PhonePe SBI Card PURPLE vs SELECT BLACK: Which One Should You Get?
Both PhonePe SBI Cards earn reward points on PhonePe and online spends, but the PURPLE costs ₹499 while the SELECT BLACK costs ₹1,499. Here's how to pick between them.
PhonePe and SBI Card offer two co-branded credit cards: the PURPLE and the SELECT BLACK. Both earn Reward Points (1 RP = Re. 1) on PhonePe and online spends, share the same issuer, the same exclusion list, and the same redemption options. The differences come down to how much you earn, how much you pay, and what extras you get.
Here is the full side-by-side breakdown.
Fees and Welcome Benefits
| PURPLE | SELECT BLACK | |
|---|---|---|
| Joining Fee | ₹499 + GST | ₹1,499 + GST |
| Annual Fee (Year 2+) | ₹499 + GST | ₹1,499 + GST |
| Fee Waiver | ₹1 lakh annual spend | ₹3 lakhs annual spend |
| Welcome Benefit | ₹500 PhonePe Gift Card | ₹1,500 PhonePe e-Gift Card |
| Add-on Card | Free | Free |
| Renewal Benefit | Fee waiver only | Fee waiver only |
Both cards offset their joining fee with the welcome benefit on day one. PURPLE gives you ₹500 against a ₹499 fee, SELECT BLACK gives ₹1,500 against ₹1,499. Year one is effectively free on both.
The real question is year two. PURPLE needs ₹1 lakh in annual spend (roughly ₹8,300/month) to waive the fee. SELECT BLACK needs ₹3 lakhs (₹25,000/month). If your monthly spending is under ₹25,000, the PURPLE is the safer bet for keeping fees at zero.
Earning Rates
| Category | PURPLE | SELECT BLACK |
|---|---|---|
| PhonePe Spends | 3% (3 RP/₹100) | 10% (10 RP/₹100) |
| Online Spends | 2% (2 RP/₹100) | 5% (5 RP/₹100) |
| Other Spends | 1% (1 RP/₹100) | 1% (1 RP/₹100) |
| PhonePe Cap | 1,000 RP/month | |
| Online Cap | 1,000 RP/month |
This is where the two cards diverge sharply. SELECT BLACK earns more than three times the PURPLE rate on PhonePe spends and two and a half times on online transactions. Offline spending is identical at 1%.
But the PURPLE has earning caps that matter. You can earn a maximum of 1,000 Reward Points per month on PhonePe spends (meaning the 3% rate maxes out at ₹33,333 of PhonePe spending per month). The same 1,000 RP cap applies to online spends. SELECT BLACK has no mentioned caps on either category.
If you regularly spend more than ₹33,333 per month on PhonePe, the PURPLE's cap limits your upside. The SELECT BLACK's uncapped 10% rate becomes increasingly valuable as your PhonePe spending grows.
Earning Exclusions
Both cards share the exact same exclusion list from SBI Card's standard MITC. These categories earn zero reward points on either card:
Cash advance, EMI/Flexipay, wallet loads (MCC 6540/6541), fuel (MCC 5541/5542/5983), rent (MCC 6513), utilities (MCC 4900), insurance (MCC 5960/6300/6381/6399), gold and jewellery (MCC 5094/5944), education (MCC 8211/8220/8241/8244/8249/8299), government transactions, and card fees/charges.
Some of these also attract additional surcharges (1% on wallet loads over ₹1,000, 1% on utilities over ₹50,000/cycle, ₹199 flat fee on rent payments). These surcharges are identical on both cards.
Milestone Benefits
| PURPLE | SELECT BLACK | |
|---|---|---|
| Fee Waiver | ₹1 lakh spend | ₹3 lakhs spend |
| Yatra Voucher | ₹3 lakhs spend → ₹3,000 | ₹5 lakhs spend → ₹5,000 |
PURPLE's Yatra voucher kicks in at ₹3 lakhs annual spend (₹3,000 voucher). SELECT BLACK requires ₹5 lakhs for a ₹5,000 voucher. Both reset on the card anniversary.
Redemption
Identical on both cards. Reward Points can be redeemed for vouchers or cash at 1 RP = Re. 1. Neither card has transfer partners to airline or hotel loyalty programs. Your points stay in the SBI Card ecosystem.
Lounge Access
| PURPLE | SELECT BLACK | |
|---|---|---|
| Domestic | ✗ | 4/year (max 1/quarter) |
| International | ✗ | Priority Pass membership ($99 value, first 2 years) |
This is the biggest perk gap between the two. PURPLE has no lounge access at all. SELECT BLACK gives you 4 complimentary domestic lounge visits per year (capped at 1 per quarter) and a Priority Pass membership worth $99 for the first two years. The Priority Pass is membership-only though, so individual international lounge visits are charged at Priority Pass rates, not included free.
If you fly domestically a few times a year and value pre-flight lounge access, SELECT BLACK has a meaningful advantage here.
Fuel Surcharge Waiver
| PURPLE | SELECT BLACK | |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction Range | ₹500 to ₹3,000 | ₹500 to ₹4,000 |
| Cap per Cycle | ₹100 | ₹250 |
SELECT BLACK covers a wider transaction range and offers a higher cap. But neither card earns reward points on fuel, so the surcharge waiver is the only benefit at petrol pumps on either card.
Forex and International Use
Both cards charge 3.5% on foreign currency transactions, which is the standard SBI Card rate. Neither is suitable for international spending.
The Verdict
Pick PURPLE if your monthly spending is under ₹25,000, you want a low-fee entry into the PhonePe ecosystem, and you do not care about lounge access. The ₹1 lakh fee waiver is easy to hit, and the 3% PhonePe rate with the ₹1,000/month cap still works if your PhonePe spending is moderate.
Pick SELECT BLACK if you spend heavily on PhonePe (especially over ₹33,333/month where PURPLE's cap kicks in), fly domestically a few times a year and want lounge access, or simply want the higher 10% and 5% rates without caps. The ₹3 lakh fee waiver threshold requires more commitment, but if you are already spending that much, the extra rewards and lounge access justify the higher fee.
Neither card is right if you want transferable miles, international travel perks (3.5% forex on both), or insurance benefits. For airline miles, look at the KrisFlyer SBI Card or the KrisFlyer SBI Card APEX instead.
Read the full individual reviews: PhonePe SBI Card PURPLE Review and PhonePe SBI Card SELECT BLACK Review.
Compare both cards side by side on the Magnify app.
