Standard Chartered Ultimate Credit Card benefits
- Rewards5
reward points per ₹150 on most spends, each point worth ₹1
- Fees6,000
points on the joining fee and 5,000 points on each renewal fee
- Rewards5%
cashback at duty-free stores
up to ₹1,000 a statement cycle
- Lounge16
domestic lounge visits a year, and 1 international visit a month on ₹20,000 of spends
Good to know
- 2% forex markup and a free golf game every month
Standard Chartered Ultimate Credit Card rewards and cashback
| Where you spend | Rate | Monthly limit |
|---|---|---|
| Bills and utilitiesA lower rate: 3 reward points per ₹150 on utilities, insurance, rent and property management, schools and government payments. No monthly limit. | 2 points per ₹100 | None |
| GroceriesA lower rate: 3 reward points per ₹150 at supermarkets. No monthly limit. | 2 points per ₹100 | None |
| Everything else | 3.33 points per ₹100 | None |
We value one point at ₹1 in the usual redemption.
No rewards on: Fuel, ATM cash withdrawals, returned or disputed purchases, fees and charges. Duty-free purchases get cashback instead of points.
All reward rules
- 5 reward points per ₹150 on most spends. Standard Chartered values 1 reward point at ₹1 when redeemed for products, vouchers or services in its 360 Rewards catalogue.
- 5% cashback at duty-free stores, up to ₹1,000 a statement cycle. The store must be registered as a duty-free merchant.
- One free golf game and one free golf coaching session a month at listed golf courses in India. Convenience charges still apply.
- Free insurance: air accident cover of ₹1 crore on international flights paid with the card, and overseas medical cover of USD 25,000.
What the Standard Chartered Ultimate Credit Card gives back in a year
Say you spend ₹30,000 a month, like our “online shopper” pattern. Worked out with the same maths as the calculator above.
| Spending | A month | Back | A year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Groceries | ₹3,000 | 2% | ₹720 |
| Dining and food delivery | ₹2,000 | 3.33% | ₹799 |
| Online shopping | ₹18,000 | 3.33% | ₹7,193 |
| Travel | ₹1,000 | 3.33% | ₹400 |
| Fuel | ₹1,000 | 0% | ₹0 |
| Bills and utilities | ₹2,000 | 2% | ₹480 |
| Everything else | ₹3,000 | 3.33% | ₹1,199 |
| Total | ₹30,000 | ₹10,790 | |
| Renewal fee with GST | −₹5,900 | ||
| You keep | ₹4,890* |
Standard Chartered Ultimate Credit Card annual fee and charges
- Joining fee
- ₹5,000
- Annual fee
- ₹5,000
- Foreign currency markup
- 2%
Joining fee and renewal fee ₹5,000 each, before GST, with no spend-based waiver. Instead, you get 6,000 reward points (worth ₹6,000) after paying the joining fee and 5,000 points (worth ₹5,000) after paying each renewal fee, credited within 60 days. Converting the renewal fee to an EMI loses those points. Add-on cards are free.
Fuel surcharge: 1% fuel surcharge waiver at all petrol pumps, up to ₹1,000 a statement cycle.
Standard Chartered Ultimate Credit Card eligibility
- Age
- 21 to 65
Applicants aged 21 to 65 with a stable monthly income, living in a city where the bank issues credit cards. The bank does not publish a minimum income.
The bank alone decides approval and your credit limit.
Standard Chartered Ultimate Credit Card lounge access
16 domestic and 12 international visits a year. Banks often set a spend condition, so read the reward rules above.
4 free domestic lounge visits a calendar quarter in India with the card. Priority Pass gives 1 free visit a month at lounges outside India, but only if you spent more than ₹20,000 on the card in the previous month. Using Priority Pass at lounges in India is charged.
Is the Standard Chartered Ultimate Credit Card right for you?
A card with a ₹5,000 yearly fee, paying an above-average 3.33% on most spends.
Worth its fee if you spend about ₹17,000 a month or more. Below that, the ₹5,000 fee costs more than the card gives back on spending like the example above.
Good for you if
- You want one flat rate: 3.33% back on most spends, with no categories to track.
- You pay in foreign currency, abroad or on foreign websites: the markup is 2%, against a typical 3.5% on the cards we list.
- You fly a few times a year: it includes 16 domestic and 12 international airport lounge visits a year.
Not for you if
- Your rewards would not reach ₹5,900 a year: that is the renewal fee with GST, and spending does not waive it.
Check the latest fees and terms on the bank's page before you apply.
Alternatives to Standard Chartered Ultimate Credit Card
Two similar cards to weigh up before you apply. The last column shows what each may be worth on ₹30,000 a month of mixed spending, after the renewal fee with GST. Rates paid only at named brands are not counted, so a brand card can earn more if you shop there.
| Card | Annual fee | Rewards up to | You keep a year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard Chartered Ultimate Credit Card | ₹5,000 | 3.33% | ₹3,453* |
| HSBC Premier Credit Card | Free | 3% | ₹9,720* |
| BOBCARD ETERNA Credit Card | ₹2,499 | 3.75% | ₹7,470* |
If most of your spending looks like the example above, the HSBC Premier Credit Card may suit you better: it would leave you ₹10,440 a year, against ₹4,890 with the Standard Chartered Ultimate Credit Card.
*Estimate only, not a promise. We work it out from the bank's published terms and the spending you enter. What you actually get depends on the bank, your transactions and any change in its terms.
Frequently asked questions
How is the Ultimate card different from the Standard Chartered Smart card?
Ultimate is the premium card: it earns reward points worth about 3.3% on most spends, gives lounge visits and golf, and charges a 2% forex markup, for ₹5,000 a year. Smart is a low-fee cashback card (₹499) that pays 2% online and 1% offline, with no lounge access.
What is the value of a Standard Chartered Ultimate reward point?
The bank states that 1 reward point equals ₹1 when you redeem in the 360 Rewards catalogue. You earn 5 points per ₹150 on most spends and 3 points per ₹150 on utilities, supermarkets, insurance, rent, schools and government payments.
Is the Ultimate card annual fee worth it?
The fee is ₹5,000 plus GST every year, with no spend-based waiver. But the bank credits 6,000 points after the joining fee and 5,000 points after each renewal fee, and each point is worth ₹1. So the points cover the fee before GST.
Does the Ultimate card give free international lounge access?
Yes, with a condition. Priority Pass gives 1 free lounge visit a month outside India if you spent more than ₹20,000 on the card in the previous month. You also get 4 free domestic lounge visits a quarter.