The Axis Ace Credit Card is one of India’s most popular cashback cards, and for good reason. It pays 5% on bills and recharges paid through Google Pay, 4% on Swiggy, Zomato and Ola, and a solid 1.5% on everything else. The fee is only ₹499 + GST, and it is easy to get it reversed.
How the cashback works
| Where you spend | Cashback | Cap |
|---|---|---|
| Electricity, internet, gas, DTH and mobile recharges via Google Pay | 5% | ₹500 per statement cycle (shared) |
| Swiggy, Zomato, Ola | 4% | ₹500 per statement cycle (shared) |
| All other eligible spends | 1.5% |
Good to know: the 5% and 4% categories share a single ₹500 cap per statement cycle. Once you hit it, those spends fall back to the standard rate on eligible transactions. The 1.5% rate excludes some categories, so check the current list on Axis Bank’s site.
What you would actually earn
Say you pay ₹4,000 of bills through Google Pay (₹200 back), spend ₹4,000 on Swiggy, Zomato and Ola (₹160 back) and put ₹20,000 on other shopping (₹300 back). That is about ₹660 a month, or roughly ₹7,900 a year. At ₹28,000 a month you also clear the ₹2 lakh needed to waive the annual fee.
Compare that with a typical rewards card earning 1% or less on bills: on ₹4,000 a month of utility payments, Ace returns about ₹2,400 a year from bills alone, more than the card’s fee several times over.
The ₹500 cap is reached at roughly ₹10,000 of bill payments a month, so most households stay well within it.
Fees and charges
| Joining fee | ₹499 + GST |
|---|---|
| Annual fee | ₹499 + GST |
| Joining fee reversal | Spend ₹10,000 in the first 45 days |
| Annual fee waiver | Spend more than ₹2,00,000 in a year |
| Fuel surcharge | 1% waiver on ₹400–₹4,000 transactions, up to ₹500 |
Other benefits
- 4 complimentary lounge visits per calendar year at select domestic airports.
- Cashback is credited to your card account, so there are no points to track or redeem.
Eligibility
| Age | 21 to 65 years |
|---|---|
| Employment | Salaried or self-employed |
| Income (salaried) | ₹25,000 a month or more |
| Income (self-employed) | ITR above ₹3.6 lakh a year |
| Credit score | 736 or above |
| First credit card? | Not allowed |
Documents you will need
- Identity: PAN card (or Form 60)
- Address: Aadhaar, passport or a recent utility bill
- Income: latest salary slips or bank statements
- Photo: a recent passport-size photograph
How to apply
- Tap Apply on Axis Bank site on this page to open the official application form.
- Fill in the form in one go, using the mobile number linked to your Aadhaar.
- If your home and office are 150 km or more apart, choose your residence as the mailing address to avoid rejection.
- Complete video KYC when prompted, from your current address.
- Once the card arrives, make a first transaction (₹100 or more) within 30 days to activate it.
Who should get it, and who shouldn’t
Get it if you pay household bills on Google Pay, order food or book Ola rides regularly, and want a strong 1.5% on everything else.
Skip it if this would be your first credit card, as Axis does not accept new-to-credit applicants, or if your spending is mainly on big e-commerce sites, where a dedicated shopping card earns more.
