HDFC Infinia Credit Card vs Axis Bank Magnus Credit Card

HDFC Infinia Credit Card is arguably one of the best credit cards in the super-premium category in the Indian credit card market space. Axis Bank Magnus is another very attractive option in the super-premium segment, particularly so after the recently introduced milestone benefits. Both HDFC Infinia and Axis Bank Magnus Credit Cards come with an annual fee of Rs. 12,500.

In this article, we will be doing a pointwise comparison between the HDFC Infinia Metal Edition Credit Card and Axis Bank Magnus Credit Card. Before comparing the two cards, it is a good idea to first go through the key features of both cards.

HDFC Infinia Metal Edition Credit Card

HDFC Infinia Metal Edition Credit Card is usually the first name that comes to mind when talking of credit cards in the super-premium category. Infinia Metal Edition Credit Card offers a reward rate of up to 3.3% on normal spending and comes with an annual fee of Rs. 12,500. Some of the key features of HDFC Bank Infinia Credit Card are as follows:

• 12,500 Bonus Reward Points on joining the card membership, subject to the realization of the membership fee.
• 5 Reward Points per Rs. 150 spent with the card on all spending categories except fuel.
• 10x Reward Points on hotel bookings, 5x Reward Points on flight/bus ticket bookings, purchases from the Apple store, and 3x Reward Points on spends on Flipkart via SmartBuy. A daily max capping of 15,000 Reward Points and a monthly max capping of 15,000 reward points are applicable on the Points earned via SmartBuy Portal.
• The Reward Points earned on the Infinia Credit Card are redeemable for AirMiles, products, shopping vouchers, or cashback. The reward redemption rate is as per the following table-

Reward Points Redemption Rate
Hotel/Flight (SmartBuy)	AirMiles	Apple/Tanishq Vouchers	Products/Vouchers	Cashback
Re. 1	1 AirMile	Re. 1	Rs. 0.50	Rs. 0.30

• Complimentary 1-year membership of the Club Marriott hotel loyalty program.
• Complimentary access to domestic/international airport lounges with Priority Pass membership worth USD 99 per annum for primary as well as add-on card members.
• Unlimited complimentary access to some of the leading golf destinations across the world.
• 2+1 complimentary night stay at partner ITC hotels.
• A 1+1 buffet is offered on weekends at partner ITC hotels, and an assured 25% discount is offered at over 200 partner restaurants.
• Complimentary comprehensive insurance coverage includes overseas medical emergency coverage, insurance against death in an air accident, credit shield, and credit liability coverage.
• 24×7 global concierge service for assistance regarding restaurant table bookings, hotel reservations, and gift deliveries across the world.
• A lower foreign currency mark-up fee of just 2% of the transaction amount.
• The annual membership fee of Rs. 12,500 is waived on an expenditure of a minimum of Rs. 10,000 in the preceding year.
• For more detailed information on the HDFC Infinia Metal Edition Credit Card, you may refer to our review of the card here.
• HDFC Infinia Credit Card is an invite-only offering. Therefore, no income-based eligibility criterion has been stipulated by the bank.

Axis Bank Magnus Credit Card

Axis Bank Magnus Credit Card is the most rewarding credit card currently available in the market in terms of the Reward Points benefit on normal spends. Magnus Credit Card comes with a membership fee of Rs. 10,000 per annum and can offer a reward rate of up to 6.2% if your monthly expenditure exceeds Rs. 1 lac. Some of the salient features of the Axis Bank Magnus Credit Card are as follows-

• A Luxe, Yatra, or Postcard Hotels voucher worth Rs. 12,500 as a welcome benefit on joining the card membership.
• 12 Axis Bank Edge Reward Points per Rs. 200 spent with the card and 5x Edge Reward Points on travel spends via the Edge Rewards Portal.
• 25,000 Bonus Edge Reward Points worth Rs. 5,000 as milestone benefit on a minimum monthly expenditure of Rs. 1 lac (recently introduced benefit effective from 1st Feb 2022).
• Axis Bank Edge Reward Points are redeemable for products and shopping vouchers from the Axis Bank EdgeRewards portal. 1 Edge Reward Point = Rs. 0.20.
• The EDGE Points are also transferable to partner Airlines and Hotels, including Etihad Airways Club ITC, Marriott Bonvoy, Singapore Airlines, Spice Jet, and much more at the ratio of 5:4.
• Unlimited domestic airport lounge access and 8 complimentary international airport lounge access every year with a complimentary Priority Pass membership.
• BOGO offer on movie tickets booked via BookMyShow (a max discount of Rs. 500 on the second ticket).
• 25% discount at over 2,000 restaurants with complimentary Dine Out Passport membership.
• Complimentary medical benefits like medical concierge service with virtual health assistance, second opinions from medical practitioners, and preventive health packages from leading pathology labs.
• A comprehensive insurance policy including an air accidental cover, purchase protection cover, credit shield cover, credit liability cover, and lost/delayed baggage cover.
• A 24×7 concierge service for assistance regarding hotel/flight bookings, restaurant table reservations, and gift deliveries.
• A lower markup fee on transactions made in a foreign currency, lower interest rate, and zero cash withdrawal fee.
• The annual fee of Rs. 10,000 is waived if a minimum of Rs. 15 lacs was spent with the card in the preceding year.
• You must have a minimum annual income of Rs. 18 lacs to be eligible for an Axis Bank Magnus Credit Card.

Quick Comparison

Now that you have gone through all the key features of both HDFC Infinia and Axis Bank Magnus Credit Cards, it makes sense to compare the rewards and benefits of the two credit cards-

	HDFC Infinia Credit Card	Axis Bank Magnus Credit Card
Reward Rate	5 Reward Points per Rs. 150 (max reward rate = 3.3% as the max value of 1 RP = Re. 1). Accelerated Reward Points on flight/bus/hotel bookings (10X or 5X), rail ticket booking (3X) and Flipkart (3X) via SmartBuy. The max cap on accelerated Reward Points on SpartBuy is 15,000 RPs per statement cycle.	12 Edge Reward Points per Rs. 200 (reward rate = 1.2%). 5x Edge Reward Points on Travel Edge Portal.
Reward Redemption	1 RP = Re. 1 for redemption against flight/hotel bookings via SmartBuy. 1 RP = Re. 1 for redemption against Apple/Tanishq vouchers onSmartBuy. 1 RP = Rs. 0.50 for redemption against product/voucher purchases from HDFC’s catalog. 1 RP = Rs. 0.30 for redemption against cashback (adjustment against the card’s statement balance). 1 RP = 1 AirMile.	Edge Reward Points are redeemable against products and shopping vouchers. 1 Edge Reward Point = Rs. 0.20. Edge Points can also be transferred to Partner Airlines/Hotels including Turkish airlines, ITC, Etihad Airways, Marriott, Qatar, and many more (Ratio 5:4).
Welcome/Renewal Benefits	12,500 Reward Points on realization of the joining/renewal fee.	Complimentary Luxe, Yatra, or Postcard Hotels voucher or a domestic flight ticket worth Rs. 12,500 on joining the card membership.
Milestone Benefits	N/A	Bonus 25,000 Edge Reward Points on spending a minimum of Rs. 1 lac in a month. Reward rate therefore becomes 6.2% on spending Rs. 1 lac in a month.
Additional Benefits	Unlimited complimentary domestic and international airport lounge access for primary as well as add-on cardholders.  1+1 buffet on weekends at participating ITC Hotels. 2+1 complimentary night stay at participating ITC Hotels. Comprehensive insurance cover including insurance against accidental death in air accident (Rs. 3 crores), medical emergency cover (up to Rs. 50 lacs), credit shield cover (Rs. 9 lacs), credit liability cover (Rs. 9 lacs).	Unlimited complimentary domestic airport lounge access and 8 complimentary international airport lounge access every year. BOGO offer on movie tickets booked via BookMyShow. Complimentary medical and travel concierge services. Comprehensive insurance cover, including multiple travel-related insurance benefits and credit shield cover. A lower interest rate (2.5% p.m.) and forex mark-up fee (2%).
Membership Fee	Rs. 12,500 per annum (plus applicable taxes). Annual membership fee is waived off on a minimum expenditure of Rs. 10 lacs in the preceding year.	Rs. 12,500 per annum (plus applicable taxes). Annual membership fee is waived off on a minimum expenditure of Rs. 15 lacs in the preceding year.
Eligibility	Invite only	Minimum annual income of Rs. 18 lacs is required to be eligible for Axis Bank Magnus Credit Card.

The Verdict

As you can see in the table above, both HDFC Infinia and Axis Bank Magnus Credit Cards offer best-in-class benefits to the cardholders. If you are looking for a credit card in the super-premium segment that offers the highest reward rate (in terms of Reward Points) and you use your credit card a lot (minimum spends of Rs. 1 lac in a month), you should consider Axis Bank Magnus Credit Card as it offers a better reward rate if you spend a minimum of Rs. 1 lac with the card in a month.

On the other hand, if you want a credit card that offers premium travel and dining benefits apart from a decent reward rate. You can consider HDFC ‘s Infinia Credit Card as you get complimentary 2+1 night stays and 2+1 buffets at partner ITC hotels with the Infinia Card. On top of these benefits, you can always earn Reward Points at up to a 10x reward rate on SmartBuy.