Skip to content
Premium
STANDARD CHARTERED · STANDARD CHARTERED ULTIMATE CREDIT CARD

Standard Chartered Ultimate Credit Card

ANNUAL FEE
₹5,000
FIRST-YEAR NET VALUE
₹60,940 for a mid spender · travel
STANDARD CHARTERED Ultimate
Updated 2026-04 3 verified sources Data is current
01 ELIGIBILITY

Can I get this card?

Meet these thresholds and you're likely to be approved. Final call is Standard Chartered's.

MONTHLY INCOME ₹1.5L+ Salaried or self-employed
CREDIT SCORE 750+ Excellent band preferred
AGE 21 – 65 Primary or add-on applicant
RESIDENCY Indian PAN, Aadhaar + income proof
02 FIT

Is this card for me?

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.

DEFAULT PERSONA · MID SPENDER · TRAVEL
₹60,940 first-year net value · mid spender · travel
Category rewards ₹59,940
Welcome benefit· Welcome reward points ₹6,000
Annual fee − ₹5,000

Net first-year value ₹60,940
SPEND LEVEL
LIFESTYLE
Want numbers tuned to your real spends?
03 EARN

What will I earn?

Base rate, accelerated categories, milestones, and what each reward point is actually worth when you redeem.

BASE REWARD RATE
5 pts 5 points per ₹150
≈ 3.33% back on eligible spends
NOT ELIGIBLE Fuel · rent · wallets · utility · government
ACCELERATED CATEGORIES Up to 3.3% back
Everything else (base) · 3.3%
04 MAXIMIZE · YOUR EDGE

How do I extract every rupee?

Plays grounded in this card's specific levers. Updated each time Standard Chartered tweaks the program.

01

Let the 3.33% flat rate run uncapped

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).

02

Use the 2% forex edge for overseas spend

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.

03

Cap duty-free at ₹1,000 cashback per cycle

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.

04

Bank both welcome and renewal point bundles

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.

05

Redeem in 10,000-point blocks

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.

06

Route rent, utilities and groceries off this card

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.

05 COSTS

What will I pay?

Fees, transaction charges, interest rates — all inclusive of taxes where noted.

FEES

Charges below are base amounts; GST applies where applicable.

Joining fee ₹5,000 · + 18% GST · one-time
Annual fee (year 2+) ₹5,000
Add-on cards Up to 3 free
TRANSACTION CHARGES
Foreign currency markup 2.0% · lowest in class
Finance charges (purchase) 3.49% per month · ~42% APR
Late payment ₹100 – ₹1,300 · based on outstanding
06 BENEFITS

What else comes with it?

Non-reward perks — lounges, dining, golf, insurance, concierge. Worth factoring into the total value, even when hard to price.

Airport lounges

24 domestic + 24 international visits per year via Priority Pass. Primary cardholder.

Welcome voucher

₹6,000 Welcome reward points.

Travel cover

Air accident cover, lost-card liability, emergency card replacement abroad.

07 FAQ

Common questions

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.

HOW WE KEEP THIS CURRENT

Last verified 2026-04. Sources: Issuer website, CardExpert, PaisaBazaar. Next scheduled review: 6 months from last update.