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Axis Bank ACE Credit Card vs HSBC Live+ Credit Card
On net annual value, HSBC Live+ beats Axis Bank ACE in all four spend profiles we model, from ₹3,156 a year for high spenders to ₹11,478 for everyday spenders. Axis Bank ACE isn't taking new applications, while HSBC Live+ is open to applications. Axis Bank ACE costs ₹499 a year against ₹999. HSBC Live+ charges 1.99% on foreign-currency spend against 3.5%. Figures as of .
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Who comes out ahead — by how you spend
Estimated net annual value for four typical spend profiles: the rewards each card earns on that spend (a merchant or portal bonus only on the share of spend it plausibly reaches), plus the perks and milestone bonuses that spender would use, less any annual fee the spend does not waive (with GST) and the forex markup on spending abroad. Lounge access carries no rupee value here.
| Spender | Axis Bank ACE Credit Card | HSBC Live+ Credit Card |
|---|---|---|
Everyday spender ≈ ₹40k/mo across groceries, bills, dining and fuel | ₹7,560/yr | ₹19,038/yr✓ +₹11,478/yr |
Online shopper ≈ ₹60k/mo, mostly e-commerce and subscriptions | ₹11,745/yr | ₹22,479/yr✓ +₹10,734/yr |
Frequent traveller ≈ ₹1.2L/mo with heavy travel and forex spend | ₹15,032/yr | ₹23,439/yr✓ +₹8,407/yr |
High spender ≈ ₹2.5L/mo across every category | ₹30,312/yr | ₹33,468/yr✓ +₹3,156/yr |
Not in these numbers: both include airport lounge access — real perks that can outweigh a small gap.
Illustrative profiles, not a personalised result — your categories decide the real winner. Run these two on my spending →
What your points are actually worth
A point's headline value means little without the earn rate behind it. Here's the real math — the value of a point by how you redeem it, the resulting return by category, and the net rupees for your own spend.
| Value of one point, by route | Axis Bank ACE Credit CardCashback | HSBC Live+ Credit CardCashback |
|---|---|---|
| Cash / statement credit | ₹1.00BEST | ₹1.00BEST |
Return by categoryearn rate × point value
Headline reward rate per category, before monthly caps.
Your spend, head to head
Enter your monthly spend — net value is the annual rewards after the card fee, at each card's best realistic redemption (our recommender's model, caps and fee-waivers included).
Total ₹60,000/mo · ₹7,20,000/yr
Want the money-first pick across your whole wallet? Run the recommender →
| Axis Bank ACE Credit Card | HSBC Live+ Credit Card | |
|---|---|---|
| Fees | ||
| Joining fee | ₹499 | ₹999 |
| Annual fee | ₹499/yr ✓ | ₹999/yr |
| Annual fee — all-in (incl. 18% GST) | ₹589 ✓ | ₹1,179 |
| Fee waiver at | ₹2,00,000/yr spend | ₹2,00,000/yr spend |
| Welcome benefit | — | ~₹1,000 |
| Rewards | ||
| Best everyday reward | 1.5% on everyday spends | 10% on Utility Bills ✓ |
| Dining | 1.5% | 1.5% |
| Groceries | 1.5% | 1.5% |
| Online Shopping | 1.5% | 1.5% |
| Base rate — other spends | 1.5% | 1.5% |
| Utility Bills | 1.5% | 10% ✓ |
| Charges | ||
| Forex markup | 3.5% | 1.99% ✓ |
| Finance charge | 3.75% p.m. | 3.75% p.m. |
| Cash advance | — | — |
| Add-on card | — | — |
| Perks | ||
| fuel waiver | — | ~₹1,000/yr · ₹250 cashback on contactless fuel purchases in each quarter you spend ₹10,000 on the card — a quarterly gate (not annual), worth up to ₹1,000 a year |
| lounge access | ~₹2,000/yr · 4 complimentary domestic airport lounge visits a year — an annual allowance with no per-quarter limit — unlocked by spending ₹50,000 in the previous 3 calendar months | ~₹2,000/yr · 2 complimentary domestic lounge visits per year (one per 6 months) plus 1 international lounge visit per year from 1 September 2026 |
| Eligibility | ||
| Min income | — | ₹50,000/mo |
| Min age | — | 18+ yrs |
| UPI linked | — | — |
| Expert rating | 4.5 / 5 ✓ | 4.4 / 5 |
Reward rates above are the realistic value you keep — points earned × what a point is worth at each card's own best redemption, before monthly caps — so cards with different point values compare fairly. Bank-portal accelerators (earned only by booking through the issuer's own portal, on a slice of spend) are bounded upside, listed separately here rather than blended into the everyday rates.
Which should you pick?
Choose the Axis Bank ACE Credit Card if you want strong rewards on everyday spends at a lower annual fee. Consider the HSBC Live+ Credit Card if you spend more on utility bills. Your actual best card depends on how you spend — run your numbers below.
Axis Bank ACE Credit Card vs HSBC Live+ Credit Card — FAQs
Which has a lower annual fee, Axis Bank ACE Credit Card or HSBC Live+ Credit Card?
As of 24 Oct 2026, Axis Bank ACE has the lower annual fee: ₹499 (₹589 with 18% GST), against ₹999 (₹1,179 with 18% GST) on HSBC Live+. Axis Bank ACE and HSBC Live+ both waive the fee once you spend ₹2,00,000 in a card year.
Do Axis Bank ACE Credit Card and HSBC Live+ Credit Card offer airport lounge access?
As of 24 Oct 2026, Axis Bank ACE and HSBC Live+ both include airport lounge access, on different terms. Axis Bank ACE lists 4 domestic visits a year at airport lounges, unlocked by ₹50,000 of spend in the previous quarter. HSBC Live+ lists 2 domestic visits a year and 1 international visit a year at airport lounges. For spending abroad, HSBC Live+ adds 1.99% in forex markup against 3.5% on Axis Bank ACE.
Which card has lower forex markup, Axis Bank ACE Credit Card or HSBC Live+ Credit Card?
As of 24 Oct 2026, HSBC Live+ has the lower forex markup: 1.99%, against 3.5% on Axis Bank ACE. With 18% GST on the markup, ₹1,00,000 spent abroad costs about ₹2,348 extra on HSBC Live+ and ₹4,130 on Axis Bank ACE, a ₹1,782 difference.
For a frequent traveller, is the Axis Bank ACE Credit Card or HSBC Live+ Credit Card better value?
On figures as of 24 Oct 2026, HSBC Live+ comes out ahead for a frequent traveller (about ₹1.2 lakh a month with heavy travel and forex spend), with a net annual value (rewards, perks and milestones, less the annual fee and forex markup) of ₹23,439 against ₹15,032 on Axis Bank ACE, a ₹8,407 gap. That figure includes the forex markup on this traveller's spend abroad, where HSBC Live+ charges 1.99% against 3.5% on Axis Bank ACE.
For everyday spending, which returns more: Axis Bank ACE Credit Card or HSBC Live+ Credit Card?
On figures as of 24 Oct 2026, HSBC Live+ comes out ahead for an everyday spender (about ₹40,000 a month across groceries, bills, dining and fuel), with a net annual value (rewards, perks and milestones, less the annual fee and forex markup) of ₹19,038 against ₹7,560 on Axis Bank ACE, a ₹11,478 gap. At this spend Axis Bank ACE and HSBC Live+ both waive their annual fees.
Which is better, Axis Bank ACE Credit Card or HSBC Live+ Credit Card?
As of 24 Oct 2026, Axis Bank ACE earns 1.5% on everyday spends outside merchant or portal bonuses, paid as cashback, and HSBC Live+ earns 10% on utility bills at best, paid as cashback. HSBC Live+ comes out ahead on net annual value in all four spend profiles we model. Of the two, only HSBC Live+ takes applications today; Axis Bank ACE isn't taking new applications.