This is for anyone trying to place an Axis card before applying, or trying to understand why the card they hold now earns less than it did two years ago. It settles the order: which of the eleven Axis Bank cards we track sits where, what each costs after GST, what it earns and who can get it.
Quick Answer: Axis runs four tiers: entry co-brands (ACE, Flipkart, Airtel at about ₹590 a year), mid (Privilege, Select), premium travel (Atlas at ₹5,900, Magnus at ₹14,750) and super-premium (Olympus ₹23,600, Magnus for Burgundy ₹35,400, Reserve ₹59,000, and the One Card, free for Burgundy Private clients).
The full hierarchy in one table
Fees are the bank's base fee plus 18% GST. Base earn values EDGE Miles at ₹1 (Travel EDGE), EDGE Reward Points at ₹0.20 (EDGE store and statement credit) and cashback at face value. Income is the bar Axis publishes or the one its relationship channel uses.
| Tier | Card | Annual fee | Currency and base earn | Lounge access | Income bar |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entry | ACE | ₹499 + GST (₹589) | Cashback, 1.5% (5% on bills via Google Pay) | 4 domestic a year on ₹50,000 in the prior 3 months | ₹25,000 a month |
| Entry | Flipkart Axis | ₹500 + GST (₹590) | Cashback, 1% (5% Flipkart, 7.5% Myntra) | None since June 2025 | ₹25,000 a month |
| Entry | Airtel Axis | ₹500 + GST (₹590) | Cashback, 1% (25% on Airtel bills) | 4 domestic a year on ₹50,000 in the prior 3 months | ₹25,000 a month |
| Mid | Privilege | ₹1,500 + GST (₹1,770) | EDGE Reward Points, 10 per ₹200, about 1% | 2 domestic a quarter on ₹50,000; 8 international via Priority Pass | ₹3 lakh a year |
| Mid | Select | ₹3,000 + GST (₹3,540); nil for Burgundy | EDGE Reward Points, 10 per ₹200, about 1% (2X on retail to ₹20,000 a month) | 2 domestic a quarter on ₹50,000; up to 12 international | ₹70,000 a month |
| Premium | Atlas | ₹5,000 + GST (₹5,900) | EDGE Miles, 2 per ₹100, about 2% (5 per ₹100 on travel to ₹2 lakh a month) | Tiered: 8 domestic + 4 international at Silver, up to 18 + 12 at Platinum | ₹12 lakh a year |
| Premium | Magnus | ₹12,500 + GST (₹14,750) | EDGE Reward Points, 12 per ₹200 to ₹1.5 lakh a month then 35, about 1.2% to 3.5% | Unlimited domestic and international on ₹50,000 a quarter; 4 guest visits | ₹1.5 lakh a month |
| Super-premium | Olympus | ₹20,000 + GST (₹23,600) | EDGE Miles, 1 per ₹100 domestic, 2 per ₹100 international | Unlimited domestic; 32 international + 20 guest visits | ₹2 lakh a month |
| Super-premium | Magnus for Burgundy | ₹30,000 + GST (₹35,400) | EDGE Reward Points, as Magnus; 5 points convert to 4 partner miles | Unlimited domestic and international; 4 guest visits | Burgundy relationship |
| Super-premium | Reserve | ₹50,000 + GST (₹59,000) | EDGE Reward Points, 15 per ₹200, about 1.5% (30 per ₹200 abroad) | Unlimited domestic and international; 12 guest visits | ₹1 crore a year, by relationship |
| Super-premium | One Card, Burgundy Private | ₹0 while ₹5 crore family TRV is held; else ₹1 lakh + GST (₹1,18,000) | EDGE Reward Points, 15 per ₹200, valued at ₹0.40, about 3% (6% abroad) | Unlimited domestic and international; 12 guest visits per card | Burgundy Private |
Three notes on the table. Flipkart's joining fee shows as nil under a limited-period offer on the product page; the ₹500 annual fee applies from year two. Privilege's product page also showed both fees as nil on a limited-period offer at our last read. Reserve's fee, waiver and earn rates were not re-verified in the September 2026 audit because the Axis page no longer carries a fee table; they are as last confirmed in February 2026.
The four tiers, explained
Entry: ACE, Flipkart, Airtel
Axis's bottom tier is entirely co-branded and entirely cashback, which makes it the simplest part of the lineup to price. All three cards cost about ₹590 a year after GST and waive that at ₹2 lakh of spend (₹3.5 lakh for Flipkart), so a moderate user pays nothing from year two.
ACE is the general-purpose one: 5% on utility bills and recharges paid through Google Pay, 4% on Swiggy, Zomato and Ola, 1.5% on everything else. Flipkart Axis pays 5% on Flipkart and Cleartrip and 7.5% on Myntra, each capped at ₹4,000 a statement quarter, plus an uncapped 4% on a list of preferred merchants and 1% elsewhere; it lost its lounge visits in June 2025. Airtel Axis pays 25% on Airtel mobile, broadband and DTH bills through the Airtel Thanks app and 10% on gas and electricity paid there, but since April 2026 the monthly cap on those rates is twice and once the base cashback you earned that month, so the headline 25% is only worth something if you also put ordinary spend on the card.
None of these cards earns EDGE Reward Points or EDGE Miles, and none of them counts towards a Burgundy relationship. They are the right first Axis card for almost everyone and the wrong place to look for an upgrade path.
Mid-tier: Privilege and Select
The middle of the Axis lineup is thin, and both cards in it are mostly sold through the bank's salary and Priority channels rather than chosen on their merits.
Privilege costs ₹1,500 + GST (₹1,770), waived at ₹5 lakh, earns 10 EDGE Reward Points per ₹200 with 5X on Travel EDGE bookings up to ₹2 lakh a month, gives 12,500 points on joining, 10,000 points at ₹2.5 lakh of annual spend, two domestic lounge visits a quarter on ₹50,000 of spend in the prior three months and eight international visits through Priority Pass. At ₹0.20 a point the base rate is 1%, which is what the entry cards pay in cashback without the fee.
Select costs ₹3,000 + GST (₹3,540), waived at ₹8 lakh and charged at nil for Burgundy account holders, which is its real market. It earns the same 10 points per ₹200, doubles that on retail shopping up to ₹20,000 a month, pays 10,000 points on joining and 5,000 at ₹3 lakh of annual spend, and gives up to 12 international lounge visits through Priority Pass on top of the quarterly domestic ones. Six golf lessons or green fees a year are included. For a non-Burgundy applicant it is hard to justify over Atlas at a slightly higher fee.
Premium: Atlas and Magnus
This is where Axis competes, and the two cards are built for different travellers.
Atlas is the miles card. ₹5,000 + GST (₹5,900), reversed only at ₹25 lakh of annual spend, so treat the fee as permanent. It earns 2 EDGE Miles per ₹100 on everything and 5 per ₹100 on Travel EDGE, direct airline and direct hotel bookings up to ₹2 lakh a month. Miles are worth about ₹1 each on Travel EDGE and transfer to airline and hotel partners. Lounge access and the annual bonus miles depend on the tier you reach: Silver at ₹3 lakh of annual spend gives 8 domestic and 4 international visits plus 2,500 miles, Gold at ₹7.5 lakh gives 12 and 6, and Platinum at ₹15 lakh gives 18 and 12 plus 5,000 miles. The bar is ₹12 lakh of salaried income or ₹15 lakh ITR.
Magnus is the spend card. ₹12,500 + GST (₹14,750), waived at ₹25 lakh, with a ₹12,500 Luxe, Postcard Hotels or Yatra voucher on joining that returns the base fee in year one. It earns 12 EDGE Reward Points per ₹200 up to ₹1.5 lakh a month and 35 per ₹200 above that, plus 5X on travel bookings up to ₹2 lakh a month. Lounge access is unlimited, domestic and international, once you have spent ₹50,000 in the previous quarter, with four guest visits a year. Forex markup is 2%. The income bar is ₹1.5 lakh a month or ₹18 lakh ITR. The Magnus guide covers the exclusion list, which is longer than on any HDFC or ICICI card and is what most Magnus complaints are about.
Super-premium: Olympus, Magnus for Burgundy, Reserve, the One Card
Four cards, three of which you do not apply for in the usual sense.
Olympus launched as the successor to Citi Prestige after Axis absorbed Citi's India card book. ₹20,000 + GST (₹23,600) with no spend-based waiver, offset by 10,000 EDGE Miles on the first transaction and, at each renewal, ₹10,000 of Taj and ITC hotel vouchers plus 2,500 miles. Earning is thin, 1 mile per ₹100 at home and 2 per ₹100 abroad up to ₹2 lakh a month, but the benefits are the point: unlimited domestic lounges, 32 international lounge visits plus 20 guest visits a year, 32 golf rounds, 2% forex. The bar is ₹2 lakh a month or ₹24 lakh ITR.
Magnus for Burgundy is Magnus with a ₹30,000 + GST (₹35,400) fee, a ₹5,000 welcome voucher, the same 12-and-35 earn structure and a 5:4 conversion into 20 airline and hotel partners that the standard Magnus does not get. It needs a Burgundy banking relationship, which is why it does not appear in our public rankings.
Reserve is Axis's invitation card: ₹50,000 + GST (₹59,000), waived at ₹35 lakh, 50,000 points on joining, 15 points per ₹200 at home and 30 abroad, unlimited lounges with 12 guest visits, 32 golf rounds, EazyDiner Prime and a 1.5% forex markup. The reference income is ₹1 crore salaried or ₹1.2 crore ITR, and an Axis relationship is mandatory.
The One Card for Burgundy Private is free for clients whose family relationship value with Axis is ₹5 crore or more, and charges ₹1 lakh + GST (₹1,18,000) in any year that lapses. It earns 15 points per ₹200 at home and 30 abroad with those points redeemable at ₹0.40, has zero forex markup, unlimited lounges with 12 guest visits per card, 50 golf rounds and five BookMyShow tickets a month. It is a private-banking product, not a credit card you compare.
What changed between 2024 and 2026
Axis has revised its cards more often than any other issuer we track. These are the changes recorded on each card's official page or revision FAQ, in order.
| When | Card | What changed |
|---|---|---|
| April 2024 | Atlas | 5X on travel capped at ₹2 lakh a month; annual milestone cut from 17,500 to 10,000 miles across the tiers; concierge and airport transfers discontinued; transfer partners split into two groups |
| April 2024 | Magnus, Reserve | Priority Pass guest visits on Magnus cut from 8 to 4; complimentary luxury airport transfers withdrawn |
| May 2024 | ACE, Airtel, Privilege, Select, Magnus | Domestic lounge access gated on ₹50,000 of spend in the previous three months or quarter |
| December 2024 | ACE, Airtel, One Card | 1% fee on wallet loads, fuel, utility, education and gaming spends above thresholds |
| June 2025 | Flipkart | Lounge access removed; Flipkart and Cleartrip cashback capped at ₹4,000 a quarter; Myntra raised to 7.5% with the same cap; exclusions moved from MCC codes to spend categories |
| June 2025 | ACE, Reserve | ACE exclusions moved to spend categories; Reserve international earn raised to 30 points per ₹200 |
| October 2025 | Reserve | Oberoi hotel offers discontinued |
| April 2026 | Airtel | Welcome voucher cut from ₹500 to ₹250; 25% and 10% cashback caps tied to that month's base cashback; partner list changed to Zomato, Blinkit and District |
| September 2026 | Flipkart, Select | Flipkart welcome voucher cut to ₹250; Select's ₹5 lakh Travel EDGE milestone dropped from the page, 2X on retail added |
The pattern is consistent: uncapped category rates become capped, lounge access becomes spend-gated, and welcome benefits shrink. When you price an Axis card, read the current value chart on the bank's page rather than a review from 2023.
Which tier are you eligible for?
| Your position | Tier you can apply for | Realistic card |
|---|---|---|
| ₹25,000 a month, first Axis card | Entry | ACE for bills and food delivery, Flipkart or Airtel if your spend sits with that partner |
| ₹3 lakh to ₹8 lakh a year, salary account with Axis | Mid | Privilege, usually offered through the salary channel |
| ₹12 lakh a year, you book your own flights and hotels | Premium | Atlas |
| ₹1.5 lakh a month or ₹18 lakh ITR, ₹2 lakh or more of monthly spend | Premium | Magnus |
| ₹2 lakh a month, want lounges and hotel vouchers more than earn rate | Super-premium | Olympus |
| Burgundy relationship | Super-premium | Select at nil fee first, then Magnus for Burgundy |
| Burgundy Private | Super-premium | The One Card, and Reserve if the relationship manager offers it |
Rewards in practice across the tiers
Ordinary spend, no travel routing, valued as in the table.
| Annual spend | ACE (1.5%) | Privilege (1%) | Atlas (2% in miles) | Magnus (1.2% then 3.5%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ₹3 lakh | ₹4,500, fee waived | ₹3,000 + 2,000 from the ₹2.5 lakh milestone, fee ₹1,770 | 6,000 miles + 2,500 Silver bonus, fee ₹5,900 | ₹3,600, fee ₹14,750 less the ₹12,500 welcome voucher in year one |
| ₹10 lakh | ₹15,000 (category caps bite) | ₹10,000 + ₹2,000, fee waived | 20,000 miles + 2,500 Gold bonus, 12 domestic + 6 international lounges | ₹12,000 (all under the ₹1.5 lakh monthly line) plus unlimited lounges |
| ₹24 lakh | ₹36,000 nominal, well past the caps | ₹24,000 + ₹2,000 | 48,000 miles + 5,000 Platinum bonus, 18 + 12 lounges | ₹21,600 on the first ₹18 lakh, ₹21,000 on the ₹6 lakh above the line, about ₹42,600 |
Magnus only pulls ahead at ₹2 lakh or more of monthly spend, where the 35-point tier starts. Below that, Atlas earns more per rupee and its miles are worth more on redemption.
Who should get which tier
Get an entry card if:
- You spend under ₹2 lakh a year on cards, or your spend sits with Flipkart, Myntra, Airtel or Google Pay bill payments.
- You want a fee that disappears without tracking milestones.
Get Atlas if:
- You book flights and hotels yourself and can route ₹3 lakh or more of travel a year through the card.
- You value airline and hotel transfers over statement credit.
Get Magnus or Olympus if:
- Your monthly spend clears ₹2 lakh (Magnus) or you want unlimited lounges and hotel vouchers at a fee the welcome benefit mostly returns (Olympus).
Skip the Axis ladder if:
- Your spend is heavy on rent, utilities, wallets, fuel or education. Axis excludes or surcharges more of these categories than HDFC or ICICI.
- You want a straightforward points currency. Two currencies, two valuation rules and frequent revisions make Axis the lineup that most needs re-checking every year.
Upgrade path
Axis does not run a formal upgrade ladder the way HDFC does. The practical path is ACE or Airtel as a first card, Atlas or Magnus by direct application once income clears the bar, and the Burgundy cards through the banking relationship rather than the card division. Holding an entry co-brand for a year with clean payments helps an Atlas or Magnus application, but there is no automatic step between them.
Common questions
What is the order from lowest to highest? ACE, Flipkart and Airtel at about ₹590 a year; Privilege at ₹1,770; Select at ₹3,540; Atlas at ₹5,900; Magnus at ₹14,750; Olympus at ₹23,600; Magnus for Burgundy at ₹35,400; Reserve at ₹59,000; the One Card, free for Burgundy Private.
Which is the highest Axis card? The One Card for Burgundy Private by exclusivity, Reserve by published fee.
EDGE Miles or EDGE Reward Points? Atlas and Olympus earn Miles worth about ₹1; the rest earn Reward Points worth about ₹0.20. Compare cards on rupee value, not point counts.
What income for Magnus, Olympus and Reserve? ₹1.5 lakh, ₹2 lakh and about ₹8 lakh a month respectively, with the last two leaning on the relationship as much as the number.
Which cards were devalued? Atlas, Magnus, Flipkart, Airtel, ACE and Reserve all lost something between April 2024 and April 2026; the table above lists each change.
Next steps
- Axis Bank Olympus
- Axis Bank Magnus
- Axis Bank Atlas
- Axis Bank Reserve
- Axis Bank One Card, Burgundy Private
- All Axis Bank cards ranked
- How to get Axis Magnus
Last verified: 2026-09-17 against https://www.axis.bank.in/cards/credit-card/axis-bank-magnus-credit-card, https://www.axis.bank.in/cards/credit-card/axis-bank-atlas-credit-card, https://www.axis.bank.in/cards/credit-card/flipkart-axisbank-credit-card and the Axis product pages and revision FAQ for the other cards; Olympus and Reserve as last read on 2026-02-24.