CUB SalarySe LevelUP Credit Card Review
The CUB SalarySe LevelUP Credit Card is built for people who use UPI for most of their everyday spending. It offers a lifetime-free virtual RuPay credit card, while the paid physical variant adds airport lounge access, a lower forex markup and higher SalaryDay rewards.
Why Should You Consider It?
Its headline reward, 37.5 SCoins per ₹100, sounds like 37.5% cashback but actually works out to 7.5% and only on specific SalaryDay transactions through SalarySe UPI. It's a strong pick for salaried UPI users willing to track a few conditions and a poor fit if you want simple, predictable cashback. Here's what decides which side you fall on.
CUB SalarySe LevelUP Credit Card at a Glance
Feature | Details |
Available variants | Virtual-only and physical plus virtual |
Virtual-card fee | Lifetime free |
Physical-card fee | ₹500 + GST |
Best reward | Up to 7.5% on eligible SalaryDay spends |
Regular reward rate | 0.2% to 2%, depending on category and monthly spending |
Lounge access | One domestic visit per month (physical card, spend-based) |
Forex markup | 1% (physical card only) |
Should You Choose the Virtual or Physical Card?
Feature | Virtual only | Physical plus virtual |
Fee | Lifetime free | ₹500 + GST (Joining & Annual fee) |
SalaryDay reward rates | 5% | 7.5% |
Lounge access | No | One domestic visit per month after ₹10,000 spending in the previous billing cycle |
Forex markup | Not applicable | 1%, with GST potentially applicable |
Annual fee waiver | Not applicable | Waived on annual spending of ₹2 lakh or more |
The physical card earns ₹375 more than the virtual card when the full ₹15,000 SalaryDay allowance is used. Two such billing cycles can recover its ₹590 fee, including GST.
The lounge benefit is marketed as up to 12 visits annually. Since the terms don't specify which transactions count towards the qualifying-spend threshold, it's safer to plan around confirmed spending categories rather than assume fuel, wallet or rent payments will qualify.
What You Actually Earn on LevelUP
Unlike traditional cashback cards, LevelUP earns reward points in the form of SCoins instead of direct cashback. The conversion is simple: 5 SCoins = ₹1. The advertised 37.5 SCoins per ₹100 applies only to eligible SalaryDay spends made through SalarySe UPI using the physical card and is the exception, not the everyday rate.
Reward category | SCoins per ₹100 | Effective value |
Base rewards | 1 SCoin | 0.2% |
Accelerated rewards | 5 SCoins | 1% |
Super Accelerated rewards | 10 SCoins | 2% |
SalaryDay (virtual card) | 25 SCoins | 5% |
SalaryDay (physical card) | 37.5 SCoins | 7.5% |
0.2%: Payments through non-SalarySe UPI apps and designated base categories.
1%: Eligible SalarySe UPI, online and offline spends up to ₹20,000 per billing cycle.
2%: Eligible spending above ₹20,000 in the same billing cycle.
Example: On ₹30,000 of eligible spending, the first ₹20,000 earns ₹200 in value and the next ₹10,000 earns another ₹200, giving a total return of ₹400.
Each transaction qualifies for only one reward category and fractional SCoins are rounded down. The terms confirm that SalaryDay transactions do not earn Super Accelerated Rewards but they do not clearly explain whether SalaryDay or base-category spends help users cross the ₹20,000 threshold.
Reward eligibility depends on the merchant category code (MCC) assigned to each transaction, so the reward earned on a purchase may differ based on how the merchant is classified.
Base, Accelerated and Super Accelerated rewards are capped at 10% of your credit limit per statement cycle. For example, a ₹1,00,000 credit limit caps these rewards at 1,000 SCoins (₹200) per month. SalaryDay rewards are not affected by this cap.
SCoins can be redeemed through the SalarySe app at a value of 5 SCoins = ₹1 and expire 18 months after being earned.
How SalaryDay Rewards Actually Work
SalaryDay rewards apply only to eligible transactions made through SalarySe UPI, on the first and last day of the month.
Eligible UPI payments made through SalarySe UPI on the first and last day of every month qualify for:
5% rewards on the virtual card
7.5% rewards on the physical card
Paying through another UPI app, using the card details directly or swiping the physical card will not earn the SalaryDay Bonus and base or restricted categories are also excluded from the higher rate.
Important: To unlock, you must first complete ₹5,000 of eligible non-SalaryDay spending. For example, qualifying spends during June unlock the SalaryDay window covering 30 June and 1 July, since the last day of one month and the first day of the next are treated as one reward window. Base and regular categories count towards this requirement, while restricted categories do not.
Reward cap: A maximum of ₹15,000 in SalaryDay spending is eligible for the higher rate per billing cycle. This is the total cap, not a separate ₹15,000 allowance for every SalaryDay date.
Variant | Maximum SalaryDay SCoins | Maximum reward value |
Virtual-only card | 3,750 SCoins | ₹750 |
Physical plus virtual card | 5,625 SCoins | ₹1,125 |
Example: A physical-card user who spends ₹5,000 on eligible regular dates and ₹15,000 during the SalaryDay window can earn ₹50 from regular spending and ₹1,125 from SalaryDay spending, subject to correct merchant classification.
Eligible and Restricted Categories
Base Categories
The following generally earn only 0.2% or one SCoin per ₹100:
Railways
Rent
Government services
Insurance
Education
Contracted, agricultural and transportation or transit services
Bridge fees and tolls
Telecom and post office payments
Bill payments
Transactions below ₹2,000 at small offline merchants
Restricted Categories
The following do not earn rewards and also do not count towards the ₹5,000 SalaryDay unlock requirement:
Cash
Wallets and service providers
Fuel and automobile-related spends
Quasi-cash
Gambling
Who Is This Card Best For?
The LevelUP card is best for active SalarySe UPI users who can consistently complete the ₹5,000 unlock requirement and shift larger payments to the SalaryDay window. The lifetime-free virtual card is the safer way to try the ecosystem, while the physical card can justify its fee through the higher SalaryDay rewards, lounge access and lower forex markup.
It's less suited if you mainly use Google Pay, PhonePe or another UPI app, spend heavily on fuel, wallets or other restricted categories, make frequent transactions below ₹2,000 at small offline merchants, or want simple, predictable cashback without tracking billing cycles and MCC-based conditions.
If you're still comparing options, our guide to the best lifetime free credit cards in India can help you see how LevelUP stacks up against other no-fee cards.
SaveSage helps compare the actual rupee value of rewards rather than relying only on advertised rates. Before applying, calculate how much of your usual UPI spending will genuinely qualify for accelerated and SalaryDay rewards.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Does SalarySe LevelUP give 37.5% cashback?
No. The physical variant earns 37.5 SCoins per ₹100 on eligible SalaryDay transactions. Since five SCoins equal ₹1, the effective return is 7.5%.
2. How do I unlock SalaryDay rewards?
You must spend at least ₹5,000 on non-SalaryDay dates. For example, ₹5,000 of qualifying spending during June unlocks the SalaryDay benefit for 30 June and 1 July.
3. Is the physical LevelUP card lifetime free?
No. It costs ₹500 plus GST as the joining fee and ₹500 plus GST annually from the second year. The annual fee is waived on spending ₹2 lakh or more in a year.
4. Does the physical card offer airport lounge access?
Yes. The physical card offers one complimentary domestic lounge visit every month, subject to the spending criteria specified by the issuer.
5. Can I redeem SCoins as cash?
Yes. SCoins can be redeemed through the SalarySe app for cashback, gift vouchers and other eligible redemption options at a value of 5 SCoins = ₹1.
