Union Sparsh Credit Card

Is Union Sparsh lifetime free?

No, although some listings say it is. Union Bank's own page puts it this way: no joining fee, the first year's annual fee waived, and ₹550 + GST a year from the second year. That fee is not charged if you spent ₹50,000 on the card in the previous year, about ₹4,200 a month. So in practice it can stay free, but only if you use it.

Built for visually impaired customers

Sparsh is Union Bank of India's card for visually impaired and visually challenged customers. Three design features are the reason it exists:

• A tactile notch opposite the chip, so you can feel which way to insert the card.
• "UBI" embossed in Braille, so you can tell it apart from other cards in your wallet.
• An optional photograph on the card for extra identification.

These help at the shop counter and the card machine. Our data says nothing about accessible statements, apps or application forms, so the accessibility stops at the plastic unless the branch arranges more. Ask for SMS alerts and screen-reader-friendly statements, and get the answer noted on your application.

A normal card underneath

Behind the accessible design is a standard Union Bank RuPay card:

• 4 reward points per ₹100, each worth ₹0.25. That is a flat 1% on eligible spends, with no categories to track.
• 8 domestic lounge visits a year, 2 a quarter, and 2 international visits a year.
• ₹10 lakh accident cover, plus an optional ₹30 lakh cover. Ask whether that one carries a premium, since on another Union card the cardholder pays it.
• 1% fuel surcharge waiver up to ₹100 a month.
• Up to 3 add-on cards, useful for a spouse, parent or carer who shares household spending.
• UPI linking, because it runs on RuPay.

At ₹50,000 a year, the spend that keeps the card free, you earn about ₹500 in points.

What applying and redeeming are like

The user picture here is thin. Our report has no individual threads to point to, and most complaints are about Union Bank in general. Those complaints are consistent, though: a branch visit with paper forms, including a handwritten list of your current cards and limits, a glitchy VYOM app, and waits of up to 50 days to register on the Union Rewardz portal and see points.

Call the branch before you go, ask whether a staff member can help fill the form, and bring someone you trust if you want a second pair of eyes. Register on Union Rewardz as soon as the card is active. If the portal is hard to use with a screen reader, ask customer care whether points can be redeemed over the phone.

Union Sparsh: apply or pass?

Apply if you are visually impaired, or choosing a card for someone who is, and want to pay on your own at a counter. If a Union Bank branch is nearby and you will spend ₹50,000 a year, it is a sensible, low-cost card with real lounge access.

Look elsewhere if you need a fully digital application and a dependable app. Within the same bank, the Union Bank Divaa Credit Card is a RuPay card with the same 8 domestic and 2 international lounge visits, and the RuPay Select Credit Card is the other RuPay option to compare.

Credit Card Information Compiled by: Abhijeet Kumar | Reviewed by: Anmol Ratan Sachdeva