SBI Card splits domestic lounges into tiers, adds entry fees
From 10 January 2026, SBI Card sorts domestic lounge access into Set A and Set B tiers by card, and adds a non-refundable ₹2 authorization charge plus a ₹25 validation hold per visit.
SBI Card’s uniform domestic lounge list is gone. From 10 January 2026, the network splits in two: Set A for top cards like Club Vistara SBI Card and Apollo SELECT, and a broader Set B for PRIME, Pulse, Titan SBI Card and the rest.
Free swipe-in access goes with it. Every visit now carries a non-refundable ₹2 authorization charge plus a ₹25 validation hold. Small numbers, real friction — the door that used to open on a swipe now runs a transaction first.
SBI is marketing this as an expansion, and more airports are indeed covered. But the fine print is a two-tier system with new charges at the gate, landing just six months after SBI pulled complimentary air accident insurance from these same cards.
Our take: ₹2 won’t hurt anyone; the tiering will. Check which Set your card landed in before your next flight — “lounge access” on an SBI card no longer means one thing.