SBI Card ELITE vs HDFC Regalia Gold

HDFC Regalia Gold has the lower annual fee (₹2,500 against ₹4,999). SBI Card ELITE waives its fee on ₹10,00,000 of spend a year; HDFC Regalia Gold waives its fee on ₹4,00,000 of spend a year. For spends abroad, SBI Card ELITE charges the lower forex markup (1.99% plus GST). After fees, SBI Card ELITE comes out ahead for the everyday spender and frequent traveller, and HDFC Regalia Gold for the online shopper. The Saifu app works it out on your own spends, on your phone.

Feature	SBI Card ELITESBI Card1 win	HDFC Regalia GoldHDFC4 wins · ahead
Annual fee	₹4,999	Lower₹2,500
Joining fee	₹4,999	Lower₹2,500
Fee waiver	Waived on ₹10,00,000 spend a year	LowerWaived on ₹4,00,000 spend a year
Rewards	Up to 50,000 bonus Reward Points a year, welcome e-voucher Rs. 5,000	5 Reward Points per Rs 200 on retail spends; 5X on Myntra, Nykaa, Reliance Digital and more
Airport lounges	2 a quarter domestic, 6 a year international	More3 a quarter domestic, 6 a year international
Forex markup	Lower1.99% plus GST	2% plus GST
Points	Reward Points, about ₹0.25 a point	Reward Points, about ₹0.2 a point
Published minimum income and age	Not published	Salaried ₹18,00,000 a year, self-employed ₹18,00,000 a year, age 21 to 60
Network	Mastercard	Visa / Mastercard
Apply	Bank page	Bank page

Badges mark the lower fee, waiver spend or markup, and more lounge visits. Rewards are not scored here because they depend on where you spend. Affiliate link, costs you nothing extra, we may earn a commission, never changes how cards are ranked. Figures come from each bank's page and can change; check before you apply.

What each card earns in a year

Sample spender	SBI Card ELITE	HDFC Regalia Gold
Everyday spender₹30,000 a month	More-₹859 a year₹4,140 rewards, less ₹4,999 fee	-₹880 a year₹1,620 rewards, less ₹2,500 fee
Online shopper₹50,000 a month	-₹319 a year₹4,680 rewards, less ₹4,999 fee	More₹3,720 a year₹3,720 rewards, no fee to pay
Frequent traveller₹1,00,000 a month	More₹9,540 a year₹9,540 rewards, no fee to pay	₹5,700 a year₹5,700 rewards, no fee to pay

The sample spends and how this is worked out

Everyday spender, ₹30,000 a month: DMart ₹6,000, BigBasket ₹2,000, Swiggy ₹2,000, Zomato ₹1,500, Amazon ₹3,000, Flipkart ₹1,500, Bills paid on Google Pay ₹2,500, Airtel ₹1,000, Indian Oil ₹3,000, Restaurant (in person) ₹2,500, Uber ₹1,000, Other spends in shops ₹4,000.
Online shopper, ₹50,000 a month: Amazon ₹10,000, Flipkart ₹8,000, Myntra ₹3,000, Swiggy ₹4,000, Zomato ₹3,000, Blinkit ₹4,000, BookMyShow ₹1,500, Uber ₹2,000, Bills paid on Google Pay ₹3,000, Jio ₹1,000, Netflix ₹500, Restaurant (in person) ₹3,000, Other spends in shops ₹7,000.
Frequent traveller, ₹1,00,000 a month: MakeMyTrip ₹10,000, Cleartrip ₹5,000, IRCTC ₹2,000, IndiGo ₹10,000, Marriott Bonvoy hotels ₹8,000, Spends abroad ₹15,000, Uber ₹4,000, Restaurant (in person) ₹8,000, Amazon ₹10,000, Swiggy ₹5,000, DMart ₹8,000, Bills paid on Google Pay ₹4,000, Indian Oil ₹5,000, Other spends in shops ₹6,000.

Worked out with the same reward rules and caps the Saifu app uses. Points are counted at the cash value in the table above. The annual fee counts as waived when the spend reaches the waiver. Joining fees, welcome gifts and milestone vouchers are not counted. Your own spends will give different figures.

Common questions

Which is better, SBI Card ELITE or HDFC Regalia Gold?

After fees, SBI Card ELITE comes out ahead for the everyday spender and frequent traveller, and HDFC Regalia Gold for the online shopper. It depends on where you spend: compare the figures for the sample spender closest to you, or add your own spends in the Saifu app.

Which has the lower annual fee?

HDFC Regalia Gold (₹2,500 against ₹4,999). SBI Card ELITE waives it on ₹10,00,000 of spend a year. HDFC Regalia Gold waives it on ₹4,00,000 of spend a year.

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