All cards / Axis Bank
Axis ACE
An RuPay entry-level cashback card built around UPI spending — utility bills, DTH and mobile recharges paid through Google Pay earn 5% back (capped monthly), Swiggy, Zomato and Ola earn 4%, and every other swipe still returns a flat 1.5%. At ₹499 joining/annual fee waived on ₹2L yearly spend, it's an easy first cashback card for someone whose spending already runs through UPI.
Annual fee
₹499
Joining fee
₹499
Reward type
cashback
Base reward rate
1.5%
Card network
RuPay
Card tier
Entry
Who this card fits
Best suited to applicants with a credit score of roughly 700+ whose spend is concentrated in utilities, online shopping. Its annual fee waives if you can comfortably clear the spend threshold.
Rewards & benefits
- Rewards rate: 1.5% base rate
- Domestic lounge access: 4 complimentary domestic lounge visits per calendar year at select airports, unlocked by ₹50,000 of spend in the preceding 3 calendar months (waived for the first months after card issuance)
Benefits by category
- 🍽️ Dining & food delivery
4% reward rate
- ✈️ Travel
4% reward rate · 4 complimentary domestic airport lounge visits per calendar year at select airports
- 🧾 Utilities
5% reward rate (capped ₹500/monthly)
- ⛽ Fuel
1% fuel surcharge waiver at fuel stations across India on ₹400–₹4,000 transactions, up to ₹500 per statement
- 🌍 Forex / international spend
3.5% forex markup on international transactions
Eligibility
- Minimum credit score: 700
- Minimum monthly income: ₹15,000
- Employment: salaried, self-employed
- Age: 21–60
Fees & charges
- Spend-based waiver: Waived on annual spend of ₹2,00,000
- Rewards redemption fee: Cashback is credited automatically as statement credit; no redemption fee
- Foreign currency markup: 3.5%
- Interest rate: 43.2% p.a.
- Fuel surcharge waiver: 1% waiver on fuel transactions between ₹400 and ₹4,000; maximum benefit ₹500 per statement
- Cash advance charges: 2.5% of the cash amount withdrawn, minimum ₹500
Benefits
- 5% cashback on utility bill payments, DTH and mobile recharges made via Google Pay (capped at ₹500/month)
- 4% cashback on Swiggy, Zomato and Ola, and 1.5% cashback on all other eligible spends
- 4 complimentary domestic airport lounge visits per calendar year at select airports
- 1% fuel surcharge waiver at fuel stations across India on ₹400–₹4,000 transactions, up to ₹500 per statement
Pros
- + 5% cashback on utility/bill payments, DTH and mobile recharges via Google Pay, uncommon for a card this cheap
- + 4% cashback on Swiggy, Zomato and Ola
- + Unlimited 1.5% base cashback on every other eligible spend
- + Annual fee fully waivable on ₹2L/year spend, roughly ₹16,700/month
- + RuPay network works on UPI apps directly, useful for everyday small-ticket payments
Cons
- − Bonus categories (5% on Google Pay bill payments, 4% on Swiggy/Zomato/Ola) are narrow and capped, so most spend falls back to the 1.5% base rate
- − Lounge access is limited to 4 domestic visits a year, with no insurance or other lifestyle benefits
- − 3.5% forex markup makes it a poor choice for any international spend
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