Axis Bank ACE Credit Card Review 2026: Uncapped 1.5% Cashback, 5% on Google Pay Bills & FAQs
Axis ACE charges ₹499 and pays an uncapped 1.5% cashback on everything, 5% on utility bills via Google Pay and 4% on Swiggy, Zomato and Ola. Caps, the Google Pay condition, fees and FAQs.
Axis ACE is one of the best flat-rate cashback cards in India, and the reason is a single word: uncapped. The 1.5% base rate has no monthly ceiling, which is rare at any fee and almost unheard of at ₹499.
The 5% and 4% accelerated bands come with conditions worth understanding before you rely on them.
Axis Bank ACE Credit Card Quick Overview
| **Card type** | Entry-level cashback card |
|---|---|
| **Best for** | Anyone wanting a strong uncapped flat rate at a low fee |
| **Joining / renewal fee** | ₹499 + GST, same on renewal — renewal waived at ₹2 lakh of annual spend |
| **Network** | Visa |
| **Base reward rate** | **1.5%** |
| **Top reward rate** | **5.0%** — Utility bills, DTH and mobile recharge paid through Google Pay |
| **Reward currency** | Cashback, valued at ₹1 each |
| **Lounge access** | None published |
| **Forex markup** | 3.5% |
Reward Structure: How You Earn
Cashback is credited in rupees, so every percentage here is a true percentage with no point valuation to translate. That is the main advantage of a cashback card over a points card at the same headline rate.
1.5% on all other eligible spends, uncapped. 5% on utility bills, DTH and mobile recharge paid through Google Pay. 4% on Swiggy, Zomato and Ola.
| Spend | Effective rate |
|---|---|
| Utility bills, DTH and mobile recharge paid through Google Pay (capped at 500 points a month) | **5.0%** |
| Swiggy, Zomato and Ola (capped at 500 points a month) | **4.0%** |
| Everything else | 1.5% |
| Fuel, rent, wallet loads, government, gaming | **0%** |
The caps that actually bind
Headline rates mean little until you know where they stop. These are the limits on this card:
| Cap | Limit |
|---|---|
| Accel | 500 points per calendar month |
The 5% band is a payment-channel condition, not a category. Utilities earn 5% only when paid through Google Pay. The same electricity bill paid on the biller's own website earns 1.5%. No merchant category code can express 'routed via Google Pay', so expect comparison tools to understate the card for a Google Pay user.
The 5% and 4% bands share one combined monthly cap rather than having separate ones — Axis's own wording is 'for both categories combined'. Heavy utility spending crowds out the Swiggy and Zomato earning in the same month. The exact figure is truncated in the captured sources; ₹500 is the widely-reported amount and should be verified.
Category Restrictions: Where You Won't Earn
- Where you earn nothing: Earns nothing at all: fuel; rent (MCC 6513); wallet loads (MCC 6540); government institution transactions (MCC 9222, 9311, 9399, 9402); cash withdrawals; EMI conversions; gift card purchases and toll, bridge and road fees (both excluded w.e.f. 28 August 2026); and fees, charges, GST and reversals. Insurance, utilities, telecom, education and jewellery are excluded on some cards only — the per-card notes say which.
- Point expiry: EDGE Reward Points and EDGE Miles expire 36 months from the date of accrual unless the card's own terms say otherwise. Points are forfeited if the card is closed, and a NEGATIVE point balance at closure is converted to a statement debit the cardholder must pay.
- Redemption fee: ₹199 per redemption.
- Accel cap: The 5% and 4% bands share a COMBINED monthly cashback cap — they are not capped separately. Past it both drop to the 1.5% base rate, which is itself uncapped. Axis's own wording is 'for both categories combined'. The ₹500 figure is the widely-reported amount; the uploaded sources state the combined structure but truncate the number. FLAGGED.
Fees and Charges
| Charge | Amount |
|---|---|
| Joining fee | ₹499 + GST |
| Renewal fee | ₹499 + GST |
| Finance charges | 3.75% per month (55.55% per annum) on extended credit and cash advances. |
| Interest-free period | Up to 50 days from the date of purchase, only when the previous month's balance is paid in full. |
| Minimum amount due | 5% of the total amount due, subject to a minimum of ₹200, plus any EMI, fees, charges, interest and over-limit amount. |
| Cash advance fee | 2.5% of the amount withdrawn, subject to a minimum of ₹500. |
| Cash advance interest | 3.75% per month (55.55% per annum), charged from the date of withdrawal with no interest-free period. |
| Forex markup | 3.5% of the transaction amount. |
| Dynamic currency conversion | 1% of the transaction amount. |
| Late payment | Nil up to ₹500 of total payment due; ₹500 for ₹501–₹5,000; ₹750 for ₹5,001–₹10,000; ₹1,200 for ₹10,001–₹50,000; ₹1,300 above ₹50,000 w.e.f. 28 August 2026. An additional ₹100 applies if the Minimum Amount Due is missed for two consecutive cycles, and continues every cycle until cleared. |
| Overlimit | 2.5% of the over-limit amount, minimum ₹500. Charged only where the cardholder has explicitly consented to the over-limit facility. |
| Payment return | ₹500 per instance of cheque return, dishonour, auto-debit reversal, standing instruction failure or NACH failure. |
| Rent payment | 1% of the transaction amount plus GST on each rent payment identified through MCC 6513. |
| Fuel transactions | 1% plus GST of the transaction amount, charged only once total fuel spend in a statement cycle reaches ₹50,000. Fuel is identified through MCC 5172, 5541, 5542 and 5983. |
| Card replacement | ₹100 per replacement card. |
| Add-on card | Nil. |
| Reward redemption | ₹199 plus GST per redemption transaction on the EDGE portal, and ₹199 plus GST per instance of converting or transferring EDGE Reward Points or EDGE Miles to a partner loyalty programme. |
| EMI processing | Charged per the EMI scheme selected. Card cancellation forecloses any active EMI and attracts foreclosure charges plus GST. |
| GST | 18% on all fees, interest and charges. |
Is the Axis Bank ACE Credit Card Worth It?
The uncapped 1.5% is the reason to hold this card and it is a very good reason. ₹1 lakh a month returns ₹1,500, every month, with no ceiling to plan around. Most cards paying more than 1.5% cap it somewhere.
At ₹499 waived at ₹2 lakh, the fee is effectively zero for anyone using it as a primary card.
The accelerated bands are a bonus, not the case. Between the Google Pay condition and the shared cap, treat them as worth a few hundred rupees a month at most.
This is the card to compare other cashback cards against. If a card pays more than 1.5% but caps it, work out where the cap bites — ACE often wins past that point.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the Axis ACE cashback rate? 1.5% uncapped on all eligible spends, 5% on utility bills, DTH and mobile recharge paid through Google Pay, and 4% on Swiggy, Zomato and Ola.
Is the 1.5% really uncapped? Yes. Axis states customers 'will earn unlimited 1.5% cashback on eligible spends'. That is unusual and is the card's main strength.
Do I have to use Google Pay for the 5%? Yes. The 5% applies to utility bills, DTH and mobile recharges paid through Google Pay. Paying the biller directly earns the 1.5% base rate.
Are the 5% and 4% bands capped separately? No — they share one combined monthly cap, so heavy utility spending reduces what you can earn on Swiggy, Zomato and Ola in the same month.
What is the fee? ₹499 plus GST, waived at ₹2 lakh of annual spend.
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