1 EDGE Miles / ₹100
Strong data Pairwise comparison
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Axis Bank Primus vs ICICI Bank Times Black Credit Cards – Fees, Lounge, Forex
Side-by-side comparison of the Axis Bank Primus and the ICICI Bank Times Black. Verify fees, lounge access, forex markup, and base rewards before you apply.
The short answer
VerdictPick Primus for travel and spending abroad.
Head-to-head
Three core metrics- Annual fee Times Black saves ₹2,80,000/yrPrimus ₹3,00,000 Annual-fee waiver not offeredTimes Black ₹20,000 Waivable at ₹25,00,000 spend
- Forex markup Primus saves ~₹1,490 per ₹1L abroadPrimus 0%Times Black 1.49%
- Domestic lounge Primus UnlimitedTimes Black Unlimited
Reward earning explained
Per card2 pts / ₹100
Strong dataPick based on what matters
4 dimensionsStart with the constraint you care about most: annual fee (Axis Bank Primus: ₹3,00,000 vs ICICI Bank Times Black: ₹20,000), forex markup (0% vs 1.49%), or lounge access (Unlimited vs Unlimited).
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Travel Axis Bank Primus wins Axis Bank Primus is better for travel
Axis Bank Primus is stronger here. Forex markup is 0%.
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Forex markup Axis Bank Primus wins Axis Bank Primus is better for forex
Axis Bank Primus is stronger here. Forex markup is 0%.
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Lounge access Tie Both cards are similar for lounge access
Domestic lounge access is unlimited.
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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). ICICI Bank Times Black conservative base value ~0.8% per ₹100.
All fields
Example usage at this monthly spend
At ₹50k/month spend:
- Times Black ICICI Bank: ~₹400/month at base rate
- Primus: Base earn not clearly specified
Illustrative only, using current base rates before caps.
| Field | Primus Axis Bank | Times Black ICICI Bank |
|---|---|---|
| Insurance — Air accident cover Only available for Times Black ICICI Bank | Not specified | ₹3 crore |
| Insurance — Lost card liability cover Only available for Times Black ICICI Bank | Not specified | ₹50,000 |
| Insurance — Underwriter Only available for Times Black ICICI Bank | Not specified | Insured by ICICI Lombard General Insurance Company Limited |
| Lounge Access | ||
| Domestic lounge visits | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| International lounge visits | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Forex / International Use | ||
| Forex markup Source agreement differs — verify both. 0% vs 1.49% | 0% | 1.49% |
| Fees | ||
| Recurring annual fee ₹3,00,000 vs ₹20,000 | ₹3,00,000 | ₹20,000 |
| Annual-fee waiver Not offered vs ₹25,00,000 | Not offered | ₹25,00,000 |
| Interest-free period Up to 50 days vs Up to 48 days | Up to 50 days | Up to 48 days |
| Monthly interest rate 1% / month vs 3.75% / month | 1% / month | 3.75% / month |
| Fuel benefit 1% surcharge waiver · ₹400–₹10,000 transactions vs 1% surcharge waiver · up to ₹4,000 transactions | 1% surcharge waiver · ₹400–₹10,000 transactions | 1% surcharge waiver · up to ₹4,000 transactions |
| Rewards | ||
| Points per ₹100 1 EDGE Miles / ₹100 vs 2 pts / ₹100 | 1 EDGE Miles / ₹100 | 2 pts / ₹100 |
| Conservative base value Not safely INR-comparable vs ~0.8% | Not safely INR-comparable | ~0.8% |
| 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 Times Black ICICI Bank | Not specified | ₹0.4 |
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 siteICICI Bank Times Black
Verify with issuer , opens external site