Which card has a lower forex fee: Axis Bank Primus Credit Card or Axis Bank Reserve Credit Card?

Axis Bank Primus Credit Card has lower forex markup (0% vs 1.5%).

Which card has a lower annual fee: Axis Bank Primus Credit Card or Axis Bank Reserve Credit Card?

Axis Bank Reserve Credit Card has a lower annual fee (₹50,000 annual fee vs ₹3,00,000 annual fee).

Which card offers better lounge access?

Axis Bank Primus Credit Card: Unlimited domestic lounge + Unlimited international. Axis Bank Reserve Credit Card: Unlimited domestic lounge + Unlimited international.

Which card has a higher base reward rate?

Base reward rates are not fully available for both cards in the current snapshot.

Pairwise comparison Compare 3+ cards →

Axis Bank Primus vs Axis Bank Reserve Credit Cards – Fees, Lounge, Forex

Side-by-side comparison of the Axis Bank Primus and the Axis Bank Reserve. Verify fees, lounge access, forex markup, and base rewards before you apply.

Primus

Reserve

The short answer

Verdict

Pick Primus for travel and spending abroad.

Head-to-head

Three core metrics

Annual fee

Primus ₹3,00,000 Annual-fee waiver not offered

Reserve ₹50,000 Waivable at ₹35,00,000 spend

Reserve saves ₹2,50,000/yr
Forex markup

Primus 0%

Reserve 1.5%

Primus saves ~₹1,500 per ₹1L abroad
Domestic lounge

Primus Unlimited

Reserve Unlimited

Reward earning explained

Per card

Primus

1 EDGE Miles / ₹100

Strong data

Reserve

7.5 EDGE Reward Points / ₹100

Strong data

Pick based on what matters

4 dimensions

Start with the constraint you care about most: annual fee (Axis Bank Primus: ₹3,00,000 vs Axis Bank Reserve: ₹50,000), forex markup (0% vs 1.5%), or lounge access (Unlimited vs Unlimited).

Travel Axis Bank Primus wins

Axis Bank Primus is better for travel

Axis Bank Primus is stronger here. Forex markup is 0%.
Forex markup Axis Bank Primus wins

Axis Bank Primus is better for forex

Axis Bank Primus is stronger here. Forex markup is 0%.
Lounge access Tie

Both cards are similar for lounge access

Domestic lounge access is unlimited.
Rewards Insufficient data

Insufficient data to compare rewards

Available evidence is incomplete: Axis Bank Primus is not safely INR-comparable (no usable point value). Axis Bank Reserve conservative base value ~1.5% per ₹100.

Primus: Strong data Reserve: Strong data

All fields

Standard view

Example usage at this monthly spend

At ₹50k/month spend:

Reserve: ~₹750/month at base rate
Primus: Base earn not clearly specified

Illustrative only, using current base rates before caps.

Field	Primus Axis Bank	Reserve Axis Bank
Lounge Access
Domestic lounge visits	Unlimited	Unlimited
International lounge visits	Unlimited	Unlimited
Forex / International Use
Forex markup Source agreement differs — verify both. 0% vs 1.5%	0%	1.5%
Fees
Recurring annual fee ₹3,00,000 vs ₹50,000	₹3,00,000	₹50,000
Annual-fee waiver Not offered vs ₹35,00,000	Not offered	₹35,00,000
Monthly interest rate Only available for Primus	1% / month	Not specified
Fuel benefit 1% surcharge waiver · ₹400–₹10,000 transactions vs 1% surcharge waiver · ₹400–₹4,000 transactions · ₹400/month waiver cap	1% surcharge waiver · ₹400–₹10,000 transactions	1% surcharge waiver · ₹400–₹4,000 transactions · ₹400/month waiver cap
Rewards
Points per ₹100 1 EDGE Miles / ₹100 vs 7.5 EDGE Reward Points / ₹100	1 EDGE Miles / ₹100	7.5 EDGE Reward Points / ₹100
Conservative base value Not safely INR-comparable vs ~1.5%	Not safely INR-comparable	~1.5%
Earn ceiling	Not stated	Not stated
Point value (headline channel) Issuer headline redemption rate — see each card page for the full channel grid. Only available for Reserve	Not specified	₹0.2

Notes

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

Axis Bank Primus

Verify with issuer

Axis Bank Reserve

Verify with issuer