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Freedom251 › Blog › Credit Cards

SBI Card and Google Launch Google Pay Flex SBI Card: Fees, UPI and Rewards

By Freedom251 Team · · 4 min read

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SBI Card and Google announced the Google Pay Flex SBI Card on July 29, 2026. Available through the Google Pay app on RuPay and Visa, it combines a credit card with in-app bill management and Google Pay Stars. The key trade-off: it has a ₹499 annual fee plus applicable taxes, and its renewal fee is waived only after at least ₹1 lakh in spending in the preceding year.

What is the Google Pay Flex SBI Card?

It is a co-branded credit card issued by SBI Card and offered through Google Pay. Applicants apply in the app; SBI Card reviews each application using its own eligibility criteria and the applicant’s credit profile. Google says approved customers receive a digital card. The card is available on either the RuPay or Visa network. Google’s launch announcement and Google Pay Help describe its app-based application and management.

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Google Pay says cardholders can view bills, amounts due, transactions and Stars in the app, as well as pause or block the card. These are card-management functions; they do not guarantee approval or change SBI Card’s credit decisions.

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What are the fees, and is it lifetime free?

No. The published joining/annual fee is ₹499 plus applicable taxes, and the renewal fee is also ₹499 plus taxes. SBI Card waives the renewal fee if the cardholder spent at least ₹1 lakh during the preceding year. That is a conditional renewal waiver, not a nil-fee or lifetime-free card. Check the current SBI Card fee terms before applying because product terms can change.

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Google Pay says there are no hidden fees, but late-payment fees follow the issuer’s policy. EMI conversion may also carry interest and a processing fee; those costs depend on the issuer’s current terms and the eligible offer shown to the customer.

Can you use it for UPI payments?

Google describes online and in-store card purchases on both RuPay and Visa. UPI QR payments are specifically available for the RuPay version; the sources do not describe that feature for Visa. If paying merchants by scanning a UPI QR is important, choose RuPay and check the card’s current setup and merchant acceptance in Google Pay. RuPay support should not be read as a promise that every QR or merchant will accept every transaction.

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How do Stars work, and can Visa cardholders redeem them?

Stars are Google Pay reward points earned on eligible Flex payments. Google’s launch announcement values one Star at ₹1. Google Pay Help says Stars can be redeemed against Flex payments in Google Pay only for RuPay-network cards; the help page also describes using Stars to buy gift cards in the app. Do not assume the payment-redemption option applies to Visa Flex cards. See Google Pay’s current Flex help for applicable earning and redemption terms.

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How does EMI conversion work?

Google Pay says eligible transactions from the latest bill may be converted into EMI, subject to issuer eligibility. Its bill-management guidance lists 3-, 6-, 9- and 12-month tenures, and says conversion can require an upfront payment, interest and a processing fee. SBI Card’s Pay in EMI terms describe an offer for selected eligible customers and eligible retail transactions on the latest bill through Google Pay. Availability and final costs therefore depend on the offer and issuer terms shown to an individual customer.

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Google identifies paying the full bill as the recommended way to avoid interest charges. Before choosing EMI, review the total repayment amount, any upfront payment, processing fee and applicable interest rather than comparing only the monthly instalment.

Could using the card affect your credit score?

Google Pay says Flex credit usage is reported to credit bureaus such as CIBIL. In Google’s product guidance, timely payments may help build positive credit history, while missed payments or high credit utilization may hurt a score. These are possible effects, not a guaranteed score increase or decrease; individual credit outcomes depend on the person’s credit file and other factors.

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What about the Google AI Plus and Pixel discounts?

Google’s July 29, 2026 announcement said Flex customers would soon be eligible for 50% off Google AI Plus for one year and could receive a discount across the Google Pixel smartphone range. The announcement described these benefits as forthcoming and did not establish that they are currently live or provide complete offer terms. Check Google Pay and the relevant offer terms for current availability before counting either discount as a card benefit.

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How to decide whether this card fits

  • Choose based on the fee: The ₹499 annual fee plus taxes makes sense only if the card’s benefits suit your use; the renewal waiver requires at least ₹1 lakh of spending in the preceding year.
  • Choose the network around how you pay: RuPay is the documented option for UPI QR payments and Star redemption against Flex payments. Both RuPay and Visa are listed for online and in-store card purchases.
  • Check the reward terms: Stars have a stated value of ₹1 each, but earning is limited to eligible payments and payment redemption is described for RuPay only.
  • Treat EMI as optional borrowing: It is not automatically available to every cardholder or transaction, and may add interest, upfront payment and processing costs.

Google’s help pages list Axis Flex as a nil-fee card, so its fee structure is not directly comparable to SBI Flex’s ₹499 fee and conditional renewal waiver. Compare the issuer-specific terms rather than assuming co-branding means identical pricing. Google Pay Help identifies the Axis-specific terms separately.

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For context, Google’s launch announcement quoted Sharath Bulusu, Senior Director – Product Management, Google Pay, describing the product as combining Google Pay with SBI Card’s credit-card expertise. That is Google’s characterization, not independent evidence of broader UPI acceptance or superior performance. SBI Card’s media index lists launch coverage on July 29 and July 30, 2026.

Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.

Credit CardsGoogle PayRuPaySBI CardUPI

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