Axis Bank Reserve Credit Card
Travel
Lounge Access
Reward Points
1st Year Fee: ₹50,000* Plus Applicable Taxes
Travel
Low foreign currency markup fee of 1.5%
Lounge Access
Unlimited access in India and abroad
Rewards
15 EDGE rewards for every Rs. 200 spent
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About Axis Bank Reserve Credit Card
Axis Bank Reserve credit card is one of the best super-premium credit cards in India. Most features on the card are travel-focused, largely catering to the premium travel needs of high-income individuals. Despite two rounds of devaluation, the card continues to stand strong on the travel grounds with benefits like unlimited lounge access, premium hotel memberships (Club ITC Culinaire, Accorplus and Club Marriott), low forex mark-up fee of 1.5%, concierge service, etc.
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.
Having said that, 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. But it 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.
Read on to know more on this card.
Note: This card is not available on Paisabazaar. Content on this page is for information purposes only. To express interest in this card, please visit Axis Bank’s website.
Travel Benefits
- 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
- Unlimited domestic lounge visits for both primary and add-on cardholders, along with 12 free visits for guests
- Low forex markup fee of 1.5%
- ITC Culinaire Membership: Free 3rd night stay, 50% off on published room tariff for suites on weekends, 25% Green Points on Food & Beverage spends, 10 certificates and other benefits
- Accorplus Membership: 1-night free stay at all Asia Pacific region, free room upgrades, up to 50% off on dining, free lunch buffet for 2 across all Accor hotels in India
Rewards Structure and Other Lifestyle Privileges
- Rewards Program1:
- 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: Card users can redeem rewards for travel bookings with selected partners via conversion to airmiles/hotel loyalty points.2 Click here to check the list of partners.
- Golf Benefits: 50 free golf rounds every year across select golf courses in India.
- 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
Axis Bank Reserve Credit Card: Fees & Charges
| Fee Type | Amount | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joining Fee | Rs. 50,000+ Applicable Taxes | ||||||||||
| Annual Fee | Rs. 50,000 (Waived off on spending Rs. 35 Lakh in the previous year)+ Applicable Taxes | ||||||||||
| Finance Charges | 3.0% per month | 42.58% per annum | ||||||||||
| Cash Withdrawal Fee | Waived | ||||||||||
| Late Payment Charges |
|
Things to Know Before you apply
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 redemption 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 fee waiver condition
Consider other options if:
You are looking for redemption across multiple categories
You are not inclined towards Group B travel partners for bookings
You frequently make day-to-day spends like fuel or utility bills
Paisabazaar Review
What do we like about this card?
There are 3 primary reasons to love Axis Reserve. (i) Premium travel perks like free airport transfers, unlimited international lounge visits, and 12 free visits for guests (ii) A reward rate of 3% on domestic spends and 6% on international spends (iii) 50 free golf rounds every year across select courses (there are few cards like HDFC Infinia that can match this).
Pros
- Unlimited lounge visits
- Complimentary memberships of premium hotels
- Low forex mark-up fee of 1.5%
- No cash withdrawal charges
Cons
- Very high annual fee of Rs. 50,000
- High annual fee waiver criteria
- Low reward redemption rate
- Division of partners in Miles Transfer Program
- Exclusions of some everyday spend types from rewards program
Conclusion
The card comes with a hefty annual fee of Rs 50,000, and there are a couple of factors that would disappoint users due to the devaluations. For a super-premium card, the point-to-mile conversion ratio of 5:2 is low. Cards like HDFC Infinia and HDFC Diners Club Black charge a much lower annual fee but provide a better redemption value of 1:1. The division of partners in the miles transfer program would affect users who are loyal to an airline or hotel group falling under a specific group. However, Axis Reserve’s reward rate is still good at 15 points per Rs. 200, along with offering twice the earnings on international spends. Overall, the card still holds good value for high spenders who also travel often, as they can accumulate enough points and redeem them to get travel benefits.
Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know about this credit card
For complimentary concierge service on the card, contact 1800 103 4962.
No. The card excludes reward earning on utility spends. Some other excluded transactions are spends on insurance, fuel, gold/jewellery, wallet and Govt. institutions.
One can retain the old redemption ratio of 5:4 by opening and maintaining a burgundy private account (with a minimum TRV of Rs. 5 Crore) and opting for a Burgundy Private Credit Card.
You can avail 25% off up to Rs. 800 at participating restaurants with the complimentary EazyDiner membership.
Yes, a transaction fee of 1% is applicable on paying rent using this card. This is capped at Rs. 1,500 per transaction.
Footnotes
- Insurance, Fuel, Gold/Jewellery, Wallet, Govt. Institutions & Utility spends will not be considered for earning Edge Reward Points and annual fee waiver calculation.
- Partners under the Miles Transfer Program are divided in Group A & B with a redemption capping of maximum 5 Lakh points per year- maximum 1 Lakh points to Group A partners and 4 Lakh to Group B partners.
- Credit Shield covers the outstanding amount in the event of the death of the primary cardholder.
- Additional Rs. 100 on missing payment of Minimum Amount Due by the due date for two consecutive cycles.
Click here to know More Terms and Conditions
Megha Khanna
Megha is an experienced writer with a specialization in credit cards and personal finance. With a keen eye for detail and a passion for helping readers make informed financial choices, she creates engaging content that demystifies the complexities of credit cards, from rewards and benefits to interest rates and fees.
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