Comprehensive Guide on BPCL SBI Octane Credit Card

[Virtual King]

Dear TF Family,

1. Infinia Void. I have Infinia Metal credit card, but it does not offer RPs on fuel transactions. As I do have substantial fuel transactions, therefore, there was a felt need to plug this void. Accordingly, I homed on to BPCL SBI Octane credit card which is offering maximum rewards of 6.25% on all fuel transactions (7.25% if you factor in the fuel surcharge waiver) at BPCL outlets, and some additional benefits.

2. Comprehensive Guide on BPCL SBI Octane Credit Card. During my research on Octane credit card, I came across numerous blogs, articles, forums, et al discussing the features of Octane credit card. So, I decided to compile a comprehensive guide on Octane based on open-source research and my own experiences of using the card since June 2024.

3. Contents of the Guide. The following aspects of Octane are covered:-
​

S No​	Topic​	Page No​
1.​	Background and Key Highlights	3​
2.​	Eligibility Criteria	4​
3.​	Welcome Benefits	4​
4.​	Fuel Benefits (25x) and Other Benefits (25x, 10x, 1x)	4-5​
5.​	Earning RPs – Value, Validity, Cappings, Exclusions	5-6​
6.​	Redeeming RPs – Options, Methods, Exclusions	7-8​
7.​	International and Forex Transactions	8​
8.​	Card Billing and Payments	9​
9.​	Disputed Transactions	9​
10.​	Late Payment Charges (LPC) and Other Charges	9-10​
11.​	Credit Limit (CL)	10​
12.​	Card Renewal, Loss and Add-on Cards	11​
13.​	Arbitration	11​
14.​	Flexipay Feature	11​
15.​	Miscellaneous Tips	11-15​
16.​	Customer Care, Contact Details and References	15-16​

4. References. Some important references used for compiling the guide are as under:-
* https://bharatpetroleum.in/blog/Blog-Detail.aspx?id=38
* https://cardinsider.com/sbi-card/bpcl-sbi-card-octane/​

* https://cardmaven.in/bpcl-sbi-credit-card-octane-review/
* https://desidime.com/discussions/need-info-regarding-sbi-bpcl-octane-reward-points
* https://financesrule.com/bpcl-sbi-card-octane-review/
* https://finwealthcare.com/2021/03/sbi-bpcl-octane-credit-card-benefits.html
* https://groww.in/credit-card/sbi-bpcl-octane-credit-card
* https://ifinancebox.com/bpcl-sbi-card-octane-credit-card/
* https://paisabazaar.com/credit-card/bpcl-sbi-card-octane-review/
* https://reddit.com/r/CreditCardsIndia/comments/ (various threads)
* https://sbicard.com/en/personal/credit-cards/travel/bpcl-sbi-card-octane.page
* https://sbicard.com/sbi-card-en/assets/docs/pdf/most-important-terms-and-conditions/mitc-english.pdf
* https://sbicard.com/sbi-card-en/assets/docs/pdf/ekit-tncs/BPCLOctanetnc.pdf
* https://sbicard.com/en/personal/visa-offers.page
* https://sbicard.com/en/personal/offers.page#all-offers
* https://select.finology.in/credit-card/sbi-bpcl-credit-card-octane
* https://technofino.in/sbi-bpcl-octane-credit-card-review/ (various threads)
* https://wishfin.com/bpcl-sbi-card-octane-6260/

5. Disclaimer. All the data in this guide has been sourced, collected and collated from open sources like various blogs, articles, threads, news, bank websites, etc. and/or through SBI customer care/personal experiences. These details/data may change from time to time. All information in this guide is for mere reference and user guidance only for BPCL Octane Credit Card users.

I am sharing my own perspectives through this thread and am also attaching the comprehensive guide on BPCL SBI Octane credit card in the PDF format for easy reference. I sincerely hope that it is of some use to the readers.

Best wishes. 🙂​

 

[Hemang]

Another Update on RPs not Getting Credited

RPs Not Credited. The bill was generated on 1st May. Checked the statement on 4th May. I found that RPs for one fuel transaction were not credited. The fuel surcharge waiver was also not given.

Action Taken. The standard drill was followed - a simple call to their customer care, they registered the complaint and informed me that within 3 working days the issue will be resolved. Received an email with the complaint no. also.

Result. Well, this time their action was prompt. Within 24 hours got an SMS informing me that the complaint has been resolved favourably and the requisite RPs have been credited. I checked in the app and voila - RPs were credited.

Total No of Such Incidents. 3rd time this year. So, three incidents of RPs not getting credited in 1 year. Each time complaint raised, and issue resolved.

Summary. So, I guess it is imperative to check the monthly statements and check the RPs getting credited or not. If not, then follow the above-mentioned procedure and get your RPs credited. 🙂

bill ki copy nahi mangi apse with bpcl logo on it. Mere sath 6 baar ho chuka hai. Petrol pumps BPCL ones have not aligned their reporting mechanism of transactions to SBI, that is why this issues is rampant. For peace try to find a petrol pump BPCL without any hiccups. And whenever you need to refuel at a new BPCL pump always ask for bill otherwise it would be troubling afterwards.

 

[Virtual King]

bill ki copy nahi mangi apse with bpcl logo on it. Mere sath 6 baar ho chuka hai. Petrol pumps BPCL ones have not aligned their reporting mechanism of transactions to SBI, that is why this issues is rampant. For peace try to find a petrol pump BPCL without any hiccups. And whenever you need to refuel at a new BPCL pump always ask for bill otherwise it would be troubling afterwards.

Iss baar toh nahi mangi.
Every time I take both the slips - transaction slip (from the fuel dispenser) and from the POS machine. Just in case. 🙂

And this fuel pump is the one from where I regularly fill the fuel. Almost all the transactions from this fuel pump go through easily, without any hiccups.
And it is only the 2nd time in 1 year that this issue has transpired here.

So, I guess it is as good as it gets. 🙂

 

[sumeet]

It summarises that we have to collect the transaction receipt for future claim in case rewards are not received and do check monthly statement for the same. Just keep it simple and check on routine basis

 

[RAMESH BABU N]

In comparison, KOTAK's IOCL RuPay card seems to be better.

Lower milestone for waiver of annual fee. Only 50K per annum spending.

The Reward Points are always credited without fail or follow up. Just use the card anywhere n get RPs.

Wanted to close the card - BUT decided to retain it.

 

[Virtual King]

Just a Thought
Having used both Infinia and Octane for the last 1 year, I have a hypothesis which I am outlining below.

Hypothesis
Spending offline through Octane card on groceries, departmental stores, movies & dining (where the reward rate is 2.5%) is better than Infinia (where the offline reward rate for these is 3.3%).

Illustration
Say I spend Rs 1L offline on groceries + departmental stores + movies + dining in a month/quarter/year.

Through Infinia, on these offline spends, I get 3.3% rewards i.e. Rs 3,300 potential value. Assuming I redeem @ 1:1 (the best redemption rate possible), I can redeem only 70% (as that is the capping) of Rs 3,300 i.e. Rs 2,310 only and have to pay balance 30% i.e. Rs 990 only through Infinia, on which I further accumulate points (@5x or 10x as the case may be). So, the next time I redeem Infinia RPs, I can benefit from these accumulated points etc. - and this cycle continues. (However, mathematically, nobody will ever be able to redeem 100% of Infinia RPs ever. The balance 30% of RPs + RPs accrued on this 30% will always be left behind and the Infinia RPs balance will never be zero, ever).

However, through Octane, I get 2.5% rewards i.e. Rs 2,500 potential value. This I redeem for fuel @1:1 (the best possible redemption rate), and I can redeem Rs 2,500 for fuel, at select BPCL fuel outlets. No strings attached.

So, by having an offline spends of say Rs 1L on groceries, departmental stores, movies & dining, and with the aim of redeeming 100% RPs earned at the best possible redemption rate i.e. 1:1, Octane will give benefits (fuel) worth Rs 2,500 whereas Infinia will give benefits (hotels, flights, jewellery, etc) worth Rs 2,310 i.e. Infinia gives 0.19% or Rs 190 less than Octane.

Conclusion
Using Octane for offline dining, grocery, etc. (where it gives 2.5% rewards on redemption on fuel) definitely appears to be a better strategy than using Infinia for offline dining, grocery, etc. (where it gives only 2.31% rewards on redemption for hotels, flights, etc). So, if no trip or vacation is planned for some time (i.e. no requirement of hotels or flights), and one has both the cards, using Octane seems prudent.

Comments and counter points are welcome. 🙂

 

[Hemang]

Just a Thought
Having used both Infinia and Octane for the last 1 year, I have a hypothesis which I am outlining below.

Hypothesis
Spending offline through Octane card on groceries, departmental stores, movies & dining (where the reward rate is 2.5%) is better than Infinia (where the offline reward rate for these is 3.3%).

Illustration
Say I spend Rs 1L offline on groceries + departmental stores + movies + dining in a month/quarter/year.

Through Infinia, on these offline spends, I get 3.3% rewards i.e. Rs 3,300 potential value. Assuming I redeem @ 1:1 (the best redemption rate possible), I can redeem only 70% (as that is the capping) of Rs 3,300 i.e. Rs 2,310 only and have to pay balance 30% i.e. Rs 990 only through Infinia, on which I further accumulate points (@5x or 10x as the case may be). So, the next time I redeem Infinia RPs, I can benefit from these accumulated points etc. - and this cycle continues. (However, mathematically, nobody will ever be able to redeem 100% of Infinia RPs ever. The balance 30% of RPs + RPs accrued on this 30% will always be left behind and the Infinia RPs balance will never be zero, ever).

However, through Octane, I get 2.5% rewards i.e. Rs 2,500 potential value. This I redeem for fuel @1:1 (the best possible redemption rate), and I can redeem Rs 2,500 for fuel, at select BPCL fuel outlets. No strings attached.

So, by having an offline spends of say Rs 1L on groceries, departmental stores, movies & dining, and with the aim of redeeming 100% RPs earned at the best possible redemption rate i.e. 1:1, Octane will give benefits (fuel) worth Rs 2,500 whereas Infinia will give benefits (hotels, flights, jewellery, etc) worth Rs 2,310 i.e. Infinia gives 0.19% or Rs 190 less than Octane.

Conclusion
Using Octane for offline dining, grocery, etc. (where it gives 2.5% rewards on redemption on fuel) definitely appears to be a better strategy than using Infinia for offline dining, grocery, etc. (where it gives only 2.31% rewards on redemption for hotels, flights, etc). So, if no trip or vacation is planned for some time (i.e. no requirement of hotels or flights), and one has both the cards, using Octane seems prudent.

Comments and counter points are welcome. 🙂

Ha bhai case to case difference ho sakta hai, jiska use case scenario flights, hotels nahi hai, uske use ka nahi hai infinia jyada.