The SBI Unnati Credit Card is a secured card issued against a fixed deposit of ₹25,000 or more with State Bank of India. It carries no joining fee and no annual fee for the first four years, then ₹499 plus GST from the fifth year onward.
It earns 1 Reward Point per ₹100 spent and pays ₹500 cashback when annual spends cross ₹50,000.
Two things are worth knowing before you go further:
- Availability is inconsistent. The card remains listed on SBI Card’s official website, but applicants across multiple cities have reported for several years that branch staff say it is no longer being issued. Confirm at your own branch before opening an FD for it.
- The returns are thin. At ₹50,000 of annual spending, the card returns roughly ₹500 to ₹625 in value, which works out to around 1% to 1.25%. Several unsecured entry cards beat that if you can qualify for one.
The card makes sense for one specific person: someone with no credit history, no income proof, and a genuine need to build a CIBIL score. For everyone else, there are better options.
SBI Unnati Credit Card – Quick facts
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| Card type | Secured credit card, issued against SBI fixed deposit |
| Minimum FD required | ₹25,000 |
| Joining fee | Nil |
| Annual fee | Nil for first four years; ₹499 + GST from year five |
| Reward rate | 1 Reward Point per ₹100 spent |
| Milestone benefit | ₹500 cashback on annual spends of ₹50,000 |
| Fuel surcharge waiver | 1% on transactions between ₹500 and ₹3,000, capped at ₹100 per statement cycle |
| Income proof required | Generally no, since the FD acts as security |
| Network | Visa / Mastercard |
| Lounge access | None |
| Add-on cards | Available for spouse, parents, children aged 18+ |
Is the SBI Unnati card still being issued?
This is the question most people arrive with, and it does not have a clean answer.
SBI Card continues to host a live product page for Unnati at sbicard.com, and comparison portals including Paisabazaar and BankBazaar still carry listings. On paper, the card exists.
In practice, reports of branch-level unavailability go back to at least 2018 and continue into 2026. Users on credit card forums such as TechnoFino and DesiDime have described being told by branch staff and regional card teams that the product has been withdrawn, and being redirected to SBI SimplyCLICK or SBI SimplySAVE instead.
The most likely explanation is that Unnati sits in a dormant state: technically part of the catalogue, but not actively pushed and not consistently available at every branch.
What to do about it: call SBI Card customer care on 1860 180 1290 or 1800 180 1290 and ask directly whether Unnati is open for new applications, then confirm with the branch where you hold or plan to open your fixed deposit. Do not open a ₹25,000 FD on the assumption that the card will follow.
How a secured credit card against FD works?
The Unnati card is not underwritten on your income. It is underwritten on your deposit.
When the card is issued, SBI places a lien on your fixed deposit. The deposit stays yours and continues to earn its contracted interest, but you cannot break or withdraw it while the card is active. If you default on the card dues, the bank can recover the outstanding amount from that deposit.
Your credit limit is set as a percentage of the FD value, typically in the range of 75% to 85%. On a ₹25,000 deposit, that translates to a limit of roughly ₹18,750 to ₹21,250. Confirm the exact percentage at the time of issue, since it is set at the bank’s discretion.
Three practical consequences follow from this structure:
- No income documents needed. The deposit is the security, so salary slips and ITRs are usually not required. This is why the card is popular with students, homemakers, and people new to formal credit.
- Your money is locked. In an emergency, you cannot break the FD without first settling and closing the card.
- Your repayment behaviour is still reported. Secured or not, the card is reported to credit bureaus. Paying on time builds your score. Missing payments damages it exactly as an unsecured card would.
SBI Unnati Credit Card – Fees and charges
| Charge | Amount |
|---|---|
| Joining fee | Nil |
| Annual fee, years one to four | Nil |
| Renewal fee, year five onward | ₹499 + GST (₹589 all-in at 18% GST) |
| Finance charges | Up to 3.75% per month, around 45% per annum |
| Minimum finance charge | ₹25 per transaction, plus taxes |
| Cash advance fee | 2.5% of the amount, subject to a minimum |
| Reward redemption fee | ₹99 per redemption request |
| Fuel surcharge waiver cap | ₹100 per statement cycle |
| Foreign currency markup | 3.5% |
Late payment charges were revised with effect from 1 May 2026. Under the updated slab, an outstanding amount above ₹100 and up to ₹500 attracts a charge of ₹100, and an outstanding amount above ₹500 and up to ₹1,000 attracts ₹500. Higher slabs continue as before.
Finance charges of up to 3.75% per month compound to roughly 45% a year. On a card with a limit under ₹21,000, that is the single largest risk attached to the product. Revolving a balance here will cost far more than any reward you earn.
SBI Unnati Credit Card – Rewards Value
Public reviews of this card list its features but rarely calculate what it returns. Here is the working.
SBI Reward Points are generally valued at about ₹0.25 each when redeemed against the rewards catalogue or as statement credit. That figure varies by redemption route, so treat it as an estimate rather than a fixed rate.
Scenario: ₹50,000 of eligible annual spending
| Component | Calculation | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Reward Points earned | ₹50,000 ÷ ₹100 = 500 RP | — |
| Reward Point value | 500 × ₹0.25 | ₹125 |
| Milestone cashback | Triggered at ₹50,000 annual spend | ₹500 |
| Less redemption fee | One redemption request | −₹99 |
| Net annual value | ₹526 | |
| Effective return | ₹526 ÷ ₹50,000 | 1.05% |
Scenario: ₹1,00,000 of eligible annual spending
| Component | Calculation | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Reward Points earned | 1,000 RP × ₹0.25 | ₹250 |
| Milestone cashback | Capped at one ₹500 payout | ₹500 |
| Less redemption fee | −₹99 | |
| Net annual value | ₹651 | |
| Effective return | ₹651 ÷ ₹1,00,000 | 0.65% |
The return falls as spending rises, because the ₹500 milestone does not scale. The card peaks in value at right around ₹50,000 of annual spend.
From year five, the ₹589 renewal cost lands on top. At ₹50,000 of annual spending, net value drops to a negative ₹63. The card stops paying for itself the moment the fee starts, unless you have moved to a better product by then.
Cash advances, balance transfers, Encash, Flexipay and fuel transactions do not earn Reward Points. Reward exclusions have also been broadened across SBI’s portfolio during 2026 to cover categories including rent payments, government-related transactions and online gaming, so verify the current exclusion list before planning your spending around rewards.
You may also have a look at 5 Best Ways to Invest in Gold in India : Which Option Is Right for You?
SBI Unnati Credit Card – Recent changes worth knowing
Several portfolio-wide SBI Card revisions in 2026 affect Unnati holders even though the card itself was not singled out:
- 1 April 2026 — Redemption of Reward Points for statement credit was capped at 60,000 points per month and must now be made in multiples of 4,000 points. This applies across eligible SBI credit cards with a small set of named exceptions.
- 1 May 2026 — Late payment charge slabs for smaller outstanding amounts were revised upward.
- During 2026 — Reward point exclusions were widened to cover rent, government-related transactions and online gaming across the portfolio.
- Ongoing — Minimum Amount Due calculation now prioritises GST, EMI instalments and fees within the billed amount.
The 4,000-point redemption block matters more on this card than on most. At 1 point per ₹100, reaching 4,000 points requires ₹4,00,000 of spending. On a credit limit under ₹21,000, statement-credit redemption becomes impractical, and the rewards catalogue is the realistic route.
SBI Unnati Credit Card – Who this card suits?
Take it if you:
- Have no credit history and cannot get approved for an unsecured card
- Have no formal income proof, as a student, homemaker or someone newly self-employed
- Are rebuilding after a low CIBIL score and need a reporting tradeline
- Already hold an SBI fixed deposit you were not planning to touch
- Intend to graduate to a better card within three to four years
Skip it if you:
- Can qualify for an unsecured entry-level card, which will not lock up your capital
- Need the ₹25,000 to stay liquid
- Spend heavily and want a reward rate that scales
- Want lounge access, dining programmes or travel benefits
- Are looking for a genuinely lifetime-free card, which this is not past year four
SBI Unnati Credit Card vs. Other Credit Cards – How it compares?
| SBI Unnati | Axis Bank Insta Easy | Kotak 811 Dream Different | SBI SimplySAVE | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Security required | FD of ₹25,000 | FD of ₹20,000 | FD of ₹10,000 | None, income-assessed |
| Joining fee | Nil | Nil | Nil | ₹499 |
| Annual fee | Nil for four years, then ₹499 | Nil | Nil | ₹499, reversible on spends |
| Credit limit | About 75–85% of FD | Up to 80% of FD | Up to 90% of FD | Income-based |
| Base rewards | 1 RP per ₹100 | 1 RP per ₹200 | 2 RP per ₹100 on select spends | 1 RP per ₹150 |
| Milestone | ₹500 at ₹50,000 spend | None | None | Welcome points on first spend |
| Best for | SBI FD holders | Lower deposit requirement | Lowest entry deposit | Applicants with income proof |
Terms on all cards change frequently. Verify current fees and reward structures on the issuer’s own site before applying.
How to apply for SBI Unnati Credit Card?
The application route is branch-led rather than fully online.
- Open or identify a fixed deposit of ₹25,000 or more with State Bank of India. The deposit must be in a single individual name and free of any existing loan or overdraft against it.
- Confirm with the branch or SBI Card customer care that Unnati is currently open for applications.
- Collect and complete the SBI Card application form at the branch, marking it as a secured card against fixed deposit.
- Submit KYC documents: PAN, Aadhaar or another address proof, and a passport-size photograph.
- Sign the lien-marking authorisation on the fixed deposit.
- Track the application at sbicard.com under Track Your Application using the reference number issued to you.
Approval typically runs seven to twenty-one days from submission.
How to close the card and release your FD?
This step is rarely documented and it trips people up. The lien on your deposit does not lift automatically when you stop using the card.
- Clear the full outstanding balance, including any Flexipay instalments still running.
- Redeem any Reward Points you want to use. Points lapse on closure.
- Cancel every standing instruction and auto-debit mapped to the card.
- Request closure through SBI Card customer care or the closure request form at sbicard.com.
- Wait for the closure confirmation. Regulatory norms require card closure requests to be processed within seven working days of all dues being settled.
- Visit the SBI branch holding your deposit with the closure confirmation and request removal of the lien.
- Verify in your SBI account that the deposit is marked free before attempting to break or renew it.
Points 6 and 7 are the ones people miss. Card closure and lien release are handled by two different entities: SBI Card and State Bank of India. Closing the card does not instruct the bank to release your money.
Frequently asked questions
Is the SBI Unnati credit card lifetime free? No. It is free for the first four years only. From the fifth year, a renewal fee of ₹499 plus GST applies, which comes to ₹589 including 18% GST.
What is the minimum FD amount for the SBI Unnati card? ₹25,000. The deposit must be held with State Bank of India in an individual name and must not have any loan or overdraft already drawn against it.
What credit limit will I get on the SBI Unnati card? Typically 75% to 85% of your fixed deposit value. On a ₹25,000 deposit, expect a limit of roughly ₹18,750 to ₹21,250. The exact percentage is set by the bank.
Does the SBI Unnati card build my CIBIL score? Yes. Secured credit cards are reported to credit bureaus in the same way as unsecured cards. Paying the full statement balance on time each month is what builds the score. Paying only the minimum due does not.
Can I withdraw my fixed deposit while holding the Unnati card? No. The deposit is lien-marked for as long as the card is active. You must clear all dues, close the card, and separately request lien removal at your SBI branch before the deposit becomes accessible.
Does the FD keep earning interest? Yes. The lien restricts withdrawal; it does not stop interest accrual. The deposit continues to earn at its contracted rate.
Is income proof required for the SBI Unnati card? Generally no. The fixed deposit serves as security, so salary slips and income tax returns are usually not part of the application. KYC documents are still required.
Is the SBI Unnati card still available in 2026? The official SBI Card product page remains live, but branch-level availability has been reported as inconsistent for several years, with some applicants told the card has been withdrawn. Confirm with SBI Card customer care before opening a deposit for it.
What happens to the card if my FD matures? Renewal handling varies by branch. Contact SBI ahead of maturity to confirm whether the lien carries over to the renewed deposit or whether fresh lien marking is needed. Letting the deposit lapse without arrangement can result in the card being withdrawn.
Which is better: SBI Unnati or SBI SimplySAVE? SimplySAVE offers a stronger reward structure and no deposit requirement, but it is underwritten on income and needs a credit profile to qualify. Unnati is the fallback when you cannot clear that bar. If you can get SimplySAVE approved, take it.
SBI Unnati Credit Card – Is it worth it?
The SBI Unnati card does one job and does it adequately: it puts a credit line in the hands of someone the unsecured market will not approve, and it reports that line to the bureaus.
Judged on rewards, it is weak. A return of around 1% at the spending level where it performs best, falling below that as you spend more, does not compete with mainstream cashback cards. The four-year fee waiver is the strongest thing about it, and it is a countdown rather than a benefit.
Treat it as a bridge, not a destination. Use it for few months, pay in full every cycle, build a score above 750, then apply for an unsecured card and release your deposit. The card has earned its keep at that point.
If your credit profile is already strong enough for an unsecured card, there is no case for locking up ₹25,000 to earn 1%.
This article is for information and education only and is not a recommendation to apply for any credit product. Assess your own repayment capacity before taking on credit.