In the competitive world of premium credit cards, Axis Bank offers two popular options: the Axis Bank Select Credit Card and the Axis Bank Privilege Credit Card. Both cards cater to customer needs with unique features, benefits, and reward structures. This comprehensive comparison will help you determine which card better suits your lifestyle and spending habits. After you choose a credit card to apply for, check your CIBIL score on Wishfin for free before you apply for the credit card. It is a very important eligibility criterion.

Comparing the Features of the Axis Bank Select Credit Card and Axis Bank Privilege Credit Card

The Axis Bank Select Credit Card is a premium travel and lifestyle card that focuses on retail shopping rewards, airport lounge access, and partner brand benefits. In contrast, the Axis Bank Privilege Credit Card offers a more balanced approach, with strong reward rates across various spending categories and lower annual fees.

Fees and Charges Comparison

Reward Structure

Note: Spends on insurance, rent, fuel, educational services, utilities, wallet, gold/jewelry, and government services are not eligible for earning EDGE REWARD points or for milestone and annual fee waiver benefits (effective from April 20, 2024).

Travel Benefits

Brand-Specific Benefits

Insurance and Protection

Eligibility Requirements

Key Differences

• Annual Fees: The Select card has a higher annual fee (Rs. 3,000) compared to the Privilege card (Rs. 1500). 
• Reward Structure: The Select card offers accelerated (2X) rewards on retail shopping up to Rs. 20,000 per month, while the Privilege card has a uniform reward rate across all spending categories.
• Travel Benefits: The Select card provides up to 12 international lounge visits through Priority Pass, which is not available with the Privilege card
• Brand Benefits: The Select card offers exclusive benefits with Swiggy and BigBasket, which are not available with the Privilege card.
• Annual Fee Waiver Threshold: The Select card requires higher annual spending (Rs. 8 lakhs) for fee waiver compared to the Privilege card (Rs. 5 lakhs)
• Milestone Benefits: The Privilege card offers higher milestone rewards (10,000 EDGE points) at a lower spending threshold (Rs. 2.5 lakhs) compared to the Select card (5,000 EDGE points at Rs. 3 lakhs)

Changes From April 2024

Both cards underwent significant changes effective April 20, 2024:

1. Gold/jewellery transactions are no longer eligible for EDGE REWARD points.
2. Miles transfer partners are now divided into Group A (capped at 1 lakh points per year) and Group B (capped at 4 lakhs points per year).
3. Spending on rent, wallet, insurance, government services, utilities, fuel, and educational services are excluded from annual fee waivers and milestone achievement calculations.

Which Card Should You Choose?

Choose Axis Bank Select Credit Card if:

• You travel internationally frequently and can benefit from the Priority Pass lounge access
• You spend significantly on retail shopping to utilize the 2X rewards
• You regularly order from Swiggy and shop on BigBasket
• You can comfortably meet the higher annual spending requirements
• You're already an Axis Bank Burgundy customer (for fee waiver benefits)

Choose Axis Bank Privilege Credit Card if:

• You prefer a lower annual fee
• You have diverse spending patterns across multiple categories
• You want a lower threshold for annual fee waiver (Rs. 5 lakhs vs Rs. 8 lakhs)
• You prioritize higher welcome and milestone benefits
• You're already an Axis Bank Priority customer (for fee waiver benefits)

Conclusion

The Axis Bank Select Credit Card offers premium travel benefits and brand-specific rewards but comes with a higher annual fee and spending requirements. It's ideal for frequent travelers and high spenders who can maximize its unique benefits. The Axis Bank Privilege Credit Card provides a more balanced approach with lower fees, substantial welcome benefits, and good reward rates across all spending categories. It's better suited for users with moderate spending habits who want good overall value. Your choice between these two cards should ultimately depend on your spending patterns, travel frequency, and ability to meet the annual spending thresholds for fee waivers and milestone benefits.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

1. What welcome benefits do the Axis Select and Axis Privilege cards offer?

The Select Card offers 10,000 EDGE Reward points (Worth Rs. 2,000) on the first transaction within 30 days of card issuance. The Privilege Card offers 12,500 EDGE Reward points (Worth Rs. 2,500) on the first transaction within 30 days and upon levy of the joining fee.

2. How do the reward rates compare between the Axis Select and Axis Privilege credit cards?

Both cards offer 10 EDGE points on every Rs. 200 spent as a base reward rate. However, the Select Card provides accelerated (2X) rewards (20 EDGE points) on retail shopping spends up to Rs. 20,000 per month, which is not available with the Privilege Card.

3. What spending categories are excluded from earning rewards for the Axis Select and Axis Privilege credit cards?

As of April 20, 2024, spends on insurance, rent, fuel, educational services, utilities, wallet, gold/jewelry, and government services are not eligible for earning EDGE REWARD points. These categories are also excluded from milestone and annual fee waiver benefit calculations.

4. How do the airport lounge access benefits differ for the Axis Select and Axis Privilege credit cards?

The Select Card provides up to 12 complimentary international lounge visits through Priority Pass membership, which is not available with the Privilege Card. Both cards offer 2 complimentary domestic lounge visits per quarter (Subject to spends of Rs. 50,000 in the previous 3 months).

5. Does the Priority Pass membership automatically renew for the Axis Select and Axis Privilege credit cards?

For the Select Card, the Priority Pass membership is automatically renewed upon spending Rs. 3 lakhs in the preceding card anniversary year. The Privilege Card does not offer Priority Pass.