Axis has several co-branded credit cards in their portfolio and they have been using this strategy for a long time just like other players in the credit card industry. One such credit card is the Airtel Axis bank credit card which is the result of partnership between one of the leading telecom players (Airtel) in this duopoly market and one of the top 5 banks in India by m-cap.
This is the only credit card in India made in tie up with a telecom company. However, does this card deserves a place in your wallet? Let’s find out.
Overview
This card is targeted for Airtel services (postpaid, DTH, broadband) users and who can get handsome discount by using this card. On top of that, utility payments done via this card also fetch good discount. You can think of this card as a variation of the Axis Ace credit card for Airtel service users.
| Type | Entry level Cashback Credit Card |
| Reward Rate | 10% – 25% |
| Best for | Airtel Bill payments |
Design
The design is clean and simple with the Airtel logo at the centre of the card on a black background. Card is issued on Visa network. It is definitely a good looking card and doesn’t look over the top with too flashy colors.
Fees & Charges
Joining & Renewal Fees
| Joining Fee | Rs. 500 + 18% GST |
| Joining Fee Waiver | N/A |
| Joining Benefit | Amazon e-voucher worth Rs. 500 (on doing 1st transaction within 30 days of card issuance) |
| Renewal Fee | Rs. 500 + 18% GST |
| Renewal Benefit | N/A |
| Renewal Fee Waiver | waived off on annual spends greater than Rs. 2 lakh; Rent transactions (MCC 6513) and wallet load transactions (MCC 6540) aren’t eligible for annual fee waiver |
Joining benefit is good enough as that covers the joining fee. For renewal fee waiver, reaching the target of Rs. 2 lakh may be difficult for some but even then for the nominal fees of Rs. 500 the benefits you get from this card are much more.
Tip: If you are falling short of reaching Rs. 2 lakh at the end of card renewal year then you can purchase some gift vouchers through Axis Edge portal and use those later for bill payments.
Other Charges
Supplementary Card
There is no fee for applying for a supplementary card.
Forex Payments
3.50% of the transaction value + 18% GST (which adds up to 4.13%) which means it is not a good option to use it for foreign trips as you would end up paying 2.87% extra (4.13% – 1% cashback).
Fuel Purchases
There is no cashback on fuel purchases but you do get 1% fuel surcharge waiver across all petrol pumps in India as long as transactions are between Rs. 400 – Rs. 4000, exclusive of GST and other charges.
Ex. If you purchase fuel of Rs. 2000 then 1% surcharge of Rs. 20 is first applied and then waived off but the 18% GST of Rs. 3.6 is levied.
There is a capping of Rs. 500 per statement cycle for surcharge waiver which is more than enough.
Rent Payments
No cashback on rent payments plus a charge of 1% of the transaction value + GST capped at Rs. 1500 per transaction is levied. Also, all the portals for rent payments take their own convenience fee which means use of this card for rent payments is not a good idea.
EMI Fees
For EMI transactions, a one-time processing fee of 1.5% or Rs. 250 whichever is higher is charged on the date of conversion.
Benefits
Cashback
There are 4 categories when it comes to cashback rate distribution and the capping. The cashback is in the form of statement credit which is the best type of cashback 🙂
| Spend Category | Cashback Rate | Capping (per cycle) |
| Airtel Mobile, Broadband, Wi-Fi and DTH bill payments via Airtel Thanks App | 25% | 300 |
| Utility bill payments such as gas, electricity, etc. via Airtel Thanks App | 10% | 300 |
| Preferred merchants (Swiggy, Zomato, Bigbasket) | 10% | 500 |
| All other spends | 1% | N/A |
| Exclusions | Fuel, EMI transactions, Purchases converted to EMI, Wallet loads, Cash advances, Rent Payments, Purchase of Jewelry |
Note: Insurance, Education and Government services are not mentioned as ineligible spends for cashback in the TnC of the card so these spends might get 1% cashback.
- Cashback is rounded off to nearest rupee value for each individual transaction.
- Cashback earned for the purchases during the current billing cycle is credited in the next billing cycle 3 days prior to the statement generation date i.e. if the statement date is 15th March, cashback earned in the Feb month cycle (16th Jan-15th Feb) will be credited on 12th March
Travel Benefits
Airport Lounge Access
With the entry level card that this is, it still comes with 4 complimentary domestic airport lounge access per calendar year which is of great value. Good thing is the lounge visits limit is for a year not for every quarter so for round trips this will be beneficial. Just using it once at a lounge would get you your money’s worth.
List of eligible airport lounges can be checked here. The list is not that long but at least you have an option at all major metro cities in India.
Dining Benefits
ere are no special dining benefits just for this card but as part of Axis Dining Delight you can get upto 15% off upto Rs. 500 at restaurants by using EazyDiner to pay the bill.
- Offer: 15% off upto Rs. 500
- Min. Transaction: Rs. 2500
- Usage limit: Once a month per customer on EazyDiner
More details on Axis Bank Dining Delight program are available here.
Best way to use this card
- Pay Airtel Services bill upto Rs. 1200 in a cycle on Airtel Thanks app
- Pay Utilities bill upto Rs. 3000 in a cycle on Airtel Thanks app
- Use on Swiggy & Zomato for 10% cashback on top of app offers & buy groceries on bigbasket using TataNeu app (15% discount including 5% neucoins)
- Avail airport lounge access
How to apply
With Axis you can hold up a maximum of three cards. You can apply for this card using the Airtel Thanks app. If you already hold an Axis card, then the credit limit they issue might be combined for this card and your existing one given that your existing card is non-premium category card.
Verdict
Airtel credit card is a must have card for those who are already in the Airtel services ecosystem and are looking for a simple and sorted cashback card. The 10% cashback on utilities and food & grocery ordering apps is additional bonus.
What are your thoughts about the Airtel Axis Bank Credit Card? Feel free to share your views in the comment section below.
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