹10,000)Flat 5% Cashback on All Online Spend (Up to ₹5,000/mo)
Foreign Transaction Fee1.99% + GST3.50% + GST
Credit / EligibilityCIBIL 750+ (Invite Only)CIBIL 730+ (Online Instant Video KYC)
Core Features & Ecosystem Perks
Included Benefits
  • 4 Complimentary BookMyShow Movie Tickets Every Month (Up to ₹12,000/yr Value)
  • Unlimited International & Domestic Airport Lounge Access + 4 Guest Visits/Yr
  • Low 1.99% Foreign Currency Markup Fee
  • Complimentary Wall Street Journal, Mint, and Club Marriott Memberships
  • 5% Unrestricted Cashback on All Eligible Online Spends (Cap: ₹5,000/month)
  • 1% Unlimited Cashback on Offline POS Store Spends
  • Cashback Automatically Credited to Statement Within 2 Days of Billing
  • Annual Fee (₹999) Reversed Automatically at ₹2,00,000 Annual Spend
Editorial Pros & Cons
Where It Wins (Pros)
  • ₹12,000/year in free BookMyShow tickets plus ₹10,000 welcome points immediately surpass the joining fee
  • Includes 4 complimentary international airport lounge guest visits per year
  • Waives the annual fee completely at ₹12 Lakh annual spend
  • Works across Amazon, Flipkart, Myntra, Nykaa, and thousands of online merchants without co-brand lock-in
  • Direct statement credit cashback—no reward redemption fees or expiring points
  • Spending just ₹20,000/month online earns ₹12,000/year in pure tax-free cashback
Fine-Print Drawbacks (Cons)
  • Base reward rate (1% value: 4 points per ₹100 where 1 point = ₹0.25) is much lower than HDFC Infinia
  • By invitation only
  • Excludes utility bills, insurance, rent, fuel, jewelry, school fees, and wallet loads from cashback
  • No complimentary domestic airport lounge access (removed to sustain the massive 5% online cashback)
Fee & Foreign Spend Cost Audit

Annual Holding Cost & Overseas Trip Impact

Annual Fee Comparison
SBI AURUM Metal Credit Card: ₹9,999 + GST (Waived on ₹12L Annual Spend) vs SBI Cashback Credit Card: ₹999 + GST (Waived on ₹2 Lakh Annual Spend)

Always subtract the annual fee from your projected annual rewards before evaluating headline multipliers.

$3,000 International Vacation FX Surcharge
SBI AURUM Metal Credit Card: $60 fee (1.99% + GST) • SBI Cashback Credit Card: $105 fee (3.50% + GST)

A 3% foreign transaction fee wipes out 3% in rewards on every international hotel, restaurant, or flight billed in foreign currency.

In-Depth Breakdown: SBI AURUM Metal Credit Card vs SBI Cashback Credit Card

1. How SBI AURUM Metal Credit Card Works

The SBI AURUM is a super-premium metal card crafted for C-suite executives. It awards 40,000 AURUM points (worth ₹10,000) upon joining fee payment, 4 free BookMyShow movie tickets every month (worth ₹1,000/month), unlimited international lounge access with 4 guest visits/year, and a low 1.99% forex markup.

2. How SBI Cashback Credit Card Works

The SBI Cashback Credit Card is the single best non-invite credit card in India for online spenders. Unlike co-branded cards that restrict 5% cashback to a single app, the SBI Cashback Card pays a flat 5% real cashback on almost every online website and app in India and abroad (Amazon, Flipkart, Myntra, Ajio, Blinkit, Zomato, Swiggy, flights, electronics) up to ₹5,000 cashback per billing cycle, automatically credited directly to your credit card statement within 2 days of bill generation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Should I choose SBI AURUM Metal Credit Card or SBI Cashback Credit Card?

Choose SBI AURUM Metal Credit Card if you prioritize ₹12,000/year in free BookMyShow tickets plus ₹10,000 welcome points immediately surpass the joining fee. Choose SBI Cashback Credit Card if you want Works across Amazon, Flipkart, Myntra, Nykaa, and thousands of online merchants without co-brand lock-in.

What is the biggest catch with SBI AURUM Metal Credit Card vs SBI Cashback Credit Card?

With SBI AURUM Metal Credit Card, the main limitation to keep in mind is: Base reward rate (1% value: 4 points per ₹100 where 1 point = ₹0.25) is much lower than HDFC Infinia. With SBI Cashback Credit Card, the primary trade-off is: Excludes utility bills, insurance, rent, fuel, jewelry, school fees, and wallet loads from cashback.