SBI AURUM vs Axis Magnus 2026: Which Super-Premium Card?

SBI Card AURUM and Axis Magnus are both Visa super-premium cards with fees near ₹10,000, and both ask for serious income. Magnus is a points machine for people who transfer to travel partners. AURUM pays little on spend but wraps unlimited international lounges, movie tickets and paid memberships around the card. Which wins depends on whether you value earning or perks, and on whether you can even get AURUM, since most applicants need an invite.

Side-by-side comparison

Feature	SBI AURUM	Axis Magnus
Network	Visa	Visa
Joining fee	₹9,999	₹12,500
Annual fee	₹9,999	₹12,500
Fee waiver spend	₹12,00,000/year	₹25,00,000/year
Base reward rate	1%	2.4% on airline transfers (12 points per ₹200)
Cash redemption value	25 paise a point	20 paise a point (about 1.2%)
Travel bonus	1% on dining and travel	12% on Travel EDGE bookings
Forex markup	1.99%	2%
Domestic lounge	4 visits per quarter	Unlimited
International lounge	Unlimited at 1,000+ lounges	Unlimited via Priority Pass, plus 4 guest visits a year
Welcome benefit	40,000 points (about ₹10,000)	₹12,500 voucher
Min monthly income	₹3,30,000	₹2,00,000

Figures are from BestCard's card data, last checked on 24 October 2026. Our data notes that from 28 August 2026 Priority Pass no longer works at domestic lounges in India, and Magnus holders use the card itself with a boarding pass there.

How the rewards actually work

SBI AURUM

SBI Card AURUM earns 1% as its base rate, with dining and travel also listed at 1%. Points are worth 25 paise in our data. Redeeming for statement credit, vouchers or products costs ₹99 plus taxes per request, charged once per batch. The card is not about earning. Its value sits in the benefits: unlimited international lounge access, 4 BookMyShow tickets worth ₹1,000 each every month, a one-year Club Marriott membership, Wall Street Journal and Mint digital subscriptions, and an Inflection Point Ventures membership valued at about ₹29,382.

Axis Magnus

Axis Magnus earns 12 EDGE points per ₹200. Transferred to airline and hotel partners at 5:2, that is about 2.4%. Redeemed for cash or vouchers at 20 paise a point, it is about 1.2%. Bookings through Travel EDGE are listed at an effective 12%. The card needs transfers to deliver: our data says the value collapses if you redeem for cash. Transfers carry no fee.

Worked example 1: ₹2,00,000 a month

Annual spend ₹24 lakh. I use only listed base rates and leave out category bonuses.

SBI AURUM

• 1% × ₹24,00,000 = ₹24,000
• ₹24 lakh clears the ₹12 lakh waiver, so no fee
• Net: ₹24,000

Axis Magnus

• Transferred to partners (2.4%): ₹57,600
• Redeemed for cash (1.2%): ₹28,800
• ₹24 lakh is just short of the ₹25 lakh waiver, so the ₹12,500 fee applies
• Net: ₹45,100 with transfers, ₹16,300 with cash

With transfers Magnus leads by about ₹21,000. With cash redemption AURUM is ahead by about ₹7,700 and also has the lighter fee. A further ₹1 lakh of spend over the year would waive Magnus's fee.

Worked example 2: ₹4,00,000 a month

Annual spend ₹48 lakh. Both fees are waived.

SBI AURUM

• 1% × ₹48,00,000 = ₹48,000
• Net: ₹48,000

Axis Magnus

• Transferred (2.4%): ₹1,15,200
• Cash (1.2%): ₹57,600
• Net: ₹1,15,200 with transfers, ₹57,600 with cash

At this level Magnus wins on rewards under either redemption, by ₹67,200 with transfers. AURUM can only catch up if you use its perks. The movie benefit alone is up to ₹48,000 of ticket value a year (4 × ₹1,000 × 12), if you really would watch that many films.

Lounge access and travel

Both cards give unlimited international lounge access. AURUM covers 1,000+ lounges worldwide, and Magnus uses Priority Pass with 4 guest visits a year. Magnus offers unlimited domestic lounge visits as well, while AURUM caps domestic at 4 a quarter, which is 16 a year. Forex markups are 1.99% and 2%, so there is no real difference. Magnus adds golf games and lessons at select courses and ₹4 crore of air accident cover. AURUM adds the Club Marriott membership and subscriptions. For a wider view see our guide to super-premium cards.

Fees and waivers

AURUM is cheaper at ₹9,999 and waived at ₹12 lakh, about ₹1 lakh a month. Magnus costs ₹12,500 and needs ₹25 lakh, about ₹2,08,000 a month, so most Magnus holders pay the fee. In year one its ₹12,500 welcome voucher matches the fee. AURUM's 40,000 welcome points are worth about ₹10,000.

Who should pick which

Choose SBI AURUM if:

• You receive an invite or already hold a high-limit SBI card
• You will use the movie tickets, Club Marriott and IPV membership
• You want a fee you can waive at ₹12 lakh of spend
• You fly internationally often and want 1,000+ lounges

Choose Axis Magnus if:

• You will transfer points to airline or hotel partners
• You spend ₹2 lakh or more a month and can reach ₹25 lakh a year
• You want unlimited lounge visits at home
• You value golf and the ₹4 crore air accident cover

Verdict

For pure rewards, Axis Magnus wins, as long as you transfer points. It stumbles if you redeem for cash and its waiver is out of reach for most. SBI AURUM is the better fit if you will actually use its memberships and can get an invite; otherwise it is an expensive card with a 1% rate.

Read our SBI AURUM review and Axis Magnus review. For more premium matchups see SBI AURUM vs HDFC Infinia and Axis Magnus vs Axis Atlas, or use BestCard's compare tool.