1.5% · Up to 5% on Google Pay
Strong data Pairwise comparison
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Axis Bank ACE vs Standard Chartered Bank India Smart Credit Cards – Fees, Lounge, Forex
Side-by-side comparison of the Axis Bank ACE and the Standard Chartered Bank India Smart. Verify fees, lounge access, forex markup, and base rewards before you apply.
The short answer
VerdictPick ACE for lounge access and rewards.
Head-to-head
Three core metrics- Annual fee ACE ₹499 Waivable at ₹2,00,000 spendSmart ₹499 Waivable at ₹1,20,000 or more spend
- Forex markup ACE 3.5%Smart 3.5%
- Domestic lounge ACE: +4 lounge visits/yrACE 4/year Conditional · Domestic: 4/year · requires ₹50,000 spend in the previous 3 calendar monthsSmart No complimentary lounge access
Reward earning explained
Per card1% · Up to 2% on online spend
Strong dataPick based on what matters
3 dimensionsStart with the constraint you care about most: annual fee (Axis Bank ACE: ₹499 vs Standard Chartered Bank India Smart: ₹499), forex markup (3.5% vs 3.5%), or lounge access (4/year vs No complimentary lounge access).
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Forex markup Tie Both cards are similar for forex
Forex markup is 3.5%.
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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.
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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 Standard Chartered Bank India Smart's ~1%.
All fields
Example usage at this monthly spend
At ₹50k/month spend:
- ACE: ~₹750/month at base rate
- Standard Chartered Smart: ~₹500/month at base rate
Illustrative only, using current base rates before caps.
| Field | ACE Axis Bank | Smart Standard Chartered Bank India |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | No international lounge access | No international lounge access |
| Forex / International Use | ||
| Forex markup | 3.5% | 3.5% |
| Fees | ||
| Recurring annual fee | ₹499 | ₹499 |
| First-year cost Only available for Standard Chartered Smart | Not specified | ₹0 |
| Annual-fee waiver ₹2,00,000 vs ₹1,20,000 or more | ₹2,00,000 | ₹1,20,000 or more |
| Interest-free period Only available for ACE | Up to 50 days | Not specified |
| Monthly interest rate | 3.75% / month | 3.75% / month |
| Late-payment charge Only available for Standard Chartered Smart | Not specified | ₹100–₹1,200 depending on outstanding balance |
| Fuel benefit 1% surcharge waiver · ₹400–₹4,000 transactions · ₹500/month waiver cap vs No surcharge waiver · Fuel rewards excluded | 1% surcharge waiver · ₹400–₹4,000 transactions · ₹500/month waiver cap | No surcharge waiver · Fuel rewards excluded |
| Rewards | ||
| Base cashback 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 ₹500 per statement cycle | ₹500 per statement cycle — shared across Google Pay (domestic), Ola (domestic), Swiggy (domestic) & Zomato (domestic) | ₹500 per statement cycle |
| Point value (headline channel) Issuer headline redemption rate — see each card page for the full channel grid. | ₹1 | ₹1 |
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.
Axis Bank ACE
Verify with issuer , opens external siteStandard Chartered Bank India Smart
Verify with issuer , opens external site