Axis Bank Horizon Credit Card Review: 5 EDGE Miles per ₹100 on Airlines
The Axis Bank Horizon Credit Card earns 5 EDGE Miles per ₹100 on airline and Travel EDGE spends and 2 on most other spends, and Axis values a mile at ₹1 on Travel EDGE bookings. It costs ₹3,000 plus GST to join and every year, with no spend-based waiver. In return you get up to 8 domestic and 2 international lounge visits a quarter with no spend condition.
Key facts
- Joining fee
- ₹3,000 + GST
- Annual fee
- ₹3,000 + GST. No spend-based annual fee waiver. Nil fees for customers with a Burgundy Savings Account opened on or after 1 July 2026 (one lifetime-free Axis card per Burgundy customer, at the bank's discretion).
- Base reward
- 2 EDGE Miles per INR 100 on other spends (about 2% value)
- Best category
- Axis Bank Travel EDGE portal and airline spends: about 5% value
- Lounge
- Domestic: 8 complimentary visits per calendar quarter (Visa Signature) or 6 per calendar quarter (Mastercard World) International: 2 complimentary visits per calendar quarter (USD 1 authorisation, reversed)
- Forex markup
- 3.5% of the amount
- Network
- Visa, Mastercard
Opens the bank's own page for this card. Approval and the credit limit are the bank's decision.
In short
A strong travel card for people who book flights directly or on Travel EDGE and use lounges often, as long as they accept a fee that no amount of spending removes.
Best for
- Frequent domestic flyers who book on airline websites or Travel EDGE
- Travellers who want lounge access without a spend target
- People happy to redeem miles for travel at ₹1 each
Skip it if
- You want the annual fee waived through spending
- Most of your trips are booked on online travel agencies, which earn 2 miles per ₹100
- You spend a lot abroad and mind a 3.5% forex fee
Highlights
- ₹3,000 plus GST a year, no spend waiver
- 5 EDGE Miles per ₹100 on airlines and Travel EDGE
- 2 EDGE Miles per ₹100 on other eligible spends
- 8 domestic lounge visits a quarter on Visa, 6 on Mastercard
- 5,000 welcome miles on a first spend of ₹1,000 or more
What the Axis Horizon card is
Horizon is Axis Bank's mid-priced travel card, and it is open for new applications. It earn EDGE Miles rather than ordinary reward points, comes on Visa or Mastercard, and the whole design points at people who buy air tickets. Airline and Travel EDGE spends get 5 EDGE Miles per ₹100; almost everything else eligible gets 2.
Axis puts a mile at ₹1 when you redeem on Travel EDGE, so the base works out near 2% and the travel rate near 5%, if the miles go back into travel. That ₹1 figure is the main reason the card is coming in consideration at all.
Three things that decide whether it fits
- Where you book. Travel agents and online travel agencies earn only 2 miles per ₹100, so a flight booked through an aggregator app lose most of the travel benefit.
- The fee stays. It is ₹3,000 plus GST every year and there is no spend-based waiver. Paying nil needs a Burgundy Savings Account opened on or after 1 July 2026, and Axis gives one lifetime-free card per Burgundy customer, at its discretion.
- Lounges without a spend test. 8 domestic visits a calendar quarter on Visa Signature, 6 on Mastercard World, and 2 international a quarter on both, with Axis's usual spend criterion waived.
What changed from 2024 to 2026
From 20 December 2024 interest went from 3.6% to 3.75% a month and 1% fees started on large utility, wallet, fuel and gaming spends. From 1 October 2025 the bank can forfeit unredeemed miles 30 days after closure or when the minimum due stay unpaid for more than 90 days. In 2026 the Burgundy nil fee began on 1 July, and Horizon's revision notice dates the next round to 21 August: the markup on rupee payments abroad went to 3.5% from 1.5% and a ₹1,300 late fee slab arrived for dues above ₹50,000. Cards issued from 1 September 2026 can wait 60 days for welcome miles, where earlier it was 7.
Horizon fees and charges
The joining fee is ₹3,000 and the annual fee is ₹3,000 every year after, both plus GST. Axis's schedule of charges says all its fees are exclusive of GST; at 18% that is ₹540 more, so each year cost ₹3,540 in total. Add-on cards are free.
No waiver to chase
Horizon has no spend target, so the real question is whether your miles cover ₹3,540. At ₹1 a mile you need 3,540 miles, and at 2 miles per ₹100 that is ₹1,77,000 of base-rate spending a year (3,540 divided by 2, times ₹100), or ₹14,750 a month. From year two the 1,500 renewal miles cut that to 2,040 miles (3,540 minus 1,500), or ₹1,02,000 a year, ₹8,500 a month. Airline spends at 5 miles gets you there much more faster.
Interest, late payment and cash
Carry a balance and interest is 3.75% a month, which Axis states as 55.55% a year. Late fee depend on the total due: nil up to ₹500, then ₹500, ₹750 and ₹1,200 as dues rise to ₹50,000, and ₹1,300 above that. Cash from an ATM costs 2.5%, minimum ₹500, with interest from the day of withdrawal.
- Foreign currency spends: 3.5% of the amount, and the same 3.5% markup on rupee payments at overseas locations or to merchants registered abroad.
- Rent: 1% of each rent payment plus GST. Education through third-party apps: 1%, though paying the school or college direct on its own website or card machine are exempt.
- Per statement cycle: 1% once utilities reach ₹25,000, once wallet loads or online skill-based gaming reach ₹10,000, and once fuel reaches ₹50,000.
- Smaller items: ₹175 for paying your bill in cash at a branch, 2% (minimum ₹500) on a bounced cheque or failed auto-debit, ₹99 per EDGE portal redemption and ₹199 per partner transfer.
- Fuel surcharge: 1% back on fills of ₹400 to ₹5,000, up to ₹400 in a statement month; the GST on the surcharge is not refunded.
Horizon: fees and charges
| Joining fee | ₹3,000 + GST |
|---|---|
| Annual or renewal fee | ₹3,000 + GST |
| Annual fee waiver | No spend-based annual fee waiver. Nil fees for customers with a Burgundy Savings Account opened on or after 1 July 2026 (one lifetime-free Axis card per Burgundy customer, at the bank's discretion). |
| Add-on card fee | Nil |
| GST | Charged on top of the fees and charges listed |
| In the bank’s words | Joining fee INR 3,000 + GST and annual fee INR 3,000 + GST (Nil for Burgundy Savings Account opened on or after 1 July 2026); add-on free. |
| 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 |
|
How Horizon EDGE Miles add up
Travel EDGE bookings and airline spends (airline websites, counters and helplines) get 5 EDGE Miles per ₹100, with no cap stated. Other eligible spends get 2, and so do bookings through travel agents or online travel agencies. No miles is given on transportation and tolls, utilities and telecom, insurance, education, government, wallet loads, gift cards, rent or fuel. Axis publishes no expiry rule for EDGE Miles.
What a mile is worth
- Travel EDGE bookings: ₹1 a mile, Axis's own figure, with ₹99 charged per redemption.
- Airline and hotel partner transfers: Axis only says "dynamic conversion ratios", so there is no fixed rate to quote. Minimum 500 miles and ₹199 a transfer.
- EDGE REWARDS catalogue: value not stated per mile, minimum 500 miles.
- Welcome: 5,000 miles if your first transaction of ₹1,000 or more is within 30 days of issue, paid cards only. Renewal: 1,500 miles each anniversary from the second year, primary card, not on lifetime-free cards.
The cases below take ₹1 a mile on Travel EDGE. Each example assume one ₹99 redemption a year, so the cost side is ₹3,540 plus ₹99, or ₹3,639.
Light: ₹20,000 a month
₹5,000 on airline tickets bought direct, ₹10,000 on shopping and dining, ₹5,000 on bills and fuel. Tickets give 50 times 5, so 250 miles; shopping gives 100 times 2, so 200; bills and fuel nothing. That is 450 miles a month, 5,400 a year. In year one the 5,000 welcome miles make it reach ₹10,400, so ₹6,761 after ₹3,639. From year two it is 5,400 plus 1,500, so ₹6,900, leaving ₹3,261.
Typical: ₹50,000 a month
₹15,000 on flights and Travel EDGE hotels, ₹25,000 on groceries, dining and shopping, ₹6,000 on utility bills and ₹4,000 on fuel. Travel gives 150 times 5, so 750 miles, and the ₹25,000 gives 250 times 2, so 500: 1,250 a month, 15,000 a year. Year one adds 5,000 welcome miles for ₹20,000, or ₹16,361 after ₹3,639. Later years: 16,500 miles, so ₹12,861 net. As the utilities is staying under ₹25,000 a cycle, no 1% fee applies.
Heavy: ₹1,20,000 a month
₹40,000 on airline sites and Travel EDGE, ₹10,000 on a holiday through an online travel agency, ₹50,000 on other spends and ₹20,000 of rent. Airlines give 400 times 5, so 2,000 miles; the agency booking 100 times 2, so 200; other spends 500 times 2, so 1,000. Rent earn no miles and costs 1%, ₹200, plus 18% GST of ₹36, so ₹236 a month or ₹2,832 a year. Miles come to 3,200 a month, 38,400 a year, 39,900 with renewal. Less ₹3,639 and ₹2,832, about ₹33,429 is left from year two.
| Spender (year two on) | Miles a year | Value at ₹1 | Costs | Net |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Light, ₹20,000 a month | 6,900 | ₹6,900 | ₹3,639 | ₹3,261 |
| Typical, ₹50,000 a month | 16,500 | ₹16,500 | ₹3,639 | ₹12,861 |
| Heavy, ₹1,20,000 a month | 39,900 | ₹39,900 | ₹3,639 plus ₹2,832 rent fees | ₹33,429 |
All three hold only if you redeem through Travel EDGE. Use the catalogue or a partner transfer and the rupee value become unknown, because Axis doesn't publish it.
Horizon: higher-reward categories
| Category | Rate | Cap |
|---|---|---|
| Axis Bank Travel EDGE portal and airline spends (airline websites, counters, helplines; not travel agents or OTAs) | 5 EDGE Miles per INR 100, about 5% value | No cap stated |
Horizon: how rewards work
| Earned as | EDGE Miles |
|---|---|
| Base rate | 2 EDGE Miles per INR 100 on other spends. About 2% value back |
| Minimum spend rules | Miles earned per INR 100 spent. |
| No rewards on |
|
| Lower rewards on |
|
| Value of a point |
|
| Redemption fee | INR 99 per redemption on the EDGE portal; INR 199 per transfer to partner programmes (stated on other Axis card pages) |
| Expiry | Not stated for EDGE Miles; unredeemed EDGE Miles may be forfeited 30 days after card closure or if MAD is overdue more than 90 days (from 1 Oct 2025). |
| Welcome benefits |
|
| Milestone benefits |
|
| Lounge access | Domestic: 8 complimentary visits per calendar quarter (Visa Signature) or 6 per calendar quarter (Mastercard World) International: 2 complimentary visits per calendar quarter (USD 1 authorisation, reversed) Condition: Spend criterion waived for Horizon (Axis lounge programme) |
| Fuel surcharge waiver | 1% fuel surcharge waiver on transactions of INR 400 to INR 5,000; maximum INR 400 per statement month; GST not refunded |
| Insurance cover | Lost card liability cover up to INR 10 lakh (New India Assurance) |
Who can apply for Horizon, and how
The Horizon page asks that the primary cardholder be 18 to 70 years old and a resident of India. It gives no income figure for this card. Axis's general card criteria mention a minimum income of ₹15,000 a month, and the bank says such criteria is indicative, so read it as a floor and not a promise.
Documents and ways to apply
Keep a PAN copy and photo, income proof (payslip, Form 16, tax return or Form 60) and a residence proof ready. The fastest route is Axis's online form: choose Horizon, enter your mobile number with PAN or date of birth, check eligibility and any offers, and confirm by OTP. The Axis Mobile app works too, or you can walk in an branch. Contact details is on our Axis Bank customer care page if the application gets stuck.
What Axis looks at
The RBI's 2025 card Directions require Axis to assess your credit risk on your own independent financial means and to set the limit after counting every limit you hold with other lenders. The RBI fixes no minimum age or income; banks set their own. Axis says it may also look at your credit score and history, and on Experian's 300 to 900 scale above 750 is generally considered good. If Axis says no, it must give the specific reasons in writing. Only Axis decide whether a card is issued, an agent only collects the application.
Horizon: 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 |
|
| 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.
Who gains from Horizon, and who should skip it
The person who gets most from this card books flights with the airline or on Travel EDGE, flies domestic every month or two, and puts everyday spends on it too. For that traveller the lounges alone is a very much useful thing: 8 domestic visits a quarter on Visa or 6 on Mastercard, 2 abroad, and no spend test before any of them.
It suits badly if you live on aggregator apps. Bookings there earn the base 2 miles only, so the main edge of card disappear. It is also costly overseas: 3.5% forex plus 18% GST on it means ₹50,000 spent abroad costs ₹1,750 in markup and ₹315 in GST, ₹2,065 in all.
Then the fee. Nothing you spend removes it, so someone who flies once a year does better with a card that waives its fee. And if you wants to transfer miles to an airline partner, Axis promises only dynamic ratios, so there is no number to plan around.
- Pick it if you fly often, book direct and will redeem on Travel EDGE; our lounge access cards list shows how its visits compare.
- Skip it if you want a waivable fee, travel mostly by train, bus or cab (transportation earns no miles), or carry a balance at 3.75% a month.
Pros
- Lounges with no spend condition: 8 domestic visits a quarter on Visa, 6 on Mastercard, plus 2 international
- 5 EDGE Miles per ₹100 on airline and Travel EDGE spends, with no cap stated
- 2 EDGE Miles per ₹100 on other eligible spends, about 2% at ₹1 a mile on Travel EDGE
- 5,000 welcome miles, and 1,500 renewal miles from the second year on paid cards
- Nil fee for holders of a Burgundy Savings Account opened on or after 1 July 2026
Cons
- ₹3,000 plus GST every year with no spend-based waiver
- Travel agent and online travel agency bookings earn only 2 miles per ₹100
- 3.5% forex fee, and the markup on rupee payments abroad rose to 3.5% from 1.5% in August 2026
- No published partner transfer ratio and no stated expiry rule for EDGE Miles
- Rent, fuel, utilities, insurance and transport spends earn no miles
Horizon against other travel cards
HSBC TravelOne costs ₹4,999 and is free if you spend more than ₹8,00,000 a year. It earn 2 points per ₹100 and 4 on flights, travel aggregators and foreign currency spends, with the accelerated part capped at 50,000 points a month. With 6 domestic and 4 international lounge visits a year and the same 3.5% forex, for lounge, Horizon give far more for less money.
SBI Card Miles Elite costs ₹4,999 plus taxes and is reversed only on ₹15 lakh of spends. It gives 2 Travel Credits per ₹200 and 6 per ₹200 on travel including hotels, rail and bus, worth ₹1 each on airline or hotel transfers. Its 1.99% forex beats Horizon abroad, and it has 8 domestic visits a year plus 6 abroad on Priority Pass.
Kotak Air+ costs the same ₹3,000. Kotak's MITC waives it on ₹4 lakh of retail spends in an anniversary year, although the card page says no waiver are available. It earns 2 Air Miles per ₹100 and 5 on flights and hotels through Kotak Unbox, with the extra miles capped at 15,000 a statement, and a mile is ₹1 on Unbox bookings. Forex is 2.0%, and lounges are 4 domestic and 2 international a year.
Which one to pick
Horizon if you fly domestic a lot and want lounge visits every quarter without targets. Miles Elite if you spend abroad or on hotels and trains. Air+ if you want a similar earn with a waivable fee and lower forex, and can live with fewer lounges. TravelOne if foreign currency spends are big. See our TravelOne and Horizon comparison, travel cards explained, the rest of Axis Bank's cards, or all credit cards.
Horizon against similar cards
| Term | Axis Bank Horizon Credit Card This card | HSBC TravelOne Credit Card | SBI Card Miles Elite | Kotak Air+ Credit Card |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bank | Axis Bank | HSBC India | SBI Card | Kotak Mahindra Bank (Kotak) |
| Joining fee | ₹3,000 + GST | ₹4,999 + GST | ₹4,999 + GST | ₹3,000 + GST |
| Annual fee and waiver | ₹3,000 + GST. No spend-based annual fee waiver. Nil fees for customers with a Burgundy Savings Account opened on or after 1 July 2026 (one lifetime-free Axis card per Burgundy customer, at the bank's discretion). | ₹4,999 + GST. Annual fee, including GST, fully reversed if total eligible spend across primary and add-on cards in the anniversary year exceeds Rs 8,00,000 | ₹4,999 + GST. Annual Fee reversal on spends of Rs. 15 lakhs in a membership year (MITC: Rs. 15 lakh or more in the preceding year) | ₹3,000 + GST. Annual fee waived on minimum retail spends of ₹4 lakh in an anniversary year (rent, wallet, utility, education and transportation spends excluded) |
| Base reward | 2 EDGE Miles per INR 100 on other spends (about 2% value) | 2 reward points for every Rs 100 spent, no cap | 2 Travel Credits for every Rs. 200 on all other spends (about 1% value) | 2 Air Miles per ₹100 on other eligible spends |
| Best category | Axis Bank Travel EDGE portal and airline spends: about 5% value | Flights, travel aggregators and foreign currency spends: 4 reward points per Rs 100 | Travel spends: airlines, hotels, travel agencies, car rental, rail, bus, tolls and similar: about 3% value | Flight and flight add-on, hotel and hotel add-on bookings through Kotak Unbox: 5 Air Miles per ₹100 (2 base + 3 incremental) |
| Lounges | Domestic: 8 complimentary visits per calendar quarter (Visa Signature) or 6 per calendar quarter (Mastercard World) International: 2 complimentary visits per calendar quarter (USD 1 authorisation, reversed) | Domestic: 6 complimentary domestic lounge visits a year International: 4 complimentary international lounge visits a year (LoungeKey) | Domestic: 8 complimentary domestic airport lounge visits a year (max 2 per quarter), plus 1 extra visit per Rs. 1 lakh spent (max 15 extra a membership year) International: 6 complimentary international airport lounge visits a year (max 2 per quarter) via Priority Pass; Priority Pass membership complimentary for the first 2 years | Domestic: 4 complimentary domestic lounge visits per calendar year, capped at 2 per calendar quarter (primary cardholder); ₹2 validation charge International: 2 complimentary international lounge visits per calendar year via Priority Pass (primary cardholder); $1 validation charge, reversed |
| Forex markup | 3.5% of the amount | 3.5% of the amount | 1.99% of the amount | 2% of the amount |
| Network | Visa, Mastercard | Mastercard | Mastercard, RuPay | Not stated by the bank |
| Published minimum income | Not stated on the card page | ₹50,000 a month | Stable income; SBI Card says the specific minimum varies by card and does not... | Not published by the bank |
| Status | Taking applications | Taking applications | Taking applications | Taking applications |
Frequently asked questions
What is the Axis Horizon annual fee, and can it be waived?
How much is one EDGE Mile on the Horizon card worth?
What are the eligibility rules for the Axis Bank Horizon Credit Card?
How many airport lounge visits does Horizon give?
What changed on the Horizon card in 2026?
Do flights booked on travel apps earn 5 miles on Horizon?
Related
- Axis Bank Credit Cards 2026: Which Card Still Pays After the Cuts
- HSBC TravelOne Credit Card Review: 1:1 Airline Miles for a ₹4,999 Fee
- SBI Card Miles Elite Review: 3% in Travel Credits and 1.99% Forex
- Kotak Air+ Credit Card Review: ₹1 Air Miles With a Catch Abroad
- Best Travel Credit Cards in India 2026: Eight Cards Worked Out in Rupees
Sources
- Axis Bank: Axis Bank HORIZON Credit Card Terms and Conditions; Most Important Terms and Conditions (MITC), PDF dated 8 October 2026; Key Fact Sheet (schedule of charges), last updated 8 October 2026; Axis Bank Horizon Credit Card page; IndianOil Axis Bank Credit Card page (fees table); Axis Bank Atlas Credit Card page (fees table); Axis Bank Credit Cards Domestic Airport Lounge Access Program; Axis Bank Contact Us; Axis Bank credit card listing page
- Business Today: New rules for Axis Bank credit cards valid from December 20
Last verified: 5 November 2026
Written by Pankaj Pandey, 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.