Key Highlights
- SBI Etihad cards officially discontinued: Miles earning stopped 1 December 2025. Cards closed 31 March 2026. No new applications have been accepted since the partnership ended.
- BOBCARD is now India's sole Etihad card issuer: BOBCARD Etihad Guest (Standard, ₹2,500) and BOBCARD Etihad Guest Premium (metal, ₹5,000) launched January 2026.
- Key improvement over SBI: Premium card offers 0% forex (SBI Premier had 3.5%). Welcome miles higher: 15,000 (BOBCARD Premium) vs 5,000 - 10,000 (SBI Premier). Higher lounge count.
- Key difference: SBI Premier gave companion voucher and flight discounts (3 - 10% on etihad.com bookings). BOBCARD does not include these at launch.
- Former SBI Etihad holders: Existing Etihad Guest miles are still valid in your Etihad Guest account - they were not lost when the SBI card closed. Apply for BOBCARD Etihad to continue earning.
The SBI Etihad Guest partnership was one of India's longest-running airline co-branded credit card relationships. The Etihad Guest SBI Card (standard, ₹1,499 fee) and Etihad Guest SBI Premier (premium, ₹4,999 fee) were the only Etihad-earning credit cards available in India for several years.
When the partnership ended - Etihad.com confirmed that miles earning stopped from 1 December 2025 - it left a gap that BOBCARD has now filled.
Former SBI Etihad cardholders who want to continue earning Etihad miles now have one option: the BOBCARD Etihad cards. This comparison covers exactly how the new cards differ from the old ones - what improved, what was removed, and whether former SBI cardholders should make the switch.
The Cards That No Longer Exist: SBI Etihad in Brief
| Feature | Etihad Guest SBI Card (Standard) | Etihad Guest SBI Premier |
|---|---|---|
| Annual fee | ₹1,499 + GST | ₹4,999 + GST |
| Earn on Etihad flights | 3 miles per ₹100 (etihad.com only) | 3 miles per ₹100 (etihad.com only) |
| Earn on other spends | 1 mile per ₹100 | 2 miles per ₹100 (international) / 1 mile other |
| Welcome miles | 2,500 miles | 5,000–10,000 miles (varying promotions) |
| Lounge access | 4 international visits/year (Priority Pass) | 4 international visits/year (Priority Pass) |
| Forex markup | 3.5% | 3.5% |
| Flight discount on etihad.com | 3% economy | 10% business class |
| Companion voucher | No | Annual companion voucher (1 free seat) |
| Status on first transaction | Silver | Gold |
| Card material | Plastic | Plastic |
| Status | DISCONTINUED 1 Dec 2025 / closed 31 Mar 2026 | DISCONTINUED 1 Dec 2025 / closed 31 Mar 2026 |
Source: SBI Card product archive, etihad.com partner page, CardExpert, Paisabazaar. Last verified: 9 May 2026.
BOBCARD Etihad: What Changed
| Feature | SBI Etihad Premier (old) | BOBCARD Etihad Premium (new) | Better / Worse |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual fee | ₹4,999 | ₹5,000 | Same |
| Earn on Etihad flights | 3 miles/₹100 | 6 miles/₹100 | ★ Better - 2x higher |
| Earn on other spends | Up to 2 miles/₹100 | 2 miles/₹100 | Same |
| Welcome miles | Up to 10,000 (promo) | 15,000 | ★ Better |
| Forex markup | 3.5% | 0% | ★ Much better |
| Domestic lounge | Not standard | 12/year (3 per quarter) | ★ Better |
| International lounge | 4/year (Priority Pass) | 8/year (2 per quarter) | ★ Better |
| Card material | Plastic | Metal, name engraved | ★ Better |
| Etihad status | Gold on first transaction | Silver (Gold on etihad.com purchase) | ◦ Slightly worse |
| Flight discount on etihad.com | 3% economy / 10% business | Not included at launch | ✗ Removed |
| Companion voucher | Annual (business class) | Not included at launch | ✗ Removed |
| Monthly/quarterly bonuses | Not offered | 500/4,000/24,000 miles | ★ Better |
Source: SBI Card archive and bobcard.co.in. Comparison based on available product features at time of writing. Last verified: 9 May 2026.
What SBI Had That BOBCARD Currently Does Not?
Two features on the SBI Premier card are absent from the BOBCARD lineup at launch: the flight discount on etihad.com (3% economy, 10% business class) and the annual companion voucher. For SBI Premier holders who used either of these features regularly, this represents a real reduction in value.
The companion voucher was the SBI Premier's most distinctive feature - an annual certificate allowing a second passenger to travel on the same Etihad booking at significantly reduced cost. No co-branded card in India currently matches this benefit.
If the companion voucher was your primary reason for holding the SBI Premier, no direct replacement exists in the current market.
BOBCARD's milestone bonus structure (monthly 500 miles, quarterly 4,000 miles, annual 24,000 miles) adds significant accumulation potential that the SBI cards lacked.
For a cardholder who spends ₹1,00,000/month and can hit the quarterly ₹3,00,000 threshold, the annual miles haul from BOBCARD Premium exceeds what was achievable on SBI Premier even at equivalent spend levels.
For Former SBI Etihad Cardholders: What to Do Now
1. Your existing Etihad Guest miles are safe
Etihad Guest miles sit in your Etihad Guest account, not in the SBI card account. When the SBI card closed, it stopped earning new miles - but the miles you had already accumulated remain valid in your Etihad account, subject to the standard 18-month activity rule.
As long as you complete at least one qualifying transaction every 18 months, your balance is preserved.
2. Apply for the BOBCARD Etihad card to continue earning
The application is at etihadguest.bobcard.in. Your existing Etihad Guest membership number links directly - the same account, the same miles balance.
If you were an SBI Etihad cardholder, you already have the Etihad Guest membership; simply enter it in the BOBCARD application.
3. Choose Standard vs Premium based on international spend
If international spend exceeds ₹2,50,000/year: Premium's 0% forex saves more than the fee difference over the Standard. If international spend is under ₹1,00,000/year: Standard at ₹2,500 is the more proportionate choice.
Frequently Asked Questions: BOBCard Etihad vs SBI Etihad
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. All card features, fees, and benefits are subject to change. Data sourced from bobcard.co.in, BOBCARD MITC Ver 19 (April 2026), and third-party sources as cited. SBI Card product data sourced from archived product pages and partner communications. Refer to bobcard.co.in/MITC before making any financial decision. BOBCARD Limited is a 100% subsidiary of Bank of Baroda, RBI-regulated.
