# Airtel Axis Bank Credit Card Review: How the New Cashback Caps Work > Airtel Axis Bank credit card review: 25% on Airtel bills, 10% on utilities and Zomato/Blinkit, 1% elsewhere, and why the caps now depend on your other spending. - **Published**: 2026-10-31 - **Modified**: 2026-10-31 - **Category**: credit-cards - **URL**: https://www.tldr.money/articles/credit-cards/airtel-axis-bank-credit-card-review --- Our [credit cards guide](/credit-cards) explains how to judge any card. This review looks at the **Airtel Axis Bank credit card**, a co-branded cashback card for people who pay Airtel bills, and at the April 2026 change that tied its best cashback rates to your other spending. **Last updated: 31 October 2026.** Educational, not advice. Axis Bank says the card's terms were updated again from 28 August 2026, so check the latest terms on Axis Bank's page before you apply. ## Airtel Axis Bank card at a glance | Feature | Detail | |---|---| | Joining fee | INR 500 + GST | | Annual fee | INR 500 + GST; waived from year two on spends above INR 2 lakh (rent and wallet loads excluded) | | Welcome benefit | INR 250 Amazon e-voucher on your first transaction within 30 days (not for cards issued without a joining fee) | | Airtel bills | 25% on Airtel mobile, broadband, Wi-Fi and DTH via Airtel Thanks; cap = 2x base cashback that month | | Utility bills | 10% on gas, electricity and similar bills via Airtel Thanks; cap = 1x base cashback that month | | Zomato, Blinkit, District Movies | 10% value back, up to INR 200 per partner a month; INR 499 minimum order on Zomato and Blinkit | | Everything else | 1% base cashback (excluded categories earn nothing) | | Fuel | 1% surcharge waiver on INR 400-INR 4,000, up to INR 500 a statement; no cashback on fuel | | Lounge access | None since 12 April 2026 | | Forex markup | 3.5% | | Eligibility | Indian resident, aged 18-70 | Cashback goes straight to your card statement. The Zomato, Blinkit and District value back is credited to that partner's wallet, not to your card. ## The cap that changed everything Until April 2026 the Airtel and utility cashback had a fixed monthly cap. Now the cap moves with your **base cashback**, the 1% you earn on ordinary spending in the same statement month: - **Airtel cashback cap** = 2 x base cashback - **Utility cashback cap** = 1 x base cashback So the card rewards people who use it as their main card, not people who keep it only for Airtel bills. ### Two example users | | Bills-only user | Main-card user | |---|---|---| | Airtel bills a month | INR 1,200 | INR 1,200 | | Other utility bills a month | INR 2,000 | INR 2,000 | | Zomato orders a month | INR 0 | INR 1,500 | | Other spends a month | INR 3,000 | INR 15,000 | | Base cashback (1%) | INR 30 | INR 150 | | Airtel cashback (25%, capped) | INR 60 (cap 2 x INR 30) | INR 300 (cap INR 300) | | Utility cashback (10%, capped) | INR 30 (cap 1 x INR 30) | INR 150 (cap INR 150) | | Zomato value back | INR 0 | INR 150 | | **Total a month** | **INR 120** | **INR 750** | | Total a year | INR 1,440 | INR 9,000 | The bills-only user gets about 2% back overall. The main-card user gets close to 4%, and their annual spend of about INR 2.4 lakh should also get the second-year fee waived. **Rule of thumb:** to unlock the full 25% on INR 1,000 of Airtel bills (INR 250 cashback), you need INR 125 of base cashback, which means about **INR 12,500 of other spending** on the card that month. ## Who should get it - **Airtel households** with mobile, broadband and DTH on one account, who will also put everyday spending on this card. - **Zomato and Blinkit users** who order above INR 499 and are happy to get the value back as wallet credit. - **People who want a cheap card** with a waivable INR 500 fee. ## Who should skip it - **Anyone who wants a card just for bills.** The caps cut the effective rate sharply. A flat-rate card from our [best cashback credit cards](/articles/credit-cards/best-cashback-credit-cards-india) list may do better. - **Travellers.** No lounge access now, and a 3.5% forex markup. See [zero forex markup credit cards](/articles/credit-cards/best-zero-forex-credit-cards-india). - **Anyone who carries a balance.** Interest is 3.75% a month (55.55% a year), more than any cashback. See [the minimum-due trap](/articles/credit-cards/credit-card-fees-and-minimum-due-trap). ## Things to check before applying Axis charges a 1% fee once utility payments cross INR 25,000 in a statement cycle, wallet loads cross INR 10,000, fuel crosses INR 50,000, and on every rent payment and education payment made through third-party apps. Bills must be paid **through the Airtel Thanks app** to earn the 25% and 10% rates. The card is also often compared with the [Axis Ace](/credit-cards/axis-bank/ace) and the [Flipkart Axis Bank card](/credit-cards/axis-bank). ## Sources - Axis Bank, Airtel Axis Bank Credit Card features and fees: https://www.axis.bank.in/cards/credit-card/airtel-axis-bank-credit-card - Axis Bank, revision of Airtel Axis Bank Credit Card terms effective 12 April 2026: https://www.axis.bank.in/docs/default-source/default-document-library/terms-and-conditions-for-airtel-cbcc-cvp.pdf - Live From A Lounge, Airtel Axis lounge access removed from April 2026: https://livefromalounge.com/airtel-axis-bank-credit-card-devalued/ - Example figures: tldr.money calculation --- - [More credit-cards articles](https://www.tldr.money/articles/category/credit-cards) - [All articles](https://www.tldr.money/articles)