AU Bank vs American Express: Cheap RuPay Cashback Against a Points Ecosystem
14 October 2026 · BestCard Editorial Team
These two issuers sit at opposite ends of the fee scale. AU's cheapest card is free and its priciest mainstream card is under ₹10,000 a year. Amex starts at about ₹500 and climbs to a ₹66,000 charge card and a ₹700,000 joining fee at the Centurion. The question is what you get for the extra money.
Entry-level cost
The AU LIT is lifetime-free on RuPay with 5% on dining and online shopping (₹500 monthly cap each). The Altura costs ₹199, waived at ₹40,000. Amex's SmartEarn costs ₹495, waived at ₹40,000, with 10X points on Zomato, Flipkart, Uber and similar apps, but capped at 500 points a month in each category. Read the SmartEarn review. AU wins on cost; Amex wins only if you shop on those named apps.
Forex
AU's Zenith and Altura charge 3.49%, but Zenith Plus, ixigo and NOMO are at 0.99% or lower, and the ixigo card is 0% and lifetime-free. Amex charges 3.5% on Membership Rewards, Platinum Travel, Reserve and Charge, falling to 2% only on the Centurion. AU leads clearly on foreign spend.
Lounge access
AU's Zenith Plus lists 16 international and 16 domestic lounge visits a year, and the base Zenith gives 2 of each per quarter. Amex Platinum Travel costs ₹5,000, includes a Priority Pass membership and up to 8 spend-gated domestic visits a year; the review covers the conditions. For numbers of visits per rupee, AU leads.
Rewards currency
Amex's Membership Rewards earns 1 point per ₹50, points do not expire, and they move to airline and hotel partners. The card costs ₹4,500 a year plus a ₹1,000 joining fee, waived at ₹1.5 lakh of spend. AU's rewards are mostly cashback or card-specific points, and CheQ's up-to-12% rate on online shopping and utilities comes in CheQ's own points. If you want optionality, Amex is better; if you want simple money back, AU.
Premium and charge cards
AU's top card is Zenith Plus, with an income requirement of ₹80,000 a month. Amex's Platinum Reserve costs ₹10,000 with its fee waived only at ₹10 lakh, and the Platinum Charge costs ₹66,000 for unlimited lounge access. AU has nothing at that tier. If you want a charge card, Amex is the only option here.
Verdict
For a first card or a UPI-heavy household, AU. For occasional flyers who want lounge access cheaply, AU Zenith. For a points optimiser who values transfers, Amex Membership Rewards. For a premium charge card, Amex.
Related guides
Read the AU Bank credit cards guide and the Amex credit cards guide. For a closer look at Amex's range, see best Amex credit cards in India.
Related reading
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