Mumbai Metro SBI Card Review
★★★★★ (3.0 / 5)
[Card image: Mumbai Metro SBI Card, front, angled]
At a Glance
| Joining Fee | ₹499 + GST |
| Annual Fee | ₹499 + GST (waived on ₹1,00,000 annual spend) |
| Best Suited For | Daily Mumbai Metro commuters who also spend on dining, movies and groceries |
| Reward Type | Reward Points (1 RP = ₹0.25) |
The Mumbai Metro SBI Card is a co-branded card from SBI Card built around one idea: your metro smart card and your credit card should be the same piece of plastic. Tap it at the AFC gate to enter the metro, and when the stored balance runs low, the card tops itself up automatically and charges it to your credit card- no queue, no recharge counter, no app.
That convenience is the real product here. The rewards are ordinary SBI Card rewards: 10 Reward Points per ₹100 on dining, movies, groceries and departmental stores, and 1 RP per ₹100 everywhere else. If you are not a regular Mumbai Metro commuter, there is nothing on this card you cannot get on a cheaper or more flexible SBI card.
A note on availability: several comparison sites now list this card as closed to new applications, while SBI Card’s own customer notices still reference it for existing holders. Confirm on sbicard.com before you apply. Everything below applies to the card as issued.
Rewards & Benefits
Reward rate & earn structure
The card runs on a three-tier structure:
| Spend category | Earn rate | Cap | Effective value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Metro auto top-up | 10 RP per ₹100 | 5,000 RP per month | 2.5% |
| Dining, movies, grocery, departmental stores | 10 RP per ₹100 | 5,000 RP per month | 2.5% |
| All other eligible spends | 1 RP per ₹100 | No cap | 0.25% |
The two 5,000-point caps are separate, one per category, so in a single month you can earn up to 5,000 RP on auto top-ups and another 5,000 RP on lifestyle spends. Once a category’s cap is hit, spends in that category drop to the base 1 RP per ₹100 for the rest of the month.
In spending terms: 5,000 RP on lifestyle needs ₹50,000 of dining, movie, grocery and departmental-store spend in a month. Almost nobody with a ₹499 card hits that, so treat the cap as a ceiling you will never touch rather than a restriction.
The auto top-up cap is worth reading carefully. At ₹200 per top-up, hitting 5,000 RP would need ₹50,000 of metro recharges in a month, impossible for a commuter. The real number matters more: if you top up ₹1,000 a month, you earn 100 RP, worth ₹25. Over a year that is ₹300, less than the ₹499 + GST fee on its own. The metro side of this card does not pay for the card. The dining and grocery side does.
What earns nothing: fuel transactions, cash withdrawals, EMI conversions, wallet loads and, since 1 July 2023, rent payments. Rent used to be a common way to farm points on SBI co-brands; SBI Card removed it on this card and its sister metro cards.
Redemption options & point value
1 Reward Point is worth ₹0.25. Points can go towards:
- Statement credit against your outstanding balance
- The SBI Card rewards catalogue, vouchers, electronics, homeware, lifestyle products
- Digital subscriptions and e-vouchers
Every redemption request costs ₹99 + GST, regardless of size. This is the single most overlooked charge on entry-level SBI cards. Redeeming 500 points (₹125) and paying ₹99 for the privilege leaves you ₹26. Batch your redemptions once or twice a year and the fee becomes trivial; redeem monthly and you are handing most of your rewards back.
Welcome benefit
Two things on joining:
- 2,000 Reward Points (worth ₹500) on spending ₹2,000 within 60 days of card issuance. Purchase transactions only, cash withdrawals, balance transfers and drafts do not count.
- ₹50 preloaded metro value on the card, credited on payment of the joining fee.
Together that is ₹550 of value against a ₹499 + GST (₹589) joining fee, so year one is roughly cost-neutral, provided you actually redeem the points and account for the ₹99 redemption fee. The welcome offer applies to new cards only, not to upgrades, replacements, reissues or renewals.
Milestone benefits
None. There are no annual spend milestones, no bonus point tiers and no vouchers at ₹2 lakh or ₹4 lakh spend. The only spend-linked benefit on this card is the annual fee waiver at ₹1,00,000.
Dining benefits
No separate dining programme, no partner-restaurant discount platform. Dining spends simply fall into the 10 RP per ₹100 accelerated bucket, a 2.5% return, which is respectable for a ₹499 card but is not a “dining card” proposition.
Travel benefits
Despite the name and the travel positioning, the travel benefit is the metro function itself:
- Tap-and-go entry at Mumbai Metro AFC gates using the card’s smart-card chip
- Auto top-up of ₹200 triggered automatically when the stored balance falls to ₹50
- 10 RP per ₹100 on those top-ups
There are no flight or hotel discounts, no travel portal, no air-mile transfer partners.
Important caveat: the metro smart-card function works on the Mumbai Metro network the card was issued for. Mumbai’s newer lines run on different ticketing systems, Lines 2A and 7 use the Mumbai 1 NCMC card and Line 3 uses the SBI-MMRC Metro 3 card. Confirm which lines your card actually opens gates on before you count on it as your only ticket.
Airport lounge access
None. This card carries no domestic or international lounge visits. If lounge access is on your list, this is the wrong ₹499 card.
Insurance & protection covers
No air accident cover, no lost-card liability cover and no purchase protection are advertised on this card. Standard SBI Card protections such as fraud reporting and card blocking apply, but there is no insurance package.
Fees & Charges
All fees below are exclusive of GST. 18% GST applies on top of every fee and charge.
| Charge | Amount |
|---|---|
| Joining fee | ₹499 |
| Annual renewal fee | ₹499 (waived on ₹1,00,000 spend in the previous year) |
| Reward redemption fee | ₹99 per redemption request |
| Forex markup | 3.5% of the transaction amount |
| Finance charges | Up to 3.5% per month (42% annualised) |
| Cash advance fee | 2.5% of the amount, minimum ₹500 |
| Fuel surcharge waiver | 1% on transactions of ₹500–₹3,000 |
| Payment dishonour fee | 2% of the payment amount |
Joining & annual fee, and how to get it waived
You pay ₹499 + GST (₹589) to join and the same again each renewal year. The renewal fee is reversed if you spent ₹1,00,000 or more in the previous membership year, about ₹8,334 a month across all categories, not just accelerated ones.
Below that threshold, work out your break-even before renewing. At 10 RP per ₹100 and ₹0.25 per point, you need roughly ₹27,500 of accelerated-category spend a year to cover the ₹589 fee plus one ₹99 redemption fee. That is about ₹2,300 a month on dining, movies, groceries and departmental stores combined. If your accelerated spend is below that, the card costs you money.
Forex markup
3.5% on every foreign-currency transaction, including international online purchases. On a ₹50,000 overseas spend that is ₹1,750 before GST. Do not use this card abroad, 3.5% is at the high end of the market and this card returns only 0.25% on international spends to offset it.
Forex markup is the fee your issuer adds when converting a foreign-currency transaction into rupees.
Interest rate & finance charges
Revolving a balance costs up to 3.5% per month, which annualises to about 42%. Interest applies from the transaction date, not the due date, once you stop paying in full, and paying only the minimum due keeps that clock running on the entire balance. On a card whose best return is 2.5%, one month of revolving wipes out more than a year of rewards.
Fuel surcharge waiver
1% surcharge waiver at petrol pumps across India, valid only on transactions between ₹500 and ₹3,000. A ₹400 fill-up does not qualify; neither does a ₹3,500 one. The waiver is capped at ₹100 per statement cycle.
Note that fuel transactions earn no Reward Points on this card. The waiver is the entire fuel benefit.
Cash advance & other charges
Cash withdrawals cost 2.5% of the amount or ₹500, whichever is higher, and interest starts from the withdrawal date with no interest-free period. Cash advances earn no Reward Points. Treat the ATM function on this card as an emergency tool, not a feature.
Eligibility & Documents Required
Eligibility criteria
| Parameter | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Age | 21–70 years (18+ for salaried applicants in some cases) |
| Residency | Resident Indian |
| Employment | Salaried or self-employed with stable income |
| Income | Approximately ₹30,000 per month for salaried applicants |
| Credit score | Typically 700+ preferred |
| Location | Practical use is limited to Mumbai Metro commuters |
SBI Card does not publish a hard income cut-off for this card, and approval depends on your overall credit profile. No issuer guarantees approval, and meeting these criteria does not mean your application will be accepted.
Documents required
- PAN card
- Identity proof: Aadhaar, Passport, Voter ID or Driving Licence
- Address proof: Aadhaar, Passport, Driving Licence or a recent utility bill
- Income proof: latest salary slips or three months’ bank statements (salaried); ITR (self-employed)
- Recent passport-size photograph
Pros & Cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Metro smart card and credit card in one, no recharge queues | Genuinely useful only in Mumbai; the metro function is dead weight elsewhere |
| Auto top-up of ₹200 at a ₹50 balance, fully automatic | Metro top-ups alone earn roughly ₹300 a year, less than the fee |
| 2.5% return on dining, movies, groceries and departmental stores | 0.25% base rate on everything else is poor |
| Welcome benefit worth about ₹550 against a ₹589 joining cost | ₹99 fee on every redemption erodes small redemptions |
| Fee waived at ₹1,00,000 annual spend | No lounge access, no insurance cover, no milestone benefits |
| Low entry cost at ₹499 | 3.5% forex markup makes it unusable abroad |
Mumbai Metro SBI Card vs Competitors
| Mumbai Metro SBI Card | SBI SimplySAVE | Amazon Pay ICICI Card | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Joining fee | ₹499 | ₹499 | Nil (lifetime free) |
| Annual fee waiver | ₹1,00,000 spend | ₹1,00,000 spend | Not applicable |
| Accelerated earn | 10 RP/₹100 on dining, movies, grocery, departmental stores + metro top-up | 10 RP/₹100 on dining, movies, grocery, departmental stores | 5% back on Amazon for Prime members, 3% for non-Prime |
| Base earn | 1 RP/₹100 (0.25%) | 1 RP/₹100 (0.25%) | 1% on other spends |
| Point value | ₹0.25 | ₹0.25 | Direct Amazon Pay balance, no conversion |
| Redemption fee | ₹99 per request | ₹99 per request | Nil |
| Unique hook | Metro tap-and-go + auto top-up | None | Amazon ecosystem |
The comparison is uncomfortable for the metro card. SBI SimplySAVE offers the same 10 RP per ₹100 on the same four categories, at the same ₹499 fee, with the same waiver threshold, without tying you to one city’s transit network. Everything the Mumbai Metro SBI Card does on the rewards side, SimplySAVE also does.
That means the entire case for this card rests on one question: is automatic metro top-up worth choosing it over SimplySAVE? For someone who rides Mumbai Metro daily and hates recharge counters, arguably yes. For everyone else, no.
If you want a genuinely no-cost everyday card, Amazon Pay ICICI is lifetime free with no redemption fee, but it gives you nothing at a metro gate.
How to Apply
- Visit sbicard.com and check whether the Mumbai Metro SBI Card is currently listed for new applications.
- Select the card and open the online application form.
- Fill in your personal, employment and income details.
- Upload KYC documents, PAN, identity proof, address proof and income proof.
- Complete verification. SBI Card may call you to confirm details or schedule document collection.
- On approval, the card is dispatched to your registered address, typically within 7–10 working days.
Existing SBI Card customers can also check the SBI Card mobile app for pre-approved offers, which usually mean faster processing and lighter documentation.
Fees and features stated here are as of 09 August 2026. Confirm current terms on SBI Card’s website and in the card’s MITC (Most Important Terms and Conditions) document before applying.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the annual fee of the Mumbai Metro SBI Card? ₹499 plus 18% GST, which comes to ₹589. The same amount is charged as the joining fee in year one. From the second year, the renewal fee is reversed if you spent ₹1,00,000 or more in the previous membership year.
Is the Mumbai Metro SBI Card annual fee waived? Yes, on annual spends of ₹1,00,000 in the preceding membership year, roughly ₹8,334 a month. All eligible retail spends count towards the threshold, not just accelerated categories. Cash advances and EMI conversions do not.
How many reward points does the Mumbai Metro SBI Card give? 10 Reward Points per ₹100 on metro auto top-ups and on dining, movies, grocery and departmental-store spends, capped at 5,000 points per category per month. All other eligible spends earn 1 RP per ₹100. Each point is worth ₹0.25, so the accelerated rate works out to 2.5% and the base rate to 0.25%.
Does the Mumbai Metro SBI Card give airport lounge access? No. This card includes no complimentary domestic or international lounge visits. For lounge access in a similar fee band, look at cards positioned for travel rather than transit.
What is the minimum salary for the Mumbai Metro SBI Card? SBI Card does not publish a fixed figure, but roughly ₹30,000 per month for salaried applicants is the commonly cited benchmark. Approval depends on your full credit profile, including credit score and existing obligations.
Can the Mumbai Metro SBI Card be used on Delhi or Chennai Metro? No. The smart-card function is tied to the Mumbai network. SBI Card issued separate Delhi Metro and Chennai Metro cards for those cities. The credit card side works normally at any merchant nationwide.
Is there a fee to redeem reward points? Yes, ₹99 plus GST per redemption request, whatever the size. Accumulate points and redeem once or twice a year rather than in small batches.
Do I earn reward points on rent payments with this card? No. SBI Card discontinued reward accrual on rent payments for this card, along with its other metro and co-branded cards, with effect from 1 July 2023.
Is the Mumbai Metro SBI Card still available for new applications? This is unclear. Some comparison platforms list the card as discontinued, while SBI Card’s own customer notices still reference it. Check sbicard.com or your SBI Card app for current status.
Bottom Line
The Mumbai Metro SBI Card solves one specific irritation well: never queuing at a metro recharge counter again. The auto top-up at a ₹50 balance is genuinely frictionless, and 2.5% on dining, movies, groceries and departmental stores is fair value at ₹499.
But the rewards are not the reason to pick it, SBI SimplySAVE gives you exactly the same accelerated categories at exactly the same fee without locking you to one city. And the metro side is worth less than most people assume: ₹1,000 of monthly top-ups earns about ₹300 a year against a ₹589 fee.
Get this card if you commute on Mumbai Metro several times a week, you already spend ₹2,500 or more a month on dining, movies, groceries and departmental stores, and the convenience of a self-recharging travel card is worth more to you than portability.
Skip this card if you don’t live in Mumbai, you use the metro only occasionally, you want lounge access or travel insurance in this fee band, you spend meaningfully in foreign currency, or you were choosing it purely for the reward rate, in which case SimplySAVE is the same card without the geography.
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