SBI SimplyCLICK vs Axis ACE 2026: Which Starter Card Pays More?

SBI SimplyCLICK and Axis ACE are both ₹499 starter cards, but they reward very different patterns. Axis ACE is the better card for almost everyone: it pays 2% cashback on everyday spends, 4% on online shopping and 5% on bills paid through Google Pay. SBI SimplyCLICK only shines at its list of partner online merchants, where it earns about 2.5%, and drops to about 0.25% everywhere else. SimplyCLICK's advantages are a lower fee-waiver threshold and a ₹500 Amazon voucher on joining.

Side-by-side comparison

Feature	SBI SimplyCLICK	Axis ACE
Network	Mastercard	RuPay
Joining fee	₹499	₹499
Annual fee	₹499	₹499
Fee waiver spend	₹1,00,000/year	₹2,00,000/year
Base reward rate	1 point per ₹100 (about 0.25%)	2% cashback
Online shopping	10X at partner merchants (about 2.5%)	4%
Bill payments	Base rate	5% via Google Pay
Bonus cap	10,000 accelerated points/month	₹500/month combined on 5% and 4%
Reward type	Points, 25 paise each	Cashback
Welcome benefit	₹500 Amazon.in voucher	None listed
Forex markup	3.5%	3.5%
Domestic lounge	None	4 visits/year at select airports
Min monthly income	₹20,000	₹15,000

All figures reflect BestCard's latest card data. Partner lists and cashback rules change often, so check SBI Card's and Axis Bank's current terms before applying.

How the rewards actually work

SBI SimplyCLICK

SBI SimplyCLICK earns 10X reward points at a list of partner online merchants, worth about 2.5% at 25 paise a point. Everywhere else you earn 1 point per ₹100, or about 0.25%. Accelerated points stop at 10,000 a month, which is ₹2,500 of value and needs ₹1 lakh of partner spend to reach. Points are redeemed through SBI's catalogue, so you have to log in and redeem. The partner list changes over time, so check it against where you actually shop.

Axis ACE

Axis ACE pays 5% cashback on bill payments made through Google Pay and 4% on online shopping. Those two bonuses share a ₹500 monthly cap. Every other spend earns a flat 2% with no cap. Cashback is credited automatically as a statement credit, with no redemption fee. Because ACE runs on RuPay, it also works for UPI payments in supported apps.

Worked example 1: ₹20,000 a month

Split: ₹3,000 bills, ₹7,000 online at merchants that are on SimplyCLICK's partner list, ₹10,000 other.

SBI SimplyCLICK

• Partner online: 2.5% × ₹7,000 = ₹175
• Bills and other: 0.25% × ₹13,000 = ₹32.50
• Total: ₹207.50 a month, ₹2,490 a year

Axis ACE

• Bills: 5% × ₹3,000 = ₹150
• Online: 4% × ₹7,000 = ₹280
• Bonus total ₹430, under the ₹500 cap
• Other: 2% × ₹10,000 = ₹200
• Total: ₹630 a month, ₹7,560 a year

At ₹2.4 lakh a year, both fees are waived. ACE earns about ₹5,000 more, and this example assumes all your online spend is at SimplyCLICK partners. If it isn't, the gap widens.

Worked example 2: ₹50,000 a month

Split: ₹5,000 bills, ₹20,000 partner online shopping, ₹25,000 other.

SBI SimplyCLICK

• Partner online: 2.5% × ₹20,000 = ₹500, well under the 10,000-point cap
• Bills and other: 0.25% × ₹30,000 = ₹75
• Total: ₹575 a month, ₹6,900 a year

Axis ACE

• Bills 5% (₹250) + online 4% (₹800) = ₹1,050, capped at ₹500
• Other: 2% × ₹25,000 = ₹500
• If the online spend above the cap earns the 2% base, add roughly ₹275
• Total: ₹1,000 to ₹1,275 a month, ₹12,000 to ₹15,300 a year

ACE still wins by ₹5,100 to ₹8,400 a year, even though it hits its bonus cap. The 2% floor on the ₹25,000 of other spending alone nearly matches SimplyCLICK's total.

Lounge access and travel

Neither is a travel card. Axis ACE lists 4 complimentary domestic lounge visits a year at select airports, unlocked by ₹50,000 of spend in the previous three months, which is a small bonus for a ₹499 card. SimplyCLICK has none. Both charge a 3.5% forex markup, so avoid using either abroad. If you travel, see our best travel credit cards with lounge access.

Redemption: cashback vs points

ACE credits cashback directly to your statement, so there is nothing to track. SimplyCLICK pays in reward points that you redeem through SBI's catalogue, and the value depends on what you pick. Points you forget about are worth nothing, so ACE has the edge for people who want zero admin. Read cashback vs reward points for a fuller comparison.

Fees and waivers

Both cards charge ₹499 to join and ₹499 a year. SimplyCLICK is waived on ₹1 lakh of annual spend, about ₹8,300 a month, while ACE needs ₹2 lakh, about ₹16,700 a month. SimplyCLICK's ₹500 Amazon voucher on joining also covers its first-year fee. If you spend between ₹1 lakh and ₹2 lakh a year, you'll pay ACE's fee but not SimplyCLICK's. Even then, ACE usually earns enough to cover the ₹499.

ACE asks for ₹15,000 a month of income and SimplyCLICK ₹20,000, so both are accessible first cards.

Can you hold both? Yes, and some people do. If a large share of your online shopping happens at a SimplyCLICK partner, ACE's ₹500 bonus cap means extra partner spend earns only 2% on ACE but about 2.5% on SimplyCLICK. In that case, use ACE for bills and everyday spends up to its cap, and move heavy partner shopping to SimplyCLICK. For most people with moderate spend, though, ACE alone covers it.

Who should pick which

Choose SBI SimplyCLICK if:

• Most of your spending is at SBI's current online partner merchants
• You spend between ₹1 lakh and ₹2 lakh a year and want a free card
• You want the ₹500 Amazon voucher on joining

Choose Axis ACE if:

• Your spending is spread across categories, online and offline
• You pay utility bills through Google Pay
• You prefer automatic cashback over points

Verdict

Axis ACE is the better starter card for most people, because its 2% floor beats SimplyCLICK's base rate by a wide margin. SBI SimplyCLICK makes sense only if your online shopping lines up closely with SBI's partner list and you value the easier fee waiver.

For more detail, read our SBI SimplyCLICK review and Axis ACE review, or see how ACE compares in Axis ACE vs HDFC Millennia. Our best cashback credit cards list covers other options, and you can compare both cards on BestCard's compare tool.