Airtel Axis Bank Credit Card Review: 25% on Airtel Bills, With a Catch

The Airtel Axis Bank Credit Card pays 25% cashback on Airtel bills and 10% on other utility bills in the Airtel Thanks app, but since 12 April 2026 those are capped at twice and once the 1% base cashback you earn elsewhere that statement month. The ₹500 fee plus GST is waived on ₹2,00,000 of yearly spends, and the RuPay card works on UPI.

By Ramesh Kulkarni · Content Writer Updated 5 November 2026 Reviewed by BankCreds Financial Experts

Key facts

Joining fee: ₹500 + GST
Annual fee: ₹500 + GST. Annual fee (2nd year onward) waived on spends of INR 2,00,000 in the preceding card anniversary year; rent, wallet loads and gift cards do not count.
Base reward: 1% base cashback on all other eligible spends, no cap (about 1% value)
Best category: Airtel mobile, broadband, Wi-Fi and DTH bill payments via the Airtel Thanks app: about 25% value
Lounge: Domestic: None (4 complimentary domestic lounge visits discontinued from 12 April 2026) International: None
Forex markup: 3.5% of the amount
Network: RuPay

Apply on Axis Bank's site

Opens the bank's own page for this card. Approval and the credit limit are the bank's decision.

In short

Still useful for Airtel households, but only if you put enough everyday spending on it to lift the base cashback that now sets the Airtel caps.

Best for

Families paying Airtel mobile, broadband and DTH bills in Airtel Thanks
People who also put regular shopping on the card every month
RuPay users who want a credit card on UPI

Skip it if

You want a bills-only card; with no base spend the Airtel cashback is zero
You want lounge access, which ended on 12 April 2026

Highlights

Fee ₹500 plus GST, waived on ₹2,00,000 yearly spend
25% on Airtel bills, capped at 2 times the base cashback
10% on other utilities via Airtel Thanks, capped at the base cashback
RuPay card usable on UPI

What the Airtel Axis card does now

Airtel Axis Bank Credit Card is a co-brand cashback card from Axis Bank and Airtel, built around bills paid in the Airtel Thanks app. It runs on RuPay, so it links to UPI for merchant payments, and it is active and open for applications. Earlier this card were known for flat 25% back on Airtel bills with a fixed cap. Since 12 April 2026 that cashback depends on what you spend elsewhere on the card, so it rewards daily use, not a bills-only habit.

The two things that matter most

Linked caps. 25% on Airtel mobile, broadband, Wi-Fi and DTH is capped at twice your 1% base cashback for that statement month, and 10% on other utilities in the app at once the base.
No base spend, no Airtel cashback. If nothing goes on the base category, the Airtel bill cashback become zero.

Changes from 2024 to 2026

On 20 April 2024 the caps on the 25% and 10% categories was cut from ₹300 to ₹250 each per statement cycle. From 1 May 2024 lounge visits needed ₹50,000 of spends in 3 months, and on 20 December 2024 interest rose to 3.75% a month from 3.6%. The 12 April 2026 revision brought the linked caps, replaced 10% on Swiggy, Zomato and BigBasket with value back on Zomato, Blinkit and District, and ended the lounge visits. Since 28 August 2026 rupee payments to merchants abroad carry a 3.5% conversion markup instead of 1.5%.

Fees and charges on the Airtel Axis card

You pay a ₹500 joining fee and, from the second year, a ₹500 annual fee, both with GST on top; at 18% each one becomes ₹590. Add-on cards have no joining or annual fee, though replacing an add-on card costs ₹100.

Reaching the waiver

Axis waives the annual fee when the previous card year's spends reach ₹2,00,000, and ₹2,00,000 divided by 12 is about ₹16,667 a month. Rent, wallet loads and gift cards don't count. A household with ₹3,000 of bills and ₹14,000 of shopping on the card spends ₹17,000 a month, or ₹2,04,000 a year, so they just about crosses the line.

Interest and penalties

Revolving a balance cost 3.75% a month, shown by Axis as 55.55% a year. Late fees go in slabs: a total due of ₹8,000 paid late attracts ₹750, and anything over ₹50,000 attracts ₹1,300. Cash from an ATM carries 2.5%, minimum ₹500, plus interest from the first day.

Charges on special payments

Rent: 1% of every payment plus GST, also when paid through UPI on this card.
Utilities: 1% only once they reach ₹25,000 in one statement cycle, so normal Airtel and electricity bills is not affected.
Wallet top-ups and skill-based gaming attract 1% once either reaches ₹10,000 in a cycle, fuel attracts 1% from ₹50,000, and school or college fees paid via third-party apps 1%.
Forex: 3.5% of the amount, the same 3.5% markup on rupee payments to merchants abroad, and ₹175 for paying the bill in cash at a branch.

Airtel Axis: fees and charges

Joining fee	₹500 + GST
Annual or renewal fee	₹500 + GST
Annual fee waiver	Annual fee (2nd year onward) waived on spends of INR 2,00,000 in the preceding card anniversary year; rent, wallet loads and gift cards do not count.
Add-on card fee	Nil
GST	Charged on top of the fees and charges listed
In the bank’s words	Joining fee INR 500; annual fee INR 500 from the 2nd year, waived on INR 2,00,000 annual spends; add-on joining and annual fee waived (add-on card replacement INR 100); GST extra.
Interest on unpaid balances	Up to 3.75% a month (55.55% a year)
Late payment fee	Nil if total payment due is up to INR 500; INR 500 for INR 501 to 5,000; INR 750 for INR 5,001 to 10,000; INR 1,200 for INR 10,001 to 50,000; INR 1,300 if greater than INR 50,000; additional INR 100 if Minimum Amount Due is missed for two consecutive cycles, every cycle until MAD is cleared (MITC; INR 1,300 slab effective 28 Aug 2026)
Cash withdrawal	2.5% of the amount (minimum INR 500); interest at 3.75% per month from the date of withdrawal
Over-limit fee	2.5% of the over-limit amount, minimum INR 500
Forex markup	3.5% of the amount
Other fees	Rent transactions: 1% of each rent transaction (MCC 6513), plus GST Education payments via third-party apps: 1% per transaction (direct payments on the institution's website or POS exempt) Utilities: 1% on cumulative spends of INR 25,000 or more per statement cycle Wallet loads: 1% on cumulative spends of INR 10,000 or more per statement cycle Fuel: 1% on cumulative spends of INR 50,000 or more per statement cycle Online skill-based gaming: 1% on cumulative spends of INR 10,000 or more per statement cycle Foreign currency transaction fee: 3.5% of transaction value Dynamic currency conversion markup: 3.5% (INR transactions at overseas locations or with merchants registered abroad) Cash payment at branch: INR 175 per payment Cheque return / auto-debit reversal / SI or NACH failure: 2% of payment amount, minimum INR 500 Add-on card replacement: INR 100

How the Airtel cashback and caps work

Base cashback is 1% on all other eligible spends, with no cap, and that base sets the limits for both Airtel categories in the same statement month. To collect the full 25% on a ₹1,000 Airtel bill, which is ₹250, your base cashback must be at least ₹125, and for that ₹12,500 of other spends is needed in that month. For 10% on a ₹2,000 electricity bill, ₹200, you need ₹200 of base, or ₹20,000 of other spends. Quite much spending is needed before the headline rate really works.

Zomato and Blinkit need a ₹499 minimum order. The value back goes to the partner's own wallet with no validity limit, usable there only, and these orders earn no Axis cashback.
No cashback on fuel, rent, wallet loads, jewellery, insurance, education, government, gift cards, tolls, EMI, cash, or utility and telecom bills paid outside Airtel Thanks.
Airtel category cashback follow a 60-day credit cycle. Axis states no expiry for cashback and there is no redemption fee.

The welcome gift is a ₹250 Amazon e-voucher on first transaction within 30 days, not on cards issued without a joining fee; no milestone benefit. Fuel earns nothing but gets a 1% fuel surcharge waiver for fills between ₹400 and ₹4,000, capped at ₹500 per statement.

Example 1: light spender, ₹8,700 a month

Airtel postpaid and broadband ₹1,200, electricity through Airtel Thanks ₹1,500 and ₹6,000 of other spends. Base is 1% of ₹6,000, ₹60. The 25% on ₹1,200 would be ₹300 but the cap is twice ₹60, so ₹120, and 10% of ₹1,500 would be ₹150 but stops at ₹60. That is ₹240 a month, ₹2,880 a year. ₹8,700 times 12 is ₹1,04,400, below the waiver, so ₹2,290 is left after ₹590.

Example 2: typical spender, ₹21,000 a month

Airtel bills ₹1,500, electricity ₹2,500, Zomato ₹2,000 in four orders of ₹500, and ₹15,000 of other shopping. Base is ₹150, so 25% of ₹1,500 (₹375) caps at ₹300 and 10% of ₹2,500 (₹250) caps at ₹150. Zomato gives 10%, ₹200, exactly its limit. Monthly that's ₹600 cashback and ₹200 Zomato money, so ₹7,200 plus ₹2,400, or ₹9,600 a year. ₹21,000 times 12 is ₹2,52,000, so the fee get waived from year two.

Example 3: heavy spender, ₹42,500 a month

Airtel bills ₹2,500, utilities ₹4,000, Zomato ₹3,000 and Blinkit ₹3,000 in orders above ₹499, and ₹30,000 elsewhere. Base is ₹300. The 25% would be ₹625 but stops at ₹600, utilities would give ₹400 but stop at ₹300, and each partner's ₹300 is held at ₹200. So ₹1,200 cashback plus ₹400 partner money a month: ₹14,400 plus ₹4,800, ₹19,200 a year. ₹42,500 times 12 is ₹5,10,000, well past the waiver.

Spender	Monthly spend	Axis cashback a year	Partner wallet a year	Annual fee
Light	₹8,700	₹2,880	Nil	₹590 charged
Typical	₹21,000	₹7,200	₹2,400	Waived from year two
Heavy	₹42,500	₹14,400	₹4,800	Waived from year two

Airtel Axis: higher-reward categories

Category	Rate	Cap
Airtel mobile, broadband, Wi-Fi and DTH bill payments via the Airtel Thanks app	25% cashback, about 25% value	Capped at twice the base (1%) cashback earned in the same statement month, statement month
Other utility bills (electricity, gas etc.) via the Airtel Thanks app	10% cashback, about 10% value	Capped at the base (1%) cashback earned in the same statement month, statement month
Zomato, Blinkit and District Movies (preferred partners, online)	10% value back credited to the partner's wallet (no Axis cashback), about 10% value	Maximum INR 200 per partner per month per primary card; minimum order INR 499 on Zomato and Blinkit, month

Airtel Axis: how rewards work

Earned as	cashback
Base rate	1% base cashback on all other eligible spends, no cap; the base cashback also sets the cap for the Airtel categories. About 1% value back
Minimum spend rules	No base-category spend means no 25%/10% Airtel cashback; Zomato and Blinkit value back needs a minimum order of INR 499.
No rewards on	Cash advances / financial institutions Fuel Rent Wallet recharge Jewellery Insurance Education Government services Utility and telecom spends not made on the Airtel Thanks app Gift cards Bridge fees, road fees and tolls EMI transactions and purchases converted to EMI Payment of outstanding balance, fees and charges
Lower rewards on	None published
Value of a point	Statement credit (cashback): Cashback credited to the card statement. Partner wallet value back (Zomato, Blinkit, District Movies): Credited to the partner wallet with no validity period; usable only on that partner's platform.
Redemption fee	None (card page: reward redemption fee 'No')
Expiry	Partner wallet value back has no validity period. Cashback expiry not stated.
Welcome benefits	Amazon e-voucher worth INR 250 on the first transaction within 30 days of issuance (not for cards issued without joining fee)
Milestone benefits	None published
Lounge access	Domestic: None (4 complimentary domestic lounge visits discontinued from 12 April 2026) International: None
Fuel surcharge waiver	1% fuel surcharge waiver at all fuel stations in India on transactions of INR 400 to INR 4,000; maximum INR 500 per statement; GST not refunded; no cashback on fuel
Insurance cover	Not published by the bank

Eligibility and how to apply for Airtel Axis

Axis wants the main cardholder aged 18 to 70 and living in India. No income figure is published for this card. Axis's general card listing mentions ₹15,000 a month as minimum income and say the criteria are indicative only.

The card page sends applicants to the Airtel Thanks app, so the application start there. Keep a PAN card copy, a colour photograph, income proof (latest payslip, bank statement, Form 16 or income tax return) and identity and address proof such as passport, driving licence, voter ID or Aadhaar.

How the decision is made

The RBI's 2025 card Directions require Axis to assess your credit risk from your independent financial means and to set the limit after looking at your other limits. A clean credit record helps; CRIF scores run 300 to 900 and above 700 is generally considered good. If you are turned down, the bank must tell you the specific reasons in writing. Approval rests only with Axis.

Using it on UPI

As a RuPay card it pays merchants on UPI only; transfers to people, cash withdrawal, IPO and mutual fund payments are blocked, and both the card limit and UPI's own limits apply. NPCI says linking cost you nothing, but card fees like the rent fee still apply. For card help, see Axis Bank customer care.

Airtel Axis: eligibility and documents

Age (salaried)	18 to 70 years
Age (self-employed)	18 to 70 years
Income (salaried)	Not stated on the card page
Income (self-employed)	Not stated on the card page
Other conditions	Resident of India. Axis general criteria: minimum income INR 15,000 per month.
Documents	PAN card photocopy Colour photograph Income proof: latest payslip, bank statement, Form 16 or IT return Residence proof: passport, driving licence, voter ID or Aadhaar Identity proof: passport, driving licence, voter ID, Aadhaar or PAN
How to apply	Online through the Axis Bank website application form (choose the card, enter mobile number and PAN or date of birth, check eligibility and offers, verify by OTP), through the Axis Mobile app, or at an Axis Bank branch. FD-backed 'Easy' cards are applied for online by booking an FD (Video KYC for non-customers). Some co-brand cards are applied for through the partner's app (Airtel Thanks app for Airtel Axis; Google Pay for Google Pay Flex; Fibe; Scapia).
Card customer care	1800 4030 / 1800 8911 (toll free; Retail Phone Banking)

These are the bank's published conditions. Meeting them does not guarantee a card: approval and the credit limit are the bank's decision.

Airtel Axis compared with other bill and UPI cashback cards

The HSBC Live+ card pays 10% on dining, food delivery, grocery, shopping and utility spends, capped at ₹1,200 a month, plus 1.5% on most other spends. Its ₹999 fee is reversed above ₹2,00,000 a year, it has 2 domestic lounge visits a year and forex is 1.99%, but it ask ₹6,00,000 of yearly income from salaried applicants.

The Kotak Cashback+ card costs ₹750, waived on ₹2 lakh, and gives 5% on online food delivery, grocery and entertainment and 3% on fuel under a shared ₹750 cap per billing cycle, with 0.5% elsewhere. Utilities are excluded, so it don't help with bills, though its RuPay variant works on UPI.

The ICICI Bank Coral card is a ₹500 RuPay card on UPI giving 2 reward points per ₹100, and 1 point per ₹100 on utilities and insurance. ICICI does not publish a rupee value for those points, which make comparison hard, and its lounge visit needs ₹75,000 of spend in the previous quarter.

Which one to pick

Choose Airtel Axis for big Airtel bills backed by regular card spend, HSBC Live+ for bigger capped cashback on daily categories, and Kotak Cashback+ for food delivery and fuel. Our side-by-side card tool and Axis Bank's full range help narrow it down, and the main credit card guide explains the basics.

Airtel Axis against similar cards

Term	Airtel Axis Bank Credit Card This card	HSBC Live+ Credit Card	Kotak Cashback+ Credit Card	ICICI Bank Coral Credit Card
Bank	Axis Bank	HSBC India	Kotak Mahindra Bank (Kotak)	ICICI Bank
Joining fee	₹500 + GST	₹999 + GST	₹750 + GST	₹500 + GST
Annual fee and waiver	₹500 + GST. Annual fee (2nd year onward) waived on spends of INR 2,00,000 in the preceding card anniversary year; rent, wallet loads and gift cards do not count.	₹999 + GST. Annual fee, including GST, fully reversed if total eligible spend across primary and add-on cards in the anniversary year exceeds Rs 2,00,000	₹750 + GST. Annual fee waived on minimum retail spend of ₹2 lakh in a year	₹500 + GST. Spend over ₹1.5 lakh and get annual fee waived off for the next year (card page); MITC footnote *** says the fee for the year is reversed on anniversary-year completion
Base reward	1% base cashback on all other eligible spends, no cap (about 1% value)	1.5% unlimited cashback on most other spends (exclusions apply) (about 1.5% value)	Unlimited 0.5% cashback on other eligible spends (about 0.5% value)	2 reward points per ₹100 on retail spend
Best category	Airtel mobile, broadband, Wi-Fi and DTH bill payments via the Airtel Thanks app: about 25% value	Dining, food delivery, grocery, shopping and utility spends: about 10% value	Online food delivery and online grocery: about 5% value	No higher-reward category published
Lounges	Domestic: None (4 complimentary domestic lounge visits discontinued from 12 April 2026) International: None	Domestic: 2 complimentary domestic lounge visits a year, limited to 1 visit every 6 months International: 1 complimentary international lounge visit a year (from 1 September 2026)	Not published by the bank	Domestic: 1 domestic airport lounge access per quarter (primary cardholder) on ₹75,000 spend in the preceding quarter; 4 railway lounge accesses a year (1 per quarter) International: None
Forex markup	3.5% of the amount	1.99% of the amount	3.5% of the amount	3.5% of the amount
Network	RuPay	Visa	Visa, RuPay	RuPay
Published minimum income	Not stated on the card page	₹50,000 a month	Not published by the bank	₹20,000 a month
Status	Taking applications	Taking applications	Taking applications	Taking applications

Frequently asked questions

What is the Airtel Axis Bank card's annual fee and how is it waived?

The joining fee and the annual fee are ₹500 each, plus GST, with the annual fee charged from the second year. It is waived if you spent ₹2,00,000 in the preceding card anniversary year, not counting rent, wallet loads or gift cards. Add-on cards are free.

How does the 25% Airtel cashback cap work now?

Since 12 April 2026 the 25% cashback on Airtel bills paid in Airtel Thanks is capped at twice the 1% base cashback you earn on other spends in the same statement month. With ₹10,000 of other spends you earn ₹100 of base, so Airtel cashback stops at ₹200, and with no base spend there is none.

Who can get the Airtel Axis Bank Credit Card and how do I apply?

Axis asks that the primary cardholder be 18 to 70 years old and resident in India. It publishes no income figure for this card, though its general listing mentions ₹15,000 a month for Axis cards. The card page asks you to apply through the Airtel Thanks app. Approval is Axis's decision.

Can I use the Airtel Axis card on UPI and abroad?

Yes on UPI: it is a RuPay card, so you can link it to a UPI app for merchant payments, though transfers to people and cash are blocked. Abroad it is costly, with a 3.5% foreign currency fee, a 3.5% markup on rupee payments to overseas merchants, and GST on top. It has no lounge access.

What changed on the Airtel Axis card on 12 April 2026?

Axis replaced the fixed ₹250 caps on the 25% and 10% Airtel categories with caps linked to the 1% base cashback, at two times and one time. It also swapped 10% cashback on Swiggy, Zomato and BigBasket for 10% value back on Zomato, Blinkit and District Movies, and ended the 4 complimentary domestic lounge visits.

Do Zomato and Blinkit orders earn cashback on this card?

Not Axis cashback. They earn 10% value back credited to the Zomato or Blinkit wallet, up to ₹200 per partner each month per primary card, on orders of ₹499 or more. District Movies works the same way. The credit never expires but can be used only on that partner's platform.

Sources

Axis Bank: Most Important Terms and Conditions (MITC), PDF dated 8 October 2026; Cashback and Value back Terms & Conditions - Airtel Axis Bank Credit Card (effective 12 April 2026); Key Fact Sheet (schedule of charges), last updated 8 October 2026; Airtel Axis Bank Credit Card page; Axis Bank Credit Cards Domestic Airport Lounge Access Program; Axis Bank RuPay Credit Card page (RuPay card list includes Airtel); Axis Bank Contact Us; Axis Bank credit card listing page; Axis Bank Magnus Credit Card page
Business Today: New rules for Axis Bank credit cards valid from December 20

Last verified: 5 November 2026

Written by Ramesh Kulkarni, reviewed by BankCreds Financial Experts

BankCreds does not sell cards or take applications. Fees and rewards change; the bank's own terms on the day you apply are what count, and approval is the bank's decision.