M16S / Standard Chartered / Standard Chartered Ultimate Credit Card
premium · rewards, travel
Standard Chartered Ultimate Credit Card
The Standard Chartered Ultimate Credit Card costs Rs 5,000 a year. Its base return is 3.33% (5 RP per Rs 150). Accelerated earn: 5% cashback on duty-free spends. The forex markup is 2%. Read from the issuer's own documents on 11 Oct 2026.
- Annual fee
- Rs 5,000+ GST
- Fee waived at
- —
- Base return
- 3.33%
- Forex markup
- 2%
- Interest
- 3.75%a month
Apply on sc.bank.inOpens the bank’s own page.
What changed on this card
- Standard Chartered Ultimate charges 2% forex markup upfront, Aug 2024
From 25 August 2024 all overseas transactions on the Ultimate card carry a 2% forex markup at posting. This replaces waiting for a separate 1.5% cashback posting. Source: Standard Chartered, sc.bank.in, read 28 Oct 2026
Each change is read from the bank's own notice or terms document, linked above. Every card's changes are on the change log.
Fees
| Joining fee | Rs 5,000 |
|---|---|
| Annual fee | Rs 5,000 |
| Fee notes | Rs 5,000 joining and Rs 5,000 renewal each year. No spend-based waiver stated on the card page or in the T&C. 5,000 reward points on payment of the renewal fee from year 2 (not if the fee is converted to EMI). Supplementary card free. |
Rewards
| Welcome benefit | 6,000 reward points (Rs 6,000) on payment of the Rs 5,000 joining fee, credited within 60 days; primary card only |
|---|---|
| Reward currency | Reward Points |
| Base earn | 5 RP per Rs 150 |
| Base return | 3.33% |
| Point value | 1 RP = Rs 1 on the 360 Rewards catalogue |
| Accelerated earn | 5% cashback on duty-free spends |
| Caps | No monthly cap on points stated. Duty-free cashback capped at Rs 1,000 per statement cycle. |
| Spends that earn nothing | No points on fuel (MCC 5172, 5541, 5542, 5983), ATM/cash, fees and finance charges, or duty-free spends that earn cashback. Reduced earn of 3 RP per Rs 150 on utilities (MCC 4900), supermarkets (5411), insurance (5960, 6300), property management/rent (7349, 6513), schools (8299) and government (9399). |
| Milestone benefits | None. Renewal benefit: 5,000 reward points on payment of the renewal fee. |
| Reward notes | base_return_pct = 5 RP per Rs 150 x Rs 1 = 3.33%. Reduced-earn categories return 2% (3 RP per Rs 150). Redemption is against the 360 Rewards catalogue (vouchers, products), not cash; Rs 99 handling charge per redemption. The former 1.5% forex cashback ended on 25 Aug 2024. Points expiry is not stated on the page or in the T&C. |
Travel and perks
| Domestic lounge | 4 complimentary visits per calendar quarter, for primary and supplementary cardholders individually |
|---|---|
| International lounge | Priority Pass membership free for primary and supplementary cards; 1 free visit per month, further visits charged (card page says USD 27 per visit, T&C says up to USD 35) |
| Lounge conditions | The free Priority Pass visit needs card spend above Rs 20,000 in the previous month. Priority Pass visits inside India are chargeable. No spend condition on the domestic programme. |
| Forex markup | 2% |
| Fuel surcharge waiver | 1% waiver at all fuel stations (MCC 5172, 5541, 5542, 5983), capped at Rs 1,000 per statement cycle |
| Other freebies | Golf: 1 complimentary game and 1 coaching session per month via Golflan (convenience charges payable). Insurance (HDFC ERGO): Rs 1 crore air accident cover; overseas travel cover incl. emergency medical up to USD 25,000, baggage loss up to USD 750, flight delay up to USD 200. |
Charges and eligibility
| Interest per month | 3.75% |
|---|---|
| Late payment fee | On statement outstanding: nil up to Rs 100; Rs 100 for Rs 101-500; Rs 500 for Rs 501-5,000; Rs 700 for Rs 5,001-10,000; Rs 1,200 above Rs 10,000; plus Rs 100 if the minimum due is unpaid for 2+ consecutive months |
| Cash advance fee | 3% min Rs 300 |
| Fine-print notes | Card page and T&C read. The page says the card is on the Mastercard network; the T&C still carries terms for a Visa variant, and one FAQ on the page refers to Visa Infinite. The page has no online apply button: 'To apply, visit nearest branch or call contact center'. Rent payments (MCC 6513) carry a 1% processing fee. A 1% charge applies on rupee transactions at overseas-registered merchants. Age and income criteria are not published on the page. Conflict: the tariff page (slabs effective 1 May 2024) charges Rs 1,200 above Rs 10,000, while some product pages still show an older table (Rs 800 for Rs 10,001-25,000; Rs 1,200 above Rs 25,000). The tariff page figure is recorded. |
Questions
- What is the annual fee of the Standard Chartered Ultimate Credit Card?
- Rs 5,000 a year, before GST.
- Does the Standard Chartered Ultimate Credit Card give airport lounge access?
- Yes. In India: 4 complimentary visits per calendar quarter, for primary and supplementary cardholders individually. Outside India: Priority Pass membership free for primary and supplementary cards; 1 free visit per month, further visits charged (card page says USD 27 per visit, T&C says up to USD 35). Conditions: The free Priority Pass visit needs card spend above Rs 20,000 in the previous month. Priority Pass visits inside India are chargeable. No spend condition on the domestic programme.
- What is the forex markup on the Standard Chartered Ultimate Credit Card?
- 2% of each foreign-currency transaction, before GST.
- Which spends earn no rewards on the Standard Chartered Ultimate Credit Card?
- No points on fuel (MCC 5172, 5541, 5542, 5983), ATM/cash, fees and finance charges, or duty-free spends that earn cashback. Reduced earn of 3 RP per Rs 150 on utilities (MCC 4900), supermarkets (5411), insurance (5960, 6300), property management/rent (7349, 6513), schools (8299) and government (9399).