KrisFlyer SBI Card Review: Earn Singapore Airlines Miles on Every Spend
The KrisFlyer SBI Card earns Singapore Airlines miles directly, with accelerated earning on SQ and international spends. Here's everything you need to know before applying.
Most co-branded airline cards in India earn you reward points that you then have to transfer into miles. The KrisFlyer SBI Card skips that step entirely. You spend, and KrisFlyer Miles land directly in your Singapore Airlines account on your next statement date.
That convenience comes with trade-offs though. There's a long list of spending categories that earn zero miles, a 3.5% forex markup, and no way to get the annual fee waived. Here's the full picture.
Apply for the KrisFlyer SBI Card
The Basics
The KrisFlyer SBI Card is issued by SBI Card and co-branded with Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer. Every rupee you spend earns KrisFlyer Miles that are automatically credited to your linked KrisFlyer account on your statement date, so you don't need to manually transfer anything.
Miles expire 36 months from the month they're earned, and there's no activity-based reset. If you stop using the card, your oldest miles will start disappearing after 3 years.
Fees and What You Get Upfront
| Amount | What You Get | |
|---|---|---|
| Joining Fee | Rs. 2,999 + GST | 3,000 KrisFlyer Miles (on fee payment + first transaction within 60 days) |
| Annual Fee (Year 2+) | Rs. 2,999 + GST | No renewal benefit |
| Fee Waiver | Not available | No spend-based waiver in MITC |
| Add-on Card | Free | No fee for family members |
You pay Rs. 2,999 plus taxes every year, and there's no spend threshold to get that waived. The welcome benefit of 3,000 KrisFlyer Miles helps offset the first year's cost, but from year 2 onwards there's no renewal bonus to soften the fee.
Both conditions need to be met for the welcome miles: pay the annual fee and make your first transaction within 60 days of card issuance.
How You Earn Miles
| Category | Rate | What Counts |
|---|---|---|
| Singapore Airlines Group | 5 miles per Rs. 200 | Bookings with SQ group merchants |
| International Spends | 5 miles per Rs. 200 | Any transaction outside India |
| Everything Else | 2 miles per Rs. 200 | All other eligible retail purchases |
The accelerated 5 miles per Rs. 200 on Singapore Airlines and international spends is where this card earns its keep. If you're booking SQ flights or spending abroad regularly, the miles add up quickly.
The base rate of 2 miles per Rs. 200 on domestic spends is on the lower side. If most of your spending is domestic and outside the SQ ecosystem, you won't accumulate miles at a meaningful pace.
There are no earning caps mentioned, so heavy spenders aren't penalized. Miles auto-credit to your KrisFlyer account on the statement date without any action from you.
What Doesn't Earn Miles
The exclusion list is long, and worth reading carefully before you start swiping.
| Category | Earns Miles | Counted for Milestones | Extra Charges |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cash Advance | ✗ | ✗ | — |
| EMI/Balance Transfer | ✗ | ✗ | — |
| Wallet Loads | ✗ | ✓ | 1% fee on loads over Rs. 1,000 |
| Fuel | ✗ | ✓ | 1% surcharge waiver (Rs. 500-4,000) |
| Rent | ✗ | ✓ | Rs. 199 processing fee per txn |
| Utilities | ✗ | ✓ | 1% fee if total exceeds Rs. 50,000/cycle |
| Government | ✗ | ✓ | — |
| Encash/Cashback | ✗ | ✗ | — |
Eight categories earn zero miles. If you regularly pay rent, utilities, and fuel with your credit card, none of that spend earns you anything, and some of those categories come with extra fees on top.
The silver lining is that wallet, fuel, rent, utilities, and government spends still count toward milestone thresholds. Cash advance, EMI, and encash transactions don't count for anything at all.
Milestone and Spend-Based Benefits
| Spend | What You Get | Period | Fine Print |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rs. 3,00,000 total eligible | 3,000 bonus KrisFlyer Miles | Anniversary year | — |
| Rs. 2,50,000 on Singapore Airlines | KrisFlyer Elite Silver status | Anniversary year | Only bookings via SQ app or website count |
The Rs. 3 lakh milestone for 3,000 bonus miles is straightforward. Hit that mark in eligible spends during your card anniversary year and you get extra miles.
The more interesting one is KrisFlyer Elite Silver. Spend Rs. 2.5 lakhs on Singapore Airlines through their app or website, and you get bumped to Elite Silver status. That comes with perks like extra baggage, priority check-in, and Star Alliance lounge access on eligible tickets. Bookings through travel agents or OTAs don't count toward this threshold.
Where Your Miles Go
Miles auto-credit to your KrisFlyer account, and the card itself doesn't have separate transfer partners. Once the miles are in your KrisFlyer account, you can redeem them on singaporeair.com for flights on Singapore Airlines and partner airlines, cabin upgrades, KrisPay for everyday purchases, or KrisShop merchandise.
The real value is in flight redemptions. Keep an eye on Spontaneous Escapes for 30% off award flights on select routes each month.
Students should check out KrisFlyer Student Privileges for 10% off fares and extra baggage. And don't miss the free Singapore stopover on return award tickets.
You can explore more ways to earn and use KrisFlyer miles on the Magnify app.
Lounge Access
| Visits | Provider | After Free Visits | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Domestic | 1 per quarter (4/year) | ||
| International | 1 per quarter (4/year) | Priority Pass | Up to $27 + taxes per visit |
You get a complimentary Priority Pass membership valid for 2 years. Only the primary cardholder is eligible, add-on card members don't get access.
Four domestic and four international visits per year is decent for a card at this price point, though visits are capped at 1 per quarter so you can't use all 4 on a single trip. Once you exhaust your complimentary visits, international lounge access costs up to $27 plus taxes per visit.
Insurance
| Coverage | Amount |
|---|---|
| Baggage Loss/Delay | Rs. 1,00,000 |
| Fraud Loss | Rs. 1,00,000 |
The coverage is basic at Rs. 1 lakh each for baggage issues and fraud. Check the T&C for specific activation requirements before assuming you're covered.
Fuel Surcharge Waiver
| Waiver | Transaction Range | Maximum Savings |
|---|---|---|
| 1% | Rs. 500 to Rs. 4,000 | Rs. 250 per statement cycle |
Standard 1% fuel surcharge waiver at any petrol pump in India. Fuel spends don't earn miles, but at least you save on the surcharge.
Other Surcharges to Watch
| Category | Fee | When It Kicks In |
|---|---|---|
| Utilities | 1% | Total utility payments cross Rs. 50,000 in a billing cycle |
| Education | 1% | Payments via CRED, Cheq, MobiKwik, etc. Direct college payments are exempt |
| Wallet Loads | 1% | Per wallet load over Rs. 1,000 |
| Rent | Rs. 199 flat | Every rent payment |
These surcharges have been in effect since November 2025. The education fee only applies when you pay through third-party apps. If you pay your college directly through their website or POS machine, the fee doesn't apply.
International Usage
Foreign currency markup is 3.5%, and Dynamic Currency Conversion is also 3.5%. The exchange rate is set by Visa or Mastercard depending on your card variant.
You do earn at the accelerated rate of 5 miles per Rs. 200 on international spends, so the forex markup stings a bit less. But one thing to know: the foreign currency fee is not reversed if the transaction is refunded. You get the purchase amount back, but the 3.5% charge stays.
Eligibility and Support
You need to be 18 to 65 years old, an Indian resident, and you must have an existing KrisFlyer membership number to link. Sign up for a free KrisFlyer account on singaporeair.com before applying.
SBI Card doesn't publicly disclose minimum income requirements. Keep your PAN card, income proof, and address proof ready.
For support, call 1860 180 1290, chat with ILA on sbicard.com, or use the SBI Card app.
The Verdict
This card makes sense if you fly Singapore Airlines or Star Alliance regularly, spend a good amount on international transactions, and want miles that auto-credit to your KrisFlyer account without any transfer hassle. The path to KrisFlyer Elite Silver through card spending is a solid bonus if you're already booking SQ flights.
Skip it if most of your spending is domestic (the base rate of 2 miles per Rs. 200 won't get you far), you want a fee waiver option (there isn't one), or you spend heavily on fuel, rent, and utilities since all of those are excluded from earning.
The KrisFlyer SBI Card works best as a companion for someone already in the Singapore Airlines ecosystem. The accelerated earning on SQ and international spends is genuinely useful, and auto-credit to KrisFlyer is as convenient as it gets. But the low base rate, long exclusion list, and 3.5% forex markup keep it from being an everyday card.
Apply for the KrisFlyer SBI Card
Wondering how it stacks up against the premium APEX variant? Read our side-by-side comparison.
