2 EDGE Miles / ₹100 · 5 EDGE Miles/₹100 on eligible airline and axis Travel Edge
Strong dataAxis Bank Horizon vs Standard Chartered Bank India Ultimate Credit Cards – Fees, Lounge, Forex
Side-by-side comparison of the Axis Bank Horizon and the Standard Chartered Bank India Ultimate. Verify fees, lounge access, forex markup, and base rewards before you apply.
The short answer
VerdictHead-to-head
Three core metrics- Annual fee Horizon saves ₹2,000/yrHorizon ₹3,000 Annual-fee waiver not offeredUltimate ₹5,000 Annual-fee waiver not offered
- Forex markup Ultimate saves ~₹1,500 per ₹1L abroadHorizon 3.5%Ultimate 2%
- Domestic lounge Horizon: +16 lounge visits/yrHorizon 32/year (8 per quarter)Ultimate 16/year (4 per quarter) Conditional · International: 1/month · requires ₹20,000 spend in the previous month (unlocks the following month)
Reward earning explained
Per card5 pts / ₹150
Strong dataPick based on what matters
4 dimensionsStart with the constraint you care about most: annual fee (Axis Bank Horizon: ₹3,000 vs Standard Chartered Bank India Ultimate: ₹5,000), forex markup (3.5% vs 2%), or lounge access (32/year (8 per quarter) vs 16/year (4 per quarter)).
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Travel Insufficient data Insufficient data to compare travel
Only Standard Chartered Bank India Ultimate has comparable evidence here. Forex markup is 2%.
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Forex markup Standard Chartered Bank India Ultimate wins Standard Chartered Bank India Ultimate is better for forex
Standard Chartered Bank India Ultimate is stronger here. Forex markup is 2%.
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Lounge access Axis Bank Horizon wins Axis Bank Horizon is better for lounge access
Axis Bank Horizon is stronger here. Axis Bank Horizon offers 32 domestic lounge visits per year versus 16.
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Rewards Standard Chartered Bank India Ultimate wins Standard Chartered Bank India Ultimate is better for rewards
Standard Chartered Bank India Ultimate is stronger here. Standard Chartered Bank India Ultimate conservative base value ~3.3% vs Axis Bank Horizon's ~2%.
All fields
Example usage at this monthly spend
At ₹50k/month spend:
- Standard Chartered Ultimate: ~₹1,670/month at base rate
- Horizon: ~₹1,000/month at base rate
Illustrative only, using current base rates before caps.
| Field | Horizon Axis Bank | Ultimate Standard Chartered Bank India |
|---|---|---|
| Insurance — Lost card liability cover Only available for Horizon | ₹10 lakh | Not specified |
| Insurance — Underwriter Only available for Horizon | Insured by The New India Assurance Co. Ltd | Not specified |
| Lounge Access | ||
| Domestic lounge visits 32/year (8 per quarter) vs 16/year (4 per quarter) | 32/year (8 per quarter) | 16/year (4 per quarter) |
| International lounge visits 2 per quarter vs 1 per month | 2 per quarter | 1 per month |
| Forex / International Use | ||
| Forex markup Source agreement differs — verify both. 3.5% vs 2% | 3.5% | 2% |
| Fees | ||
| Recurring annual fee ₹3,000 vs ₹5,000 | ₹3,000 | ₹5,000 |
| Annual-fee waiver | Not offered | Not offered |
| Interest-free period Up to 50 days vs Up to 48 days | Up to 50 days | Up to 48 days |
| Monthly interest rate Only available for Standard Chartered Ultimate | Not specified | 3.75% / month |
| Fuel benefit Only available for Horizon | 1% surcharge waiver · ₹400–₹5,000 transactions · ₹400/month waiver cap · Fuel rewards excluded | Not specified |
| Rewards | ||
| Base earn 2 EDGE Miles / ₹100 vs 5 pts / ₹150 | 2 EDGE Miles / ₹100 | 5 pts / ₹150 |
| Conservative base value ~2% vs ~3.3% | ~2% | ~3.3% |
| Earn ceiling | Not stated | Not stated |
| 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.
Axis Bank Horizon
Verify with issuer , opens external siteStandard Chartered Bank India Ultimate
Verify with issuer , opens external site