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Axis 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.

Horizon
Ultimate

The short answer

Verdict

Pick Horizon for lounge access.

Pick Ultimate for spending abroad and rewards.

Head-to-head

Three core metrics
  • Annual fee
    Horizon ₹3,000 Annual-fee waiver not offered
    Ultimate ₹5,000 Annual-fee waiver not offered
    Horizon saves ₹2,000/yr
  • Forex markup
    Horizon 3.5%
    Ultimate 2%
    Ultimate saves ~₹1,500 per ₹1L abroad
  • Domestic lounge
    Horizon 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)
    Horizon: +16 lounge visits/yr

Reward earning explained

Per card
Horizon

2 EDGE Miles / ₹100 · 5 EDGE Miles/₹100 on eligible airline and axis Travel Edge

Strong data
Ultimate

5 pts / ₹150

Strong data

Pick based on what matters

4 dimensions

Start 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)).

  • Travel Insufficient data

    Insufficient data to compare travel

    Only Standard Chartered Bank India Ultimate has comparable evidence here. Forex markup is 2%.

    Horizon: Strong data Ultimate: Strong data
  • 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%.

  • 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.

  • 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.