Flipkart Axis Bank Credit Card Review: What You Need to Know

Joining benefit

You get a ₹500 Flipkart gift voucher on your first transaction within 30 days of card setup. Gift vouchers are sent to the registered mobile number and email address within 30 days of the transaction.

You also get a 6-month Gaana music-streaming subscription along with discount coupons from Goibibo, MakeMyTrip, Myntra and Urban Company.

A lot of cardholders have complained of not receiving the gift voucher or not being able to redeem it on Flipkart. The best way to resolve this is to raise a complaint by calling the Axis Bank customer care number.

Reward Points

For shopping on Flipkart, Myntra and 2GUD, you get 5% cashback on all non-EMI purchases made. Everything except for e-gift cards and gold purchases.

For preferred merchants Goibibo, MakeMyTrip, PVR, CureFit, Uber and Urban Company you get 4% cashback. Many customers have complained that 4% cashback on preferred merchants is only credited if there are no other promos used at the merchant site and accrue just 1.5% otherwise.

The key highlight of this card is that you get unlimited 1.5% cashback for purchases everywhere else. A base reward rate this high is usually found on super-premium cards like Yes First Exclusive, making this card a very attractive proposition for everyone.

Cashback is automatically credited to your credit card account in the next billing cycle. There is no cashback for wallet load and fuel transactions.

Even though 5% cashback seems like an attractive proposition, it still doesn’t beat HDFC’s Smartbuy 10X ongoing offer which gives way higher returns on the amount spent on Flipkart using HDFC premium cards like Regalia, Diners Club or Infinia.

Airport Lounge Access

You can access domestic airport lounges 4 times per calendar year via the Mastercard lounge program. Per calendar year instead of calendar quarter gives you more leeway to avail the benefit if you have a major chunk of travel happening at once.

Even though this card uses the Mastercard Lounge network, the number of eligible lounges is controlled by Axis Bank and is limited. You can access the list at this link.

Fuel Surcharge Reversal

You also get a waiver of fuel surcharge up to ₹500 per billing cycle for fuel transactions of ₹400 to ₹5000 at any petrol pump. Note that the reversal is only for the fuel surcharge component and not the GST levied. No cashback is accrued either. A fuel credit card with accelerated reward points on fuel is a better option for fuel transactions.

Fees

Joining fees and renewal fees are ₹500 + taxes. Renewal fees are waived if you spend ₹2,00,000 in a card membership year. Joining fees is almost completely offset by the joining benefit of ₹500 Flipkart e-gift card.

Eligibility

There’s no income eligibility specified by Axis Bank.

For an entry-level card though, a monthly salary of ₹25,000 should make you eligible. It’d help if you had an existing Axis Bank normal or salary savings account increasing the chances of approval.

How to Apply

If you have an existing Axis Buzz credit card, you can apply for an upgrade to Flipkart Axis Bank credit card instantly either when applying through the Flipkart app or by calling customer service. While Axis Bank allows you to hold multiple credit cards, you cannot hold both Axis Buzz and Axis Flipkart credit cards simultaneously.

For other Axis cardholders, you’ll need to call the customer care and you might be approved instantly over the call. The credit limit will be common, shared across all your Axis credit cards. No documents, including KYC, are needed since the bank already has them on file. Important: If you want this card to be issued separately without closing your current card, you need to explicitly specify it on the call.

If you don’t have an existing Axis credit card, you’ll need to fill up the details on the Axis Bank website and wait for their sales team to call you back. Or better still, raise a request using phone banking.

A note on Axis Bank service

Axis Bank credit card team is famous for being incompetent at every step. The credit card application process takes horrendously long if at all you’re successful to a) get a call back for application processing b) have the executive pick up your documents c) get your card approved d) have the card reach your communication address.

They often force customers to open savings accounts, lose your submitted documents or send a different card than the one you applied for. Their favourite tactic is to be unreachable and unresponsive.

Their net banking, like their customer service, tends to malfunction and their processes have gaping holes. Escalating on social media doesn’t help nor they have a proper grievance redressal mechanism that is effective at resolving complaints.

Conclusion

Other cards with similar value offerings are OLA Money SBI credit card and Amazon Pay ICICI Bank credit card.

If you don’t have an Axis Bank credit card in your wallet or you’re just starting on your credit card journey this a great card to have. That is if you’re willing to have tons of patience and deal with Axis Bank’s notoriously poor service. Or are plain lucky to get this card at one go.