Standard Chartered Ultimate Credit Card review
Standard Chartered Bank · Visa · points Official sources Checked 30 Oct 2026
At a glance
- Annual fee
- ₹5,000
- Joining fee
- ₹5,000
- Fee waiver
- None found
- Base return
- 3.33% base
- Point value
- ₹1 per point
- Domestic lounge
- 4 per calendar quarter (official)
- International lounge
- 1 Priority Pass visit per month if monthly spend > ₹20,000; extra visits USD27 (official)
Estimated net value a year
| Profile | Net | % of spend |
|---|---|---|
| First card, light spender ₹15k a month | ₹355 | 0.2% |
| Metro salaried ₹60k a month | ₹15,143 | 2.1% |
| Family household ₹80k a month | ₹19,462 | 2.0% |
| Frequent flyer ₹1.5L a month | ₹49,750 | 2.8% |
| Online shopper ₹50k a month | ₹13,863 | 2.3% |
| Rent-heavy ₹90k a month | ₹17,936 | 1.7% |
Fee maths: The ₹5,000 annual fee has no spend-based waiver in the terms we read. It is 25% of the ₹20,143 the metro salaried profile earns before the fee. On our 6 profiles it nets from ₹355 (first card, light spender) to ₹49,750 (frequent flyer), equal to 0.2% to 2.8% of spend across the profiles. Without a waiver, the metro salaried category mix earns back the fee from about ₹15,000 a month of total spend.
After fees and caps, best-case redemption. Use your own spend.
Our take: A flat-rate premium card: 5 points per ₹150 on most spends, 3 per ₹150 on utilities, supermarkets, rent and similar, and no points on fuel. There is no spend-based fee waiver on the ₹5,000 fee, so it only makes sense if you spend enough to clear that and use the lounge visits.
From the card's terms: strengths
- 4 domestic lounge visits a quarter
From the card's terms: limits
- High fee with no spend-based waiver
Reward rates and caps
| Spend category | Points per ₹100 | Value per ₹100 | Cap | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Everything else, Amazon, Flipkart, Other online shopping, Dining & food delivery, Flights & hotels, Entertainment & OTT | 3.33 | ₹3.33 | No cap found | 5 pts per ₹150 (official) |
| Groceries, Bills & utilities, Rent | 2 | ₹2 | No cap found | 3 pts per ₹150 on utilities, supermarkets, insurance, property mgmt/rent, schools, government (official, since 2 Apr 2023); no monthly cap; rent has 1%+tax fee |
| Fuel | 0 | ₹0 | No cap found | No points; 1% surcharge waiver capped ₹1,000/cycle |
Point value: 1 reward point = Re 1 (official page)
Excluded or reduced
- fuel
Other benefits
- Welcome: 6,000 bonus points on payment of joining fee (official page)
- Renewal: Points refunding ₹5,000 fee
- 5% duty-free cashback (official; ₹1,000/cycle cap unconfirmed)
- 1% fuel surcharge waiver capped ₹1,000/month (official)
Eligibility
Age 21-65, stable monthly income (₹2L/month from aggregator) not confirmed in an issuer document: check the application page
Where it ranks
- #1 in Best travel credit cards
- #3 in Best premium credit cards
- #1 in Best credit cards for rent payment
Compare
Related guides
- How to read a credit card MITC
- Fuel surcharge waivers explained
- Airport lounge access on credit cards
- Paying rent with a credit card
- Fees on rent, wallet, utility, fuel and education spends
- How reward points work and what they are worth
- Credit card devaluations and what to do
FAQ
What is the annual fee of the Standard Chartered Ultimate Credit Card?
₹5,000 a year, no spend-based waiver found. Fees exclude 18% GST.
How do Standard Chartered Ultimate Credit Card rewards work?
3.33% base. 1 reward point = Re 1 (official page)
Does the Standard Chartered Ultimate Credit Card give airport lounge access?
Domestic: 4 per calendar quarter (official). International: 1 Priority Pass visit per month if monthly spend > ₹20,000; extra visits USD27 (official).
Who is the Standard Chartered Ultimate Credit Card best suited to?
A flat-rate premium card: 5 points per ₹150 on most spends, 3 per ₹150 on utilities, supermarkets, rent and similar, and no points on fuel. There is no spend-based fee waiver on the ₹5,000 fee, so it only makes sense if you spend enough to clear that and use the lounge visits. The ₹5,000 annual fee has no spend-based waiver in the terms we read. It is 25% of the ₹20,143 the metro salaried profile earns before the fee. On our 6 profiles it nets from ₹355 (first card, light spender) to ₹49,750 (frequent flyer), equal to 0.2% to 2.8% of spend across the profiles.
Sources
- CardAdvisor banks/standard-chartered-credit-cards aggregator fetched 2026-10-29
- Standard Chartered India Ultimate card page official fetched 2026-10-29
Not financial advice. Figures are estimates from published terms and may be outdated; confirm with Standard Chartered Bank before you apply. Methodology.
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