AU ixigo Credit Card vs FreeCharge Axis Bank Credit Card
AU Small Finance Bank · Axis Bank — side-by-side CardCheck comparison
CardCheck Score BattleDeterministic 0–100 Benchmark Rating
100% Unsponsored MITC Data
AU Small Finance BankScoreExcellent
Annual Fee₹999
Max Reward5%
Axis BankScoreVery Good
Annual FeeFree
Max Reward5%
AU ixigo Credit Card leads overall with a CardCheck Score of 81/100 (+6 pts over FreeCharge Axis Bank Credit Card).
4-Pillar Head-to-Head Breakdown
AU vs FreeChargeReward Power
35%AU34/35
FreeCharge34/35
Tie (34/35)
Fee Value & ROI
25%AU20/25
FreeCharge25/25
FreeCharge Wins
Lounge & Travel
20%AU15/20
FreeCharge4/20
AU Wins
Forex & Access
20%AU12/20
FreeCharge12/20
Tie (12/20)
01—CardCheck Score & Pillars
- CardCheck Score
- 81Best
- 75
- Rating Verdict
- Excellent
- Very Good
- Reward Power (35%)
- 34/35
- 34/35
- Fee Value & ROI (25%)
- 20/25
- 25/25
- Lounge & Travel (20%)
- 15/20
- 4/20
- Forex & Access (20%)
- 12/20
- 12/20
02—Basic Info
- Bank
- AU Small Finance Bank
- Axis Bank
- Network
- Mastercard
- Visa
- Card type
- Co-branded
- Regular
- Best for
- ixigo travel platform users — ixigo Money credits + 2 lounge/quarter
- FreeCharge users — zero fee digital payments cashback
03—Fees
- Joining fee
- ₹999
- FreeBest
- Annual fee
- ₹999
- FreeBest
- Fee waiver
- ₹1,00,000
- —
04—Interest
- APR (min)
- 42%Best
- 52.86%
- APR (max)
- 42%Best
- 52.86%
- Late payment fee
- —
- ₹1,200
- Cash advance fee
- 2.5%
- —
05—Rewards
- Reward type
- points
- cashback
- Min rate
- 1%
- 1%
- Max rate
- 5%
- 5%
- Points / ₹100
- 5
- —
- Point value
- ₹0.25
- —
06—Travel & Lounge
- Domestic lounge / qtr
- 2Best
- 0
- Intl lounge / year
- 0
- 0
- Priority Pass
- DreamFolks
07—Forex & Fuel
- Forex markup
- 3.5%
- 3.5%
- Fuel surcharge waiver
08—Features
- Metal card
- Contactless
- UPI linked
09—Eligibility
- Min age
- 21
- 18
- Min income / month
- ₹20,000
- ₹15,000
- Min CIBIL
- 680Best
- 700
- Invite only
Rows won
05of 07
02of 07
| Attribute ↓ | ★ Overall pick Column A | Column B |
|---|---|---|
01—CardCheck Score & Pillars Differences highlighted | ||
| CardCheck Score | 81Best | 75 |
| Rating Verdict | Excellent | Very Good |
| Reward Power (35%) | 34/35 | 34/35 |
| Fee Value & ROI (25%) | 20/25 | 25/25 |
| Lounge & Travel (20%) | 15/20 | 4/20 |
| Forex & Access (20%) | 12/20 | 12/20 |
02—Basic Info Differences highlighted | ||
| Bank | AU Small Finance Bank | Axis Bank |
| Network | Mastercard | Visa |
| Card type | Co-branded | Regular |
| Best for | ixigo travel platform users — ixigo Money credits + 2 lounge/quarter | FreeCharge users — zero fee digital payments cashback |
03—Fees Differences highlighted | ||
| Joining fee | ₹999 | FreeBest |
| Annual fee | ₹999 | FreeBest |
| Fee waiver | ₹1,00,000 | — |
04—Interest Differences highlighted | ||
| APR (min) | 42%Best | 52.86% |
| APR (max) | 42%Best | 52.86% |
| Late payment fee | — | ₹1,200 |
| Cash advance fee | 2.5% | — |
05—Rewards Differences highlighted | ||
| Reward type | points | cashback |
| Min rate | 1% | 1% |
| Max rate | 5% | 5% |
| Points / ₹100 | 5 | — |
| Point value | ₹0.25 | — |
06—Travel & Lounge Differences highlighted | ||
| Domestic lounge / qtr | 2Best | 0 |
| Intl lounge / year | 0 | 0 |
| Priority Pass | ||
| DreamFolks | ||
07—Forex & Fuel Differences highlighted | ||
| Forex markup | 3.5% | 3.5% |
| Fuel surcharge waiver | ||
08—Features Differences highlighted | ||
| Metal card | ||
| Contactless | ||
| UPI linked | ||
09—Eligibility Differences highlighted | ||
| Min age | 21 | 18 |
| Min income / month | ₹20,000 | ₹15,000 |
| Min CIBIL | 680Best | 700 |
| Invite only | ||
| Rows won | 05of 07 | 02of 07 |
Quick Verdict & Key Differences
Verified MITC Data
| Key Specification | AU ixigo Credit Card | FreeCharge Axis Bank Credit Card |
|---|---|---|
| CardCheck Score | 81/100Excellent | 75/100Very Good |
| Annual Fee | ₹999 | Free (₹0) |
| Fee Waiver Spend | ₹1L/yr | No waiver |
| Max Reward Potential | 5% | 5% |
| Domestic Lounge Access | 2 / quarter | None |
| International Lounge | None | None |
| Forex Markup Fee | 3.5% | 3.5% |
Choose AU ixigo Credit Card if:
Your spending centers around ixigo travel platform users — ixigo money credits + 2 lounge/quarter and you want direct partner rewards with AU Small Finance Bank.
Choose FreeCharge Axis Bank Credit Card if:
Your spending aligns with freecharge users — zero fee digital payments cashback and you prioritize Axis Bank's redemption benefits.
Frequently asked questions: AU ixigo Credit Card vs FreeCharge Axis Bank Credit Card
- Which is better: AU ixigo Credit Card or FreeCharge Axis Bank Credit Card?
- AU ixigo Credit Card holds a higher overall rating with a CardCheck Score of 81/100 (Excellent) compared to 75/100 (Very Good) for FreeCharge Axis Bank Credit Card (a lead of +6 points). AU ixigo Credit Card is classified in our Elite tier due to superior spend returns and comprehensive travel perks.
- How do annual fees and fee waiver spend rules compare?
- AU ixigo Credit Card charges an annual fee of ₹999 with an annual spend threshold of ₹1 Lakh for renewal fee waiver. In comparison, FreeCharge Axis Bank Credit Card charges an annual fee of ₹0 (Lifetime Free / Zero Fee) with no official annual spend waiver milestone.
- How do the reward rates and cashback compare between AU ixigo Credit Card and FreeCharge Axis Bank Credit Card?
- AU ixigo Credit Card offers a base reward rate of 1% and up to 5% on accelerated partner categories. Meanwhile, FreeCharge Axis Bank Credit Card offers a base rate of 1% and up to 5% on eligible spends. Compare net returns against your monthly spend in our Rewards Calculator.
- Which card has better airport lounge access: AU ixigo Credit Card or FreeCharge Axis Bank Credit Card?
- AU ixigo Credit Card provides 2 domestic lounge visit(s) per quarter. On the other hand, FreeCharge Axis Bank Credit Card provides no complimentary domestic lounge access. Note that most issuers now require meeting minimum quarterly spend criteria (typically ₹10,000 to ₹50,000 in the preceding quarter) to unlock lounge access.
- Which card is better for international foreign currency spends?
- AU ixigo Credit Card levies a foreign currency markup fee of 3.5%, while FreeCharge Axis Bank Credit Card charges 3.5%. Lower forex markup directly reduces costs when transacting overseas or on international e-commerce platforms.
- Is CardCheck's comparison data unbiased and verified against official bank MITC?
- Yes. All credit card fees, interest rates, lounge visit quotas, and reward calculations on CardCheck are 100% unsponsored and verified directly against each bank's official Most Important Terms & Conditions (MITC).