Google Pay Flex Axis Bank Credit Card

UPI payments are huge in India right now. To stay ahead of the competition, several popular UPI platforms have started launching co-branded credit cards. PhonePe, for example, already offers co-branded cards with SBI Card and HDFC Bank. With this trend picking up fast, it’s safe to say that many more UPI-based credit cards are likely to be launched in the future.

Axis Bank and Google Pay have joined hands to launch the RuPay Google Pay Flex Credit Card. This card offers rewards on eligible purchases, including everyday UPI transactions. Since Google Pay is one of the most widely used UPI platforms in India, this co-branded card further strengthens its ecosystem. Cardholders earn Stars on their spends, which can later be redeemed while making UPI payments through Google Pay, giving it a cashback-like feel.

The Google Pay Axis Flex Credit Card is a lifetime free card, meaning there are no joining or annual charges. It is best suited for users who frequently make UPI payments. While the card previously offered a relatively straightforward reward structure, the latest changes introduce milestone-based rewards, additional benefits for Google One members, and promotional offers on Google Pay.

Product Details

• Google Pay Flex Axis Bank Credit Card is a co-branded offering.
• This card comes on the RuPay network and can be used to make UPI payments.
• There are zero annual or joining charges with this card.
• Cardholders earn rewards in the form of Stars, which can be redeemed while making payments through Google Pay.
• One Star is equal to ₹1.
• Cardholders can earn additional rewards through milestone-based spending and Google Pay promotional campaigns.

Welcome Benefits

The Google Pay Flex Axis Bank Credit Card offers the following welcome benefits:

• Earn 2 Stars for every ₹500 spent on eligible transactions during the first reward cycle.
• Get a welcome reward worth ₹1,750 in Stars and a ₹250 Gift Card on the Google Pay app.

The additional welcome reward is subject to offers run by Google Pay.

Reward Earnings

The Google Pay Flex Axis Bank Credit Card has undergone changes to its reward structure. Cardholders can now earn Stars on all eligible spends, including fuel, with no minimum transaction amount.

Base Reward Rate

• Earn 1 Star for every cumulative ₹500 spent on eligible transactions.
• There is no minimum transaction amount, meaning every eligible rupee spent counts towards reward accumulation.
• One Star is equal to ₹1.
• Cardholders can redeem their accumulated Stars while making UPI payments through Google Pay.

2X Rewards

Cardholders can unlock 2X rewards based on their spending activity in the previous reward cycle.

• Earn 2 Stars for every cumulative ₹500 spent in the present reward cycle.
• To unlock this benefit, cardholders must spend at least ₹100 in the previous reward cycle.

Google One Milestone Rewards

Google Pay Flex Credit Cardholders can unlock additional milestone rewards by spending ₹15,000 in a reward cycle.

The reward rate depends on whether the cardholder has an active Google One membership.

The milestone reward applies to all eligible spends during the reward cycle, not just transactions made after crossing ₹15,000. This means that once the spending threshold is achieved, the applicable reward rate is calculated on the entire eligible spending during that reward cycle.

Additional Savings on Google Pay

Apart from the regular rewards and milestone benefits, Google Pay is offering additional promotional savings to Google Pay Flex Credit Cardholders. These benefits are available once every reward cycle.

Bills, OTT and Recharges

Cardholders can get 15% back, worth ₹450 in Stars, on spending ₹3,000 on bills, OTT subscriptions and recharges through Google Pay.

Food and Grocery Apps

Cardholders can get 5% back, worth ₹250 in Stars, on UPI spending of ₹5,000 through Google Pay on food and grocery apps such as Zomato, Blinkit and Swiggy.

Important: These promotional rewards are credited directly by Google Pay. The promotional campaign is effective from October 16, 2026, to October 15, 2027, and is subject to extension as decided by Google Pay and Axis Bank.

Reward Redemption

Cardholders can redeem their accumulated Stars while making UPI payments through the Google Pay app using this credit card. Stars provide a cashback-like benefit, as 1 Star equals ₹1.

Reward Exclusions

The earlier card review listed the following categories as excluded from reward earnings:

• Rental Payments
• Cash Withdrawals
• Financial Institution Payments
• Insurance
• Educational Payments
• Government Transactions
• Wallet Loads
• Clock, Jewelry, Watch and Silverware Stores

Bottom Line

The Google Pay Flex Axis Bank Credit Card has become a more interesting offering following the latest changes to its reward structure. While the card still offers a base reward rate of just 0.2%, milestone-based benefits make it much more rewarding for higher spenders.

The biggest highlight is the 3.2% reward rate available to Google One members on crossing ₹15,000 in a reward cycle. Even non-Google One members can earn 1.6% in Stars after meeting the same spending requirement. Additionally, the promotional benefits on bills, OTT subscriptions, recharges, food and grocery purchases can help cardholders unlock further savings.

However, the reward structure is still quite complicated, as cardholders need to keep track of different reward cycles, spending thresholds, and promotional conditions. The higher milestone reward rate is also linked to Google One membership.

Overall, the Google Pay Flex Axis Bank Credit Card is worth considering for regular Google Pay users who can consistently spend ₹15,000 or more in a reward cycle. For those with lower spending, the base reward rate remains relatively modest, and there are other UPI credit cards worth considering.