In-depth review
Google Pay Flex Axis Bank Credit Card
A lifetime-free RuPay/UPI co-brand between Axis Bank and Google Pay: earn 'stars' worth ₹1 each, redeemable straight into UPI payments in Google Pay. Axis's contractual rate is 0.2%, doubling to 0.4% once you've spent ₹100 in the prior cycle, hard-capped at 1,500 stars a cycle. The 4X and 8X rates the card is marketed on are a Google Pay promotion on current-period spend that Axis explicitly disclaims. A convenient free secondary card for Google Pay natives, not a rewards engine.
Read the full review →Key features
What this card is built to do — the highlights that actually matter.
Welcome Benefit
~₹500 in vouchers, points or cashback in year one — usually conditional on a first spend within 30–90 days
0.4% on Other
Stars (each ~₹1) redeemable 1:1 on UPI in Google Pay — 1 star per ₹500 (0.2%), doubling to 2 per ₹500 (0.4%) when net spends were ₹100 or more in the previous reward cycle. Hard cap of 1,500 stars per cycle. Stars are earned on fuel spends too.
Lifetime Free
No annual fee — ever. Keep this card long-term without any recurring cost.
UPI Linked
Pay UPI QR codes from your credit line. What UPI payments earn can depend on the app you pay through, so check the rewards details.
For a UPI-first, Google Pay-native user who wants a free RuPay credit card that pays a little back on everyday scan-and-pay spends, redeemable straight into more UPI payments — best as a secondary everyday card alongside a stronger primary rewards card.
Full reward structure
What you earn on every rupee, per spend category — as of 11 Oct 2026. Rates assume 1 pt = ₹1.00. How we value points →
| Category | Type | Rate | Monthly cap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Other | reward points | 0.4%0.4 pts/₹100 × ₹1.00 | ₹1,500 |
Other: Stars (each ~₹1) redeemable 1:1 on UPI in Google Pay — 1 star per ₹500 (0.2%), doubling to 2 per ₹500 (0.4%) when net spends were ₹100 or more in the previous reward cycle. Hard cap of 1,500 stars per cycle. Stars are earned on fuel spends too.
Earns nothing on: Rent · Wallet Loads · Cash Advances · EMI Conversions · Insurance · Education · Government & Tax · Gold and jewellery · Tolls & Road Fees · Gift Cards & Vouchers
These spends earn no rewards at all — not a reduced rate, and not the base rate. They are also normally left out of any milestone or fee-waiver calculation.
Fees & charges
The numbers that matter beyond rewards — verify on the issuer site before applying. Fees below are shown inclusive of 18% GST, as of 11 Oct 2026.
| Charge | Amount |
|---|---|
| Annual fee (incl. 18% GST) | Lifetime free |
| Joining fee (incl. 18% GST) | Free |
| Finance charge (APR) | 3.75% p.m. |
| Forex markup | 3.5% |
Should you get it?
- Best for: UPI-first, Google Pay-native everyday spender, Someone wanting a free RuPay credit card as a secondary, First-time card user comfortable managing everything in an app
- Entry tier — great for first-time and lower-spend users.
- Strongest value if you spend heavily on everyday spends (0.4% back).
Pros & cons
✓ Pros
- Lifetime free, with a ₹250 gift card plus 250 stars as the welcome reward
- RuPay + UPI — pay by scanning QR codes from Google Pay
- Stars are earned on fuel too, which most cards zero-rate
- Stars redeem 1:1 straight into UPI payments, with flexible full-pay or EMI repayment
✕ Cons
- Modest earn — 1 star per ₹500 (0.2%), doubling to 0.4% once you spend ₹100 in a cycle, and capped at 1,500 stars per cycle
- The headline 4X/8X rates are a Google Pay promotional campaign on current-period spend, not contractual terms — Axis disclaims them and Google can change them at will
- Axis funds at most 750 of the 1,500 stars a cycle; the rest rides on that promotion
- Rent, wallet loads, cash, financial-institution payments, insurance, education, government payments and jewellery earn no rewards, and stars on EMI conversions are reversed (fuel does earn)
Eligibility & documents
Documents required
- 📄PAN card
- 📄Aadhaar / valid address proof
- 📄Income proof — salary slips (salaried) or ITR (self-employed)
How to redeem rewards
Ways to convert what you earn into real value.
- 🎁Stars redeemed 1:1 against UPI payments within the Google Pay app
What your Axis EDGE Reward Points are worth
Realistic value per point by redemption route — the difference is what most people leave on the table.
Standard EDGE Reward Points
Gift-voucher catalogue
Flights & hotels
The contractual earn is 0.2%, reaching 0.4% only when you spent ₹100 in the prior cycle, and stops entirely at 1,500 stars a cycle. The 4X/8X rates the card is marketed on are a Google Pay promotional campaign that Axis explicitly disclaims and Google can withdraw at any time.
Frequently asked questions
What network is it on and can I use it on UPI?
How do the rewards work?
What about the 4X and 8X star rates?
Is it lifetime free?
Do fuel spends earn stars?
How will Axis apply my payment across the outstanding balance from 28 August 2026?
How has the Google Pay Flex Axis Bank Credit Card changed over time?
Has the Google Pay Flex Axis Bank Credit Card been devalued recently?
When did the Google Pay Flex Axis Bank Credit Card's fees last change?
How did the Google Pay Flex Axis Bank Credit Card change in 2026?
The bottom line
Google Pay Flex is an easy free card to hold if Google Pay is already your default: no fee, UPI convenience, and stars you can spend straight back through the app. But price it at what Axis actually commits to — 0.2% rising to 0.4%, capped at 1,500 stars a cycle. The 4X and 8X rates that carry the marketing are a Google Pay promotion on current-period spend, disclaimed by Axis and revocable, so treat them as a bonus rather than a reason to hold the card. It is a light, convenient secondary card, not a rewards engine.
How this page was built
Counted from this card’s own record: 1 earn rule, 1 of them capped and the spends listed as earning nothing.
Last updated 11 Oct 2026.
Sources & verification
Fees, reward rates, and benefits for the Google Pay Flex Axis Bank Credit Card are taken from Axis Bank's official Most Important Terms & Conditions (MITC) and fee schedule — see the card's official page. Last updated 11 Oct 2026. Reviewed by Devchandra Sah. Always confirm current details on the issuer's site before applying. How we research →
Independence. CardAdvisor is an independent editorial publication. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, sponsored by, or authorised to act for Axis Bank. All issuer names, product names, and payment-network marks are the property of their respective owners and appear here for identification and comparison only. Card faces shown on this site are our own original illustrations — we do not display or host issuer card artwork or logos.
Similar & related cards
Other cards worth comparing before you apply.
YES Bank Zagg Credit Card
Comparable YES option
HSBC RuPay Platinum Credit Card
Comparable HSBC option
BOBCARD Prime Credit Card
Comparable BOB option
Unity Bank BharatPe Credit Card
Comparable UNITY option
CUB SalarySe Level Up Credit Card
Comparable CUB option
Paytm AU Credit Card
Comparable AU option
Read more
Guides and reviews related to this card.
Value timeline
Every real-world change to this card's rewards, fees and benefits we've tracked — newest first, each linked to its source.
Tracking since 2025 · last change Aug 2026
2026
- ▼ FeeObserved 29 Jul 2026 · Effective 28 Aug 2026
Dynamic currency conversion markup more than doubles to 3.5%
1.5% + GST→3.5% + GST
Axis Bank raised the dynamic currency conversion mark-up from 1.5% to 3.5% plus GST. DCC applies when an overseas merchant offers to bill you in rupees instead of the local currency, and it stacks on top of the usual foreign-currency mark-up. Declining the rupee option at the terminal and paying in the local currency avoids the charge entirely.
Verification: Axis Bank ↗ · Confidence: High
- ▼ FeeObserved 29 Jul 2026 · Effective 28 Aug 2026
New top late-payment slab of Rs 1,300 above Rs 50,000
Rs 1,200 on any total payment due above Rs 10,000→Rs 1,200 from Rs 10,001 to Rs 50,000; Rs 1,300 above Rs 50,000
Axis Bank added a fifth late-payment slab. Everything up to Rs 50,000 is unchanged, but a total payment due of more than Rs 50,000 now attracts Rs 1,300 instead of Rs 1,200. The same notice fixes the order in which a payment is applied to the outstanding: fees and charges including taxes first, then EMIs, interest, purchases and cash advances.
Verification: Axis Bank ↗ · Confidence: High
- ▼ RewardObserved 29 Jul 2026 · Effective 28 Aug 2026
Tolls and road fees stop earning rewards; gift cards split into their own category
Bridge fees, road fees and tolls earned at the normal rate→No rewards or cashback on bridge fees, road fees and tolls
Axis Bank added bridge fees, road fees and tolls to the spends that earn nothing. Separately, gift card purchases move out of the Wallet spend category into a new Gift Card category; they already earned no rewards, and they continue to be excluded from spend-based fee waivers and milestone thresholds.
Verification: Axis Bank ↗ · Confidence: High
2025
- ◆ LaunchEffective 17 Dec 2025
Flex by Google Pay launches with Axis Bank
Google Pay and Axis Bank launched Flex, a lifetime-free RuPay/UPI-linked credit card managed entirely inside the Google Pay app — Axis's only RuPay co-brand and Google's first Indian credit-card partnership. Rollout began in staged fashion via an in-app waitlist rather than to all users at once.
Verification: Axis Bank ↗ · Confidence: High
Each change links to the issuer's own document — bank T&C, MITC, notice, press release or product page — where one is public. Where the bank published nothing, it's marked CardAdvisor Research and verified against the card's current terms. Independent of the live terms shown above. This timeline is one card's slice of our market-wide change record across every tracked card.
</> Embed this timeline on your site
Free to use. Facts only — dates, changes and before/after values. Please keep the credit line below the frame: it's the only part search engines can see, and it's what we ask for in return.
“ Cite this timeline
Quoting a date or a before/after figure? Copy the HTML version — it credits the record with a working link.
Source: <a href="https://cardadvisor.in/cards/axis-google-pay-flex#value-timeline">Google Pay Flex Axis Bank Credit Card value timeline</a>, CardAdvisor (CC BY 4.0).
Want to know if this beats your current card for your spending?
Applications are submitted to and decided by Axis Bank. CardAdvisor does not issue cards or process applications.