Travel is becoming more popular than ever, ranging from quiet staycations to frequent international trips. For many people, travelling has now turned into a hobby, gaining traction every day. This trend is further supported by improved connectivity through airports and airlines across the country and globally. All of this naturally raises the question of which credit card is best suited for travel-related spending, including flights, hotels, and other travel expenses.
When it comes to travel benefits, the Axis Horizon Credit Card and the HDFC Regalia Gold Credit Card are two options that currently stand quite close to each other and offer rewarding features for frequent travellers.
How Much Do You Need to Pay and What Do You Get?
The Axis Horizon Credit Card is relatively new to the credit card space, while the HDFC Regalia Gold Credit Card is a well-established offering.
The Horizon card emerged after the Citi–Axis merger and was positioned as a lighter alternative to the Axis Atlas Credit Card, which has now been discontinued.
In terms of annual fees, the Axis Horizon Credit Card comes with a charge of ₹3,000 + GST, which is slightly higher than the ₹2,500 + GST annual fee of the HDFC Regalia Gold Credit Card.
Another key difference is in the annual fee waiver. The Axis Horizon Credit Card does not offer a spend-based waiver, whereas the HDFC Regalia Gold Credit Card allows cardholders to waive the renewal fee by spending ₹4 lakh in a year.
| Card | Annual Charges |
| Axis Horizon | ₹3,000 + GST |
| HDFC Regalia Gold | ₹2,500 + GST |
In terms of joining benefits, the HDFC Regalia Gold Credit Card offers complimentary Swiggy One and MMT Black Elite memberships on spending ₹1 lakh within the first 90 days of card issuance.
In comparison, the Axis Horizon Credit Card comes out ahead as it offers 5,000 EDGE Miles upon card activation, which can be worth well over ₹10,000 if transferred strategically to travel partners such as Accor.
While you need to spend ₹1 lakh to unlock the welcome benefits with the HDFC Regalia Gold Credit Card, the Axis Horizon Credit Card requires only ₹1,000 in spends to earn the 5,000 EDGE Miles welcome benefit.
How Do the Rewards Compare?
Both cards have their own specific strengths when it comes to reward earnings. The Axis Horizon Credit Card is more focused on direct airline spends and flight or hotel bookings through Axis Travel Edge, while the HDFC Regalia Gold Credit Card offers accelerated rewards on select partner brands.
| Categories | Axis Horizon | Regalia Gold |
| Accelerated Reward Earnings | 5 EDGE Miles/₹100 Spent on Axis Bank Travel Edge and Airline Spends | 20 Reward Points on Every Spend of ₹150 on Myntra, Marks and Spencer, Nykaa, and Reliance Digital |
| Base Rewards | 2 EDGE Miles/₹100 | 4 Reward Points on Every Spend of ₹150 |
Lounge Access
When it comes to domestic lounge access, the HDFC Regalia Gold Credit Card offers 12 complimentary visits per year at airport lounges in India. Once the complimentary limit is exhausted, cardholders will have to pay the applicable lounge access charges. On the other hand, the Axis Horizon Credit Card offers significantly more domestic lounge access depending on the variant. The Mastercard World variant provides 6 visits per calendar quarter (24 per year), while the Visa Signature variant offers 8 visits per quarter (up to 32 per year).
For international lounge access, the HDFC Regalia Gold Credit Card provides 6 complimentary visits per year through Priority Pass for both the primary and add-on cardholders, after completing at least four transactions on the card. Additional visits beyond the free quota are charged USD 27 + GST per visit. In comparison, the Axis Horizon Credit Card offers 2 international lounge visits per quarter, which means up to 8 visits per year globally. A USD 1 authorization charge is taken at the time of access, which is later refunded.
Overall, the Axis Horizon card provides more frequent lounge access internationally as well as domestically.
Milestone Benefits
This is one area where the Axis Horizon Credit Card falls short, as it does not offer any milestone benefits. In comparison, the HDFC Regalia Gold Credit Card provides milestone rewards on spends of ₹1.5 lakh, ₹5 lakh, and ₹7.5 lakh, making it a better option for users who tend to have higher annual spending on their credit cards.
Who Won?
While both credit cards offer quite different and distinct reward structures, each has its own strengths depending on spending habits. Although both provide useful travel benefits, the Axis Horizon Credit Card stands out as a no-nonsense travel credit card.
It comes with a relatively affordable annual fee and offers benefits that can easily justify the cost in the first year. The card also provides renewal benefits each year, which help offset the annual charges. In addition, it offers strong reward earnings on airline spends and bookings through Axis Travel Edge.
Overall, the Axis Horizon Credit Card can offer more value than the HDFC Regalia Gold Credit Card, especially for those who are comfortable transferring their EDGE Miles to airline and hotel partners such as Accor.