SBI Credit Card Rules Change From Sept 1: These Users Will Not Get Reward Points On Gaming And Govt Spends

New Delhi: Starting September 1, 2025, SBI Card is making changes to its credit card rewards programme. Under the revised policy, users of select SBI credit cards will no longer earn reward points on spends made on digital gaming platforms and government-related transactions. This update is part of a broader set of changes recently announced by the card issuer.

According to an update on the SBI Card website, reward points will no longer be earned on certain types of transactions for specific cardholders starting September 1, 2025. “W.e.f. 1 Sep 2025, accrual of Reward Points on spends on Digital Gaming platforms/merchants and Govt.-related transactions will be discontinued for Lifestyle Home Centre SBI Card, Lifestyle Home Centre SBI Card SELECT and Lifestyle Home Centre SBI Card PRIME,” states the SBI Card website. (Also Read: Why Zero GST On Insurance May Not Translate Into Lower Premiums — Explained)

Once the changes take effect, SBI credit card users will no longer earn reward points for purchasing online gaming credits or making payments on government portals. This isn’t the first time SBI Card has made such updates—similar changes were implemented in December 2024 as well.

Which SBI Cards Are Affected by the New Rewards Changes?

The changes will apply to the Lifestyle Home Centre SBI Card, Lifestyle Home Centre SBI Card SELECT, and Lifestyle Home Centre SBI Card PRIME. Notably, SBI Card had also made similar changes in December 2024, discontinuing reward points on digital gaming transactions for some credit cards. (Also Read: Warning: Scam Calls Targeting Taxpayers Ahead Of Filing Deadline— Here’s How To Stay Safe)

Additionally, a rewards redemption fee of Rs 99 plus taxes is charged for each redemption processed in a batch. This fee helps cover processing and delivery costs, especially for physical products and statement credit redemptions.

You can continue using your existing SBI Card login credentials to access the rewards portal—no new registration is needed.

HDFC Bank Had Already Made Similar Changes

Even before SBI Card’s update, HDFC Bank had introduced a similar policy. In June 2025, the bank announced that starting July 1, 2025, transactions related to online skill-based gaming would no longer earn reward points on any HDFC credit card.