SBI vs Bank of Baroda Credit Cards: Cashback, Fuel and RuPay at Low Fees

Both lineups lean on RuPay for everyday spending and on fuel co-brands, which makes this the closest match-up in the set. SBI Card wins on variety and bigger names, while BOBCARD wins on a few specific numbers and one standout lounge card.

RuPay and UPI-linked spend

BOBCARD's lineup is mostly RuPay: Easy at ₹500, Classic at ₹500, Cashback at ₹499, Snapdeal at ₹249, Varunah Plus at ₹1,499, plus Tiara at ₹2,499. SBI has Unnati (₹499, with a ₹10,000 income floor), Flipkart (₹500), IRCTC (₹500), Reliance, PhonePe PURPLE and SimplySAVE UPI. BOB's range is broader than expected for a bank of its size, but SBI has more cards that pay meaningful rewards on UPI-era spending. See the RuPay credit cards on UPI guide.

Cashback

BOBCARD Cashback costs ₹499 and lists 5% online up to ₹1,500 a month, with a ₹20,000 income floor. SBI Cashback is ₹999 (waived at ₹2 lakh) with 5% online capped at ₹2,000 a month, on a ₹25,000 floor. BOB's fee is half and its cap is lower, which suits a modest online spender. SBI suits heavier use. Read the SBI Cashback review to see the cap in context. BOBCARD One at no fee lists 2.5% on other spending with 1% forex.

HPCL against BPCL

HPCL Bank of Baroda ENERGIE costs ₹499 (waived at ₹50,000) and lists 6.5% on fuel with a monthly cap of ₹4,000 in spend, and a ₹15,000 income floor. SBI BPCL Octane is ₹1,499 and lists 25% on fuel under a ₹625 cap, and SBI BPCL is ₹499 with 3.25% on fuel. The ENERGIE has the lower fee and a clearer cap, while the Octane has the higher headline rate. It comes down to HPCL versus BPCL petrol pumps near you.

Travel and airline cards

BOBCARD offers Etihad Guest at ₹2,500 and Etihad Guest Premium at ₹5,000 (waived at ₹5 lakh), the latter listing 6% on travel, 0% forex and 12 domestic and 8 international lounge visits. The BOBCARD Scapia card lists no fee, 4% on travel and 0% forex. SBI has IndiGo, Air India, KrisFlyer and Miles cards. Etihad users get a card only BOB provides. IndiGo and Air India users get theirs only from SBI. Scapia is the pick for anyone who wants a no-fee travel card with zero forex.

Premium lounges and income floors

BOB Eterna costs ₹2,499 (waived at ₹2.5 lakh), lists unlimited domestic lounge access and 3.75% on travel, dining and online under caps, with a ₹1,00,000 income floor. BOB Tiara costs the same on RuPay. SBI Elite costs ₹4,999 and lists 8 domestic and 6 international visits with a ₹60,000 floor. Eterna is the cheaper premium card and offers more domestic access, though its income bar is higher. Our BOB Eterna review and Tiara review explain the caps.

BOB's published floors vary: ₹15,000 for Classic and Snapdeal, ₹20,000 for IRCTC and Cashback, ₹30,000 for Select, ₹60,000 for Premier. Many BOB cards list no floor at all on our list. SBI's floors begin at ₹10,000. Both are fine for modest incomes, though SBI's documented floors are easier to plan around.

Matching card to pump, pocket and plane

Light online spender on a budget: BOBCARD Cashback. Heavier online user: SBI Cashback. Fuel at HPCL: ENERGIE. Fuel at BPCL: Octane. Etihad miles or zero-forex travel: BOB. Merchant co-brands, IndiGo or Air India: SBI. Mid-range lounge access: BOB Eterna on cost, SBI Elite on international visits.

More on both lineups

Read the SBI credit cards guide and the Bank of Baroda credit cards guide. For another card in the BOB range, see the BOB Premier review.