SBI Card Rule Changes from Feb 2026: Rewards, Lounge Access & Fees Impact Users

If you are a customer of SBI Card, one of the country’s largest card issuers, this news is extremely important for you. Effective February 2026, the bank has implemented significant changes to its rewards program and the rules for certain card categories. These changes will directly impact your savings and card usage, as SBI Card has further tightened its policies to meet the changing needs of the digital age.

Digital Tightening on Reward Points

SBI Card has decided to completely discontinue reward points earned in areas such as digital gaming and government payments to further streamline its rewards program. This change is effective immediately for SBI Cards in the Lifestyle/Home Center category, as well as Select and Prime cardholders.

This means that if you purchase gaming credits online or pay taxes or electricity bills on a government portal, you will no longer receive reward points on those expenses. This move is in line with policies already adopted by other large private banks to control unsafe and high-risk transactions and redirect the bank’s rewards budget towards more productive spending.

Lounge Access and Milestone Benefits

Regular airport lounge travellers are also in for some disappointment as SBI Card has revised the rules for domestic airport lounge access on select card categories. The bank has also taken a tough stance on renewal and milestone vouchers on its popular ‘Club Vistara SBI Card,’ and benefits such as free economy class tickets have been discontinued for cards whose renewal was due after April 2025. However, to provide relief to customers, the bank has also decided to waive the annual renewal fee of ₹1,499 in such cases to mitigate customer dissatisfaction.

Record Profits and Market Share

Despite these tightening regulations, the company’s financial health appears strong in the market. In its recently announced third-quarter results, SBI Cards surprised everyone with a net profit of ₹557 crore, representing a robust 45 percent increase over the previous year. Cardholders spent over ₹1.14 lakh crore during the quarter, demonstrating continued trust in SBI Cards.

The bank currently maintains a strong position with approximately 18.8 percent card market share and has also made significant improvements on the asset quality front, with net NPAs falling to a low of 1.28 percent.

New Fees and Payments

Other significant changes effective February 2026 include changes to reward redemption fees and payment settlement rules. A mandatory fee of ₹99 plus GST will now be charged each time reward points are converted into cash or gift vouchers.

The bank has also changed the order of outstanding payment settlements, adjusting payments first against GST, then EMIs, then fees, and finally the principal outstanding. This technical change may complicate interest calculations for customers, so customers are advised to pay their credit card bills carefully and on time.