AURUM Credit Card Review 2026: Invite-Only, Unlimited Lounges, ₹3.5 Crore Cover & FAQs

AURUM is SBI's invite-only super-premium card, issued on its own domain rather than through the main product catalogue. At ₹9,999 a year it offers unlimited complimentary international lounge access, 16 golf rounds, ₹3.5 crore of air accident cover and a 1.99% forex markup. Its earn rate is a flat 1% with no accelerated category — because AURUM is not a rewards card. It is a privileges card, and it should be judged on the privileges.

AURUM Credit Card Quick Overview

Eligibility: Invite-Only

AURUM is not available by application. It is issued by invitation and lives on its own site, aurumcreditcard.com, rather than in SBI Card's main catalogue. SBI publishes no income threshold — the invitation is the qualification, typically extended to existing high-spending SBI Card customers and select banking relationships.

One quirk worth noting: SBI's own AURUM pages do not state the annual fee anywhere. The ₹9,999 figure and the ₹12 lakh reversal threshold are confirmed from third-party card databases rather than from the issuer's site.

The Privileges — Where the Money Actually Is

Unlimited international lounge access

This is the headline benefit and it is genuinely rare in India. AURUM includes a complimentary DreamFolks membership giving unlimited complimentary visits to 1,000+ international lounges, plus one complimentary guest visit per quarter.

Most Indian premium cards give six to twelve international visits a year, or a Priority Pass membership that then charges US$27 per visit. Unlimited is a different proposition entirely. For someone flying internationally once a month or more, this benefit alone can exceed the fee several times over.

Domestically: 4 complimentary visits per quarter — 16 a year.

Golf: 16 rounds and 12 lessons

16 complimentary golf rounds per calendar year, at 4 per quarter, plus 12 complimentary lessons a year. At typical Indian green fees of ₹2,000–₹4,000 a round, that entitlement is worth ₹32,000–₹64,000 to someone who plays. Only a handful of Indian cards match it.

Insurance: the strongest package reviewed

The flight cancellation benefit deserves a note: it covers two cancellations a year on any airline, including non-refundable tickets. That is unusual and practically useful for anyone who books flights that plans may change.

1.99% forex markup

AURUM and SBI Card ELITE are the only two SBI cards on the reduced 1.99% rate; the rest of the range pays 3.5%. On ₹5 lakh of annual foreign spend, that 1.5-point difference saves ₹7,500 — most of the fee, before any other benefit.

Secretarial access

A benefit almost no other Indian card offers: AURUM lets you authorise an assistant to conduct limited interactions with SBI Card on your behalf. Niche, but telling about who the card is aimed at.

Reward Structure: Deliberately Plain

A flat 1%, uncapped, with no accelerated category at all. SBI's wording is simply "4 ARP on every non-fuel spend of ₹100".

For a card at this tier that is modest — PRIME pays 2.5% on four everyday categories for a third of the fee. But AURUM's return lives in its milestones and privileges, not its accrual.

Two things do make the points better than the rate suggests:

AURUM Reward Points never expire. SBI states this explicitly, and it is unique in its range — every other SBI card runs a 24-month forfeiture clock. Points can accumulate indefinitely.

The valuation is stated and corroborated. SBI says "1 AURUM Reward Point = ₹0.25" three times across the card's pages, and the welcome benefit confirms it — 40,000 ARP described as "₹10,000".

One caveat: AURUM's pages name only fuel as an exclusion. No wider exclusion schedule is published, so treat the 1% as a ceiling on categories SBI has not addressed.

The Milestone Ladder — Including a Monthly One

The monthly milestone is unique in SBI's range. ₹1,500 on ₹1 lakh of spend in a month is ₹18,000 a year if cleared every month — nearly twice the annual fee on its own, and a 1.5% return on the threshold, on top of the 1% base rate.

Cleared in full at ₹20 lakh of annual spend, the four rungs return ₹38,000.

But read them as brand vouchers, not cash. Tata CLiQ, Tata CLiQ Luxury, Taj and Apple — the face values above are what SBI states, and the realisable value depends entirely on whether you would shop at those brands anyway. A ₹20,000 Apple voucher is worth ₹20,000 to someone buying a Mac and considerably less to someone who is not.

Worked Example

Illustrative, at ₹1,00,000 a month — ₹12 lakh a year, which clears the fee reversal and three milestone rungs:

Unlimited international lounge access, 16 golf rounds, 12 golf lessons, ₹3.5 crore of air accident cover and the 1.99% forex saving all sit on top of that, unpriced.

At ₹40,000 a month — ₹4.8 lakh a year — the picture is very different: ₹4,800 in points, no monthly milestones (₹1 lakh a month is not cleared), no annual rungs, and the full ₹9,999 fee. AURUM is a card for genuinely high spenders.

Where You Won't Earn

The fuel surcharge waiver is the whole fuel benefit: 1% reversed on transactions between ₹500 and ₹4,000, capped at ₹250 per statement cycle.

SBI's range-wide transaction fees apply: ₹199 per rent payment, 1% on wallet loads above ₹1,000, 1% on utility payments once the cycle total passes ₹50,000, and 1% on education payments through third-party apps.

Fees and Charges

AURUM vs SBI Card ELITE

The two share the 1.99% forex markup, which makes the comparison worth making.

ELITE is the better earner on everyday spend. AURUM is the better card for someone who flies internationally often, plays golf, and spends ₹1 lakh+ a month — at which point the monthly milestone alone covers the fee difference twice over.

Is the AURUM Credit Card Worth It?

Yes, if you spend ₹1 lakh a month or more. The monthly ₹1,500 milestone alone returns ₹18,000 a year, the fee is reversed at ₹12 lakh, and the privileges are the strongest package in SBI's range.

Yes, if you fly internationally often. Unlimited complimentary lounge access plus a 1.99% forex markup is a combination very few Indian cards offer at any price.

Yes, if you play golf. 16 rounds and 12 lessons a year is worth more than the fee on its own to a regular player.

No, if you are buying on earn rate. A flat 1% with no accelerated category is beaten by PRIME's uncapped 2.5% at ₹2,999.

Not something you can choose — AURUM is invite-only. If the invitation arrives and your spending is in this range, it is a strong card.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I apply for the AURUM Credit Card? You cannot apply in the usual way — AURUM is invite-only, issued on its own site (aurumcreditcard.com) rather than through SBI Card's main catalogue. Invitations typically go to existing high-spending customers.

What is the annual fee? ₹9,999 plus GST, reversed at ₹12,00,000 of annual spend. Note that SBI's own AURUM pages do not state the fee; this figure comes from third-party card databases.

Is international lounge access really unlimited? Yes. AURUM includes a complimentary DreamFolks membership giving unlimited complimentary access to 1,000+ international lounges, plus one complimentary guest visit per quarter. Domestically you get 4 visits per quarter.

What is the reward rate? A flat 1% — 4 AURUM Reward Points per ₹100 on every non-fuel spend, uncapped, with no accelerated category. Points are worth ₹0.25 each.

Do AURUM Reward Points expire? No. AURUM points never expire, which SBI states explicitly. Every other card in SBI's range forfeits points 24 months after accrual.

What are the milestone benefits? A ₹1,500 Tata CLiQ voucher for every month with ₹1 lakh of spend — up to ₹18,000 a year — plus a ₹5,000 Tata CLiQ Luxury voucher at ₹5 lakh, a ₹10,000 Taj voucher at ₹10 lakh and ₹20,000 of Apple vouchers at ₹20 lakh of annual spend.

What insurance is included? ₹3.5 crore of air accidental death cover, ₹10 lakh of lost card and fraud protection, ₹1 lakh of travel insurance, and two flight cancellation refunds a year on any airline — covering non-refundable tickets.

What is the forex markup? 1.99%. AURUM and SBI Card ELITE are the only two SBI cards on the reduced rate; the rest of the range pays 3.5%.