SBI SimplyCLICK vs Amazon Pay ICICI: Online Card Face-Off 2026

Amazon Pay ICICI is the better card for most online shoppers. It costs nothing, pays 5% on Amazon with Prime, 2% at 100+ Amazon Pay partners and 1% everywhere else, and has a lower forex markup. SBI SimplyCLICK makes sense only if your spending is concentrated at SBI's partner merchants that Amazon Pay doesn't reward, or you want an SBI card to build history.

Side-by-side

Feature	SBI SimplyCLICK	Amazon Pay ICICI
Joining fee	₹499	₹0
Annual fee	₹499	₹0
Fee waiver spend	₹1 lakh a year	Not needed
Base reward rate	1 point per ₹100 (about 0.25%)	1%
Key category rates	10X at SBI partner merchants (about 2.5%), capped at 10,000 points a month	5% on Amazon.in with Prime (3% without); 2% at 100+ Amazon Pay partners
Reward type / value	SBI reward points, 25 paise each	Amazon Pay balance
Welcome benefit	₹500 Amazon.in voucher	None listed
Forex markup	3.5%	1.99%
Domestic lounge	None	None
International lounge	None	None
Min. monthly income	₹20,000	₹30,000
Network	Mastercard	Visa

These figures reflect BestCard's latest card data. Partner lists and rates on both cards change from time to time, so verify with SBI Card and ICICI before applying.

How the rewards work

SBI SimplyCLICK earns 10X reward points at a list of partner online merchants, worth about 2.5% at 25 paise a point. Outside that list, you earn 1 point per ₹100, or 0.25%. Accelerated points stop at 10,000 a month, which is ₹2,500 of value and would take ₹1 lakh of partner spend to reach. Points redeem across SBI's catalogue. The ₹499 fee is waived on ₹1 lakh of annual spend, and the ₹500 Amazon voucher on joining covers the first year.

Amazon Pay ICICI pays straight into your Amazon Pay balance. Amazon.in purchases earn 5% if you have Prime and 3% if you don't. More than 100 other merchants that accept Amazon Pay earn 2%, and everything else earns 1%. There's nothing to redeem and no fee to protect. It also includes the Culinary Treats dining programme, with at least 15% off at 2,500+ partner restaurants, and a 1% fuel surcharge waiver capped at ₹100 per statement cycle.

Worked example 1: ₹15,000 a month

Say you spend ₹8,000 on Amazon, ₹3,000 at sites that are on both SBI's partner list and Amazon Pay's merchant list, and ₹4,000 offline.

Amazon Pay ICICI with Prime: ₹8,000 × 5% = ₹400, plus ₹3,000 × 2% = ₹60, plus ₹4,000 × 1% = ₹40. Total ₹500 a month. Without Prime, Amazon earns 3% (₹240), for ₹340.

SBI SimplyCLICK, assuming Amazon is a current 10X partner: ₹11,000 × 2.5% = ₹275, plus ₹4,000 × 0.25% = ₹10. Total ₹285 a month. If Amazon isn't on SBI's list when you apply, Amazon spend earns 0.25% and the total drops to about ₹105.

Even in SimplyCLICK's best case, Amazon Pay ICICI returns ₹215 more a month with Prime, or about ₹2,580 a year. Without Prime the gap narrows to ₹55 a month but still favours ICICI.

Worked example 2: ₹40,000 a month

Now ₹15,000 on Amazon, ₹10,000 at shared partner sites and ₹15,000 offline.

Amazon Pay ICICI with Prime: ₹750 + ₹200 + ₹150 = ₹1,100 a month.

SBI SimplyCLICK (best case): ₹25,000 × 2.5% = ₹625, plus ₹15,000 × 0.25% = ₹37.50. Total ₹662.50 a month.

The difference grows with spend because SimplyCLICK's 0.25% base rate is so low. Offline spending is where Amazon Pay ICICI's 1% floor quietly wins.

Where SimplyCLICK can still win

There is one scenario. If a merchant you use heavily is on SBI's 10X list but isn't an Amazon Pay partner, SimplyCLICK pays 2.5% where Amazon Pay ICICI pays 1%. On ₹10,000 a month at such a merchant, that's ₹250 against ₹100. If most of your online spend fits that pattern, SimplyCLICK comes out ahead. Check the current partner list against your own order history before deciding.

SimplyCLICK also has the lower income requirement, ₹20,000 a month against ₹30,000, so it may be easier to get as a first card. Our SimplyCLICK review covers its fit as a starter card.

Holding both cards

Some shoppers keep both. The logic is simple: use Amazon Pay ICICI for Amazon, Amazon Pay partner sites and offline spending, and use SimplyCLICK only at SBI partner merchants that Amazon Pay doesn't cover. Since Amazon Pay ICICI has no fee, it costs nothing to keep as the default. The risk is SimplyCLICK's waiver: if you only put partner spend on it, you may fall short of ₹1 lakh a year and pay ₹499 plus GST. Run your last three months of orders through both cards' rates before deciding whether the second card earns its place.

Fees and forex

Amazon Pay ICICI is lifetime free, so there's no waiver to chase. SimplyCLICK's ₹499 fee disappears at ₹1 lakh a year, about ₹8,300 a month, which most regular users clear.

For orders from foreign websites, Amazon Pay ICICI's 1.99% markup beats SimplyCLICK's 3.5%. On a ₹20,000 overseas order, that's ₹398 against ₹700 before 18% GST on the markup. Neither card has lounge access or travel insurance.

Who should pick which

Pick Amazon Pay ICICI if you shop on Amazon regularly, especially with Prime, want a card with no fee ever, or want decent rewards on offline spending too. Our Amazon Pay ICICI review goes deeper.

Pick SBI SimplyCLICK if your online spending sits mostly at SBI partner merchants outside Amazon Pay's network, you want an SBI relationship, or you're below ICICI's income bar. If you're also considering HDFC's online card, see HDFC Millennia vs SBI SimplyCLICK.

Verdict

Amazon Pay ICICI is the clear winner for most people: higher rates on Amazon, a better base rate, no fee and a lower forex markup. SBI SimplyCLICK is a niche pick, worth it only when its partner list lines up with where you actually shop. Many shoppers will be better off with Amazon Pay ICICI as their online card and a stronger general card alongside it. Our list of the best credit cards for Amazon shopping covers other options.

Compare both side by side in Compare, or let the card matcher find the right online shopping card for you.