1️. American Express Platinum Reserve Credit Card
- Annual Fee: ₹10,000 + taxes
- Welcome Benefit: 11,000 Membership Rewards (MR) points on spending ₹30,000 within the first 3 months.
- Milestone Benefits:
- ₹1,000 vouchers for brands like Flipkart/BookMyShow on spending ₹50,000 in a month.
- ₹10,000 Taj Hotels voucher on spending ₹5 Lakhs annually.
- Rewards: Earn 1 MR point per ₹50 spent (except on fuel, insurance, EMI, wallet reloads, etc.).
- Reward Redemption: Redeem points for shopping vouchers, bill payments, or transfer them to airline/hotel loyalty programs.
- Travel Benefits:
- 12 complimentary domestic lounge access per year.
- Priority Pass for international lounges.
- Taj Epicure membership (10% off on stays, late checkouts, and more).
- $100 hotel credit + room upgrades through the Hotel Collection program.
- Dining & Movie Perks:
- 25% off at Prime restaurants with EazyDiner Prime membership.
- Happy hours & discounts at Taj Hotels (dining, spa, bars).
- Golf Perks: 2 complimentary golf rounds per month at top courses across India.
- Insurance: ₹1 Crore personal air accident cover and purchase protection with ICICI Lombard.
- Fuel Surcharge: Zero at HPCL (up to ₹5,000 transactions); 1% to 2.5% at other outlets.
2️. SBI Elite Credit Card
- Annual Fee: ₹4,999 + taxes
- Welcome Benefit: ₹5,000 worth of gift vouchers (Shoppers Stop, Yatra, Pantaloons, Hush Puppies, etc.)
- Milestone Benefits:
- Up to 50,000 reward points (RPs) on spending targets of ₹3L, ₹4L, ₹5L, and ₹8L.
- Rewards: 2 RPs per ₹100 spent on retail, 5x RPs on dining, groceries, etc.
- Reward Redemption: Redeem RPs for vouchers or against outstanding balance.
- Travel Benefits:
- 2 complimentary domestic lounge access per quarter.
- 6 complimentary international lounge visits per year (2 per quarter) via Priority Pass.
- Discounts at Lalit Hotels (15% off) and car rentals (Hertz 10%, Avis 35%).
- Movie & Dining Perks:
- ₹250 off on movie tickets with a yearly cap of ₹6,000.
- Dining discounts up to 25% at partner restaurants.
- Golf Perks: 4 complimentary rounds & one free golf lesson per month.
- Renewal Fee Waiver: Spend ₹10 Lakhs in a year to waive the renewal fee.
- Fuel Surcharge: 1% waiver on transactions between ₹500 and ₹4,000 (max benefit ₹250/month).
Quick Comparison
| Category | SBI Elite | Amex Platinum Reserve |
|---|---|---|
| Joining/Annual Fee | ₹4,999 + GST | ₹10,000 + GST |
| Welcome Benefit | ₹5,000 vouchers (various brands) | 11,000 MR points |
| Reward Rate | 2 RPs per ₹100 on retail; 5x on select categories | 1 MR per ₹50 spent |
| Milestone Benefits | Up to 50,000 RPs (spend-based) | Vouchers for ₹1,000 & ₹10,000 Taj voucher |
| Lounge Access | Domestic & international lounges with Priority Pass | Domestic & international lounges with Priority Pass |
| Movie & Dining | ₹250 off per movie ticket + partner dining offers | EazyDiner Prime + Taj Epicure perks |
| Golf Perks | 4 complimentary rounds + lessons | 2 complimentary rounds per month |
| Fuel Surcharge | 1% waiver (₹500-₹4,000 spend) | Zero at HPCL, 1-2.5% elsewhere |