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Axis Horizon vs HDFC Regalia Gold

Verified 26 sources

Your monthly spend

Axis Horizon beats HDFC Regalia Gold by ₹1,500 a year at ₹30,000 a month: ₹4,500 against ₹3,000, after fees

HDFC Regalia Gold beats Axis Horizon by ₹16,200 a year at ₹75,000 a month: ₹29,800 against ₹13,600, after fees

HDFC Regalia Gold beats Axis Horizon by ₹14,900 a year at ₹1.5 lakh a month: ₹43,600 against ₹28,700, after fees

HDFC Regalia Gold beats Axis Horizon by ₹12,200 a year at ₹3 lakh a month: ₹71,200 against ₹59,000, after fees

HDFC Regalia Gold beats Axis Horizon by ₹8,600 a year at ₹5 lakh a month: ₹1,07,900 against ₹99,300, after fees

Axis Horizon credit card

Axis Bank

Axis Horizon

Our verdict: Keep

HDFC Regalia Gold credit card

HDFC Bank

HDFC Regalia Gold

Our verdict: Keep

HDFC Regalia Gold vs Axis Horizon: which should you pick?

The two ₹2,500-to-₹3,000 travel cards a first-upgrade thread lines up. Horizon pays 2 EDGE Miles per ₹100 and 5 on Travel EDGE and direct airline sites, moving 1:1 to most of 27 programmes; Regalia Gold pays HDFC points that move to 22 transfer partners at 2:1 or worse. Horizon wins only at ₹25k a month; Regalia Gold takes over from ₹50k. ₹3,000 with no spend waiver against ₹2,500 waived at ₹4,00,000; forex is 3.5% against 2%. Horizon opens eight domestic lounge visits a quarter on the Visa card and two international a quarter, with no spend gate; Regalia Gold three domestic a quarter on ₹60,000 of the previous quarter's spend and six Priority Pass visits abroad a year.

HDFC Regalia Gold wins for almost everyone: Axis Horizon is only ahead below ₹50,000 a month, and by ₹5 lakh a month HDFC Regalia Gold is ₹8,600 a year better off. At ₹75,000 a month most of HDFC Regalia Gold's edge is its milestone and renewal bonuses, worth ₹10,000 a year against ₹1,500 on Axis Horizon. Pick Axis Horizon instead if you want to move points to airlines and hotels: its points reach 27 transfer partners to HDFC Regalia Gold's 22.

HDFC Regalia Gold pays 2 annual spend milestones, the first at ₹5,00,000 a year, and Axis Horizon pays none; Axis Horizon pays a renewal bonus whatever you spend, and HDFC Regalia Gold pays nothing to stay.

Axis Horizon review HDFC Regalia Gold review

Side by side

Axis Horizon and HDFC Regalia Gold, fact by fact
FactAxis HorizonHDFC Regalia Gold
Can you get itOpen to applyOpen to apply
Fee (joining · annual, + GST)₹3,000/yr₹2,500/yr✓ Better
Fee waiverNoneSpend ₹4,00,000 a year
Reward rate on everyday spend2.0%✓ Better1.6%
PointsAxis EDGE MilesHDFC Reward Points
Our value per point₹2.00₹1.00 †
Transfer partners27✓ Better22
Lounges it gets you into22 of 792720 of 792✓ Better
Forex markup3.5% + GST2% + GST✓ Better
Welcome benefit5,000 EDGE Miles on ₹1,000+ cumulative spends within 30 days (paid cards only)Complimentary Swiggy One + MMT Black Gold memberships, on ₹1L spend in the first 90 days

✓ Better marks the side that wins a row; rows that compare unlike things are not scored. HDFC Regalia Gold is ahead on 8 of the 12 rows we can call.

More facts 8 rows
Rank, verdict, lounge visits and fine print
FactAxis HorizonHDFC Regalia Gold
Our rank#31#6✓ Better
Our verdictKeepKeep
Lounge visits in India8/quarter (Visa Signature) · 6/quarter (Mastercard World) at the 20 rooms on Axis's Set B list — but NOT the BLR Domestic Lounge at Bengaluru T1, which the programme swaps for the 080 Domestic Lounge at T13 visits/quarter
Lounge visits abroad2/quarter (US$1 authorization, reversed) — Axis publishes the count and not the rooms, so this map opens none of them6 visits/yr (Priority Pass, outside India only)
Forex, in the bank’s words3.5% + GST. Dynamic currency conversion markup 3.5% since 28 August 2026, up from 1.5%, per the bank-wide revision notice.2% + GST
Interest (APR)3.75%/mo (55.55%/yr, compounded as quoted by Axis)3.75%/mo (45%/yr)
Income needed (salaried)not published₹1.5L+/month net (private); ₹1L+/month (govt)
Income needed (self-employed)not publishedITR ₹18L+/yr

† HDFC Regalia Gold: One catch on that ₹1.00: Regalia Gold can't reach it. Its points cap out at ₹0.65 (Gold Catalogue) or ₹0.50 (flights/hotels) — a 35–50% haircut vs the HDFC house value. Our 1.6% reward rate already prices that in.

Our value per point is what we think a point is worth when you use it well; every currency's figure and its reasoning is on points values.

What each is worth to you

A year of rewards and bonuses, after the fee
Monthly spendAxis HorizonHDFC Regalia Gold
At ₹30,000 a month₹4,500✓ Better₹3,000
At ₹75,000 a month₹13,600₹29,800✓ Better
At ₹1.5 lakh a month₹28,700₹43,600✓ Better
At ₹3 lakh a month₹59,000₹71,200✓ Better
At ₹5 lakh a month₹99,300₹1,07,900✓ Better
Pays for itself from₹8,000 a month✓ Better₹14,000 a month

On an everyday mix of spending (groceries, bills, travel, fuel and the rest), using each card's own rules for each kind of spend. The same figures as each card's own page.

Every spend from ₹25,000 to ₹5 lakh 20 steps
Axis Horizon and HDFC Regalia Gold at each ₹25,000 step
Monthly spendAxis HorizonHDFC Regalia GoldAhead
₹25,000₹3,500✓ Better₹2,100Axis Horizon by ₹1,400
₹50,000₹8,600₹14,200✓ BetterHDFC Regalia Gold by ₹5,600
₹75,000₹13,600₹29,800✓ BetterHDFC Regalia Gold by ₹16,200
₹1 lakh₹18,700₹34,400✓ BetterHDFC Regalia Gold by ₹15,700
₹1.25 lakh₹23,700₹39,000✓ BetterHDFC Regalia Gold by ₹15,300
₹1.5 lakh₹28,700₹43,600✓ BetterHDFC Regalia Gold by ₹14,900
₹1.75 lakh₹33,800₹48,200✓ BetterHDFC Regalia Gold by ₹14,400
₹2 lakh₹38,800₹52,800✓ BetterHDFC Regalia Gold by ₹14,000
₹2.25 lakh₹43,900₹57,400✓ BetterHDFC Regalia Gold by ₹13,500
₹2.5 lakh₹48,900₹62,000✓ BetterHDFC Regalia Gold by ₹13,100
₹2.75 lakh₹53,900₹66,600✓ BetterHDFC Regalia Gold by ₹12,700
₹3 lakh₹59,000₹71,200✓ BetterHDFC Regalia Gold by ₹12,200
₹3.25 lakh₹64,000₹75,800✓ BetterHDFC Regalia Gold by ₹11,800
₹3.5 lakh₹69,100₹80,400✓ BetterHDFC Regalia Gold by ₹11,300
₹3.75 lakh₹74,100₹84,900✓ BetterHDFC Regalia Gold by ₹10,800
₹4 lakh₹79,100₹89,500✓ BetterHDFC Regalia Gold by ₹10,400
₹4.25 lakh₹84,200₹94,100✓ BetterHDFC Regalia Gold by ₹9,900
₹4.5 lakh₹89,200₹98,700✓ BetterHDFC Regalia Gold by ₹9,500
₹4.75 lakh₹94,300₹1,03,300✓ BetterHDFC Regalia Gold by ₹9,000
₹5 lakh₹99,300₹1,07,900✓ BetterHDFC Regalia Gold by ₹8,600
How we work out the yearly value

We put each card through the same everyday mix of spending, apply that card's own rules for each kind of spend (some earn nothing on fuel or bills), add its milestone and renewal bonuses at our value per point, and take off the fee unless that spend waives it. Bonus categories that need you to shop a certain way are not counted. Your own mix will differ: try your numbers in the calculator, or read how we value cards.

Before you choose

Transfer partners 27 and 22

Axis Horizon's Axis EDGE Miles move to 27 airline and hotel partners; HDFC Regalia Gold's HDFC Reward Points move to 22.

The best-known partners both reach (points : miles)
PartnerAxis HorizonHDFC Regalia Gold
Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer1:12:1
Finnair Plus (Avios)2:12:1
Qatar Airways Privilege Club (Avios)2:1100:33

Only Axis Horizon: Ethiopian ShebaMiles, Hilton Honors, IndiGo BluChip.

Only HDFC Regalia Gold: Marriott Bonvoy, Avianca LifeMiles, Club ITC.

Every partner and ratio is on each card's page; the best value for your points is on the transfer optimizer.

Watch out 6 points

Axis Horizon

  • Half of Atlas's transfer ratio on the standard partners — 1:1 vs 1:2. Miles & More is the exception: both cards convert 1:1
  • The punished set converts at 2:1 for Horizon too — BA, Finnair, Qatar, Vietnam, IndiGo, Cathay, and the returned Accor
  • Marriott is still gone and ITC left the 25 Sep 2026 grid; Accor came back at Horizon's 2:1, not the old 1:2, and Qatar's return stays at 2:1

4 more on its page

HDFC Regalia Gold

  • Cashing out to your statement is ₹0.15 a point, down from ₹0.20 — HDFC's MITC dates it 1 Nov 2025, though its own page printed ₹0.20 until Jul-2026 and still does in one place
  • Jul-2026: 3 domestic lounge visits/quarter now need ₹60k prior-quarter spend
  • May 2026 cut lowered the effective earn ~6%

5 more on its page

Common questions 5 answered

Which is better, Axis Horizon or HDFC Regalia Gold?

HDFC Regalia Gold wins for almost everyone: Axis Horizon is only ahead below ₹50,000 a month, and by ₹5 lakh a month HDFC Regalia Gold is ₹8,600 a year better off. At ₹75,000 a month most of HDFC Regalia Gold's edge is its milestone and renewal bonuses, worth ₹10,000 a year against ₹1,500 on Axis Horizon. Pick Axis Horizon instead if you want to move points to airlines and hotels: its points reach 27 transfer partners to HDFC Regalia Gold's 22.

Axis Horizon or HDFC Regalia Gold: which is worth more at ₹3 lakh a month?

HDFC Regalia Gold beats Axis Horizon by ₹12,200 a year at ₹3 lakh a month. Both figures are a year's rewards and bonuses on an everyday spending mix, after the fee.

Which costs less to get, Axis Horizon or HDFC Regalia Gold?

HDFC Regalia Gold: ₹2,500/yr against ₹3,000/yr. Axis Horizon has no fee waiver; HDFC Regalia Gold waives its fee if you spend ₹4,00,000 a year.

Which gets you into more airport lounges, Axis Horizon or HDFC Regalia Gold?

HDFC Regalia Gold: 720 of the 792 lounges we track, against 22 for Axis Horizon. Visit limits and guest charges differ by card; each card's page lists them.

How current is this comparison?

Axis Horizon was last checked against its bank's own documents on 11 Oct 2026, HDFC Regalia Gold on 24 Oct 2026. Every figure here is worked out again from those records each time the site is built, so a change to either card shows up the day we log it.

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Sources

Axis Horizon was last checked against its bank's own documents on 11 Oct 2026, HDFC Regalia Gold on 24 Oct 2026. Every fact above comes from these 26 documents; the banks' own are marked official. A fact a bank does not publish shows as "not published", never as zero.

The documents 26 sources
  1. Official Horizon T&C PDF read
  2. Official Horizon T&C (axisbank.com copy) — no EDGE Miles on Transportation & Tolls or Fuel; 5 EDGE Miles per ₹100 on airlines and Axis Travel EDGE, 2 elsewhere read
  3. Official Axis Bank Horizon product page — 5 EDGE Miles per ₹100 on Travel EDGE and direct airline sites, 2 elsewhere; ₹3,000 joining and annual, Nil on a qualifying Burgundy Savings Account read
  4. Official Axis Bank Key Fact Sheet, updated 12-Aug-2026 — Horizon joining ₹3,000 / annual ₹3,000 (Nil for customers with a Burgundy Savings Account opened on or after 1 Jul 2026) read
  5. Official Axis Bank Domestic Airport Lounge Access Program — Horizon sits in Set B at 6 visits per calendar quarter for Mastercard World and 8 for Visa Signature read
  6. Official Axis Bank Points/Miles Transfer ratio table — "Horizon Credit Card: 1 EDGE Mile = 1 Partner Point", a quarter of Olympus's 1:4 and half Atlas's 1:2 read
  7. Official Travel EDGE Points/Miles Transfer T&C — the full per-card conversion grid effective 2-Apr-2026 (Horizon column: 1:1 to every standard partner) read
  8. Official Axis Bank-wide MITC — Horizon joining/annual ₹3,000 (Nil^ for a Burgundy Savings Account opened on or after 1 Jul 2026), APR 3.75%/month (55.55% p.a.) read
  9. Official Axis bank-wide revision notice (published 27-Jul-2026) — effective 28-08-2026 the DCC markup goes 1.5% → 3.5%, a ₹1,300 late-payment slab appears above ₹50,000 outstanding read
  10. Community CardInsider review read
  11. Community CardMaven review (partner groups + caps) read
  12. Official Product page — "5 Reward Points on every Rs. 200 spent", and the redemption table that prices this card's points, "Exclusive Gold Catalogue ₹0.65 · Flights and hotel bookings ₹0.5" read
  13. Official HDFC Bank Key Fact Statement cum MITC, version 4.15 dated October 2026 — clause I(x) prices a Regalia Gold point at 15 paise against the statement balance, with effect from 1 November 2025 read
  14. Official Product-feature-change notice PDF — Boarding Edge and "Earn 5 Reward Points for every ₹200 spent" both effective 15th May 2026 read
  15. Official Regalia Gold Rewards Points Program T&C — the 50,000 RP/month cap on MILES TRANSFERS, the four named 5X merchants, and the 1.75% dynamic & static conversion markup "W.e.f 15th May, 2026" read
  16. Official SmartBuy core-offer T&C (window 01-10-2026 to 31-10-2026) — the Regalia tier earns 5X on flights, 10X on hotels, 5X on brand vouchers, capped 4,000 RP a month read
  17. Official Product page (AMP mirror) — ₹4L waiver, 5X brands, milestones, redemption grid read
  18. Community CardInsider — May-2026 revision (5 RP/₹200, ₹60k lounge gate w.e.f. 1-Jul-2026, DCC 1.75%) read
  19. Community CardExpert — 3 visits/qtr behind ₹60k gate, PP 6/yr unchanged, Boarding Edge read
  20. Community CardInsider — RuPay Select variant launch (9-Oct-2025) read
  21. Community TechnoFino — issued on both Visa Signature and Mastercard World read
  22. Community CardInsider forex table — Regalia Gold 2% forex markup (below the 3.5% norm) read
  23. Community pointsmath HDFC transfer grid — the eligibility check for our 22 routes; Only Infinia, Diners Club Black and Regalia Gold have "all 21 transfer partners available" read
  24. Official HDFC's BANK-WIDE 15-May-2026 revision notice — its accrual table names "Regalia Gold | 5 | 200", corroborating the card-specific product-feature-change PDF read
  25. Official HDFC Bank consolidated fees & charges PDF (KFS/MITC, v2.5, Mar-2025) — the fees, charges and terms this card's MITC row is read from read
  26. Official HDFC Bank Rewards Points Program T&C — the fuel, rent, government, wallet and EMI exclusions and the monthly category caps read

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