IRCTC cards from SBI, HDFC, BOBCARD and RBL compared: ticket points, the 4% vs 10% season rule, lounges, age limits for seniors, and when the cheaper card beats Premier.
Quick Verdict
Railway co-branded credit cards give you reward points on IRCTC train tickets, a waiver of the 1% transaction charge, and a few free railway lounge visits a year. The best railway credit card benefits go to people who book AC tickets on irctc.co.in or the IRCTC app several times a year.
As of November 2026, IRCTC lists co-branded cards with four issuers: SBI Card, BOBCARD, HDFC Bank and RBL Bank. For most retired travellers, the cheaper cards beat the premium one unless you spend well over ₹25,000 a year on train tickets.
Card | Fee (as of November 2026) | Train ticket reward | Railway lounges |
|---|---|---|---|
IRCTC SBI Card (Visa or RuPay) | ₹500 joining, ₹300 renewal | Up to 10 points per ₹100 | 4 a year (1 a quarter) |
IRCTC SBI Card Premier | ₹1,499 joining and renewal | Up to 10 points per ₹100 | 8 a year (2 a quarter) |
IRCTC HDFC Bank Credit Card | ₹500 | 5 points per ₹100 | Up to 8 a year (2 a quarter) |
IRCTC BOBCARD | ₹500 joining, ₹350 annual | Up to 40 points per ₹100 (₹0.25 a point) | 4 a year (1 a quarter) |
IRCTC RBL Bank Card | ₹500 | 5 points per ₹200 | Up to 8 a year (2 a quarter) |
Fees are plus 18% GST. All five cards also waive the 1% transaction charge on IRCTC train bookings.
Apply with SBI Card: Check SBI Card credit cards
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Apply with HDFC Bank: Check HDFC Bank credit cards
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What Benefits Do Railway Co-Branded Credit Cards Give?
IRCTC describes its co-brand programme as a loyalty scheme for frequent travellers. You earn travel points when you book tickets on the IRCTC e-ticketing portal, and partner points on other spends. You can then redeem the points for train tickets.
In practice, railway credit card benefits fall into four buckets:
Points on train tickets booked on irctc.co.in or the IRCTC Rail Connect app.
A 1% transaction charge waiver on those bookings. HDFC Bank's MITC says other HDFC cards pay a 1% railway ticket purchase fee plus GST, while the IRCTC card gets it reversed, capped at ₹1,000 a month.
Railway lounge visits at select stations, usually for the primary cardholder only.
A welcome benefit, such as bonus points or a ₹500 voucher.
What they do not give: concession fares, confirmed berths or tatkal priority. The card changes what you pay and earn, not your seat.
The IRCTC SBI Cards: Read the Season Before You Count the Points
SBI Card's IRCTC loyalty document explains the "up to 10%" headline. Your points depend on your date of travel:
Travel dates | Points per ₹100 of AC fare | Value at ₹1 a point |
|---|---|---|
15 January to 31 March, and 15 July to 15 September | 10 | 10% |
1 April to 14 July, and 16 September to 14 January | 4 | 4% |
So the summer holidays, Diwali and the winter wedding season all fall in the lower 4% band.
The same document sets other conditions that matter for older travellers:
Points are earned only on AC First Class, AC 2-tier, AC 3-tier, Executive Chair Car and AC Chair Car. Sleeper and 3E tickets earn no IRCTC points.
The cardholder must be one of the passengers on the ticket.
Points are credited 5 days after the journey, and only if the ticket was not cancelled.
One point is worth ₹1 when you redeem it against an AC ticket on irctc.co.in.
If you cancel a ticket paid for with points, 50% of those points are forfeited on top of IRCTC's normal cancellation charges.
Points can lapse if your IRCTC loyalty membership is not renewed.
IRCTC SBI Card Premier
The Premier card costs ₹1,499 and gives 1,500 bonus points (worth ₹1,500 on tickets) when you pay the first annual fee. On top of the rail points, it gives 5% back on flights booked on air.irctc.co.in and on IRCTC e-catering, and 3 points per ₹125 on dining and on utility bills paid by standing instruction.
It also has travel milestones: 2,500 points at ₹50,000 of annual travel spend and 5,000 points at ₹1 lakh. SBI Card's lounge FAQ lists participating railway lounges at New Delhi, Jaipur, Agra Cantt, Ahmedabad and Sealdah. Each visit gives two hours, a buffet meal, tea, coffee and Wi-Fi. Only the primary cardholder can use them, and ₹2 is charged to validate the card.
IRCTC SBI Card (basic)
The basic card costs ₹500 in the first year and ₹300 after that, gives 350 bonus points on activation, and offers the same "up to 10 points per ₹100" on IRCTC tickets. It comes on Visa or RuPay. You get 4 railway lounge visits a year instead of 8.
The Other Railway Cards in Brief
IRCTC HDFC Bank Credit Card
HDFC's page lists 5 reward points per ₹100 on the IRCTC website and Rail Connect app, an additional 5% cashback on train tickets booked through HDFC SmartBuy, and 1 point per ₹100 elsewhere. The welcome benefit is a ₹500 gift voucher on activation. There is also a ₹500 voucher every calendar quarter in which you spend ₹30,000 or more.
HDFC does not show a rupee value for these points on the card page, so check the redemption options before you count on them.
IRCTC BOBCARD
BOBCARD advertises up to 40 reward points per ₹100 on IRCTC bookings and 4 points per ₹100 at departmental stores. Its page also lists 2 points per ₹100 on other categories, including IRCTC tickets. Check which conditions unlock the higher rate. Points can only be redeemed as statement cashback, at ₹0.25 each, and a cap of 1,000 BOBCARD points or 250 IRCTC Travel Points per statement cycle applies.
It costs ₹500 to join and ₹350 a year. You get 500 bonus points if you spend ₹5,000 within 60 days, 4 railway lounge visits a year for the primary cardholder, and up to 3 lifetime-free add-on cards.
IRCTC RBL Bank Card
IRCTC's page lists a ₹500 fee, 500 welcome points, 5 points per ₹200 on IRCTC bookings, up to 8 IRCTC Executive Lounge visits a year, and a train cancellation protect feature of up to ₹5,000. Check RBL Bank's own terms before applying, because we could only verify these details on IRCTC's listing.
Is a Railway Credit Card Worth It? A Retired Couple's Maths
Take a retired couple who make six AC 3-tier journeys a year, each costing ₹2,000 per person. That is ₹24,000 a year on IRCTC. Assume half the trips fall in the 10% season and half in the 4% season.
Card | Points value on ₹24,000 of tickets | Yearly fee with GST | Net |
|---|---|---|---|
IRCTC SBI Card (from year 2) | About ₹1,680 | ₹354 | About +₹1,326 |
IRCTC SBI Card Premier | About ₹1,680 | ₹1,768.82 | About -₹89, before milestones and other spends |
The basic card wins clearly at this level. The Premier only makes sense if you also book flights on IRCTC, pay utility bills by standing instruction, cross the ₹50,000 travel milestone, or use most of its 8 lounge visits.
Two more things change the maths. First, if you travel only in sleeper class, the SBI cards earn you no IRCTC points at all. Second, the cardholder must be travelling. If your son books tickets for you on his card while he stays home, his card earns no IRCTC points on those tickets.
For how caps and conditions shrink an advertised rate, see Reward Rate vs Effective Reward Rate.
Can Senior Citizens Get a Railway Credit Card?
Age limits are the first hurdle. HDFC's IRCTC card is open to salaried applicants aged 21 to 60 and self-employed applicants aged 21 to 65. BOBCARD's limits are 21 to 60 for salaried and 24 to 65 for self-employed. Many retirees fall outside these bands.
If you are over the limit, you have two routes:
An add-on card from a son, daughter or spouse. SBI Card's Premier terms allow add-on cards for parents, and BOBCARD offers up to 3 free add-ons. The main cardholder is liable for the dues. Note that railway lounge access on SBI Premier and BOBCARD is for the primary cardholder only.
A regular card on your pension income, if a bank accepts it. See Credit Card for Pensioners: Eligibility.
For how add-on cards work and who pays, read Add-on Credit Cards Explained.
Railway Card or Airline Card?
If you travel mostly by train within India, a railway card earns on the spend you already make. If you fly a few times a year, an airline or bank travel card may suit you better. Compare with our guide to Airline Co-Branded Credit Cards in India, and see Reward Points 101 for redeeming points on travel.
Checklist
Add up what you spent on IRCTC tickets in the last 12 months.
Check which class you travel in. SBI's IRCTC points need an AC class.
Check when you travel. SBI pays 10% only in two seasonal windows.
Check the age limit for your income type before applying.
Link the card to your IRCTC account so the points reach your loyalty account.
Book on irctc.co.in or the IRCTC app, not a third-party app, to get the waiver and points.
Check that the lounge list covers the stations you actually use.
Keep your IRCTC loyalty membership active so the points do not lapse.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Counting 10% on every trip. On the SBI cards, summer and Diwali travel earns 4%.
Paying for Premier when the basic card does the job. At ₹24,000 a year of tickets, both earn the same rail points.
Expecting points on sleeper tickets. SBI excludes Sleeper and 3E.
Booking for parents on your own card when you are not travelling. The cardholder must be a passenger.
Cancelling a ticket bought with points. Half the points are forfeited.
Assuming add-on cardholders get lounge access. On SBI Premier and BOBCARD, lounges are for the primary cardholder only.
Ignoring BOBCARD's redemption rule. Points are statement cashback at ₹0.25 each, not ₹1.
FAQs
What benefits do railway co-branded credit cards give?
They give reward points on IRCTC train bookings, a 1% transaction charge waiver, and a few railway lounge visits a year. Some add a welcome voucher or bonus points.
Which banks issue IRCTC credit cards?
As of November 2026, IRCTC lists co-branded cards from SBI Card, BOBCARD, HDFC Bank and RBL Bank.
Does the IRCTC SBI card really give 10% back?
Only in two windows: 15 January to 31 March and 15 July to 15 September. At other times it gives 4 points per ₹100, and only on AC classes.
Do railway credit cards earn points on sleeper class?
Not on the SBI cards. SBI Card's terms exclude Sleeper and 3E tickets from IRCTC points.
Can a senior citizen get an IRCTC credit card?
Age limits often stop at 60 for salaried and 65 for self-employed applicants. Retirees above that can use an add-on card from a family member.
Can add-on cardholders use railway lounges?
Not on the IRCTC SBI Card Premier or IRCTC BOBCARD, where lounge access is for the primary cardholder only.
What is one IRCTC SBI reward point worth?
One point equals ₹1 of the ticket fare when you redeem it for an AC ticket on irctc.co.in.
Official Sources and Editorial Note
Data checked as of: 5 November 2026
IRCTC co-branded cards listing
IRCTC page
IRCTC SBI Card Premier features
IRCTC page
SBI Card page
Premier terms (PDF)
IRCTC SBI Card loyalty scheme and railway lounge FAQ
Loyalty scheme (PDF)
Railway lounge FAQ (PDF)
IRCTC HDFC Bank Credit Card and HDFC MITC
Official page
HDFC MITC (PDF)
IRCTC BOBCARD
Official page
This article is written from official sources and does not rely on third-party wording.
Editorial note:
Fees, earn rates, seasons and lounge lists can change. Check the issuer's and IRCTC's current terms before applying.
