Creditkeeda
Axis Bank has announced revisions to the Airtel Axis Bank Credit Card, with the updated terms taking effect on 12 April 2026. The changes alter how cashback is calculated, replace statement cashback with partner wallet credits for certain merchants, and remove complimentary domestic airport lounge access.
While the headline cashback rates remain the same, 25% on Airtel services and 10% on select partners, the new structure significantly changes how easily users can maximize the card’s rewards.
Cashback Now Linked to Base Spending
The biggest change is the introduction of a new capping mechanism tied to base cashback earned during the statement cycle.
Previously, Airtel-related cashback had fixed monthly limits. Cardholders could earn up to ₹250 cashback each on Airtel telecom payments and utility bill payments through the Airtel Thanks app, regardless of how much they spent elsewhere.
Under the revised structure, cashback on Airtel categories will now depend on the 1% base cashback earned from regular card spending.
The new rules cap Airtel cashback relative to the base cashback generated in the same billing cycle:
Airtel Telecom spends (25%) will be capped at 2× the base cashback earned
Airtel utility payments (10%) will be capped at 1× the base cashback earned
In practical terms, this means users may now need to generate higher general spending on the card in order to unlock the same Airtel cashback they previously received with minimal effort.
Food and Grocery Cashback Reworked
Axis Bank has also reworked the cashback benefits on food and grocery platforms.
Earlier, the card offered 10% cashback on Swiggy, Zomato, and BigBasket, credited directly to the card statement.
Under the revised structure, this benefit has been replaced with 10% value back on Zomato, Blinkit, and District Movies. However, the benefit will no longer be credited as statement cashback.
Instead, the reward will be issued as credits within the respective partner’s wallet. Each partner platform has a monthly cap of ₹200, and orders on Zomato and Blinkit must meet a minimum order value of ₹499.
This effectively removes Swiggy from the rewards ecosystem and shifts the benefit from universal cashback to ecosystem-specific credits that can only be used within the respective platform.
Complimentary Lounge Access Removed
Another notable change is the removal of four complimentary domestic airport lounge visits that were previously available with the card. While lounge access was not the primary attraction of the Airtel Axis card, it still added occasional travel value for cardholders.
What Has Changed: Before vs After
Feature | Current Benefit | New Benefit (From 12 April 2026) |
|---|---|---|
Airtel Mobile / Broadband / DTH | 25% cashback up to ₹250 per month | 25% cashback capped at 2× base cashback earned in the same billing cycle |
Utility Payments via Airtel Thanks | 10% cashback up to ₹250 per month | 10% cashback capped at 1× base cashback earned |
Food & Grocery Partners | 10% cashback on Swiggy, Zomato, BigBasket | 10% benefit on Zomato, Blinkit, District Movies |
Format of benefit | Cashback credited to card statement | Partner category rewards credited to partner wallet |
Monthly cap on partner category | ₹500 combined cap | ₹200 per partner |
Minimum order requirement | None | ₹499 on Zomato & Blinkit |
Airport lounge access | 4 domestic visits per year | Discontinued |
Ease of maximizing cashback | Simple fixed caps | Requires base cashback generation through regular spending |
Example: How the New Cashback Structure Works
Axis Bank has illustrated how the revised cashback structure functions by linking Airtel rewards to base cashback earned through other transactions.
Consider the following example monthly spending pattern:
Spend Category | Transaction Amount | Cashback Rate | Benefit Earned |
|---|---|---|---|
Electronics purchase | ₹25,000 | 1% base cashback | ₹250 cashback |
Airtel Mobile bill | ₹2,500 | 25% | ₹500 cashback (capped at 2× base cashback) |
Airtel utility payment | ₹4,000 | 10% | ₹250 cashback (capped at 1× base cashback) |
Zomato order | ₹2,000 | 10% | ₹200 value back in the Zomato wallet |
Blinkit order | ₹2,000 | 10% | ₹200 value back in Blinkit wallet |
District Movies | ₹2,000 | 10% | ₹200 value back in the District wallet |
In this scenario, the total monthly benefit comes to ₹1,600.
However, a key difference from the earlier structure is that ₹600 of this benefit is now issued as partner wallet credits, while ₹1,000 is received as statement cashback.
Impact on Cardholders
The Airtel Axis Bank Credit Card gained popularity largely because of its simple and predictable cashback structure, particularly for Airtel customers who could easily recover the annual fee through telecom and utility payments.
With the new rules, the card shifts toward a spend-linked reward model, where higher cashback benefits depend on generating base cashback through regular spending.
Users who previously relied on the card primarily for Airtel bills and utility payments may find it harder to reach the same cashback levels without increasing their overall card usage.
Verdict
The changes represent a clear devaluation, though not a complete overhaul.
Axis Bank has retained the headline cashback rates, but the new base-cashback dependency and the move to partner wallet credits reduce the simplicity that made the card attractive in the first place.
For users who already route substantial spending through the card, the impact may be limited. However, for many casual users who primarily use the card for Airtel payments, the value proposition has weakened.
Alternatives to Consider
With the revised reward structure, users looking for straightforward rewards may consider the following options:
PhonePe SBI Card SELECT BLACK
10X Reward Points on eligible PhonePe spends, including utilities, recharges, bill payments, travel, insurance, and PhonePe Pincode purchases. Also offers 5X Reward Points on online spends.
Apply: creditkeeda.com/to/PhonePe-SBI-Select-BlackEquitas Selfe Credit Card
Earn 2 Reward Points per ₹100, with the option to select 2 categories for 5X rewards from Grocery, Dining, Apparel, Utility Bills, and Taxi/Cabs.
Full review: https://www.creditkeeda.com/reviews/equitas-selfe-credit-card-review
Apply: creditkeeda.com/to/equitas-selfe