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Axis Bank ACE vs SBI Card PhonePe SBI PURPLE Credit Cards – Fees, Lounge, Forex

Side-by-side comparison of the Axis Bank ACE and the SBI Card PhonePe SBI PURPLE. Verify fees, lounge access, forex markup, and base rewards before you apply.

ACE

The short answer

Verdict

Pick ACE for lounge access and rewards.

Pick PhonePe SBI PURPLE for upi.

Head-to-head

Three core metrics
  • Annual fee
    ACE ₹499 Waivable at ₹2,00,000 spend
    PhonePe SBI PURPLE ₹499 Waivable at ₹1,00,000 spend
  • Forex markup
    ACE 3.5%
    PhonePe SBI PURPLE 3.5%
  • Domestic lounge
    ACE 4/year Conditional · Domestic: 4/year · requires ₹50,000 spend in the previous 3 calendar months
    PhonePe SBI PURPLE No complimentary lounge access
    ACE: +4 lounge visits/yr

Reward earning explained

Per card
ACE

1.5% · Up to 5% on Google Pay

Strong data
PhonePe SBI PURPLE

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 SBI Card PhonePe SBI PURPLE: ₹499), forex markup (3.5% vs 3.5%), or lounge access (4/year vs No complimentary lounge access).

  • 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.

  • Rewards Axis Bank ACE wins

    Axis Bank ACE is better for rewards

    Axis Bank ACE is stronger here. Axis Bank ACE conservative base value ~1.5% vs SBI Card PhonePe SBI PURPLE's ~1%.

  • upi SBI Card PhonePe SBI PURPLE wins

    SBI Card PhonePe SBI PURPLE is better for UPI usage

    SBI Card PhonePe SBI PURPLE 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
  • PhonePe SBI PURPLE: ~₹500/month at base rate

Illustrative only, using current base rates before caps.

Field ACE Axis Bank PhonePe SBI PURPLE SBI Card
Lounge Access
Domestic lounge visits
spend-gated on some cards — see caveats
4/year vs No complimentary lounge access
4/year No complimentary lounge access
International lounge visits
Only available for ACE
No international lounge access Not specified
Forex / International Use
Forex markup 3.5% 3.5%
Fees
Recurring annual fee ₹499 ₹499
Annual-fee waiver
₹2,00,000 vs ₹1,00,000
₹2,00,000 ₹1,00,000
Monthly interest rate 3.75% / month 3.75% / month
Fuel benefit
1% surcharge waiver · ₹400–₹4,000 transactions · ₹500/month waiver cap vs 1% surcharge waiver · ₹500–₹3,000 transactions · ₹100/month waiver cap · Fuel rewards excluded
1% surcharge waiver · ₹400–₹4,000 transactions · ₹500/month waiver cap 1% surcharge waiver · ₹500–₹3,000 transactions · ₹100/month waiver cap · Fuel rewards excluded
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 ~1%
~1.5% ~1%
Earn ceiling
₹500 per statement cycle — shared across Google Pay (domestic), Ola (domestic), Swiggy (domestic) & Zomato (domestic) vs 750 points per month; at 3 pts / ₹100, this lane reaches the cap at ₹25,000 of eligible spend
₹500 per statement cycle — shared across Google Pay (domestic), Ola (domestic), Swiggy (domestic) & Zomato (domestic) 750 points per month; at 3 pts / ₹100, this lane reaches the cap at ₹25,000 of eligible spend
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.