1 EDGE Miles / ₹100
Strong dataAxis 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.
The short answer
VerdictPick Primus for travel, spending abroad and lounge access.
Head-to-head
Three core metrics- Annual fee Premier saves ₹2,80,000/yrPrimus ₹3,00,000 Annual-fee waiver not offeredPremier ₹20,000 Annual-fee waiver not offered
- Forex markup Primus saves ~₹990 per ₹1L abroadPrimus 0%Premier 0.99%
- Domestic lounge Primus has unlimited domestic visitsPrimus UnlimitedPremier 24/year (6 per quarter)
Reward earning explained
Per card3 pts / ₹100 · Up to 36 pts / ₹100 on Hsbc Travel With Points Hotels
Strong dataPick based on what matters
4 dimensionsStart 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)).
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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).
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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%).
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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.
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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).
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.
Axis Bank Primus
Verify with issuer , opens external siteHSBC India Premier
Verify with issuer , opens external site