Axis Bank Reserve Credit Card benefits
- Rewards15
EDGE Reward points per ₹200, and 30 per ₹200 on international spends up to your credit limit
- Lounge
Unlimited lounge visits in India and abroad
with 12 guest visits a year in each programme
- Benefit50
free golf rounds each financial year at golf courses in India
- Fees
Fee of ₹50,000 waived on eligible spends of ₹35 lakh in a card year
- Benefit
Memberships such as Club ITC Culinaire, Accorplus and EazyDiner Prime
Good to know
- 1.5% forex markup on foreign currency spends
Axis Bank Reserve Credit Card rewards and cashback
| Where you spend | Rate | Monthly limit |
|---|---|---|
| Everything else | 7.5 points per ₹100 | None |
We value one point at ₹0.2 in the usual redemption.
No rewards on: Utility and telecom, rent above ₹1 lakh a month, wallet loads, gift cards, government spends, insurance, gold and jewellery, fuel, bridge, road and toll fees, cash advances and repayments.
All reward rules
- Axis Bank gives 15 EDGE Reward points per ₹200 on eligible spends, which is 7.5 points per ₹100.
- International spends earn double: 30 points per ₹200, up to your credit limit in a calendar month. International spends above that earn 15 points per ₹200. The extra 15 points arrive on the 45th day after the month ends. Our maths does not count the double rate because it applies only to spends abroad.
- We use ₹0.20 per point, the value Axis Bank uses for reward points in its MITC. Points can also be moved to airline and hotel partners. Axis Bank's 2023 terms set this at 5 points for 2 partner miles, and its page now says the ratios can change.
- Each calendar year you can move up to 1 lakh points to Group A partners, such as Accor, Marriott Bonvoy and Singapore Airlines, and up to 4 lakh points to Group B partners, such as Air India, Qatar Airways and ITC.
- Welcome benefit: 15,000 EDGE Reward points if you make your first transaction within 30 days of getting the card. Cards issued free for the first year or for life do not get it.
- Rent earns points on up to ₹1 lakh a month. Spends converted to EMI lose their points.
- Points can be lost 30 days after the card is closed, or if the minimum due is unpaid for more than 90 days.
What the Axis Bank Reserve Credit Card gives back in a year
Say you spend ₹2,00,000 a month. Worked out with the same maths as the calculator above.
| Spending | A month | Back | A year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Groceries | ₹20,000 | 1.5% | ₹3,600 |
| Dining and food delivery | ₹13,300 | 1.5% | ₹2,394 |
| Online shopping | ₹1,20,000 | 1.5% | ₹21,600 |
| Travel | ₹6,700 | 1.5% | ₹1,206 |
| Fuel | ₹6,700 | 0% | ₹0 |
| Bills and utilities | ₹13,300 | 0% | ₹0 |
| Everything else | ₹20,000 | 1.5% | ₹3,600 |
| Total | ₹2,00,000 | ₹32,400 | |
| Renewal fee with GST | −₹59,000 | ||
| You keep | -₹26,600* |
Spend ₹11,00,000 more in the year and the renewal fee is waived.
Axis Bank Reserve Credit Card annual fee and charges
- Joining fee
- ₹50,000
- Annual fee
- ₹50,000
- Fee waiver
- ₹35,00,000 a year
- Foreign currency markup
- 1.5%
The annual fee of ₹50,000 before GST is waived on eligible spends of ₹35 lakh in the preceding card anniversary year. Rent, wallet, gift cards, utilities and telecom, government, insurance, gold and jewellery, fuel, tolls, cash withdrawals and EMI transactions do not count towards the waiver. Dynamic currency conversion, meaning paying in rupees abroad or to a merchant registered abroad, also costs 1.5%.
Fuel surcharge: 1% fuel surcharge waiver on transactions of ₹400 to ₹4,000, up to ₹400 a month.
Axis Bank Reserve Credit Card eligibility
Axis Bank's Reserve pages do not publish an age limit or a minimum income for this card. The bank decides each application.
The bank alone decides approval and your credit limit.
Axis Bank Reserve Credit Card lounge access
The bank's terms list no fixed number of free airport lounge visits on this card.
Lounge access has no fixed count. Primary and add-on cardholders get unlimited visits to lounges outside India with Priority Pass, and unlimited visits to select lounges in India using the Reserve card itself. Each programme also allows 12 guest visits a year. Unlike most Axis Bank cards, there is no spend condition for lounges in India.
Is the Axis Bank Reserve Credit Card right for you?
A card with a ₹50,000 fee that spending can waive, paying an above-average 1.5% on most spends.
Worth its fee if you spend about ₹2,92,000 a month or more. Below that, the ₹50,000 fee costs more than the card gives back on spending like the example above.
Good for you if
- You want one flat rate: 1.5% back on most spends, with no categories to track.
- You spend ₹35,00,000 a year or more (about ₹2,91,700 a month), so the ₹50,000 renewal fee is waived.
- You pay in foreign currency, abroad or on foreign websites: the markup is 1.5%, against a typical 3.5% on the cards we list.
Not for you if
- You spend less than about ₹2,91,700 a month: you would pay ₹59,000 a year with GST.
- Much of your spending is on bills and utilities: this earns no rewards.
Check the latest fees and terms on the bank's page before you apply.
Alternatives to Axis Bank Reserve Credit Card
Two similar cards to weigh up before you apply. The last column shows what each may be worth on ₹30,000 a month of mixed spending, after the renewal fee with GST. Rates paid only at named brands are not counted, so a brand card can earn more if you shop there.
| Card | Annual fee | Rewards up to | You keep a year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Axis Bank Reserve Credit Card | ₹50,000 | 1.5% | -₹54,680* |
| HSBC Premier Credit Card | Free | 3% | ₹9,720* |
| BOBCARD ETERNA Credit Card | ₹2,499 | 3.75% | ₹7,470* |
If most of your spending looks like the example above, the HSBC Premier Credit Card may suit you better: it would leave you ₹69,588 a year, against -₹26,600 with the Axis Bank Reserve Credit Card.
*Estimate only, not a promise. We work it out from the bank's published terms and the spending you enter. What you actually get depends on the bank, your transactions and any change in its terms.
Frequently asked questions
What is the annual fee of the Axis Bank Reserve Credit Card?
The joining and annual fee is ₹50,000 plus GST. The annual fee is waived if your eligible spends in the preceding card anniversary year reach ₹35 lakh.
Does Axis Reserve give unlimited lounge access?
Yes. Primary and add-on cardholders get unlimited visits to lounges outside India with Priority Pass, and unlimited visits to select lounges in India with the Reserve card. Each also allows 12 guest visits a year, and there is no spend condition.
What is the forex markup on the Axis Reserve card?
It is 1.5% of the transaction value plus GST, lower than the 3.5% on most Axis Bank cards. International spends also earn double points, 30 per ₹200, up to your credit limit each month.
How many golf rounds does Axis Bank Reserve give?
It gives 50 free golf rounds every financial year, from 1 April to 31 March, at golf courses in India. You book them through extraordinaryweekends.com.