Which card has a lower forex fee: Axis Bank Cashback Credit Card or SBI Card PULSE?

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

Which card has a lower annual fee: Axis Bank Cashback Credit Card or SBI Card PULSE?

Axis Bank Cashback Credit Card has a lower annual fee (₹1,000 vs ₹1,499).

Which card offers better lounge access?

Axis Bank Cashback Credit Card: No domestic lounge. SBI Card PULSE: 4/year domestic lounge.

Which card has a higher base reward rate?

SBI Card PULSE has higher base reward value (~0.5% vs ~0.15%).

Pairwise comparison Add another card →

Axis Bank Cashback vs SBI Card PULSE Credit Cards – Fees, Lounge, Forex

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

Lounge SBI Card PULSE

Quick comparison

Three core metrics

Cashback Axis Bank

Annual fee ₹1,000 Waivable at ₹4,00,000 spend
Forex markup 3.5%
Domestic lounge No lounge access

PULSE SBI Card

Annual fee ₹1,499 Waivable at ₹2,00,000 spend
Forex markup 3.5%
Domestic lounge 4/year

Reward earning explained

Per card

Cashback

7% on Online + 0.8% on General spend

PULSE

2 pts / ₹100 on General spend

Pick based on what matters

4 dimensions

Start with the constraint you care about most: annual fee (Axis Bank Cashback: ₹1,000 vs SBI Card PULSE: ₹1,499), forex markup (3.5% vs 3.5%), or lounge access (No lounge access vs 4/year).

Forex markup Tie

Both cards are similar for forex

Forex markup is 3.5%.

Cashback: Limited data PULSE: Limited data
Lounge access SBI Card PULSE wins

SBI Card PULSE is better for lounge access

SBI Card PULSE is stronger here. Domestic lounge access is 4/year.

Cashback: Limited data PULSE: Limited data
Annual fee Insufficient data

Insufficient data to compare fees

Only Axis Bank Cashback has comparable evidence here. Annual fee is ₹1,000.

Cashback: Limited data PULSE: Limited data
upi Tie

Both cards are similar for UPI usage

Visa network does not support UPI payments.

Verify with issuer

All fields

Standard view

Example usage at this monthly spend

At ₹50k/month spend:

SBI PULSE: ~₹250/month at base rate
Cashback: ~₹80/month at base rate

Illustrative only, using current base rates before caps.

Field	Cashback Axis Bank	PULSE SBI Card
Lounge Access
Domestic lounge visits No lounge access vs 4/year	No lounge access	4/year
Forex / International Use
Forex markup	3.5%	3.5%
Fees
Annual fee ₹1,000 vs ₹1,499	₹1,000	₹1,499
Joining fee ₹1,000 vs ₹1,499	₹1,000	₹1,499
Fee waiver spend ₹4,00,000 vs ₹2,00,000	₹4,00,000	₹2,00,000
Rewards
Points per ₹100 0.75 pts vs 2 pts	0.75 pts	2 pts
Point cash value ₹0.2 vs ₹0.25	₹0.2	₹0.25

Notes

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