Credit card enthusiasts may already be familiar with two super-premium and rewarding credit cards: the Axis Bank Reserve and the AMEX Platinum Charge Card. For those who are unaware of these cards or for those looking for a detailed comparison, this article will be helpful. We shall have a look at the benefits and drawbacks of these cards and compare them to each other.

Both of these cards are top offerings from their issuers. Most suited for high-end individuals, these credit cards are known to offer the best benefits, from unlimited lounge access to a great reward structure. Yet it’s best to check all the features of the card before applying for one.

Axis Bank Reserve Credit Card Vs American Express Platinum

Compare Top Features

As both the cards are super-premium credit cards, apart from a pretty reward rate, you also get a plethora of additional benefits and perks, such as complimentary domestic and international airport lounge access, comprehensive insurance cover, complimentary hotel gift vouchers, and many more. In this article, we will give a point-wise comparison between the AmEx Platinum Credit Card and the Axis Bank Reserve Credit Card.

Features Axis Bank Reserve Credit Card American Express Platinum Charge Card
Joining/Renewal Fee Rs. 50,000 + GST Rs. 60,000 + GST
Welcome Benefits 50,000 Edge Reward Points. Complimentary EazyDiner, Club ITC Culinaire, and AccorPlus Membership SeleQtions, Taj, and Vivanta Hotels Vouchers Worth Rs. 45,000. 10,000 Referral Bonus Membership Rewards Points
Foreign Currency Markup 1.5% 3.5%
Spend-Based Renewal Fee Waiver Rs. 35 Lakh in a Year N/A
Rewards
  • 15 Edge Reward Per Rs. 200 spent.
  • 2x Edge Reward Points on international spends.
  • 1 Membership Rewards Point per Rs. 40 (except on fuel, utility, and insurance spends).
  • 5 Membership Rewards Points on fuel.
  • 5X Membership Rewards Points on purchases made via Reward Multiplier.
  • 3X Membership Reward Points on overseas spends.

American Express Platinum Credit Card

American Express Platinum Credit Card is one of the super-premium credit cards that comes with an annual fee of Rs. 60,000 + GST. This card is one of the top-few credit cards with one of the highest membership fees in the market so far. Some of the key features of the American Express Platinum Credit Card are as follows:

  • AmEx Platinum Card is a charge card, which means it does not have an already determined credit limit. The credit limit for the card varies depending on the basis of customers’ spending behavior.
  • You get gift vouchers worth Rs. 45,000 from Vivanta Hotels, Taj, and SeleQtions and up to 1,00,000 membership reward points as a joining benefit upon realizing the membership fee.
  • The card will earn you 1 Membership Rewards Point on every Rs. 40 spent except spends on fuel, insurance, and fuel transactions.
  • You earn up to 5 Membership Rewards Points on every Rs. 100 spent on fuel.
  • The card also entitles you to unlimited domestic airport lounge access and international lounge access with more than 1,200 airport lounges, which include the greatest names like Centurion Lounges, Priority Pass Lounges, Escape Lounges, Delta Sky Club Lounges, American Express Lounges.
  • You earn 3X Membership Rewards Points on all spends abroad and 5X Membership Rewards Points via Reward Multiplier.
  • You also get a discount of up to 50% with more than 1,800 premium restaurants in the country, along with a complimentary membership of the EazyDiner Prime.
  • You also get a 24×7 global concierge service with American Express Platinum Card for assistance in regards to any hotel/flight booking.
  • The card also entitles you to complimentary access to over 30 golf courses in India and 50+ golf courses worldwide every year.

Axis Bank Reserve Credit Card

Axis Bank Reserve Credit Card is also a super-premium credit card. The card also offers a decent reward rate of 1.5% on domestic spends, whereas international spends has an accelerated rate of 2x reward rate. Being a super-premium credit card, it comes with a hefty membership fee of Rs. 50,000 per annum and offers a number of add-on benefits such as complimentary airport lounge access, exclusive offers at premium hotels/restaurants, BOGO offers on movie tickets, and many more. Some of the salient features of Axis Bank Reserve Credit Card are mentioned below –

  • 50,000 Edge Reward Points are a welcome benefit upon card activation, and card membership is renewed annually.
  • 15 Edge Reward Points per Rs. 200 spent on domestic transactions and 2x reward rate on international transactions.
  • Unlimited domestic airport lounge access and 12 international airport lounges every year with Priority Pass membership.
  • You get VIP assistance at airports 8 times a year for assistance regarding processes such as immigration, security checks, and porter services. You also get 8 luxury pick-ups and drop-offs at airports 8 times a year.
  • The card also entitles you to a complimentary Club ITC Culinaire Membership, which provides benefits such as a complimentary third-night stay (2+1 night stay), discounted rates on room tariffs and suits, Green Points on food and beverages, and many more.
  • You also get a complimentary Accorplus membership with benefits such as a complimentary room upgrade, complimentary night stay, complimentary buffet, and 50% off on dining across Accor hotels in India.
  • The card entitles you to multiple attractive benefits at Oberoi hotels, like discounted room tariffs, complimentary 3rd-night stays (2+1 night stay), 50% off on the best available rates on suites, etc.
  • You also get multiple benefits at Postcard hotels, such as a discount of 15% on the best available room rates, an anytime check-in and check-out facility, and complimentary lifestyle consultation (only for Postcard hotels in Goa).
  • Axis Bank Reserve Credit Card also entitles you to a BOGO offer on BookMyShow tickets- max benefit of Rs. 500 on movie tickets and Rs. 1,000 on non-movie tickets.
  • You also get a discount of up to 25% on dining bills at partner restaurants with a complimentary Eazydiner membership and a discount of up to 20% at over 4,000 partner restaurants with the Axis Bank Dining Delights program.
  • You also get 50 complimentary rounds of golf every year with your Axis Bank Reserve Credit Card at some of the most premium golf destinations across the country.
  • Axis Bank Reserve credit cardholders also get comprehensive insurance coverage, including air accident cover worth Rs. 4.5 crores, purchase protection cover worth Rs. 2 lacs, cover against loss/delay of baggage/personal documents worth USD 500, credit shield cover worth Rs. 5 lacs, and lost card cover up to the credit limit of the card.

Conclusion

After considering both the Axis Bank Reserve Credit Card and the American Express Platinum Charge Card, it’s clear that both cards have their own benefits and privileges. Your decision on which one to choose should be based on your individual preferences, spending habits, and lifestyle. It’s critical to select the card that is most suitable for your requirements.

As you can see from the comparison above, both American Express Platinum Credit Card and Axis Bank Reserve Credit Card offer best-in-class travel benefits such as complimentary airport lounge access, discounted rates at premium hotels and restaurants, airport assistance services, and many more. The annual fee of the Axis Bank Reserve Credit Card is Rs. 50,000, while that of the AmEx Platinum Card is Rs. 60,000- Rs. 10,000 more than that of the Axis Bank Reserve Card.

As far as travel benefits are concerned, American Express Platinum Credit Card offers discounts and benefits at Taj hotels, while Axis Bank Reserve Credit Card offers benefits at ITC hotels. Also, while the AmEx Platinum Credit Card provides unlimited domestic/international airport lounge access, you get unlimited domestic and 12 international airport lounge access per year with the Axis Bank Reserve Credit Card. Overall, both the cards are the same in terms of the reward rate, features and benefits offered, and even in terms of the annual fee.

Which credit card did you find most suitable or would you apply for? Let us know in the comments below.

2 Comments

  1. Sameer kumar Reply

    You have not mentioned one most important point about amex platinum all features and benefits are equally applicable for 4 supplemtary card holder which is missing in axis.

    • Kartik Kanwar Reply

      Surely, will add.

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