Amex Membership Rewards vs Cashback SBI Card
Amex Membership Rewards is better for groceries, food delivery & dining, everything else, while Cashback SBI Card wins on online shopping, travel & flights. Cashback SBI Card is cheaper to keep (₹999/year).
American Express
Amex Membership Rewards® Credit Card
•••• 4573Amex
SBI Card
Cashback SBI Card
•••• 5764Visa
| Amex Membership Rewards® Credit Card | Cashback SBI Card | |
|---|---|---|
| Issuer | American Express | SBI Card |
| Network | Amex | Visa |
| Best for | Monthly bonus points | Online shopping |
| Headline benefit | 1,000 bonus pts / month | 5% online cashback |
| Joining fee | ₹1,000 | ₹999 |
| Annual fee | ₹4,500 | ₹999 |
| Fee waiver | ₹1,50,000 spend | ₹2,00,000 spend |
| Works on UPI | No | No |
| Lounge access | None | None |
| Online shopping rewards | 3% | 5% |
| Groceries rewards | 3% | 1% |
| Food delivery & dining rewards | 3% | 1% |
| Fuel rewards | – | – |
| UPI scan & pay rewards | – | – |
| Bills & recharges rewards | – | – |
| Travel & flights rewards | 3% | 5% |
| Everything else rewards | 3% | 1% |
| Apply now | Apply now |
Choose Amex Membership Rewards if…
- Very high returns for moderate spenders
- Flexible Membership Rewards points
- Fee waived at ₹1.5 lakh spend
Watch out for
- No points on fuel, insurance or utilities
- Amex isn't accepted everywhere
- Doesn't work on UPI
Choose Cashback SBI Card if…
- No merchant restrictions: 5% on almost any website
- Straight cashback with no points to redeem
- Simple, predictable rewards
Watch out for
- Online cashback is capped at ₹5,000 per statement
- No lounge access
- Fuel, rent and wallets excluded
Verdict
Amex Membership Rewards is better for groceries, food delivery & dining, everything else, while Cashback SBI Card wins on online shopping, travel & flights. Cashback SBI Card is cheaper to keep (₹999/year). Many people hold both: the two cards cover different categories, so using each where it earns most maximises your total rewards. Try the card finder with your own spends to see the exact difference.