COMPARE
Axis Bank Reserve Credit Card vs SBI Card AURUM
On net annual value, SBI Card AURUM beats Axis Bank Reserve in all four spend profiles we model, by ₹4,488 to ₹30,261 a year. Axis Bank Reserve and SBI Card AURUM are both issued by invitation only. Axis Bank Reserve offers unlimited airport lounge access and charges 1.5% on foreign-currency spend against 1.99%. SBI Card AURUM costs ₹9,999 a year against ₹50,000. 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 Reserve Credit Card | SBI Card AURUM |
|---|---|---|
Everyday spender ≈ ₹40k/mo across groceries, bills, dining and fuel | −₹26,960/yr | ₹3,301/yr✓ +₹30,261/yr |
Online shopper ≈ ₹60k/mo, mostly e-commerce and subscriptions | −₹18,920/yr | ₹7,900/yr✓ +₹26,820/yr |
Frequent traveller ≈ ₹1.2L/mo with heavy travel and forex spend | ₹22,820/yr | ₹32,922/yr✓ +₹10,102/yr |
High spender ≈ ₹2.5L/mo across every category | ₹69,260/yr | ₹73,748/yr✓ +₹4,488/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 Reserve Credit CardAxis EDGE Reward Points | SBI Card AURUMSBI Reward Points |
|---|---|---|
| Cash / statement credit | ₹0.20 | ₹0.25BEST |
| Gift vouchers | ₹0.20 | ₹0.25BEST |
| Travel portal | ₹0.20 | — |
| Airline / hotel transfer | ₹0.405:2BEST | ₹0.205:1 |
Return by categoryearn rate × point value
Headline reward rate per category, before monthly caps. Switch the redemption strategy above to see how the picture shifts.
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 Reserve Credit Card | SBI Card AURUM | |
|---|---|---|
| Fees | ||
| Joining fee | ₹50,000 | ₹9,999 |
| Annual fee | ₹50,000/yr | ₹9,999/yr ✓ |
| Annual fee — all-in (incl. 18% GST) | ₹59,000 | ₹11,799 ✓ |
| Fee waiver at | ₹35,00,000/yr spend | ₹12,00,000/yr spend |
| Welcome benefit | ~₹6,000 | ~₹10,000 |
| Rewards | ||
| Best everyday reward | 6% on International ✓ | 1% on everyday spends |
| International | 6% ✓ | 1% |
| Base rate — other spends | 3% ✓ | 1% |
| Charges | ||
| Forex markup | 1.5% ✓ | 1.99% |
| Finance charge | 3% p.m. | 3.75% p.m. |
| Cash advance | — | — |
| Add-on card | — | — |
| Perks | ||
| cobranded ott | — | ~₹2,500/yr · Complimentary 1-year digital subscriptions to The Wall Street Journal and Mint |
| concierge | ✓ · Dedicated relationship manager and 24x7 lifestyle concierge with curated travel, dining and spa privileges | ✓ · 24x7 dedicated concierge for travel, dining and lifestyle requests |
| fuel waiver | ~₹1,200/yr · 1% fuel-surcharge waiver on transactions between ₹400 and ₹4,000, capped at ₹400 per statement cycle — note that fuel itself earns no EDGE Reward Points on this card | ~₹3,000/yr · 1% fuel surcharge waiver on transactions of ₹500–₹4,000, capped at ₹250 per statement cycle per card account |
| golf | ~₹40,000/yr · Up to 50 complimentary golf rounds a year at select courses in India and abroad | ~₹12,000/yr · 16 complimentary golf rounds a year (4 per quarter) plus 12 complimentary golf lessons |
| hotel membership | ~₹25,000/yr · Complimentary Club ITC Culinaire, Accor Plus and Club Marriott Asia Pacific memberships, plus 15% savings at Postcard Hotels (Oberoi hotel offers were discontinued 1 October 2025) | ~₹10,000/yr · Complimentary 1-year Club Marriott membership (member rates and dining discounts across participating Marriott properties). Our estimate discounts the ~₹14,000 list price for typical use |
| insurance | — | ~₹2,000/yr · Air accident cover ₹3.5 crore, travel insurance ₹1 lakh, lost-card and fraud protection ₹10 lakh, and two flight-cancellation refunds a year |
| lounge access | ~₹24,000/yr · Unlimited domestic and international airport lounge access for primary and add-on cardholders, plus 12 complimentary guest visits a year. From 28 Aug 2026 Priority Pass no longer opens Indian domestic lounges — show the card and boarding pass. | ~₹20,000/yr · 16 domestic lounge visits a year (4 per quarter, add-on cardholders included) + unlimited international access via a complimentary DreamFolks membership, plus one guest visit per quarter. The ₹ figure is our internal estimate — SBI publishes the counts, not a value |
| milestone bonus | — | ~₹5,000/yr · ₹5,000 Tata CLiQ Luxury voucher on ₹5 lakh annual spend |
| movie ticket | ~₹3,000/yr · Complimentary BookMyShow tickets, plus complimentary EazyDiner Prime and Swiggy One memberships and handpicked experiences through extraordinaryweekends.com | ~₹12,000/yr · Movie tickets worth ₹1,000 every month on BookMyShow — 2 free tickets per booking, max ₹500 discount per booking (₹250 a ticket), minimum 24 hours between bookings |
| Eligibility | ||
| Min income | — | — |
| Min age | — | — |
| UPI linked | — | — |
| Expert rating | 4.2 / 5 ✓ | 3.9 / 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 Reserve Credit Card if you want strong rewards on international. Consider the SBI Card AURUM if you spend more on everyday spends and prefer a lower fee. Your actual best card depends on how you spend — run your numbers below.
Axis Bank Reserve Credit Card vs SBI Card AURUM — FAQs
Which has a lower annual fee, Axis Bank Reserve Credit Card or SBI Card AURUM?
As of 24 Oct 2026, SBI Card AURUM has the lower annual fee: ₹9,999 (₹11,799 with 18% GST), against ₹50,000 (₹59,000 with 18% GST) on Axis Bank Reserve. Axis Bank Reserve waives it after ₹35,00,000 of spend in a card year, SBI Card AURUM after ₹12,00,000.
Do Axis Bank Reserve Credit Card and SBI Card AURUM offer airport lounge access?
As of 24 Oct 2026, Axis Bank Reserve and SBI Card AURUM both include airport lounge access, on different terms. Axis Bank Reserve lists unlimited domestic and international airport lounge access. SBI Card AURUM lists 16 domestic visits a year (4 a quarter) and unlimited international access at airport lounges. For spending abroad, Axis Bank Reserve adds 1.5% in forex markup against 1.99% on SBI Card AURUM.
Which card has lower forex markup, Axis Bank Reserve Credit Card or SBI Card AURUM?
As of 24 Oct 2026, Axis Bank Reserve has the lower forex markup: 1.5%, against 1.99% on SBI Card AURUM. With 18% GST on the markup, ₹1,00,000 spent abroad costs about ₹1,770 extra on Axis Bank Reserve and ₹2,348 on SBI Card AURUM, a ₹578 difference.
For a frequent traveller, is the Axis Bank Reserve Credit Card or SBI Card AURUM better value?
On figures as of 24 Oct 2026, SBI Card AURUM 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 ₹32,922 against ₹22,820 on Axis Bank Reserve, a ₹10,102 gap. That figure includes the forex markup on this traveller's spend abroad, where Axis Bank Reserve charges 1.5% against 1.99% on SBI Card AURUM.
For everyday spending, which returns more: Axis Bank Reserve Credit Card or SBI Card AURUM?
On figures as of 24 Oct 2026, SBI Card AURUM 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 ₹3,301 against −₹26,960 on Axis Bank Reserve, a ₹30,261 gap. Best everyday rates: 6% on international spends for Axis Bank Reserve, 1% on everyday spends for SBI Card AURUM.
Which is better, Axis Bank Reserve Credit Card or SBI Card AURUM?
As of 24 Oct 2026, Axis Bank Reserve earns 6% on international spends at best, paid as Axis EDGE Reward Points, and SBI Card AURUM earns 1% on everyday spends at best, paid as SBI Reward Points. SBI Card AURUM comes out ahead on net annual value in all four spend profiles we model. You can't apply for either today: Axis Bank Reserve and SBI Card AURUM are both issued by invitation only.