IRCTC HDFC Bank vs IRCTC SBI Card Premier

Reviewed by Chandan Kumar Dash

IRCTC HDFC Bank has the lower annual fee (₹500 against ₹1,499). IRCTC HDFC Bank waives its fee on ₹1,50,000 of spend a year; IRCTC SBI Card Premier waives its fee on ₹2,00,000 of spend a year. On all three sample spends below, IRCTC HDFC Bank comes out ahead after fees. The Saifu app works it out on your own spends, on your phone.

Feature	IRCTC HDFC BankHDFC3 wins · ahead	IRCTC SBI Card PremierSBI Card0 wins
Annual fee	Lower₹500	₹1,499
Joining fee	Lower₹500	₹1,499
Fee waiver	LowerWaived on ₹1,50,000 spend a year	Waived on ₹2,00,000 spend a year
Rewards	5X reward points on ticket booking via IRCTC app/website; additional 5% cashback on IRCTC spends via SmartBuy	10% back as Reward Points on railway ticket purchases
Airport lounges	None listed	None listed
Forex markup	3.5% plus GST	3.5% plus GST
Points	Reward Points, about ₹1 a point	IRCTC SBI Card Reward Points, about ₹1 a point
Published minimum income and age	Salaried ₹1,44,000 a year, self-employed ₹6,00,000 a year, age 21 to 60	Not published
Network	Visa	Visa
Apply	ApplyAffiliate link	Bank page

Badges mark the lower fee, waiver spend or markup, and more lounge visits. Rewards are not scored here because they depend on where you spend. Affiliate link, costs you nothing extra, we may earn a commission, never changes how cards are ranked. Figures come from each bank's page and can change; check before you apply.

What each card earns in a year

Sample spender	IRCTC HDFC Bank	IRCTC SBI Card Premier
Everyday spender₹30,000 a month	More₹3,240 a year₹3,240 rewards, no fee to pay	₹3,072 a year₹3,072 rewards, no fee to pay
Online shopper₹50,000 a month	More₹6,000 a year₹6,000 rewards, no fee to pay	₹5,376 a year₹5,376 rewards, no fee to pay
Frequent traveller₹1,00,000 a month	More₹12,360 a year₹12,360 rewards, no fee to pay	₹11,424 a year₹11,424 rewards, no fee to pay

The sample spends and how this is worked out

Everyday spender, ₹30,000 a month: DMart ₹6,000, BigBasket ₹2,000, Swiggy ₹2,000, Zomato ₹1,500, Amazon ₹3,000, Flipkart ₹1,500, Bills paid on Google Pay ₹2,500, Airtel ₹1,000, Indian Oil ₹3,000, Restaurant (in person) ₹2,500, Uber ₹1,000, Other spends in shops ₹4,000.
Online shopper, ₹50,000 a month: Amazon ₹10,000, Flipkart ₹8,000, Myntra ₹3,000, Swiggy ₹4,000, Zomato ₹3,000, Blinkit ₹4,000, BookMyShow ₹1,500, Uber ₹2,000, Bills paid on Google Pay ₹3,000, Jio ₹1,000, Netflix ₹500, Restaurant (in person) ₹3,000, Other spends in shops ₹7,000.
Frequent traveller, ₹1,00,000 a month: MakeMyTrip ₹10,000, Cleartrip ₹5,000, IRCTC ₹2,000, IndiGo ₹10,000, Marriott Bonvoy hotels ₹8,000, Spends abroad ₹15,000, Uber ₹4,000, Restaurant (in person) ₹8,000, Amazon ₹10,000, Swiggy ₹5,000, DMart ₹8,000, Bills paid on Google Pay ₹4,000, Indian Oil ₹5,000, Other spends in shops ₹6,000.

Worked out with the same reward rules and caps the Saifu app uses. Points are counted at the cash value in the table above. The annual fee counts as waived when the spend reaches the waiver. Joining fees, welcome gifts and milestone vouchers are not counted. Your own spends will give different figures.

Common questions

Which is better, IRCTC HDFC Bank or IRCTC SBI Card Premier?

On all three sample spends below, IRCTC HDFC Bank comes out ahead after fees. It depends on where you spend: compare the figures for the sample spender closest to you, or add your own spends in the Saifu app.

Which has the lower annual fee?

IRCTC HDFC Bank (₹500 against ₹1,499). IRCTC HDFC Bank waives it on ₹1,50,000 of spend a year. IRCTC SBI Card Premier waives it on ₹2,00,000 of spend a year.

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