SBI Card MILES Review: 25 Transfer Partners Including Airlines and Hotels
SBI Card MILES earns Travel Credits you can transfer to 14 airline partners. Worth it at Rs. 1,499/year? Here's the honest breakdown.
Last updated: April 2026
Overview
The SBI Card MILES is a travel-focused credit card from SBI Card that earns SBI Travel Credits on every purchase. What makes it interesting isn't the earn rate (which is modest), it's what you can do with those credits: transfer them to 25 transfer partners, including Air India Maharaja Club, Air France-KLM Flying Blue, Aeroplan, and more.
The annual fee is Rs. 1,499 (+ GST), and it's not a lifetime free card. You'll need to spend Rs. 6 lakhs in a year to get the fee waived.
If you're someone who values airline miles over cashback or generic reward points, this card gives you a straightforward path: spend, earn Travel Credits, transfer to your preferred airline. No middleman platform needed.
Fees, Waivers & Welcome Benefits
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Joining Fee | Rs. 1,499 + GST |
| Annual Fee (Year 2+) | Rs. 1,499 + GST |
| Fee Waiver | Waived on Rs. 6 lakh annual spend |
| Add-on Card Fee | Nil |
| Welcome Benefit | 1,500 Travel Credits on spending Rs. 30,000 within 60 days |
| Renewal Benefit |
Let's do the fee math. You're paying roughly Rs. 1,769 after 18% GST. In return, you get 1,500 Travel Credits as a welcome gift (worth Rs. 1,500 when transferred to airlines at 1:1). That nearly covers the first year's fee by itself. From year two onwards, you'll need to hit Rs. 6 lakhs in annual spend to get the fee reversed. If you're spending Rs. 50,000/month on the card, you'll hit that target naturally.
The welcome benefit requires Rs. 30,000 in spend within 60 days of card issuance, so don't let the card sit idle after activation. Credits are deposited within 15 working days of hitting the threshold.
Earning Structure
| Category | Earn Rate | Effective Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Travel spends | 2 Travel Credits per Rs. 200 | 1% (1 Credit per Rs. 100) |
| All other spends | 1 Travel Credit per Rs. 200 | 0.5% (1 Credit per Rs. 200) |
The earning structure is simple but not spectacular. Travel spends earn at 1% (2 Credits per Rs. 200), while everything else earns at 0.5%. Since each Travel Credit is worth Re. 1 when transferred to airline partners, you're effectively getting 1% back on travel and 0.5% on other purchases.
The real value depends entirely on how you redeem those credits. Transferred to airline miles, 1 Travel Credit = Re. 1 in value. Used for travel bookings through SBI Card's portal, that drops to Rs. 0.50 per credit. And if you redeem through the Shop & Smile catalogue, it's just Rs. 0.25 per credit. So the card only makes sense if you're transferring to airline programs.
Credits post within 10 days of the actual transaction date.
Earning Exclusions
Several categories earn zero Travel Credits. This is important to know before you plan your spending strategy.
| Category | MCC Codes | Earns Credits | Counts for Milestones | Counts for Fee Waiver |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fuel | 5541, 5542, 5983 | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Rent payments | 6513 | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Utility bills | 4900 | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Wallet loads | 6540, 6541 | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Insurance | 5960, 6300, 6381, 6399 | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Cash advance | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | |
| EMI / Flexipay / Balance Transfer | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | |
| Fees & charges | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
The key nuance here: fuel, rent, utilities, wallet loads, and insurance don't earn Travel Credits, but they do count towards your milestone and fee waiver thresholds. So if you're trying to hit Rs. 6 lakhs for the fee waiver, these spends still count. They just won't earn you any credits.
Cash advances, EMI conversions, and fee charges don't count towards anything.
Milestone Benefits
| Annual Spend | Reward |
|---|---|
| Rs. 5,00,000 | 5,000 Bonus Travel Credits |
| Every Rs. 1,00,000 | 1 additional domestic lounge visit (max 8 per year) |
| Rs. 6,00,000 | Annual fee reversed |
The Rs. 5 lakh milestone is a solid sweetener. 5,000 bonus Travel Credits on top of what you've already earned from regular spending. If you're hitting Rs. 6 lakhs for the fee waiver anyway, you'll automatically unlock this milestone on the way there.
The spend-based lounge visits are a nice touch too. For every Rs. 1 lakh spent, you earn one additional domestic lounge visit (capped at 8 per membership year), on top of your complimentary visits.
Transfer Partners
Airlines (1:1 Ratio)
| Airline Program | Ratio | Min Transfer |
|---|---|---|
| Air India Maharaja Club | 1:1 | 1,000 |
| Aeroplan (Air Canada) | 1:1 | 1,000 |
| AirAsia Rewards | 1:1 | 1,000 |
| Asia Miles (Cathay Pacific) | 1:1 | 1,000 |
| Avios (British Airways) | 1:1 | 1,000 |
| Etihad Guest | 1:1 | 1,000 |
| Flying Blue (Air France-KLM) | 1:1 | 1,000 |
| Qantas Frequent Flyer | 1:1 | 1,000 |
| Royal Orchid Plus (Thai Airways) | 1:1 | 1,000 |
| SpiceClub Points (SpiceJet) | 1:1 | 1,000 |
Airlines (2:1 Ratio)
| Airline Program | Ratio | Min Transfer |
|---|---|---|
| AirRewards | 2:1 | 1,000 |
| Alfursan (Saudia) | 2:1 | 1,000 |
| Avios (Iberia) | 2:1 | 1,000 |
| Emirates Skywards | 2:1 | 1,000 |
| JAL Mileage Bank | 2:1 | 1,000 |
| Miles&Smiles (Turkish Airlines) | 2:1 | 1,000 |
| MileagePlus (United Airlines) | 2:1 | 1,000 |
| ShebaMiles (Ethiopian Airlines) | 2:1 | 1,000 |
Hotels
| Hotel Program | Ratio | Min Transfer |
|---|---|---|
| IHG Rewards Club | 1:1 | 1,000 |
| Orchid Rewards (Orchid Hotels) | 1:1 | 1,000 |
| Wyndham Rewards | 1:1 | 1,000 |
| Accor Live Limitless | 2:1 | 1,000 |
| ITC Club (ITC Hotels) | 2:1 | 1,000 |
| Jumeirah One | 2:1 | 1,000 |
| Golden Circle (Shangri-La) | 6:1 | 1,200 |
That is 25 transfer partners in total: 10 airlines and 3 hotels at 1:1, 8 airlines and 3 hotels at 2:1, and 1 hotel at 6:1. The 1:1 airline partners are where the best value lives. Aeroplan gives you access to the entire Star Alliance network with excellent award chart sweet spots. Flying Blue is great for Europe via Air France and KLM, especially during their regular promo awards. Asia Miles and Qantas open up Oneworld redemptions. Avios (British Airways) is useful for short-haul flights where distance-based pricing works in your favor.
On the hotel side, IHG Rewards and Wyndham Rewards at 1:1 offer decent value for domestic hotel stays in India.
The 2:1 partners are less compelling since you lose half your credits in the transfer, but Emirates Skywards can still deliver good value for premium cabin redemptions on Emirates routes from India.
All three SBI Miles cards (MILES, MILES PRIME, and Miles ELITE) share the same 25 transfer partners and ratios. The difference is in how fast you earn credits, not where you can send them.
For the latest transfer ratios and any active bonuses, check the Magnify app.
DID YOU KNOW?
You can earn airline miles without a credit card. Mag Miles by Magnify lets you earn miles to Air India Maharaja Club, AirAsia Rewards, and more, just by shopping for gift cards, using the Chrome extension, or booking through the app. No annual fee, no minimum spend.
Redemption Options
Beyond airline transfers, Travel Credits can be redeemed through two other channels (though at worse rates).
| Channel | Value per Credit |
|---|---|
| Air Miles / Hotel Points transfer | Re. 1 |
| Travel Bookings (SBI Card portal) | Rs. 0.50 |
| Shop & Smile Catalogue | Rs. 0.25 |
The difference in value is dramatic. Transferring to airlines gives you 4x the value compared to the catalogue. Unless you have no use for airline miles at all, always transfer to airline partners.
One thing to note: Travel Credits expire 2 years from the date of receipt, and activity on the card doesn't reset this clock. So don't hoard credits for too long.
There's also a Rs. 99 redemption fee for physical products, statement credits, and physically shipped vouchers.
Lounge Access
| Benefit | Details |
|---|---|
| Domestic lounges | 2 visits per quarter (8 per year) via domestic lounge program |
| Spend-based domestic visits | 1 extra visit per Rs. 1 lakh spent (max 8 additional per year) |
| International lounges | Priority Pass membership worth $99 (valid for 2 years) |
| Post-complimentary international visits | $27 + taxes per visit |
| Add-on cardholder | Not eligible for Priority Pass |
The domestic lounge access is generous for a card at this price point. 8 complimentary visits per year, with the potential to earn up to 8 more through spend milestones, gives you up to 16 domestic lounge visits annually.
For international travel, you get a complimentary Priority Pass membership (worth $99) that's valid for the first 2 years. This gives you access to 1,000+ lounges worldwide. After your complimentary visits are used up, each additional visit costs $27 + taxes. Note that the exact number of complimentary international lounge visits isn't explicitly stated on the product page, so confirm this with SBI Card before relying on it.
Insurance
| Coverage | Amount | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Fraud liability cover | Rs. 1,00,000 | Covers unauthorized transactions from 3 days before to 7 days after reporting (insured by Oriental Insurance) |
The insurance coverage is basic. Rs. 1 lakh fraud liability cover is standard across most SBI cards and not a differentiator. There's no travel insurance, purchase protection, or air accident cover bundled with this card.
Fuel Surcharge & Surcharges
| Category | Fee | Threshold | MCC Codes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fuel surcharge waiver | 1% waiver | Rs. 500 to Rs. 4,000 per transaction (max Rs. 250 waiver per statement cycle) | 5541, 5542, 5983 |
| Utility payments | 1% fee | Charged when total exceeds Rs. 50,000 per billing cycle | 4900 |
| Education payments (via third-party apps) | 1% fee | Per transaction | 8211, 8220, 8241, 8244, 8249, 8299 |
| Wallet loads | 1% fee | Per transaction above Rs. 1,000 | 6540, 6541 |
| Rent payments | Rs. 199 flat fee | Per transaction | 6513 |
The fuel surcharge waiver saves you 1% on petrol pump transactions between Rs. 500 and Rs. 4,000, capped at Rs. 250 per billing cycle. It's a small perk but it adds up.
Watch out for the surcharges on utilities, wallets, and education payments. If you're paying large utility bills (over Rs. 50,000/cycle) or loading wallets frequently, the 1% fee can eat into any value you're getting from the card. Education payments through third-party apps like CRED or MobiKwik also attract 1% (direct payments to institutions are exempt).
Forex
The SBI Card MILES charges a 3% foreign currency markup on international transactions, which is lower than the 3.5% charged on most other SBI cards. Dynamic Currency Conversion is also 3%. The exchange rate is determined by the card network.
One important detail: the forex markup is not reversed on refunds. If you make an international purchase and then return it, you'll still pay the 3% markup on the original transaction even after the refund posts.
At 3%, this isn't a great card for heavy international spending. Dedicated forex cards offer 1.5-2% markup. But if you're occasionally transacting abroad, the 0.5% saving over standard SBI cards is a minor plus.
Eligibility & Support
SBI Card doesn't publicly disclose the minimum income requirement for the MILES card. You'll need to apply and see if you're approved, or check with SBI Card directly. The general requirements are:
- Age: 18 to 65 years
- Indian resident
- Documents: PAN card, income proof (payslip/Form 16/IT return), and address proof
- Add-on cards available for spouse, parents, children, and siblings (18+) at no extra cost
For support, you can reach SBI Card at 1860 180 1290 or 39 02 02 02 (prefix your local STD code). They also have ILA, their chatbot on sbicard.com, and the SBI Card mobile app for account management.
Verdict
Get this card if you want transferable airline miles from a Rs. 1,499/year card. 25 transfer partners (13 at 1:1) is rare at this price. Works best if you spend Rs. 6 lakhs+ annually and always transfer to airline programs.
Skip it if you won't transfer to airlines (the catalogue and travel booking rates are terrible), or your spend is too low to waive the fee.
Strengths: 25 transfer partners, generous domestic lounge access, 5,000 bonus credits at Rs. 5L spend.
Weaknesses: 0.5% base earn rate, 2-year credit expiry, long exclusion list, no travel insurance.
Related Reviews
Track your SBI Travel Credits balance, check transfer partner ratios, and find the best redemption value on the Magnify app.
Tags: SBI Card, SBI, Credit Cards, Miles, Points Transfer
