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AXIS Primus vs KOTAK White Reserve

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

Primus
White Reserve

The short answer

Pick Primus for spending abroad.

Pick White Reserve for UPI payments.

White Reserve costs ₹2,87,500 less a year but waives only at ₹10,00,000 spend, Primus at Not offered.

Head-to-head

  • Annual fee Annual fee outcome: tie.
    Primus ₹3,00,000 Annual-fee waiver not offered
    White Reserve ₹12,500 Waivable at ₹10,00,000 spend
    ₹2,87,500/yr apart · waiver gates differ
  • Forex markup Forex markup outcome: Primus wins.
    Primus 0%
    White Reserve 2%
    Primus saves ~₹2,000 per ₹1L abroad
  • Domestic lounge Domestic lounge outcome: tie.
    Primus Unlimited
    White Reserve Unlimited
  • Rewards Rewards outcome: insufficient data to compare.
    Primus Not safely INR-comparable
    White Reserve ~2%
    conservative base value
    Primus: Strong data White Reserve: Strong data
  • UPI payments UPI payments outcome: White Reserve wins.
    Primus No UPI support
    White Reserve Supports UPI

Reward earning explained

Primus

1 EDGE Miles / ₹100

Strong data
White Reserve

2%

Strong data

Example usage at this monthly spend

At ₹50k/month spend:

  • Kotak White Reserve: ~₹1,000/month at base rate
  • Primus: Base earn not clearly specified

Illustrative only, using current base rates before caps.

All fields

Field Primus Axis Bank White Reserve Kotak Mahindra 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 2%
0% 2%
Fees
Recurring annual fee
₹3,00,000 vs ₹12,500
₹3,00,000 ₹12,500
Annual-fee waiver
Not offered vs ₹10,00,000
Not offered ₹10,00,000
Interest-free period
Up to 50 days vs Up to 51 days
Up to 50 days Up to 51 days
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–₹7,500 transactions · ₹4,500/year waiver cap
1% surcharge waiver · ₹400–₹10,000 transactions 1% surcharge waiver · ₹400–₹7,500 transactions · ₹4,500/year waiver cap
Rewards
Base earn
1 EDGE Miles / ₹100 vs 2%
1 EDGE Miles / ₹100 2%
Conservative base value
Not safely INR-comparable vs ~2%
Not safely INR-comparable ~2%
Earn ceiling Not stated Not stated

Notes

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