BOB Premier Credit Card
The Bank of Baroda Premier Credit Card offers a reasonable entry into the mid-tier segment: 1% base reward rate, 4 domestic lounge visits, and milestone benefits at ₹999/year. The lounge access alone provides ₹3,200 in market value against the ₹999 fee — making this break-even on lounges even before a single purchase reward is counted.
By Ashutosh · Updated June 2026
The honest limitation is the 1% base rate, which is average at best in 2026. If you're spending ₹20,000+/month, you're earning ₹200/month = ₹2,400/year in base rewards — positive ROI but not compelling. BOB Eterna at ₹2,499/year offers significantly better rewards across dining, travel, and lifestyle categories. Premier makes sense as an affordable entry point for BOB bank customers who want lounge access without a premium card commitment.
Bank of Baroda customers who want airport lounge access and basic credit card rewards at under ₹1,000/year without moving to a premium card like BOB Eterna.
You spend ₹25,000+/month and can justify BOB Eterna — the higher-tier card's rewards will outperform Premier at that spend level.
4 pts/₹100 on select categories (~1%), 2 pts other (~0.5%) · 5,000 welcome points
PROS
- Decent all-round rate
- Good lounge access for the fee
- Generous welcome benefit
CONS
- Limited partner ecosystem
- BOB app not great
- 0.5% on utilities/general
- Airport Lounge Access: 4 complimentary domestic lounge visits per year at approximately ₹800/visit = ₹3,200 in lounge value. The ₹999 fee is covered 3.2x by lounge value alone. Even using just 2 of the 4 lounge visits recovers more than the card's annual cost in concrete benefit.
- General Everyday Spending: At 1% reward rate, every ₹1,000 spent earns ₹10 in rewards. At ₹20,000/month across all categories, that's ₹200/month = ₹2,400/year. Combined with 4 lounge visits (₹3,200 value), the total annual benefit reaches approximately ₹5,600 against a ₹999 fee — a 5.6x return.
- Milestone Benefit Transactions: BOB Premier has milestone benefits triggered at specific annual spend thresholds — typically gift vouchers or bonus reward points for spending ₹1.5 lakh or ₹3 lakh/year. Check the current milestone structure on the BOB Card website; these bonuses can add ₹500-₹1,500 in additional value for higher spenders.
- BOB Bank Account Holders' Daily Banking: For existing BOB customers, managing the credit card through the same bank relationship simplifies statements, payment tracking, and limit management. The Premier card gives those customers a rewards card within their existing banking app without adding a separate bank relationship.
BOB Premier earns 1% on online purchases — Amazon Pay ICICI earns 5% on Amazon at zero annual fee. No category justifies using BOB Premier online when free cards offer 5x the reward rate.
SBI SimplySAVE earns 2.5% on dining and groceries for ₹499/year — 2.5x higher than BOB Premier's 1% on the same categories at double the fee. Unless you need to stay within BOB's card ecosystem, SimplySAVE is the better dining and grocery card.
BOB Eterna at ₹2,499/year offers dramatically better rewards — 5x on travel and dining, higher milestone benefits, and better overall lifestyle rewards. If you spend ₹25,000+/month, BOB Eterna pays for itself quickly and outperforms Premier significantly.
BOB Premier earns 1% on fuel, which is just the reward rate (no surcharge waiver mentioned as a primary feature). SBI BPCL Octane earns 6.25% at BPCL. If fuel is a major spend, the BPCL Octane is the correct specialised card.
BOB Premier covers lounge access and general BOB ecosystem spending; Amazon Pay ICICI covers all online shopping at 5%. The lounge + online e-commerce combination is one of the most used daily patterns — this combo covers it well at ₹999/year total.
BOB Premier provides 4 lounge visits; IDFC Millennia provides 2% flat cashback on all spends plus zero forex. Use BOB for lounge and milestone benefits; run all actual spending through Millennia for the better reward rate — this separation maximises both cards' strengths.
View IDFC FIRST Millennia Credit Card →BOB Premier gives 4 lounge visits; SBI SimplySAVE gives 2.5% on dining and groceries plus 2 more lounge visits. Together, 6 lounge visits per year plus strong category rewards for ₹1,498/year total — an unusually comprehensive lounge access stack for under ₹1,500.
View SBI SimplySAVE Credit Card →What are the milestone benefits on BOB Premier?
BOB Premier offers milestone rewards at defined annual spend thresholds. Current milestones (verify on BOB Card website as these update periodically) typically include bonus reward points or gift vouchers worth ₹500-₹1,000 at ₹1.5 lakh annual spend, and additional rewards at ₹3 lakh annual spend. These milestones can add 0.3-0.7% effective additional return for qualifying spenders.
How do BOB reward points work and what is their value?
Bank of Baroda reward points on the Premier card are earned at 1 point per ₹100 spent (1% effective rate). The redemption value is ₹0.25 per point — so 1 point per ₹100 = ₹0.25 per ₹100 = 0.25% ... wait. Clarification: if BOB Premier is marketed as a 1% reward rate, confirm the exact points-per-₹100 structure on the BOB Card website, as the points-to-rupee conversion determines the actual rate.
Are the 4 lounge visits domestic only?
The 4 complimentary lounge visits on BOB Premier are for domestic airport lounges accessible through the VISA card lounge access network. International lounge access is not included in the standard Premier benefit. The exact lounge list is available on the BOB Card lounge access page and covers major Indian airports.
Can I upgrade from BOB Premier to BOB Eterna?
Yes, existing BOB Premier cardholders can apply for an upgrade to BOB Eterna by contacting BOB Card customer care or through net banking. Eligibility is based on spend history, credit score, and income verification. The upgrade typically doesn't require a hard credit enquiry if you're already a BOB Card customer. The fee difference is ₹1,500/year (₹2,499 vs ₹999).
Is the annual fee on BOB Premier waivable?
BOB Card occasionally offers annual fee waivers on the Premier card based on annual spend milestones — typically spending ₹1 lakh or more in a year may trigger a fee waiver. This is not a guaranteed feature and depends on current BOB Card promotions. Confirm the fee waiver terms at the time of card issuance.
Does BOB Premier offer a fuel surcharge waiver?
Yes, like most credit cards in India, the BOB Premier offers a 1% fuel surcharge waiver on fuel transactions at petrol pumps, subject to a monthly cap. Check the current cap amount on the BOB Card website. This is a standard feature and not a differentiator for this card.
What is the credit limit on BOB Premier?
Credit limits on BOB Premier are determined by BOB based on your income, credit score, and existing BOB banking relationship. Typical starting limits range from ₹25,000 to ₹2 lakh. Existing BOB salary or savings account customers may receive higher starting limits. You can request a limit increase after 6 months of responsible usage by contacting BOB Card customer care.