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Credit CardsComparisons

AU Bank Zenith+ Credit Card vs SBI Card ELITE

A head-to-head comparison of AU Bank Zenith+ Credit Card and SBI Card ELITE across fees, rewards, and spending categories to help you decide which card suits your wallet better.

PremiumCard A

AU Bank Zenith+ Credit Card

Super-Premium Lounge Access & International Travel

Annual Fee
₹4,999
Reward Rate
2 RP per ₹100 on travel & dining (~0.5% at standard redemption)
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PremiumCard B

SBI Card ELITE

Mid-Tier Premium

Annual Fee
₹4,999
Reward Rate
5X on dining + milestone benefits
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Feature comparison

FeatureAU BankSBI Card
Annual Fee₹4,999 + GST (₹5,000 welcome voucher offsets year-1 fee; year-2+ waived on ₹8L annual spend)₹4,999 (Waived on ₹10L spend)
Reward Rate2 RP per ₹100 on travel & dining (~0.5% at standard redemption)5X on dining + milestone benefits
Best ForSuper-Premium Lounge Access & International TravelMid-Tier Premium
First-Card Friendly
Lounge Access
Zero Forex Markup

Spending category coverage

Which categories does each card reward?

CategoryAU BankSBI Card
Dining
Movies & entertainment
Domestic travel
International travel
Airport lounge access

Quick verdict

Choose AU Bank Zenith+ Credit Card if:

  • You spend heavily on domestic travel
  • You spend heavily on international travel
  • You spend heavily on concierge service

Choose SBI Card ELITE if:

  • You spend heavily on dining
  • You spend heavily on movies & entertainment

Full pros & cons

AU Bank Zenith+ Credit Card

What's good
  • 16 domestic lounge visits/year (4/quarter) + 16 international lounge visits/year via Priority Pass
  • 0.99% forex markup — one of the lowest on any Indian credit card
  • ₹5,000 luxury welcome voucher on activation — effectively makes year-1 fee-free
  • Airport meet-and-assist service on arrival and departure
  • 2 railway lounge visits/quarter (no spend trigger); ₹2 crore air accident insurance
Watch out for
  • ₹8L annual spend required for fee waiver from year 2 — extremely high bar
  • Standard reward rate (~0.5% effective) is unimpressive for a ₹5K-fee card — reward earning is not the selling point
  • ₹99 + GST redemption fee per transaction reduces effective rewards value
  • Caution: the regular Zenith card underwent a major devaluation in January 2026 — ensure you apply for Zenith+, not the standard Zenith
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SBI Card ELITE

What's good
  • 2 free movie tickets every month via BookMyShow (up to ₹250/ticket)
  • Solid annual milestone bonuses
  • International lounge access via Priority Pass (6 visits/year, max 2/quarter)
Watch out for
  • Lounge access count is limited compared to true premium cards
  • Trident hotel membership discontinued — only 10% dining discount remains
  • Reward points expire and must be actively redeemed
Apply Now
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