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Axis Bank ACE vs AU Small Finance Bank CheQ Credit Cards – Fees, Lounge, Forex

Side-by-side comparison of the Axis Bank ACE and the AU Small Finance Bank CheQ. Verify fees, lounge access, forex markup, and base rewards before you apply.

ACE
CheQ

The short answer

Verdict

Pick CheQ for upi.

Head-to-head

Three core metrics
  • Annual fee
    ACE ₹499 Waivable at ₹2,00,000 spend
    CheQ ₹0
    CheQ saves ₹499/yr
  • Forex markup
    ACE 3.5%
    CheQ Not specified
  • Domestic lounge
    ACE 4/year Conditional · Domestic: 4/year · requires ₹50,000 spend in the previous 3 calendar months
    CheQ Lounge access not verified

Reward earning explained

Per card
ACE

1.5% · Up to 5% on Google Pay

Strong data
CheQ

1 pt / ₹100

Strong data

Pick based on what matters

4 dimensions

Start with the constraint you care about most: annual fee (Axis Bank ACE: ₹499 vs AU Small Finance Bank CheQ: ₹0), forex markup (3.5% vs Not specified), or lounge access (4/year vs Lounge access not verified).

  • Forex markup Insufficient data

    Insufficient data to compare forex

    Only Axis Bank ACE has comparable evidence here. Forex markup is 3.5%.

    ACE: Strong data CheQ: Limited data
  • Lounge access Tie

    Both cards are similar for lounge access

    Domestic lounge access is 4 per year. No verified lounge entitlement or explicit no-lounge evidence on file.

  • Rewards Insufficient data

    Insufficient data to compare rewards

    Available evidence is incomplete: Axis Bank ACE conservative base value ~1.5% per ₹100. AU Small Finance Bank CheQ is not safely INR-comparable (no usable point value).

    ACE: Strong data CheQ: Strong data
  • upi AU Small Finance Bank CheQ wins

    AU Small Finance Bank CheQ is better for UPI usage

    AU Small Finance Bank CheQ is stronger here. Supports UPI via RuPay network.

All fields

Example usage at this monthly spend

At ₹50k/month spend:

  • ACE: ~₹750/month at base rate
  • CheQ AU: Base earn not clearly specified

Illustrative only, using current base rates before caps.

Field ACE Axis Bank CheQ AU Small Finance Bank
Lounge Access
Domestic lounge visits
spend-gated on some cards — see caveats
Only available for ACE
4/year Not specified
International lounge visits
Only available for ACE
No international lounge access Not specified
Forex / International Use
Forex markup
CheQ AU unclear; ACE shows 3.5% (verify).
3.5% Not specified
Fees
Recurring annual fee
₹499 vs ₹0
₹499 ₹0
Annual-fee waiver
Only available for ACE
₹2,00,000 Not specified
Interest-free period
Only available for ACE
Up to 50 days Not specified
Monthly interest rate 3.75% / month 3.75% / month
Fuel benefit
1% surcharge waiver · ₹400–₹4,000 transactions · ₹500/month waiver cap vs Surcharge waiver available · ₹500–₹5,000 transactions · ₹150/month waiver cap
1% surcharge waiver · ₹400–₹4,000 transactions · ₹500/month waiver cap Surcharge waiver available · ₹500–₹5,000 transactions · ₹150/month waiver cap
Rewards
Base earn
Some reward lanes are unsupported — base rate only for comparison.
1.5% vs 1 pt / ₹100
1.5% 1 pt / ₹100
Conservative base value
~1.5% vs Not safely INR-comparable
~1.5% Not safely INR-comparable
Earn ceiling
₹500 per statement cycle — shared across Google Pay (domestic), Ola (domestic), Swiggy (domestic) & Zomato (domestic) vs Not stated
₹500 per statement cycle — shared across Google Pay (domestic), Ola (domestic), Swiggy (domestic) & Zomato (domestic) Not stated
Point value (headline channel)
Issuer headline redemption rate — see each card page for the full channel grid.
Only available for ACE
₹1 Not specified

Notes

  • Axis Bank ACE Credit Card: Condition: ₹50,000 spend in the previous 3 calendar months
  • Card benefits change frequently. Always verify current terms on the issuer's official website or app before applying.