Which card has a lower forex fee: American Express SmartEarn Credit Card or Axis Bank ACE Credit Card?

Both cards have the same forex markup (3.5%).

Which card has a lower annual fee: American Express SmartEarn Credit Card or Axis Bank ACE Credit Card?

American Express SmartEarn Credit Card has a lower annual fee (₹495 vs ₹499).

Which card offers better lounge access?

American Express SmartEarn Credit Card: No complimentary lounge access. Axis Bank ACE Credit Card: 4 per year domestic lounge.

Which card has a higher base reward rate?

Axis Bank ACE Credit Card has higher base reward value (~1.5% vs ~0.5%).

Pairwise comparison Compare 3+ cards →

American Express SmartEarn vs Axis Bank ACE Credit Cards – Fees, Lounge, Forex

Side-by-side comparison of the American Express SmartEarn and the Axis Bank ACE. Verify fees, lounge access, forex markup, and base rewards before you apply.

Lounge Axis Bank ACE

Quick comparison

Three core metrics

SmartEarn American Express

Annual fee ₹495 Waivable at ₹40,000 spend
Forex markup 3.5%
Domestic lounge No complimentary lounge access

ACE Axis Bank

Annual fee ₹499 Waivable at ₹2,00,000 spend
Forex markup 3.5%
Domestic lounge 4/year Conditional · Domestic: 4/year · requires ₹50,000 spend in the previous 3 calendar months

Reward earning explained

Per card

SmartEarn

20 pts / ₹100 on Select 10X partners (domestic) + 20 pts / ₹100 on Blinkit (dom…

ACE

5% on Google Pay (domestic) (Utility bill payments and recharges must be comple…

Pick based on what matters

2 dimensions

Start with the constraint you care about most: annual fee (American Express SmartEarn: ₹495 vs Axis Bank ACE: ₹499), forex markup (3.5% vs 3.5%), or lounge access (No complimentary lounge access vs 4/year).

Forex markup Tie

Both cards are similar for forex

Forex markup is 3.5%.
Lounge access Axis Bank ACE wins

Axis Bank ACE is better for lounge access

Axis Bank ACE is stronger here. Domestic lounge access is 4 per year.

Verify with issuer

All fields

Standard view

Example usage at this monthly spend

At ₹50k/month spend:

ACE: ~₹750/month at base rate
American Express SmartEarn: ~₹250/month at base rate

Illustrative only, using current base rates before caps.

Swipe for all fields

Field	SmartEarn American Express	ACE Axis Bank
Lounge Access
Domestic lounge visits No complimentary lounge access vs 4/year	No complimentary lounge access	4/year
Forex / International Use
Forex markup	3.5%	3.5%
Fees
Annual fee ₹495 vs ₹499	₹495	₹499
Joining fee ₹495 vs ₹499	₹495	₹499
Fee waiver spend ₹40,000 vs ₹2,00,000	₹40,000	₹2,00,000
Interest-free period Up to 48 days vs Up to 50 days	Up to 48 days	Up to 50 days
Rewards
Points per ₹100 2 pts vs 1.5%	2 pts	1.5%
Point value (headline channel) Issuer headline redemption rate — see each card page for the full channel grid. ₹0.25 vs ₹1	₹0.25	₹1

Notes

Card benefits change frequently. Always verify current terms on the issuer's official website or app before applying.