Federal Bank vs SBI Card: Zero-Fee Co-Brands Against Dozens of Partner Cards
31 October 2026 · BestCard Editorial Team
SBI Card lists dozens of cards, almost all of them tied to a brand, a railway, an airline or a retailer. Federal Bank's list is short and led by fintech names. Federal charges almost nothing for its cards, while SBI charges ₹499 to ₹9,999 and leans on partner rewards.
What a fee buys
Nearly every SBI card on our list carries a joining and annual fee. The Cashback card costs ₹999 and the SimplyCLICK ₹499. The Elite and Miles Elite cost ₹4,999, and the Aurum costs ₹9,999. Only a handful, such as the Unnati (₹499 annual fee) and Shaurya Select (₹1,499 annual fee), skip the joining charge.
Federal's lineup is the reverse. Signet, Celesta (Visa and Mastercard), Imperio, Scapia, OneCard, OneCard Metal and OneCard X all show no joining or annual fee. Only the Scapia Plus (₹1,499 annual) and Jupiter Edge (₹999) charge. When fee-free matters, Federal has an unusual edge.
Cashback and online shopping
The SBI Cashback card pays 5% online, capped at ₹2,000 a month, with a 1% base rate and a ₹2,00,000 waiver. Federal's OneCard pays 5% on online shopping and dining with a 1% base, and OneCard X gives 3% online. The cap and fee conditions differ, but a free card beating a ₹999 card on rate is notable. SBI's counter is variety: Flipkart SBI (5% online, ₹500 fee), Paytm SBI, PhonePe SBI Select Black (10% online) and Tata Neu cards, all with a brand tie-in.
Lounges and travel
SBI's lounge benefits are much deeper at the top. The SBI Elite pays ₹4,999 a year for 8 domestic and 6 international visits, and the SBI Elite review covers the 2% forex markup and ₹10,00,000 waiver. SBI Miles Elite adds 3% on travel and a ₹15,00,000 waiver. The Aurum gives unlimited international lounges and 4 domestic visits a quarter for ₹9,999, with a 1.99% forex markup and a ₹3,30,000 monthly income floor.
Federal's travel cards are different. Celesta gives 2 domestic visits a quarter at ₹60,000 of spend and 2 international visits a year, with no fee. Scapia gives unlimited domestic lounges at ₹5,000 of monthly spend and zero forex. Scapia Plus has 15% on travel and zero forex for ₹1,499. SBI's cards mostly carry a 3.5% forex markup, so Federal is clearly better for foreign spend unless you buy an Elite or Aurum.
Fuel and niche co-brands
SBI wins here without much argument. The BPCL SBI Card OCTANE costs ₹1,499 a year and is built around fuel spend at BPCL pumps. Our BPCL OCTANE review explains the caps. IRCTC SBI pays 10% on travel, and the Air India and IndiGo cards cover airline loyalty. Federal's lineup does not compete in fuel or airline loyalty; its closest are Imperio (3% on groceries) and Celesta.
Which one fits
Choose Federal if you want a free card, zero forex or a first card with a ₹25,000 income floor. Choose SBI if you need a specific brand benefit (fuel, railway, an airline) or want a premium card with a large lounge allowance and can afford ₹4,999 to ₹9,999. Someone who spends mostly abroad could hold Scapia for travel and an SBI Elite for lounge visits.
More comparisons
We cover the full range in the Federal Bank guide and SBI guide. If you are also looking at Federal against another large issuer, read Federal Bank vs ICICI Bank.
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