IRCTC SBI Platinum Card — Honest Review & Full Breakdown

Today we’re reviewing the IRCTC SBI Platinum Card. If you book train tickets often, this card is built around IRCTC benefits. Let’s break down fees, welcome gifts, reward rates, travel perks and every single detail you need to know.

Card fees

• Annual Fee (one-time): ₹500 + GST

• Renewal Fee (per annum): ₹500 + GST

• Add-on Fee (per annum): Nil

Privileges / Welcome Gift

• Welcome Gift: Get 350 activation bonus Reward Points on a single transaction of ₹500 or more within 60 days of card issuance.

  • (Fuel and Cash spend are not included.)

  • Bonus Reward Points will be credited to the IRCTC SBI Platinum Card account within 45 days of eligible transaction.

  • 1 Reward Point = ₹1

Renewal benefits

• Renewal benefit: Earn 500 Reward Points on payment of renewal fee.

Value Back Benefits (IRCTC bookings)

• Earn up to 10% Value Back as Reward Points when you book tickets through irctc.co.in & IRCTC Mobile App for AC1, AC2, AC3, Executive Chair Car and Chair Car.

• Link your IRCTC SBI Card loyalty number with your IRCTC login id to redeem your Reward Points on IRCTC Website and Mobile App (Android only).

• Reward Points will be transferred to cardholder’s IRCTC Loyalty A/c and can be redeemed at IRCTC Website or Mobile App (Android only).

• Check - https://www.sbicard.com/sbi-card-en/assets/docs/pdf/personal/credit-cards/travel/irctc-loyalty-program.pdf

Reward Benefits (retail & railway)

• Retail & railway: Get 1 Reward Point for every ₹125 spent on non-fuel retail purchases, including railway ticket purchases at www.irctc.co.in and IRCTC Mobile App (Android only).

• The Reward Points accrued in a customer’s SBI Card account will not get credited to his/her IRCTC loyalty account if the loyalty account is blocked, inactive or suspended.

Travel Offers from IRCTC

• Save 1% transaction charges on railway ticket bookings on www.irctc.co.in.

• Log on to irctc.co.in and avail exclusive travel privileges.

• Book airline tickets with IRCTC at competitive prices.

• Tailor-made tour packages: adventure, wildlife, pilgrimage and leisure tours across India.

• Accommodation: Avail stays at over 5,000 hotels covering 350 cities in India.

Railway Lounge Program

• 4 complimentary railway lounge access per year in participating lounges in India (Max 1 per quarter).

• To avail, use your IRCTC SBI Platinum Card at the respective lounges.

• Complimentary access applies only to primary cardholders.

SBI Cashback Card Credit Cards Apply Link - Click Here

SBI IRCTC RUPAY Credit Cards Apply Link - Click Here

Fuel Surcharge Waiver

• 1% fuel surcharge waiver across all petrol pumps in India on transactions of ₹500 - ₹3,000 (exclusive of GST and other charges).

• Maximum surcharge waiver: ₹100 per statement cycle per credit card account.

Value back (update w.e.f. 26 Dec'24) & Transaction Charges Waiver

• Update (w.e.f. 26 Dec'24): Accrual of Reward Points on ticket purchases at www.irctc.com will be based on the booking amount — i.e., the fare of the Primary Cardholder and that of all co-travelers.

• Transaction Charges Waiver: Save 1% transaction charges (exclusive of GST & other charges) when booking railway tickets on irctc.co.in using this card.

• If you cancel a railway ticket booked using the card online on irctc.co.in, a charge of 1% of the total refund amount will be debited to your card.

• Waiver review: Waiver of 1% Transaction Charges on booking of railway tickets through www.irctc.co.in will be reviewed & credited as per the updated Merchant ID / Terminal ID list on a monthly basis (applicable only on bookings made at www.irctc.co.in and not through any IRCTC partner website).

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Offers from Visa

• The card brings offers on travel, golf, dining and other entertainment options from Visa.

• SBI Card accepts no liability for content of these offers or consequences of actions taken on the basis of the offer (offers are made on behalf of Visa).

Contactless Advantage

• Contactless payments via Visa payWave: wave the card at a secure reader for fast transactions.

• Benefits:

  • Fast & convenient — no need to hand over card or search for cash.

  • Security: Card stays with you; reduces risk of card loss and fraud from skimming. Unique security key prevents multiple transactions even if waved multiple times.

Cash on the Go

• Withdraw cash from over 1 million Visa ATMs worldwide, including over 18,000 Visa ATMs in India and more than 10,000 State Bank ATMs across 100 cities in India.

Global Acceptance

• The card is accepted at over 29 million Visa outlets worldwide & 3,25,000 outlets in India.

• Look for the Visa sign and present your card for payment.

Balance Transfer on EMI

• Transfer outstanding balance from other bank credit cards to this card and avail a lower interest and pay back in EMIs.

• How: Log on to sbicard.com with your user id and password to book Balance Transfer on EMI.

Flexipay

• Flexipay: Convert transactions into monthly installments.

• Eligibility: Transact for ₹2,500 or more and log on to sbicard.com within 30 days of purchase to convert into Flexipay.

Railway Ticket Booking (final how-to)

• Use your IRCTC SBI Platinum Card to book railway tickets online and have them delivered at your doorstep.

• Steps:

  1. Go to irctc.co.in and Register (free of cost)

  2. Log in with your user name and password

  3. Follow instructions on the website to make reservations

  4. Make payments through your SBI Card at payment gateways that accept Visa Card

• Note: All transactions on irctc.co.in are governed by the terms and conditions of irctc.co.in.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Tailored value-back for IRCTC bookings (up to 10%)

• Low annual/renewal fees (₹500 + GST)

• 1 RP = ₹1 (simple redemption)

• 4 complimentary railway lounge access annually

• Fuel surcharge waiver and global Visa acceptance

• Flexipay & Balance Transfer options

Cons / Watch-outs

• Many IRCTC redemptions and app features are Android-only (per card terms)

• Transaction charge waiver and reward accrual subject to merchant/terminal lists and monthly review

• Cancellation fee of 1% of refund amount for tickets booked with the card (on irctc.co.in)

Final verdict — Who should pick this card?

• Best for: Frequent train travellers who book multiple paid berths (AC/Chair Car) and want IRCTC-specific value-back and lounge access.

• Not ideal for: Users who rarely book train tickets or only use iOS for IRCTC (some redemptions are Android-only per terms).