BPCL SBI Card OCTANE Review
★ 4 / 5
At a Glance
| Joining Fee | ₹1,499 + GST (₹1,769 all-in) |
| Annual Fee | ₹1,499 + GST, reversed on annual spends of ₹2 lakh |
| Best Suited For | Drivers who refuel at Bharat Petroleum pumps and spend ₹2,400 or more a month on fuel |
| Reward Type | Reward Points, fixed at 4 points to ₹1 |
The BPCL SBI Card OCTANE is built around a single number: 7.25% value back at Bharat Petroleum pumps, made up of 6.25% in Reward Points and a 1% fuel surcharge waiver. Launched in December 2020 as the senior version of the ₹499 BPCL SBI Card, it charges ₹1,499 plus GST and reverses that fee once you spend ₹2 lakh in a year. Two things set it apart at this price. The accelerated rate is not locked to fuel, since dining, grocery, departmental stores and movies earn 10 Reward Points per ₹100. And it carries four domestic lounge visits a year, which fuel cards at this fee usually do not.
Rewards & Benefits
Reward rate and earn structure
| Spend category | Earn rate | Cap |
|---|---|---|
| BPCL fuel and lubricants | 25 Reward Points per ₹100 (6.25% back) | 2,500 points per billing cycle |
| Bharat Gas, website and app only | 25 Reward Points per ₹100 | 500 points per billing cycle |
| Dining, departmental stores, grocery, movies | 10 Reward Points per ₹100 (2.5% back) | 7,500 points per month |
| All other retail spends | 1 Reward Point per ₹100 (0.25% back) | None published |
| Mobile wallet loads and non-BPCL fuel | Nil | Not applicable |
The fuel cap is the number to plan around. At 25 points per ₹100, the 2,500-point ceiling is reached at ₹10,000 of BPCL fuel in one billing cycle, which works out to ₹1,20,000 a year. Very few private car owners get near that, so for most people the accelerated rate runs uncapped in practice. Filled every month, those 2,500 points are worth ₹625 a cycle, or ₹7,500 a year.
The 10-point category is the quiet reason to hold this card. Dining, grocery, departmental stores and movies at 2.5% back, capped at 7,500 points a month, means you would need ₹75,000 of monthly household spending in those categories to exhaust it. Everything outside these two blocks earns 0.25%, which is poor, so this is a card to use deliberately rather than for every purchase.
Redemption and point value
SBI fixes the rate: 4 Reward Points equal ₹1. That is what makes the 6.25% claim checkable, since 25 points per ₹100 divided by four is ₹6.25 back on every ₹100 spent. Points can be redeemed instantly for fuel at select BPCL outlets, or through the Shop n Smile catalogue. Two conditions from SBI’s Most Important Terms and Conditions apply: a ₹99 redemption fee on physical products, statement credit and vouchers sent physically, and a 24-month expiry on unredeemed points.
Welcome and milestone benefits
Paying the annual fee releases 6,000 bonus Reward Points worth ₹1,500, credited within 30 days. Against an all-in first-year cost of ₹1,769, that leaves ₹269 to recover, which about ₹4,300 of BPCL fuel spending covers. Cross ₹3 lakh of annual spending and you also get e-gift vouchers worth ₹2,000 from Aditya Birla Fashion, Yatra or Bata and Hush Puppies. The Aditya Birla voucher is usable at Louis Philippe, Van Heusen, Allen Solly, Peter England, Planet Fashion and Simon Carter.
Lounge access and fuel surcharge waiver
| Domestic lounge visits | 4 per calendar year, maximum 1 per quarter |
| International lounge visits | None |
| Fuel surcharge waiver | 1% at BPCL pumps, on transactions up to ₹4,000, POS swipe only |
| Waiver cap | ₹100 per statement cycle, or ₹1,200 a year |
| Fraud liability cover | ₹1 lakh |
The surcharge waiver carries two conditions readers miss. SBI applies it at BPCL pumps, and it needs the card used at a POS machine, so paying through an app or a QR code does not count. The ₹4,000 transaction ceiling also means a single large fill is better split into two if you are close to it.
Fees & Charges
| Joining fee | ₹1,499 + GST |
| Renewal fee | ₹1,499 + GST, reversed if the previous year’s spends reach ₹2 lakh |
| Add-on card fee | Nil |
| Forex markup | 3.5% of the transaction |
| Finance charge | Up to 3.75% per month, which is 45% a year |
| Cash advance fee | 2.5% of the amount or ₹500, whichever is higher |
| Late payment charge | Nil below ₹100, rising in slabs to ₹1,300 above ₹50,000 |
| Rent payment fee | ₹199 per transaction |
| Utility payment fee | 1% once utility bills cross ₹50,000 in a cycle |
| Reward redemption fee | ₹99 on physical products, statement credit and physical vouchers |
The ₹2 lakh waiver is the easiest part of this card to hit. That is about ₹16,700 a month across everything you put on the card, and because the waiver counts total spends rather than fuel alone, a household running its grocery and dining bills through the card usually clears it without trying. Get there and the card costs you nothing from year two onward.
The charge that catches people is the surcharge waiver cap. At 1% against a ₹100 monthly ceiling, the waiver stops adding value beyond ₹10,000 of fuel a cycle, which is exactly where the 2,500-point reward cap also bites. Above that spending level the effective rate on fuel falls away sharply, so a two-car household is better off splitting fuel across two cards.
Eligibility & Documents Required
SBI Card publishes no fixed income cut-off for this card. Its own product data places it in the ₹50,000 to ₹99,000 monthly income band, so treat that as a working guideline rather than a rule. You need to be an Indian resident aged 18 or above, salaried or self-employed, with a clean repayment record. Keep your PAN, one identity proof, one address proof and recent income proof ready, and complete video KYC. Add-on cards for parents, spouse, children or siblings above 18 are free.
Pros & Cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| 6.25% in points at BPCL, the highest published fuel rate on an SBI card | Fuel rewards capped at 2,500 points a cycle, or ₹10,000 of fuel |
| 2.5% on dining, grocery, departmental stores and movies | Only 0.25% on everything outside the two accelerated blocks |
| Welcome points worth ₹1,500 cover almost the whole first-year fee | Surcharge waiver needs a POS swipe at BPCL and caps at ₹100 a cycle |
| 4 domestic lounge visits, rare on a fuel card at ₹1,499 | ₹99 redemption fee, and points expire in 24 months |
| Fee reversed at ₹2 lakh of total annual spending | 3.5% forex markup makes it a poor card abroad |
BPCL SBI Card OCTANE vs Competitors
| BPCL SBI Card OCTANE | BPCL SBI Card | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual fee | ₹1,499 + GST | ₹499 + GST |
| Fee waiver | ₹2 lakh annual spends | ₹1 lakh annual spends, from 1 May 2026 |
| BPCL fuel rate | 25 points per ₹100, 7.25% value back | 13 points per ₹100, 4.25% value back |
| Fuel reward cap | 2,500 points per cycle | 1,300 points per cycle |
| Dining, grocery, movies | 10 points per ₹100, up to 7,500 a month | 5 points per ₹100, up to 5,000 a month |
| Welcome points | 6,000 points, worth ₹1,500 | 2,000 points, worth ₹500 |
| Domestic lounge | 4 visits a year | None published |
The honest comparison is with its own junior sibling. The OCTANE costs ₹1,000 more but doubles the fuel rate, doubles the everyday-category rate, adds ₹1,000 of extra welcome value and throws in lounge access. The higher fee pays for itself at roughly ₹33,000 of annual BPCL fuel spending, or about ₹2,750 a month. Below that, the ₹499 card with its lower ₹1 lakh waiver is the better buy.
How to Apply
- Apply online at sbicard.com, where this card is open for direct application.
- Or call the SBI Card helpline on 1860 180 1290 or 39 02 02 02 with your city STD code prefixed.
- Or use SBI Card’s ILA chatbot, or visit your nearest State Bank of India branch.
- Keep your PAN, identity proof, address proof and income proof ready, and complete video KYC.
- Pay the joining fee once the card arrives, since that is what releases the 6,000 welcome points.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the BPCL SBI Card OCTANE annual fee waived? Yes, the ₹1,499 renewal fee is reversed if your spends in the previous year reached ₹2 lakh. SBI credits the reversal within 30 days of the fee being charged. The joining fee in year one is not waived.
What is the maximum fuel reward I can earn in a month? 2,500 Reward Points per billing cycle, worth ₹625, which you reach at ₹10,000 of BPCL fuel spending. Bharat Gas payments made on the website or app carry a separate cap of 500 points a cycle.
What is one Reward Point worth? Exactly ₹0.25, since SBI fixes 4 Reward Points to ₹1. Points can be redeemed instantly for fuel at select BPCL outlets or through the Shop n Smile catalogue, and they expire 24 months after they are earned.
How many lounge visits does the OCTANE card give? Four complimentary domestic visits a calendar year, with a maximum of one per quarter. An unused quarterly visit lapses. There is no international lounge access on this card.
Does the 1% fuel surcharge waiver work at non-BPCL pumps? SBI’s product page states the waiver applies at BPCL petrol pumps across India, on transactions up to ₹4,000, and only when the card is used at a POS machine. The waiver is capped at ₹100 per statement cycle.
What is the minimum salary for the BPCL SBI Card OCTANE? SBI Card publishes no fixed figure. Its product data places the card in the ₹50,000 to ₹99,000 monthly income band. You need to be an Indian resident aged 18 or above with valid income proof.
Bottom Line
The OCTANE carries the strongest published fuel rate on any SBI card, and it earns its ₹1,769 back in the first year on the welcome points alone. If you refuel at Bharat Petroleum and spend roughly ₹2,400 a month on fuel, the points cover the fee from year two onward, and the ₹2 lakh total-spend waiver is easy enough that most regular users never pay it again. The 10-point block on dining, grocery, departmental stores and movies is what turns it from a narrow fuel card into a usable household card, and four lounge visits at this fee is a real bonus.
Skip this card if there is no Bharat Petroleum pump on your regular route, because the proposition then collapses to 0.25% on general spending, which is close to worthless. Skip it if your annual fuel bill is under about ₹33,000, where the ₹499 BPCL SBI Card gives you a lower waiver threshold for a fifth of the fee. And skip it if you spend abroad, since a 3.5% forex markup wipes out more than the card returns. If you want points that turn into flights rather than fuel, look at SBI Card MILES instead.
Fees and features are as published by SBI Card on 30 August 2026. Check the issuer’s website before applying, since terms can change.
