Which card has a lower forex fee: Axis Bank ACE Credit Card or Standard Chartered Smart Credit Card?

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

Which card has a lower annual fee: Axis Bank ACE Credit Card or Standard Chartered Smart Credit Card?

Both cards have the same annual fee (₹499).

Which card offers better lounge access?

Axis Bank ACE Credit Card: 4 per year domestic lounge. Standard Chartered Smart Credit Card: No complimentary lounge access.

Which card has a higher base reward rate?

Axis Bank ACE Credit Card has higher base reward value (~1.5% vs ~1%).

Pairwise comparison Compare 3+ cards →

Axis Bank ACE vs Standard Chartered Bank India Standard Chartered Smart Credit Cards – Fees, Lounge, Forex

Side-by-side comparison of the Axis Bank ACE and the Standard Chartered Bank India Standard Chartered Smart. Verify fees, lounge access, forex markup, and base rewards before you apply.

Lounge Axis Bank ACE

Quick comparison

Three core metrics

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

Standard Chartered Smart Standard Chartered Bank India

Annual fee ₹499 Waivable at ₹1,20,000 spend
Forex markup 3.5%
Domestic lounge No complimentary lounge access

Reward earning explained

Per card

ACE

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

Standard Chartered Smart

2% on Online shopping (online only) + 1% on General spend (Applies to eligible…

Pick based on what matters

2 dimensions

Start with the constraint you care about most: annual fee (Axis Bank ACE: ₹499 vs Standard Chartered Bank India Standard Chartered Smart: ₹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.

Verify with issuer

All fields

Standard view

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.

Swipe for all fields

Field	ACE Axis Bank	Standard Chartered Smart Standard Chartered Bank India
Lounge Access
Domestic lounge visits 4/year vs No complimentary lounge access	4/year	No complimentary lounge access
Forex / International Use
Forex markup	3.5%	3.5%
Fees
Annual fee	₹499	₹499
Joining fee ₹499 vs ₹0	₹499	₹0
Fee waiver spend ₹2,00,000 vs ₹1,20,000	₹2,00,000	₹1,20,000
Interest-free period Up to 50 days vs Up to 90 days	Up to 50 days	Up to 90 days
Rewards
Base cashback 1.5% vs 1%	1.5%	1%
Point value (headline channel) Issuer headline redemption rate — see each card page for the full channel grid.	₹1	₹1

Notes

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