It seems that SBI Card has finally taken a break from launching new co-branded credit cards and has now turned its focus back to revising the terms and conditions for its existing users.
One of the most popular credit card issuers in India, SBI Card, has repeatedly excluded one category or another from reward earning or introduced fresh charges on certain categories of high spending. Recently, SBI Card excluded digital gaming from reward earnings, and now the issuer has announced that additional charges will apply to education payments and wallet loads starting 1st November 2025.
Upcoming Changes
SBI Card will now levy a 1% charge on education payments made via third-party platforms and a 1% fee on wallet load transactions exceeding ₹1,000. This move is expected to impact users who rely on their personal credit cards for business or manufactured spends.
| Type | New Charge from 1st November 2025 | MCC |
| Fee on Education Payments | 1% Fee on Education Payments via Third-Party Apps; No Charges for Direct Payments to Schools/Colleges | 8211, 8220, 8241, 8244, 8249, and 8299 |
| Fee on Wallet Load | 1% Fee Will Be Applicable on Wallet Load Transactions Exceeding ₹1,000 | 6540 and 6541 |
Bottom Line
This cannot exactly be termed a regular devaluation, as such charges have become quite common these days with other credit card issuers. For most users, the impact will be negligible, except for those engaging in practices like manufactured spending for reward points or cashback.
Still, customers who make education payments via third-party apps such as CRED or load wallets using their SBI Credit Card should be mindful of the upcoming changes effective 1st September 2025.