Card Comparison: Axis ACE Credit Card Vs. Amazon Pay ICICI Credit Card

Being among the popular cashback credit cards, Axis ACE and Amazon ICICI, both reward you with decent cashback on your expenses. However, being a co-branded credit card, Amazon Pay ICICI offers higher cashback on your expenses at Amazon. Here are the details regarding both credit cards:

Axis Bank ACE Credit Card:

• 5% cashback on bill payment (electricity, internet, gas & more), DTH recharge, and mobile recharge initiated via Google Pay
• 4% cashback on Swiggy, Ola and Zomato
• 2% cashback on all other spends
• No upper limit or maximum cashback earned

Note: You cannot earn cashback on fuel spends, EMI transactions, wallet loading transactions, cash advances, payment of outstanding balances, payment of card fees & other card charges, jewellery purchases and insurance premium payments.

Click here for the detailed terms and conditions.

Amazon Pay ICICI Bank Credit Card:

• 5% cashback on spends at Amazon for Prime members
• 3% cashback on spends at Amazon for non-prime members
• 2% cashback on transactions made for partnered merchants via Amazon Pay
• 1% cashback on all other spends, such as shopping, dining, insurance payments & more

Which one is better?

Both credit cards offer decent cashback on your transactions at partner merchants and on spends across other categories. However, Axis ACE has an upper hand as compared to Amazon Pay ICICI. This is majorly because of two reasons:

• The card offers 5% cashback on your spends at Google Pay, whereas, Amazon Pay ICICI offers 5% cashback on your spends at Amazon if you are a Prime member. This is acceptable if Amazon Pay ICICI comes with a complimentary Prime membership (worth Rs. 1,499) because in order to avail decent cashback, you have to be a Prime member. Otherwise, you will earn only 3% cashback on your Amazon spends, which is quite low considering it is a partnered brand.
• The second thing is that Axis ACE offers 2% cashback on all other transactions, whether it’s dining or shopping. On the contrary, Amazon Pay ICICI offers 1% cashback on your transactions at other categories.

Hence, comparing the overall cashback benefits, Axis ACE Credit Card is a clear winner as it comes with a better base rate as compared to the Amazon Pay ICICI. If you are looking for a card that offers a good cashback value, then you should apply for Axis ACE Credit Card. Besides this, if you frequently shop via Amazon and are looking for a card that offers benefits on your Amazon spends, then you can definitely go for Amazon Pay ICICI Bank Credit Card.

Axis Bank ACE Credit Card offers 4 complimentary lounge visits in a year to selected airport lounges within the country. On the other hand, no lounge access is offered on Amazon Pay ICICI Credit Card. However, you must note that Axis ACE comes with an annual fee of Rs. 499 and Amazon Pay ICICI do not charge any fees. Usually, cards with a low annual fee do not provide lounge access, hence, this is one of the major benefits provided with Axis ACE.

Which one is better?

It is clear that Axis ACE is a step ahead if we look at the lounge access. However, lifetime free credit cards usually don’t offer lounge benefits to their users. So, it may be a fair deal for Amazon Pay ICICI users as they don’t have to pay any fee for availing the credit card. On the other hand, Axis ACE offers 4 complimentary domestic lounge access in a year with an annual fee of Rs. 499. Overall, if you frequently travel and your goal is to earn lounge access, then you can apply for Axis ACE. Otherwise, considering the fees and charges, Amazon Pay ICICI is also a good option if your goal is not to earn lounge access.

Apart from cashback and lounge benefits, there are other benefits provided by both of these credit cards. Below mentioned are some of the similar benefits:

Comparing the benefits listed in the above table, both cards offer a similar waiver on your fuel transactions. However, if we look at the dining, then the maximum discount you can avail with Axis ACE is 20%, whereas, Amazon Pay ICICI offers a minimum of 15% discount on dining. As a result, an additional 5% discount makes Amazon Pay ICICI a better option for dining. In the case of EMI transactions, Axis ACE has fewer restrictions as you can convert any transaction of Rs. 2,500 and above into EMI. On the contrary, Amazon Pay ICICI lets you convert only your Amazon purchases into EMIs for 3 or 6 months. Hence, Axis ACE would be a better option if you want to convert your purchases into EMIs.

Also read: Best Entry-level Credit Cards

Undoubtedly, both of these cashback credit cards offer decent cashback value on your expenses. However, the choice between the two of them totally depends on your spending behaviour and lifestyle. You should always choose a credit card that fits your lifestyle the best. Here are the factors which you can consider while selecting a right option between these two:

Consider applying for Axis ACE if:

• You want to earn cashback
• You often make bill payments & recharges via Google Pay
• You are ready to pay an annual fee
• You want to earn lounge access
• You frequently use Swiggy, Zomato & Ola
• You can spend Rs. 2 lakh in a year

Consider applying for Amazon Pay ICICI if:

• You are a frequent Amazon shopper
• You are an Amazon Prime member
• You are looking for a lifetime free credit card
• You are new to credit and want to build your credit history

To sum up, we can say that both Axis ACE and Amazon Pay ICICI are good credit cards at the individual level. Both cards offer a good cashback value on your transactions at associated merchants. However, the extent of benefits is better in Axis ACE as compared to Amazon Pay ICICI because it comes with joining and annual charges.

While comparing both credit cards, it is clear that Axis ACE comes as an all-rounder credit card that offers decent cashback on your transactions. On the other hand, Amazon Pay ICICI only rewards you with additional privileges if you are a Prime member. Also, it does not offer any benefits across travel, entertainment, lifestyle and other categories. Therefore, Axis ACE Credit Card would be a better option if your goal is to earn decent cashback on your purchases. However, considering that you are an Amazon Prime member, then choosing Amazon Pay ICICI Bank Credit Card would make more sense. In the end, the selection between these two credit cards totally depends on your favourable choice and spending pattern.

Suggested read: Axis ACE Credit Card Review | Amazon Pay ICICI Credit Card Review | Axis ACE Credit Card Vs Flipkart Axis Credit Card | Flipkart Axis Credit Card Vs Amazon Pay ICICI Credit Card