Which card has a lower forex fee: American Express SmartEarn Credit Card or HDFC Bank PIXEL Go Credit Card?

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

Which card has a lower annual fee: American Express SmartEarn Credit Card or HDFC Bank PIXEL Go Credit Card?

HDFC Bank PIXEL Go Credit Card has a lower annual fee (₹250 vs ₹495).

Which card offers better lounge access?

American Express SmartEarn Credit Card: Domestic lounge details not available. HDFC Bank PIXEL Go Credit Card: No domestic lounge.

Which card has a higher base reward rate?

Base reward rates are not fully available for both cards in the current snapshot.

American Express SmartEarn vs HDFC Bank PIXEL Go Credit Cards – Fees, Lounge, Forex

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

Quick comparison

Feature	SmartEarn	PIXEL Go
Annual fee	₹495 Waivable at ₹40,000 spend	₹250 Waivable at ₹50,000 spend
Forex fee	3.5%	3.5%
Domestic lounge	Not specified	No lounge access

Fees: PIXEL Go wins

Confidence: High

Forex: Tie

Confidence: High

Lounge: Tie

Confidence: Low (limited information available)

Confidence varies by card — verify issuer terms

SmartEarn 2 pts / ₹100 on General spend Strong data

PIXEL Go 5% on Selected categories + 1% on General spend Strong data

Pick based on what matters

Start with the constraint you care about most: annual fee (American Express SmartEarn: ₹495 vs HDFC Bank PIXEL Go: ₹250), forex markup (3.5% vs 3.5%), or lounge access (Not specified vs No lounge access).

Both cards are similar for forex Strong data vs Strong data Forex markup is 3.5%.
Insufficient data to compare lounge access Strong data Only HDFC Bank PIXEL Go has comparable evidence here. Domestic lounge access is 0 visits/year.
Insufficient data to compare rewards Strong data vs Strong data Only HDFC Bank PIXEL Go has comparable evidence here. Estimated base reward value is ~1% on base spend.
HDFC Bank PIXEL Go is better for fees Strong data vs Strong data HDFC Bank PIXEL Go is stronger here. HDFC Bank PIXEL Go has a lower annual fee (₹250 vs ₹495).
Both cards are similar for UPI usage American Express network does not support UPI payments. Visa network does not support UPI payments.

Explore: American Express SmartEarn card page · HDFC Bank PIXEL Go card page · best credit cards in India

Standard view

Example usage at this monthly spend

At ₹50k/month spend:

PIXEL Go: ~₹500/month at base rate
American Express SmartEarn: Base earn not clearly specified

Illustrative only, using current base rates before caps.

	SmartEarn American Express	PIXEL Go HDFC Bank
Lounge Access
Domestic lounge visits Only available for PIXEL Go	Not specified	No lounge access
Forex / International Use
Forex markup	3.5%	3.5%
Fees
Annual fee ₹495 vs ₹250	₹495	₹250
Joining fee ₹495 vs ₹250	₹495	₹250
Fee waiver spend ₹40,000 vs ₹50,000	₹40,000	₹50,000
Rewards
Points per ₹100 2 pts vs 1 pts	2 pts	1 pts
Point cash value Only available for PIXEL Go	Not specified	₹1

Notes

Some data has low confidence — verify with the issuer before relying on it.
Card benefits change frequently. Always verify current terms on the issuer's official website or app before applying.

American Express SmartEarn vs HDFC Bank PIXEL Go Credit Cards – Fees, Lounge, Forex

Quick comparison

Pick based on what matters

Related comparisons

Example usage at this monthly spend

Notes