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Axis Bank Primus vs HSBC India Premier Credit Cards – Fees, Lounge, Forex

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

Primus
Premier

The short answer

Verdict

Pick Primus for travel, spending abroad and lounge access.

Head-to-head

Three core metrics
  • Annual fee
    Primus ₹3,00,000 Annual-fee waiver not offered
    Premier ₹20,000 Annual-fee waiver not offered
    Premier saves ₹2,80,000/yr
  • Forex markup
    Primus 0%
    Premier 0.99%
    Primus saves ~₹990 per ₹1L abroad
  • Domestic lounge
    Primus Unlimited
    Premier 24/year (6 per quarter)
    Primus has unlimited domestic visits

Reward earning explained

Per card
Primus

1 EDGE Miles / ₹100

Strong data
Premier

3 pts / ₹100 · Up to 36 pts / ₹100 on Hsbc Travel With Points Hotels

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 HSBC India Premier: ₹20,000), forex markup (0% vs 0.99%), or lounge access (Unlimited vs 24/year (6 per quarter)).

  • Travel Axis Bank Primus wins

    Axis Bank Primus is better for travel

    Axis Bank Primus is stronger here. Axis Bank Primus is cheaper for international spend (0% vs 0.99% forex).

  • Forex markup Axis Bank Primus wins

    Axis Bank Primus is better for forex

    Axis Bank Primus is stronger here. Axis Bank Primus has a lower forex markup (0% vs 0.99%).

  • Lounge access Axis Bank Primus wins

    Axis Bank Primus is better for lounge access

    Axis Bank Primus is stronger here. Axis Bank Primus offers unlimited domestic lounge visits versus 24 per year.

  • Rewards Insufficient data

    Insufficient data to compare rewards

    Available evidence is incomplete: Axis Bank Primus is not safely INR-comparable (no usable point value). HSBC India Premier is not safely INR-comparable (no usable point value).

    Primus: Strong data Premier: Strong data

All fields

Example usage at this monthly spend

At ₹50k/month spend:

  • HSBC Premier: Base earn not clearly specified
  • Primus: Base earn not clearly specified

Illustrative only, using current base rates before caps.

Field Primus Axis Bank Premier HSBC India
Insurance — Lost card liability cover
Only available for HSBC Premier
Not specified ₹3 lakh
Insurance — Underwriter
Only available for HSBC Premier
Not specified Insured by ICICI Lombard General Insurance Company Limited
Lounge Access
Domestic lounge visits
Unlimited vs 24/year (6 per quarter)
Unlimited 24/year (6 per quarter)
International lounge visits
Unlimited vs 2 per year
Unlimited 2 per year
Forex / International Use
Forex markup
0% vs 0.99%
0% 0.99%
Fees
Recurring annual fee
₹3,00,000 vs ₹20,000
₹3,00,000 ₹20,000
Annual-fee waiver Not offered Not offered
Interest-free period
Only available for Primus
Up to 50 days Not specified
Monthly interest rate
1% / month vs 2.99% / month
1% / month 2.99% / month
Fuel benefit
1% surcharge waiver · ₹400–₹10,000 transactions vs 1% surcharge waiver · ₹400–₹4,000 transactions
1% surcharge waiver · ₹400–₹10,000 transactions 1% surcharge waiver · ₹400–₹4,000 transactions
Rewards
Points per ₹100
1 EDGE Miles / ₹100 vs 3 pts / ₹100
1 EDGE Miles / ₹100 3 pts / ₹100
Earn ceiling
Not stated vs 18,000 points per month — shared across Hsbc Travel With Points Cars, Hsbc Travel With Points Flights & Hsbc Travel With Points Hotels
Not stated 18,000 points per month — shared across Hsbc Travel With Points Cars, Hsbc Travel With Points Flights & Hsbc Travel With Points Hotels

Notes

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