# SBI Card 1% Fee on Fuel and Transport from 1 December 2026: Worked Examples and How to Avoid It > From 1 December 2026, SBI Card charges 1% on transport transactions above INR 30,000 and on all fuel spends once they cross INR 50,000 in a billing cycle. Examples and ways to avoid it. - **Published**: 2026-10-31 - **Modified**: 2026-10-31 - **Category**: credit-cards - **URL**: https://www.tldr.money/articles/credit-cards/sbi-card-1-percent-fee-fuel-transport-december-2026 --- SBI Card has added a **1% fee on large fuel and transport spends from 1 December 2026**. Most cardholders will never hit it. This page shows who does, what it costs with real numbers, and how to stay under the limits. Brand hub: [SBI Card](/credit-cards/sbi-card). All recent changes: [credit card changes, October-November 2026](/articles/credit-cards/credit-card-changes-october-november-2026). **Last updated: 31 October 2026.** Educational, not advice. Based on SBI Card's own notice; verify on your card's latest terms.
- **Starts 1 December 2026.** - **Transport:** 1% on **each** transport transaction **above INR 30,000**. - **Fuel:** if fuel spends in one billing cycle **cross INR 50,000**, 1% on the **whole fuel total**. - **Stay at or below** INR 30,000 per transport payment and INR 50,000 fuel per cycle, and you pay nothing.
## What SBI Card's notice says SBI Card's revised-charges notice (dated 22 October 2026) says that "with effect from 1st Dec'26": | Spend type | Merchant codes (MCC) | Rule | |---|---|---| | Transportation | 4111, 4784, 4131 | 1% of the transaction amount on every transportation transaction exceeding INR 30,000 | | Fuel | 5172, 5541, 5542, 5983 | If total fuel transactions in a billing cycle exceed INR 50,000, 1% fee on the total fuel spends |
A merchant category code is a four-digit label the card network gives every shop. It tells your bank what kind of business you paid. The codes here mean: - **4111**: local and suburban commuter transport (for example metro and suburban services) - **4131**: bus lines - **4784**: tolls and bridge fees (many FASTag top-ups) - **5541 / 5542**: petrol pumps and automated fuel dispensers - **5172 / 5983**: petroleum products and fuel dealers SBI Card says MCCs are defined by the card networks and may change without intimation.
## Worked examples
| Transaction | Fee | |---|---| | One FASTag top-up of INR 30,000 | **INR 0** (not above INR 30,000) | | One FASTag top-up of INR 35,000 | **INR 350** (1% of INR 35,000) | | Three bus bookings of INR 12,000 each (INR 36,000 total) | **INR 0** (no single transaction above INR 30,000) |
| Fuel spend in one billing cycle | Fee | |---|---| | INR 40,000 | **INR 0** | | INR 50,000 | **INR 0** (not above INR 50,000) | | INR 55,000 | **INR 550** (1% of INR 55,000, not of the INR 5,000 excess) | | INR 60,000 | **INR 600** |
Going from INR 50,000 to INR 50,001 of fuel in a cycle adds roughly **INR 500** in fee. One extra fill-up at the end of the cycle can cost more than the fuel surcharge waiver or rewards you earn all month.
GST: the notice does not mention it. Card fees in India usually attract 18% GST, and Upstox's report says applicable taxes are extra. If that applies, the INR 550 fee above would be about INR 649 with GST. ## Who is likely to be affected - **Drivers who fuel a lot on one card**: INR 50,000 a month is around 500 litres at INR 100 a litre. Typical for fleet owners, cab drivers and long-distance commuters, not for most households. - **People who load big FASTag balances** for commercial vehicles in one go. - **Small businesses** paying fuel or toll bills for several vehicles on a personal SBI card. If you spend well below these numbers, nothing changes for you. ## How to avoid the fee 1. **Track fuel spend by billing cycle, not calendar month.** Your cycle runs from statement date to statement date. 2. **Stop at INR 50,000.** Once your fuel total is near INR 50,000, pay the rest by UPI, debit card or another credit card. 3. **Keep each transport payment at or below INR 30,000.** For example, top up FASTag in smaller amounts if you genuinely need that much balance. 4. **Use a different card for heavy fuel spend.** Compare options in [best fuel credit cards in India](/articles/credit-cards/best-fuel-credit-cards-india), and check whether that card has its own caps. 5. **Check your statement in December.** If you see the fee on a transaction you believe is outside these MCCs, call SBI Card on 1860 180 1290 or 39 02 02 02 (prefix your city's STD code).
The notice does not list any card variant as exempt. If you hold a fuel co-branded SBI card and spend heavily on fuel, confirm with SBI Card how the new rule applies to your card before December.
## Related - [SBI Card brand hub](/credit-cards/sbi-card) - [Credit card changes, October-November 2026](/articles/credit-cards/credit-card-changes-october-november-2026) - [Best fuel credit cards in India](/articles/credit-cards/best-fuel-credit-cards-india) - [Credit card fees and the minimum due trap](/articles/credit-cards/credit-card-fees-and-minimum-due-trap) ## Sources Links accessed 31 October 2026. - [SBI Card, revised charges notice (PDF)](https://www.sbicard.com/sbi-card-en/assets/docs/pdf/revised-charges.pdf): primary source for the rule, MCCs and effective date - [SBI Card, customer notices](https://www.sbicard.com/en/customer-notices.page.page) - [The Economic Times, SBI credit card changes from December 1, 2026: 1% fee on high-value transportation and fuel transactions](https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/wealth/spend/sbi-credit-card-changes-from-december-1-2026-1-fee-on-high-value-transportation-and-fuel-transactions-what-changes-for-you/articleshow/135294210.cms) - [Upstox News, SBI Card changes from December 1, 2026: new 1% fee on large fuel and transportation spends](https://upstox.com/news/personal-finance/latest-updates/sbi-card-changes-from-december-1-2026-new-1-fee-on-large-fuel-and-transportation-spends-check-details/article-202529/) (notes applicable taxes extra) --- - [More credit-cards articles](https://www.tldr.money/articles/category/credit-cards) - [All articles](https://www.tldr.money/articles)