Picking the right credit card between Axis Bank’s ACE and the Amazon Pay ICICI credit card is quite confusing. Both promise cashback and look cheap on paper. One is low-fee but focused on bills and food. The other is lifetime free and made for Amazon shoppers. That adds to the confusion. This Axis Ace vs ICICI Amazon Pay comparison clears that up. It walks through fees, rewards, limits, and real-world maths. By the end, you will know which card suits which kind of spender.
Axis Ace vs ICICI Amazon Pay: Quick Comparison Table
| Feature | Axis ACE | Amazon Pay (ICICI) |
|---|---|---|
| Annual / Joining fee | ₹499 (joining & renewal); waiver on high spends. | Nil — lifetime free. |
| Rewards rates (high-level) | 5% on bill payments via Google Pay; 4% on Swiggy/Zomato/Ola; 1.5% on others. | 5% on Amazon (Prime); 3% Amazon (non-Prime); 2% on Amazon Pay partners; 1% on other spends. |
| Best for | Regular bill pay/recharges and food delivery. | Heavy Amazon shoppers and frequent Amazon Pay users (esp. Prime). |
| Lounge access | 4 complimentary domestic lounge visits per calendar year. | None. |
| Other highlights | Fuel surcharge waiver; dining discounts; cashback credited to card statement. | Cashback credited as Amazon Pay balance; unlimited rewards; reduced forex markup (from Oct 11, 2025 — see note). |
Sources: Axis Bank product pages and T&Cs; ICICI / Amazon Pay product page and ICICI press release.
Overview of Axis ACE
Benefits
- Strong cashback on routine bills. It gives 5% cashback on utility bills and recharges when paid via Google Pay.
- 4% cashback on Swiggy, Zomato, and Ola. That helps food and ride spend.
- 1.5% on other eligible spends, with that rate applied to most normal purchases.
- Four domestic lounge visits a year. Good for occasional flyers.
- Low fee: joining/renewal ₹499. The fee can be waived on sufficient annual spend.
Drawbacks
- The 5% and 4% categories are combined and capped. The bank caps accelerated cashback at ₹500 per statement for the 5%+4% categories. That reduces the practical upside for big monthly billers.
- The 5% on bills only applies when the payment is made on Google Pay (Android) using the Axis ACE card. Utility payments on other platforms do not qualify.
- Other spends earn only 1.5%. That is modest versus some other cards.
Overview of ICICI Amazon Pay
Benefits
- Lifetime free. No joining or annual fee.
- Excellent Amazon rewards: 5% back for Prime members on Amazon purchases; 3% for non-Prime members. Earnings are added to the Amazon Pay balance at the billing-cycle end.
- 2% back on 100+ Amazon Pay partner merchants (when using Amazon Pay) and 1% on other spends.
- Unlimited earnings with no expiry. Good for steady Amazon shoppers.
- ICICI announced enhancements in September 2025 that lower forex markup and extend travel cashback; the forex change takes effect on 11 October 2025. That nudges this card towards travel use, too.
Drawbacks
- Rewards are credited as an Amazon Pay balance, not cash or statement credit. That limits redemption to Amazon / Amazon Pay merchants.
- Outside Amazon / Amazon Pay partner sites, returns are modest (1%). Not ideal for large offline spends.
- Some welcome / application routes have historically been invite-led. Availability can vary by channel.
Axis Ace vs ICICI Amazon Pay Detailed Head-to-Head Comparison
Rewards Program
The Axis ACE credit card focuses on everyday utility savings. The sharpest edge is the 5% on bills via Google Pay and 4% on food/ride apps. But those accelerated categories share a ₹500 per statement cap. Outside those categories, the card pays 1.5%.
ICICI Amazon Pay is Amazon-centric. If a person shops on Amazon often, the card gives 5% (Prime) or 3% (non-Prime) and 2% on Amazon Pay partners. The rewards are labelled “unlimited” and do not expire; they come as an Amazon Pay balance. That is very handy for frequent Amazon use.
Annual Fee & Waiver
Axis ACE charges ₹499 joining/annual fee. The bank sometimes runs offers to waive the joining fee. The renewal fee can be waived on a high annual spend threshold.
ICICI Amazon Pay has no joining or annual fee. That makes it frictionless to hold.
Travel & Lounge Benefits
Axis ACE includes 4 complimentary domestic lounge visits per calendar year. It also offers a 1% fuel surcharge waiver (no cashback on fuel).
Amazon Pay (ICICI) has no lounge access in its standard offering. Recent ICICI changes lower forex mark-up which improves the card’s value on international spend from 11 Oct 2025. That makes it a bit better for travel bookings made via Amazon Pay.
Cashback / Shopping Partnerships
Axis ACE’s best partnerships are Google Pay, Swiggy, Zomato, and Ola. The catch: the 5% Google Pay benefit is limited to Android Google Pay payments with the Axis ACE card. The accelerated categories have a combined cap of ₹500 per statement.
ICICI Amazon Pay links tightly with Amazon Prime and the Amazon Pay merchant network. That yields higher percentage returns for Amazon purchases and easy redemption as an Amazon Pay balance. Recent ICICI updates also add travel booking benefits on Amazon Pay.
Extra Perks (insurance, EMI, etc.)
Axis ACE offers EMI conversion for transactions above a threshold, dining discounts via partner restaurants, and a fuel surcharge waiver. Cashback is visible on the card statement and is processed on the next billing cycle (with normal T&C caveats).
ICICI Amazon Pay offers always-on 3-month no-cost EMI on eligible Amazon purchases and the convenience of digital onboarding. Rewards are posted to the Amazon Pay balance within a couple of days after the billing cycle.
Quick Real-world Maths (simple examples)
All arithmetic is shown plainly.
Scenario A — Utility & food heavy
Monthly spends: utilities/recharges ₹5,000; food delivery ₹3,000; other ₹10,000.
- Axis ACE
- 5% on utilities via Google Pay → ₹250
- 4% on food delivery → ₹120
- 1.5% on other → ₹150
- Total monthly cashback ≈ ₹520 → Annual ≈ ₹6,240. (Note: combined 5%+4% here is below the ₹500 cap.)
- ICICI Amazon Pay (non-Amazon spends; assume non-Prime)
- 1% on all spends → ₹180 monthly → Annual ≈ ₹2,160.
Winner for Scenario A: Axis ACE. It gives much higher cashback on bills and food.
Scenario B — Amazon heavy (Prime)
Monthly spends: Amazon ₹10,000; other ₹10,000.
- ICICI Amazon Pay
- 5% on Amazon → ₹500
- 1% on other → ₹100
- Total monthly ≈ ₹600 → Annual ≈ ₹7,200.
- Axis ACE
- 1.5% on all other spends → ₹300 monthly → Annual ≈ ₹3,600.
Winner for Scenario B: ICICI Amazon Pay for clear Amazon value.
These examples show the point: the best card depends on where most money is spent.
Which Card Should One Pick?
- If a person pays many monthly bills and recharges on Google Pay. If food delivery is a regular expense. If occasional lounge access is useful. Pick Axis ACE. It wins on routine savings.
- If a person shops on Amazon often. If a person is an Amazon Prime member or uses Amazon Pay at merchants. If a lifetime-free card is preferred. Pick the ICICI Amazon Pay card. It will deliver a better return for Amazon’s spend.
- If the reader wants both benefits, a two-card approach is sensible. Axis ACE for bills and food; Amazon Pay ICICI for Amazon purchases.
Alternatives Worth Considering
- HDFC Millennia — strong online merchant coverage (Amazon, Flipkart, Myntra, Swiggy, Zomato, etc.) with up to 5% on partner merchants. Good for general online shoppers who don’t want a co-brand lock-in.
- Flipkart Axis / Flipkart SBI — if Flipkart or Myntra are the primary sites, the Flipkart co-branded cards often beat general cards during sale windows and give high cashback on Flipkart / Myntra. Check current caps and T&Cs.
FAQs
Q — Is Axis ACE better than Amazon Pay ICICI for online shopping?
For general online shopping, Axis ACE pays only 1.5% outside its food and bill partners. The Amazon Pay card gives 5% on Amazon (Prime) and 2% on Amazon Pay partners, so Amazon purchases clearly favour the ICICI card.
Q — Does Axis ACE give cashback on fuel?
No cashback on fuel. It offers a 1% fuel surcharge waiver (subject to limits).
Q — Are Amazon Pay rewards transferable or redeemable as cash?
Rewards are added to the user’s Amazon Pay balance, not paid out as cash. That balance can be used on Amazon and Amazon Pay merchants.
Q — Is there any cap on Amazon Pay ICICI rewards?
Amazon Pay ICICI advertises unlimited rewards on eligible categories. Check exclusions (gift cards, some digital purchases, rent, tax).
Q — Any upcoming changes to watch?
ICICI announced a lower forex markup and added travel benefits effective 11 Oct 2025. Axis and other banks also update T&Cs from time to time. It is wise to re-check the card pages before applying.
Conclusion
In Axis Ace vs ICICI Amazon Pay, overall, Axis ACE is better for everyday savings on bills, recharges and food delivery. ICICI Amazon Pay shines for Amazon shoppers, especially Prime members, and for those who prefer a lifetime-free, no-hassle card.
For readers who want to maximise bill-and-food cashback, Axis ACE is the pick. For readers who want to get the most from Amazon spend, the ICICI Amazon Pay card wins.
Apply now if the reader wants to maximise their bill & food cashback (Axis ACE) or to maximise Amazon / Amazon Pay rewards (ICICI Amazon Pay).
