Meet these thresholds and you're likely to be approved. Final call is Standard Chartered's.
We've modeled this card's value for a default urban spender. Tweak the persona to see how it shifts — or personalize with your real spends.
Base rate, accelerated categories, milestones, and what each reward point is actually worth when you redeem.
Plays grounded in this card's specific levers. Updated each time Standard Chartered tweaks the program.
The 5 RP / ₹150 base (3.33% at 1 RP = ₹1) has no earning cap — unusual at this tier. Push all non-devalued retail through this card: ₹10 lakh/year clears ₹33,333 in RP, easily offsetting the ₹5,900 renewal after the 6,000-RP renewal bonus (worth ₹6,000).
Forex markup is 2% — among the lowest at this fee tier — and the 3.33% base still applies abroad, netting 1.33% after markup. On a ₹3 lakh international trip that saves ₹4,500 vs a 3.5%-markup card carrying the same earn rate.
Duty-free spends earn 5% cashback up to ₹1,000 per statement cycle — trigger at ₹20,000 of duty-free purchase. Time large international shopping around one billing cycle per trip to fully capture the ₹1,000 ceiling on top of the 3.33% base.
6,000 RP lands on joining fee payment (₹6,000 value) and another 6,000 RP on each renewal fee payment. Two years of membership nets 12,000 RP = ₹12,000 directly — more than covering the ₹11,800 (2 x ₹5,900) cumulative fees.
Redemption starts at 500 RP but carries a ₹99 fee per redemption. Hoarding to a 10,000-point redemption drops the fee drag from 19.8% to 0.99%. Watch the 3-year validity — plan one bulk pull every 12-18 months.
Utilities, grocery, insurance, education, hospitals and rent devalue to 3 RP/₹150 (2%) and rent carries an additional 1% processing fee — making rent net-negative. Send these to a flat-cashback card so Ultimate stays on its 3.33% tracks.
Fees, transaction charges, interest rates — all inclusive of taxes where noted.
Charges below are base amounts; GST applies where applicable.
Non-reward perks — lounges, dining, golf, insurance, concierge. Worth factoring into the total value, even when hard to price.
16 domestic + 12 international visits per year via Priority Pass. Primary cardholder.
₹6,000 Welcome reward points.
Air accident cover, lost-card liability, emergency card replacement abroad.
Joining and annual fee are both ₹5,000 (₹5,900 with GST). There is no spend-based waiver — instead, SC awards 6,000 reward points on both the joining fee and every renewal fee payment. At 1 RP = ₹1, that's ₹6,000 directly offsetting the ₹5,900 charge.
Last verified 17 Sep 2026.
Last verified 17 Sep 2026. Sources: Standard Chartered Ultimate product page, Ultimate card terms and conditions PDF, Ultimate rewards terms and conditions PDF, Standard Chartered credit card MITC PDF, Standard Chartered credit card Tariffs and Charges PDF, PerkPilot editorial — maximize_plays derived from card JSON levers (2026-04), PerkPilot editorial — faq derived from card JSON levers (2026-04), sc.com. Next scheduled review: 17 Mar 2027.
