Is the SBI Cashback credit card worth it? 5% online, 1% offline, ₹4,000 cap, ₹999 fee. Our score is 67/100, C Tier. Real spend examples and who it suits.
Quick Verdict
The SBI Cashback credit card is worth it if you spend ₹20,000 or more a month online and want simple cashback with no points to track. It pays 5% online and 1% offline, but only up to ₹4,000 a statement cycle, and a long list of categories earns nothing.
ThisSBI Cashback credit card reviewuses SBI Card's own documents, as of November 2026. The fee is ₹999 plus taxes, waived at ₹2 lakh of yearly spend. Our score is 67/100, C Tier.
Benchmarksutra Score:67/100 — C Tier
Apply with SBI:Check SBI credit cards
Question | Short answer |
|---|---|
Fee | ₹999 + taxes; waived at ₹2 lakh spend in the previous year |
Online | 5% cashback, up to ₹2,000 a statement cycle |
Offline | 1% cashback, up to ₹2,000 a statement cycle |
Overall cap | ₹4,000 cashback a statement cycle (from 1 April 2026) |
Lounge | None listed |
Biggest catch | Many exclusions; forex is 3.5%; 'online' not defined |
What Is the SBI Cashback Credit Card?
The CASHBACK SBI Card is SBI Card's flat-cashback card. There are no reward points to convert. Cashback is credited to your account after each statement, and SBI says it does not expire.
Before you apply, check:
how much of your card spend is online, because that is where 5% applies
whether your spends fall in the excluded categories (utilities, fuel, rent, insurance and more)
whether you will reach ₹2 lakh a year to skip the renewal fee
whether you travel abroad, where forex is 3.5%
whether you want a lounge, which this card does not list
How Does SBI Cashback Work?
Spend type | Cashback | Cap per statement cycle | Spend needed to hit the cap |
|---|---|---|---|
Online | 5% | ₹2,000 | ₹40,000 |
Offline (POS at merchant outlets) | 1% | ₹2,000 | ₹2 lakh |
Both combined | ₹4,000 | ₹40,000 online + ₹2 lakh offline |
SBI's revision notice says that with effect from 1 April 2026 the maximum cashback in a statement cycle is capped at ₹4,000, and that digital gaming, tolls and government-related transactions are now excluded in addition to existing exclusions. Once a category hits its cap, later spends in that category earn nothing until the next cycle.
When and how is cashback credited?
Credited within two working days of the statement generation date.
Calculated on the posting or settlement date, not the transaction date.
Rounded down for each transaction: ₹2,999 online earns ₹149, not ₹149.95.
Reversed if you cancel or return a purchase, which can show as a negative balance.
Not available if the account is delinquent or the card is cancelled.
If you flip from another SBI card, SBI warns that unredeemed reward points on the old card expire immediately. Redeem them first. For how cashback posting works in general, see our note onreward points vs cashback.
What Does SBI Cashback Not Reward?
SBI's terms list categories that earn no cashback. They include:
fuel, utilities and insurance
rent and wallet loads
jewellery, school and education services
card, gift, novelty and souvenir shops
railways and tolls
digital gaming and government-related transactions
quasi-cash and member financial institutions
Merchant EMI and Flexipay EMI transactions
The terms also say Merchant Category Codes are defined by the card networks and can change without notice to you. SBI does not define "online" beyond separating it from point-of-sale spends, so a few merchants may not earn 5%. This is the same trap we describe inthe 5% cashback lie.
SBI Cashback Fees: Is the ₹999 Annual Fee Worth It?
Item | Detail (SBI Card Key Fact Statement) |
|---|---|
Joining fee | ₹999 + taxes |
Annual fee | ₹999 + taxes |
Waiver | Annual spends of ₹2 lakh or more in the preceding year |
Forex markup | 3.5% |
Interest on dues | 3.75% a month (45% a year) for unsecured cards |
Fuel surcharge waiver | 1% on ₹500 to ₹3,000; maximum ₹100 per statement |
At 18% GST, which is our assumption, the fee is about ₹1,179. At 5% online cashback, you recover it with about ₹23,600 of eligible online spend in a year, or roughly ₹2,000 a month. That ignores excluded categories, so allow more. Check your own numbers with ourannual fee breakeven calculator.
What do real spends earn?
Monthly spend | Cashback a month | Cashback a year | Fee waived? |
|---|---|---|---|
₹10,000 online + ₹10,000 offline | ₹500 + ₹100 = ₹600 | ₹7,200 | Yes, at ₹2.4 lakh a year |
₹20,000 online + ₹30,000 offline | ₹1,000 + ₹300 = ₹1,300 | ₹15,600 | Yes |
₹60,000 online only | ₹3,000 earned, ₹2,000 paid (cap) | ₹24,000 | Yes |
₹5,000 online + ₹5,000 offline | ₹250 + ₹50 = ₹300 | ₹3,600 | No, ₹1.2 lakh a year is below ₹2 lakh |
These examples assume every rupee is eligible. Your real figure will be lower once excluded spends are removed. Compare with other cashback cards using ourreward value calculator.
SBI Cashback Benchmarksutra Scores
We score cards on a fixed 100-point framework. Seehow we rate Indian credit cards. Where SBI's documents were silent, we scored conservatively.
Card | Score | Tier | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
SBI Cashback | 67 | C Tier | Online-heavy spenders who want flat cashback |
Category | Score |
|---|---|
Reward Value (max 20) | 16 |
Fee Value (max 15) | 10 |
Redemption Quality (max 10) | 9 |
Use-Case Fit (max 15) | 12 |
Eligibility and Accessibility (max 10) | 5 |
Benefits and Perks (max 10) | 3 |
Hidden Costs and Conditions (max 10) | 5 |
Bank and User Experience (max 10) | 7 |
Who Is the SBI Cashback Credit Card For?
Freshers and beginners
A simple card to learn on: no points maths, cashback arrives automatically. SBI's documents we read do not state income or age rules, so confirm eligibility at application. Seehow to compare credit cards in India.
Middle-aged families
Good if the household buys groceries, electronics, clothes and travel online. Utilities, insurance, school fees and fuel earn nothing, and those are big family bills.
Travellers and frequent flyers
Weak. No lounge benefit is listed and forex is 3.5%. Use ourforex markup calculatorand seezero forex cardsbefore travelling abroad.
Professionals (CA, lawyers, doctors)
Useful for online subscriptions, software and equipment, if the merchant codes qualify. Professional fees and government payments will not earn.
Senior citizens and retirees
Only if you shop online regularly. For mostly offline spend the 1% rate and the ₹999 fee make a lifetime-free card simpler.
For other SBI options, see ourbest SBI credit card guideandSimplyCLICK review.
Checklist
Estimate your online spend; you need about ₹2,000 a month to cover the fee.
Remove utilities, fuel, rent, insurance and EMI spends from your estimate.
Plan for the ₹2,000 online cap: spend above ₹40,000 a cycle earns nothing more.
Check the ₹2 lakh yearly spend for the waiver.
Pay the full bill each month; interest is 3.75% a month.
Check SBI's current terms before applying.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Assuming everything paid online earns 5%.
Paying utilities, insurance or rent on this card and expecting cashback.
Ignoring the ₹2,000 online cap on large purchases.
Returning items and forgetting cashback is reversed.
Using it abroad and paying a 3.5% markup.
Carrying a balance, which costs far more than 5% cashback earns.
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FAQs
Is the SBI Cashback credit card worth it?
Yes, if you spend about ₹20,000 a month or more online on eligible merchants. If most spend is offline or on excluded bills, it is not.
What is the annual fee of the SBI Cashback card?
₹999 plus taxes for both joining and annual fee, per SBI Card's Key Fact Statement. It is waived on annual spends of ₹2 lakh or more in the preceding year.
How much cashback does the SBI Cashback card give?
5% on online transactions and 1% on offline point-of-sale transactions.
What is the monthly cashback cap?
₹2,000 online and ₹2,000 offline per statement cycle, with a ₹4,000 total cap from 1 April 2026.
When is the cashback credited?
Within two working days of the statement generation date. SBI says earned cashback does not expire.
Does the SBI Cashback card give cashback on fuel and utilities?
No. Fuel, utilities, insurance, rent, wallets, railways, tolls, gaming and government spends are excluded. Fuel gets a 1% surcharge waiver of up to ₹100 a statement.
What is the forex markup on SBI Cashback?
3.5% per SBI Card's Key Fact Statement, which lists the exceptions. Cashback is not among them.
Does the SBI Cashback card have lounge access?
SBI's documents we read list no lounge benefit.
Official Sources and Editorial Note
Data checked as of: November 2026
SBI Card Key Fact Statement (fees, waiver, forex, interest)
https://www.sbicard.com/sbi-card-en/assets/docs/pdf/kfs/key-fact-statement.pdf
CASHBACK SBI Card terms and conditions booklet
https://www.sbicard.com/sbi-card-en/assets/docs/pdf/ekit-tncs/cashback-tnc-ekit.pdf
Revision in the benefits of CASHBACK SBI Card (effective 1 April 2026)
https://www.sbicard.com/sbi-card-en/assets/docs/pdf/cashback-revised.pdf
CASHBACK SBI Card FAQs
https://www.sbicard.com/en/faq/cashback-sbi-card-faq.page
This article is written from official sources and does not rely on third-party wording.
Editorial note:SBI's product page did not show text for us, so eligibility and welcome benefits are not confirmed. Caps and exclusions can change. Check SBI Card's current terms before applying.
Related reading:How We Review Credit Cards·Reward rate vs effective reward rate
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