The SBI Elite Credit Card is undergoing a negative change from June 2026: Priority Pass lounge visits are being reduced from 6 per quarter to 2 per quarter, and the Trident Privilege membership benefit is being discontinued. The annual fee stays at ₹4,999, and the ₹5,000 milestone benefit on ₹10 lakh annual spend remains unchanged. That combination means SBI is taking away travel value without lowering the card’s cost.
The reduction is substantial and easy to measure. A cardholder who previously had access to 6 lounge visits per quarter will now only get 2 visits per quarter, which is a 66.7% cut in complimentary lounge usage. The Trident Privilege benefit disappearing entirely further narrows the card’s premium lifestyle appeal. Since the annual fee remains at ₹4,999, the cardholder is paying the same amount for less. The ₹5,000 milestone benefit still exists, but it requires ₹10 lakh annual spend, which means only high spenders can offset the fee through that route.
This makes SBI Elite less competitive against premium alternatives such as HDFC Regalia, Axis Atlas, and American Express Platinum, especially for users who value airport lounge access. Existing cardholders are the most affected because they lose benefits they may have planned around, while new applicants will have to evaluate the reduced proposition before applying. If lounge access was the main reason to hold the card, the devaluation is a clear negative. If the milestone benefit is the main reason, the card still has some utility, but the overall value proposition is weaker than before.
There is no opt-in process for the reduction: the revised lounge limit applies automatically starting June 2026. Existing SBI Elite cardholders should review their lounge usage before the change takes effect and consider whether they can still justify the ₹4,999 annual fee. New applicants should compare the card carefully with alternatives before applying through the official SBI Card Elite page. The fine print to watch is how the quarterly lounge quota is counted and whether Priority Pass rules impose additional usage conditions beyond the headline number.