1.5% · Up to 5% on Google Pay
Strong data Pairwise comparison
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AXIS ACE vs STANDARD CHARTERED Smart
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
Pick ACE for rewards.
Head-to-head
- Annual fee Annual fee outcome: tie. ACE ₹499 Waivable at ₹2,00,000 spendSmart ₹499 Waivable at ₹1,20,000 or more spend
- Forex markup Forex markup outcome: tie. ACE 3.5%Smart 3.5%
- Domestic lounge Domestic lounge outcome: insufficient data to compare. ACE 4/year Conditional · Domestic: 4/year · requires ₹50,000 spend in the previous 3 calendar monthsSmart No complimentary lounge access
- Rewards Rewards outcome: ACE wins. conservative base valueACE ~1.5%Smart ~1%
Reward earning explained
1% · Up to 2% on online spend
Strong dataExample 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.
All fields
| 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