Which card has a lower forex fee: Axis Bank SELECT Credit Card or ICICI Sapphiro Credit Card?

Both cards have the same forex markup (3.5%).

Which card has a lower annual fee: Axis Bank SELECT Credit Card or ICICI Sapphiro Credit Card?

Axis Bank SELECT Credit Card has a lower annual fee (₹3,000 annual fee vs ₹3,500 annual fee).

Which card offers better lounge access?

Axis Bank SELECT Credit Card: 2 per quarter domestic + 6 per year international. ICICI Sapphiro Credit Card: 2 per quarter domestic + 2 per year international.

Which card has a higher base reward rate?

Axis Bank SELECT Credit Card has higher conservative base reward value (~1% vs ~0.5%).

Pairwise comparison Compare 3+ cards →

Axis Bank SELECT vs ICICI Bank Sapphiro Mastercard Credit Cards – Fees, Lounge, Forex

Side-by-side comparison of the Axis Bank SELECT and the ICICI Bank Sapphiro Mastercard. Verify fees, lounge access, forex markup, and base rewards before you apply.

SELECT

Sapphiro Mastercard

The short answer

Verdict

Pick SELECT for rewards.

Head-to-head

Three core metrics

Annual fee

SELECT ₹3,000 Waivable at ₹8,00,000 spend

Sapphiro Mastercard ₹3,500 Waivable at ₹6,00,000 spend

SELECT saves ₹500/yr
Forex markup

SELECT 3.5%

Sapphiro Mastercard 3.5%
Domestic lounge

SELECT 8/year (2 per quarter) Conditional · Domestic: 2/quarter · requires ₹50,000 spend in the previous 3 calendar months

Sapphiro Mastercard 8/year (2 per quarter) Conditional · Domestic: 2/quarter · requires ₹75,000 spend in the previous calendar quarter (unlocks the following quarter)

Reward earning explained

Per card

SELECT

5 EDGE Reward Points / ₹100

Strong data

Sapphiro Mastercard

2 pts / ₹100 · Up to 4 pts / ₹100 on international spend

Strong data

Pick based on what matters

3 dimensions

Start with the constraint you care about most: annual fee (Axis Bank SELECT: ₹3,000 vs ICICI Bank Sapphiro Mastercard: ₹3,500), forex markup (3.5% vs 3.5%), or lounge access (8/year (2 per quarter) vs 8/year (2 per quarter)).

Forex markup Tie

Both cards are similar for forex

Forex markup is 3.5%.
Lounge access Tie

Both cards are similar for lounge access

Domestic lounge access is 2 per quarter.
Rewards Axis Bank SELECT wins

Axis Bank SELECT is better for rewards

Axis Bank SELECT is stronger here. Axis Bank SELECT conservative base value ~1% vs ICICI Bank Sapphiro Mastercard's ~0.5%.

All fields

Standard view

Example usage at this monthly spend

At ₹50k/month spend:

SELECT: ~₹500/month at base rate
Sapphiro: ~₹250/month at base rate

Illustrative only, using current base rates before caps.

Field	SELECT Axis Bank	Sapphiro Mastercard ICICI Bank
Insurance — Air accident cover Only available for Sapphiro	Not specified	₹3 crore · Requires at least one card use during the preceding 60 days
Insurance — Lost card liability cover Only available for Sapphiro	Not specified	₹50,000
Insurance — Underwriter Only available for Sapphiro	Not specified	Insured by ICICI Lombard General Insurance Company Limited
Lounge Access
Domestic lounge visits spend-gated on some cards — see caveats	8/year (2 per quarter)	8/year (2 per quarter)
International lounge visits 6 per year vs 2 per year	6 per year	2 per year
Forex / International Use
Forex markup	3.5%	3.5%
Fees
Recurring annual fee ₹3,000 vs ₹3,500	₹3,000	₹3,500
Annual-fee waiver ₹8,00,000 vs ₹6,00,000	₹8,00,000	₹6,00,000
Interest-free period Up to 50 days vs Up to 48 days	Up to 50 days	Up to 48 days
Monthly interest rate	3.75% / month	3.75% / month
Late-payment charge Only available for SELECT	₹750–₹1,300 depending on outstanding balance	Not specified
Fuel benefit 1% surcharge waiver · ₹400–₹4,000 transactions · ₹400/month waiver cap vs 1% surcharge waiver · up to ₹4,000 transactions · Fuel rewards excluded	1% surcharge waiver · ₹400–₹4,000 transactions · ₹400/month waiver cap	1% surcharge waiver · up to ₹4,000 transactions · Fuel rewards excluded
Rewards
Points per ₹100 5 EDGE Reward Points / ₹100 vs 2 pts / ₹100	5 EDGE Reward Points / ₹100	2 pts / ₹100
Conservative base value ~1% vs ~0.5%	~1%	~0.5%
Earn ceiling Not stated vs Eligible spend capped at ₹80,000 per statement cycle	Not stated	Eligible spend capped at ₹80,000 per statement cycle
Point value (headline channel) Issuer headline redemption rate — see each card page for the full channel grid. ₹0.2 vs ₹0.25	₹0.2	₹0.25
Point validity Only available for Sapphiro	Not specified	3 years

Notes

Axis Bank SELECT Credit Card: Condition: ₹50,000 spend in the previous 3 calendar months
ICICI Sapphiro Credit Card: Condition: ₹75,000 spend in the previous calendar quarter (unlocks the following quarter)
Card benefits change frequently. Always verify current terms on the issuer's official website or app before applying.

Axis Bank SELECT

Verify with issuer

ICICI Bank Sapphiro Mastercard

Verify with issuer