Axis Bank Reserve Credit Card: Best for Premium Travel Benefits

• 4 complimentary airport transfers 
• 8 free VIP Assistance Services for check-in, security check, immigration processes and porter services
• Priority Pass membership with free unlimited international lounge visits for both primary and add-on cardholders, along with 12 free visits for guests
• Free unlimited domestic lounge visits for both primary and add-on cardholders, along with 12 free visits for guests

The lounge access benefit on Axis Reserve Credit Card is possibly the best in the market. Other super-premium cards like HDFC Infinia and Axis Magnus also offer unlimited complimentary access but the former does not offer free guest visits and the latter does not offer free visits for add-on members. On the other hand, Axis Reserve serves add-on members as well as a certain number of guests in a year, making it an excellent feature for the card.

Hotel Benefits

• 15,000 Edge Reward Points on card activation
• 15 Edge Reward Points for every Rs. 200 spent
• 30 Edge Reward Points for every Rs. 200 spent internationally

Note: Insurance, Fuel, Gold/Jewellery, Wallet, Govt. Institutions & Utility spends will not be considered for earning Edge Reward Points and annual fee waiver calculation.

Despite two rounds of devaluation, Axis Reserve still offers the highest reward-earning rate among all super-premium cards. The card offers a base reward earning rate of 7.5% across domestic spends, offering 15 points per Rs. 200 and 2X rewards on international spends.

Let’s say you spend Rs. 15,000 on the base categories (shopping, travel, utility bills, dining, etc.) on this card you would earn 1,125 reward points.

Reward Points Redemption

Cardholders can redeem accumulated reward points against vouchers of multiple brands through the EDGE rewards portal. Cardholders can also ‘Pay with Points’ at a redemption value of 1 Edge Reward Point = Re. 0.20. This redemption value may vary across brands and vouchers.

Besides the reward catalogue, cardholders can convert the Edge Reward Points into Air Miles or Hotel Loyalty Points, at a 5:2 ratio. For 50,000 EDGE Reward Points on this card, you can get 20,000 Air Miles – a substantial value-back.

Currently, cardholders can redeem a total of 5,00,000 reward points in a year against partnered airlines and hotel loyalty programs. However, the miles transfer program partners are divided into Group A and Group B.

While the total capping on the rewards redemption as air miles or hotel points remains the same at 5 Lakh points, cardholders will be able to transfer a maximum of 1 Lakh points to Group A partners and a maximum of 4 Lakh points to Group B partners in a calendar year. Here is the group-wise list of Miles Transfer partners:

The point-to-mile conversion ratio of 5:4 made this card a valuable option for frequent travellers. However, in Sep 2023, the bank reduced the conversion ratio to 5:2. While cardholders could previously earn 40,000 air miles against 50,000 points, they can only earn 20,000 air miles after the devaluation, with a maximum capping of 5,00,000 points in a year.

Additionally, with the division of miles transfer program partners into Group A and Group B with redemption capping of 1,00,000 and 4,00,000 points, respectively, it would become challenging for brand loyalists of an airline or hotel to maximize the benefits of this card. For instance, people who prefer to fly through Singapore Airlines and stay at Marriott may have to compromise on their preferences.

Also, other than the Miles Transfer Program, Edge Reward Points on Axis Reserve do not have the best redemption value (as one would usually expect from a super-premium card, considering the high fee and overall proposition of Axis Reserve).

On HDFC Infinia, for example, purchases via their SmartBuy Platform would give Rs. 0.50 for 1 RP, and on certain brands like Apple and Tanishq, cardholders would get Rs. 1 for 1 RP. On the other hand, Axis Reserve credit cardholders will be able to redeem their rewards on the Axis EDGE Platform, just like any other Axis credit card, with redemption values going as low as Rs. 0.20 for 1 Edge Reward Point, in some cases.

Note: To avail the old redemption ratio of 5:4, cardholders would have to open and maintain a burgundy private account (with a minimum TRV of Rs. 5 Crore) and take a burgundy private credit card.

Here is a comparison of the reward earning and redemption of Axis Reserve with other premium cards like HDFC Infinia or DC Black that charge a comparatively lower annual fee but offer better redemption value:

The reward earning rate of Reserve is clearly better than that of both DC Black and Infinia. But as a super-premium card that comes with an annual fee of Rs. 50,000, Reserve’s point-to-mile conversion ratio of 5:2 is quite low. In contrast, HDFC Infinia and DC Black offer a 1:1 point-to-mile redemption ratio with an annual fee of only up to Rs. 12,500. In terms of air miles, Infinia and DC Black have a clear upper hand over Reserve, especially considering the Reserve’s high annual fees.

Dining and Movies

EazyDiner Prime Membership: Up to 25% off across premium restaurants.

BookMyShow Offer: The following benefits are provided:

• Buy 1 Get 1 free movie ticket, up to Rs. 500 off on 2nd, offer can be availed 5 times a month
• Buy 1 Get 1 free non-movie ticket and get up to Rs. 1,000 off on the 2nd, offer can be availed 5 times a month

Health and Wellness

Weljii Offer: 1st information session free and 25% off on all health and wellness coaching plans.

Medical Benenfits: Access the following services:

• Referral-based services for 2nd medical opinion from the world’s best specialists at reputed international hospitals
• Diagnoses at leading medical institutions like Dr. Lal Pathlabs, Metropolis and SRL Diagnostics
• Global travel and medical assistance for international travels

Insurance

* Credit Shield covers the outstanding amount in the event of the death of the primary cardholder.

Other Premium Benefits

Golf Benefits: 50 free golf rounds every year across select golf courses in India.

Financial Benefits:

• Low forex markup fee of 1.5%
• No cash withdrawal charges
• 1% fuel surcharge waiver on purchases between Rs. 400 to Rs. 4,000, capped at Rs. 400 per month
• Reduced finance charge of 2.5% on extended credit

Since Axis Reserve has an excellent reward rate of 7.5%, cardholders who utilize the rewards program smartly can easily make the most of their credit card. Moreover, the value of its non-spend based benefits itself can surpass the fee charged, if maximised by the consumer.

Below is an example showing how much one can save with the card, based on the following assumptions:

• Cardholders makes domestic spends of Rs. 75,000 per month and redeems against Air Miles in 5:2 ratio
• Cardholder avails 12 domestic and 12 international lounge visits in a year
• Cardholders avails 30 complimentary golf games in a year
• Cardholders maximizes the airport meet and greet service (4-times)

On making average spends of Rs. 75,000 in a year and maximizing the most valuable travel and lifestyle benefits, users can easily save an amount that surpasses the annual fee of Rs. 50,000.

Axis Reserve is an all-round super-premium card that covers almost every category of spending, from basic to luxurious. Cardholders not only save on their travel expenses in the form of free lounge visits and mile transfers, but they can also avail other premium benefits like luxury airport services. Complimentary memberships to premium hotel loyalty programs, complimentary golf games, free movie tickets, and dining benefits add to the card’s extensive list of benefits. Despite being a super premium card, one of the major drawbacks of this card is its low point-to-mile conversion ratio of 5:2, considering the card’s annual fee. Furthermore, devaluations like removal of renewal benefits, exclusion of day-to-day categories from rewards program has reduced the overall value of this card.

Consider Axis Reserve if:

• You are looking for premium benefits
• You are a frequent traveller and would like to save on lounge visits, flights, etc.
• You prefer to redeem accumulated reward points against air miles or hotel loyalty points
• You want luxury add-ons like golf benefit, airport concierge and more
• You would be able to reach the annual spending threshold of Rs. 35 Lakh to get the annual fee waiver
• And you do not mind paying a high annual fee

Consider other options if:

• You want to earn accelerated benefits on a specific category
• You are not ready to pay a high annual fee of Rs. 50,000
• You are looking for a credit card that allows reward points redemption across multiple categories
• You are not inclined towards Group B travel partners for reward points redemption
• You frequently make day-to-day spends like fuel or utility bills through credit cards