This is for anyone who has narrowed the choice to an Axis travel card and wants to know which of the three to pay for. It settles it by spend: what each card costs after GST, what a rupee of spend actually earns on each, and where the fee is covered.
Quick Answer: Atlas at ₹5,900 earns the most on ordinary spend (2% in miles worth ₹1 each); Magnus at ₹14,750 only overtakes it above ₹2 lakh of monthly spend; Olympus at ₹23,600 is a benefits card whose renewal vouchers and lounges, not its earn rate, justify the fee.
Head-to-head
| Feature | Atlas | Magnus | Olympus |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual fee | ₹5,000 + GST (₹5,900) | ₹12,500 + GST (₹14,750) | ₹20,000 + GST (₹23,600) |
| Fee waiver | Reversed at ₹25 lakh spend | Waived at ₹25 lakh spend | None published |
| Welcome benefit | 2,500 EDGE Miles on first transaction in 37 days | ₹12,500 Luxe, Postcard Hotels or Yatra voucher | 10,000 EDGE Miles on first transaction in 30 days |
| Renewal benefit | Tier bonus: 2,500 miles (Silver, Gold) or 5,000 (Platinum) | None | ₹10,000 Taj/ITC hotel vouchers + 2,500 miles on fee payment |
| Currency | EDGE Miles, about ₹1 each on Travel EDGE | EDGE Reward Points, about ₹0.20 each | EDGE Miles, about ₹1 each on Travel EDGE |
| Base earn | 2 miles per ₹100, about 2% | 12 points per ₹200 up to ₹1.5 lakh a month (1.2%), 35 per ₹200 above (3.5%) | 1 mile per ₹100 domestic, about 1% |
| Travel earn | 5 miles per ₹100 on Travel EDGE and direct airline and hotel bookings, up to ₹2 lakh a month | 60 points per ₹200 on Travel EDGE and direct bookings, about 6%, up to ₹2 lakh a month | No travel accelerator |
| International earn | 2 miles per ₹100 | 12 or 35 points per ₹200 | 2 miles per ₹100 up to ₹2 lakh a month |
| Forex markup | 3.5% | 2% | 2% |
| Transfer ratio | 1 mile = 2 partner miles, 1.5 lakh miles a year cap | 5 points = 2 partner miles, 5 lakh points a year cap, ₹199 + GST (₹235) fee | 1 mile = 4 partner miles, ₹199 + GST (₹235) fee |
| Domestic lounges | 8 a year at Silver, 12 at Gold, 18 at Platinum | Unlimited on ₹50,000 spend in the prior quarter | Unlimited |
| International lounges | 4 at Silver, 6 at Gold, 12 at Platinum | Unlimited Priority Pass + 4 guest visits | 32 visits + 20 guest visits |
| Golf | None | None | 32 rounds a year, 50% off the next 32 |
| Income bar | ₹12 lakh a year salaried, ₹15 lakh ITR | ₹1.5 lakh a month, ₹18 lakh ITR | ₹2 lakh a month, ₹24 lakh ITR |
Olympus is the odd one out. Axis launched it as the landing card for Citi Prestige holders after the Citi acquisition, and it inherits that card's shape: a high fee mostly returned in vouchers, generous lounge and golf benefits, and a weak earn rate. Atlas and Magnus are earning cards with different curves.
EDGE Miles vs EDGE Reward Points
The single biggest source of confusion in comparing these cards is that Axis runs two currencies with names that sound alike.
EDGE Miles (Atlas, Olympus) are worth ₹1 each on Travel EDGE bookings and can be transferred to airline and hotel partners. Atlas transfers at 1 mile to 2 partner miles, with partners split into Group A (Club Vistara, Singapore KrisFlyer, British Airways Avios) and Group B (Emirates, Turkish, Flying Blue, Etihad), plus Accor, IHG and Marriott on the hotel side, up to 1.5 lakh miles a year. Olympus transfers at 1 mile to 4 partner miles. At a typical ₹0.50 per partner mile that makes an Atlas mile worth about ₹1 either way, and an Olympus mile worth up to ₹2 on a good transfer.
EDGE Reward Points (Magnus, Select, Privilege, Reserve) are worth ₹0.20 each on the EDGE store or as statement credit, and Magnus transfers them at 5 points to 2 partner miles, capped at 5 lakh points a year, for a ₹199 + GST (₹235) fee per transfer. So 12 points per ₹200 on Magnus is ₹2.40 of value per ₹200, which is 1.2%, not the 6% the point count suggests. Above ₹1.5 lakh of spend in a month, the rate steps up to 35 points per ₹200, which is 3.5%, and the travel accelerator pays 60 points per ₹200, or 6%, on up to ₹2 lakh a month.
Once you convert both currencies to rupees, the comparison becomes simple.
Rewards in practice
Ordinary spend spread evenly across the year, no travel routing, valued at ₹1 per EDGE Mile and ₹0.20 per EDGE Reward Point.
| Annual spend | Atlas | Magnus | Olympus |
|---|---|---|---|
| ₹5 lakh (about ₹42,000 a month) | 10,000 miles + 2,500 Silver bonus = ₹12,500 | 30,000 points = ₹6,000 | 5,000 miles = ₹5,000, plus ₹12,500 of renewal vouchers and miles |
| ₹10 lakh (about ₹83,000 a month) | 20,000 miles + 2,500 Gold bonus = ₹22,500 | 60,000 points = ₹12,000 | 10,000 miles = ₹10,000, plus ₹12,500 renewal |
| ₹20 lakh (about ₹1.67 lakh a month) | 40,000 miles + 5,000 Platinum bonus = ₹45,000 | 9,000 points a month on the first ₹1.5 lakh + about 2,900 on the rest = about 1.43 lakh points = ₹28,600 | 20,000 miles = ₹20,000, plus ₹12,500 renewal |
| ₹30 lakh (₹2.5 lakh a month) | 60,000 miles + 5,000 = ₹65,000, fee reversed at ₹25 lakh | 9,000 + 17,500 = 26,500 points a month = 3.18 lakh points = ₹63,600, fee waived at ₹25 lakh | 30,000 miles = ₹30,000, plus ₹12,500 renewal |
Two things follow. On ordinary spend Atlas earns more than Magnus at every level up to about ₹2.5 lakh a month, and its fee is a third of Magnus's. And Olympus never catches either on earning; its case rests entirely on the renewal vouchers, lounges and golf.
Route travel bookings through the cards and the picture shifts. ₹2 lakh a month of flights and hotels on Magnus earns 60,000 points, or ₹12,000, in that month alone; the same spend on Atlas earns 10,000 miles, or ₹10,000. Magnus's travel accelerator is the one place where its points out-earn Atlas's miles.
Lounges, forex and the benefits that are not points
Lounge access. Magnus and Olympus both offer unlimited domestic visits, with Magnus requiring ₹50,000 of spend in the previous quarter. Internationally Magnus is unlimited through Priority Pass with 4 guest visits a year; Olympus is capped at 32 visits but adds 20 guest visits, which suits people who travel with family. Atlas's access depends on the tier you earn: Silver (₹3 lakh of annual spend) gives 8 domestic and 4 international, Gold (₹7.5 lakh) gives 12 and 6, Platinum (₹15 lakh) gives 18 and 12.
Forex. Magnus and Olympus charge 2%; Atlas charges 3.5%. On ₹5 lakh of international spend a year that is ₹7,500 more on Atlas, which is more than its annual fee. If a meaningful share of your spend is abroad, Atlas is the wrong card despite its earn rate.
Golf and hotel vouchers. Only Olympus has them: 32 rounds a year, 50% off the next 32, and ₹10,000 of Taj and ITC vouchers on every renewal. For someone who plays golf or stays at Taj hotels twice a year, that is ₹20,000 or more of value before any points.
Who should get it
Get Atlas if:
- Your spend is mostly domestic and between ₹3 lakh and ₹25 lakh a year.
- You book flights and hotels yourself and want miles that transfer to Singapore Airlines, British Airways, Emirates or Marriott.
- You want the lowest fee of the three and are content with tiered rather than unlimited lounges.
Get Magnus if:
- You spend ₹2 lakh or more every month, so the 35-point tier is doing the earning.
- You want unlimited lounges, a 2% forex markup and a welcome voucher that returns the fee in year one.
- You can live with the exclusion list, which the Magnus guide covers in detail.
Get Olympus if:
- You want a Citi Prestige style benefits card: hotel vouchers, golf, lounges with guests.
- You will use the ₹10,000 of Taj or ITC vouchers every year, because without them the fee is not covered.
Skip all three if:
- Your spend is heavy on rent, utilities, wallet loads, fuel or insurance. Axis excludes or caps these on every card here.
- You spend under ₹3 lakh a year on cards; the Airtel or ACE card will out-earn any of these once the fee is counted.
Break-even
Break-even is the annual spend at which the value returned (points at the valuations above, plus renewal benefits) equals the GST-inclusive fee. Year one on Magnus and Olympus is easier because of the welcome benefit; the table shows the steady state.
| Card | Fee after GST | Renewal benefit counted | Break-even spend on ordinary purchases | Break-even with ₹1 lakh a month of travel bookings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atlas | ₹5,900 | 2,500 Silver miles at ₹3 lakh | About ₹1.7 lakh (₹3,400 in miles + ₹2,500 bonus); the Silver bonus needs ₹3 lakh | About ₹1.2 lakh, since travel earns 5% |
| Magnus | ₹14,750 | None | About ₹12.3 lakh at 1.2%; falls to about ₹8 lakh if some months cross ₹1.5 lakh | About ₹2.5 lakh, since travel earns 6% |
| Olympus | ₹23,600 | ₹10,000 vouchers + 2,500 miles = ₹12,500 | ₹11.1 lakh to cover the remaining ₹11,100 at 1% | Same; no travel accelerator |
Atlas breaks even at spend most applicants already have. Magnus needs either heavy travel routing or ₹2 lakh months. Olympus needs you to use the vouchers; if you would not otherwise stay at a Taj or ITC, treat its effective fee as the full ₹23,600.
Common questions
Is Olympus better than Magnus? For lounges with guests, golf and hotel vouchers, yes. For earning, no; Magnus out-earns it at every spend level.
Is Atlas better than Magnus? On ordinary spend under ₹2.5 lakh a month, yes, and at a third of the fee. Magnus wins on travel bookings, unlimited lounges and forex.
EDGE Miles or Reward Points? Miles are worth about ₹1, points about ₹0.20. Atlas and Olympus earn miles; Magnus earns points.
Best lounge access? Olympus for guests (20 international guest visits), Magnus for unlimited use, Atlas only at Platinum tier.
Income needed? ₹12 lakh a year for Atlas, ₹1.5 lakh a month for Magnus, ₹2 lakh a month for Olympus.
Next steps
- Axis Bank Atlas
- Axis Bank Magnus
- Axis Bank Olympus
- All Axis Bank cards ranked
- Axis Bank credit card hierarchy
Last verified: 2026-09-17 against https://www.axis.bank.in/cards/credit-card/axis-bank-atlas-credit-card and https://www.axis.bank.in/cards/credit-card/axis-bank-magnus-credit-card; Olympus against the Axis Olympus terms and revision FAQ as last read on 2026-02-24.