HSBC Live+ vs Axis Bank ACE
Level at ₹75,000 a month
Tata Neu Infinity HDFC Bank vs Axis Bank ACE
Axis Bank ACE vs Tata Neu Infinity HDFC Bank: which should you pick?
The Tata-ecosystem card against the Google Pay bills card. Tata Neu Infinity pays NeuCoins: 5% at Tata brands, up to 10% on the Tata Neu app with NeuPass and 1.5% almost everywhere else; ACE pays 5% on bills and recharges through Google Pay and 4% on Swiggy, Zomato and Ola under one ₹500 cap a statement, and 1.5% on everything else. ACE out-earns the Tata Neu card at ₹25k a month and again from ₹4.5L; in between, the page's value model scores the two level. ₹1,499 waived at ₹3,00,000 of spend against ₹499 waived at ₹2,00,000, and forex is 2% against 3.5%. The Tata Neu card opens two domestic lounge visits a quarter on ₹50,000 of the previous quarter's spend and four international a year; ACE four domestic a year on ₹50,000 of spend in the previous three months.
Axis Bank ACE is ahead of Tata Neu Infinity HDFC Bank at 4 of the 20 spends we test between ₹25,000 and ₹5 lakh a month and level at the rest; its lead is widest at ₹5 lakh a month, at ₹3,000 a year. Pick Tata Neu Infinity HDFC Bank instead if airport lounges matter more to you than the money: it gets you into 721 of the lounges we track to Axis Bank ACE's 12, or if you spend abroad: its forex markup is 2% against 3.5% on Axis Bank ACE, 1.5 percentage points less on every rupee spent in another currency.
Side by side
| Fact | Tata Neu Infinity HDFC Bank | Axis Bank ACE |
|---|---|---|
| Can you get it | Open to apply | Open to apply |
| Fee (joining · annual, + GST) | ₹1,499/yr | ₹499/yr✓ Better |
| Fee waiver | Spend ₹3,00,000 a year | Spend ₹2,00,000 a year |
| Reward rate on everyday spend | 1.5% | 1.5% |
| Points | Tata NeuCoins | Axis Bank Cashback |
| Our value per point | ₹1.00 † | ₹1.00 |
| Transfer partners | None | None |
| Lounges it gets you into | 721 of 792✓ Better | 12 of 792 |
| Forex markup | 2% + GST✓ Better | 3.5% |
| Welcome benefit | 1,499 NeuCoins as a reversal of the first-year fee — first transaction within 30 days, claimed in the Tata Neu app, and NOT payable on Lifetime Free or First Year Free cards: it is a refund of a fee you were charged, so a card that never charged one has nothing to refund | Not published — Axis lists no welcome or activation benefit for ACE on the product page or in the Key Fact Sheet |
✓ Better marks the side that wins a row; rows that compare unlike things are not scored. They split the 6 rows we can call 3–3.
More facts 8 rows
| Fact | Tata Neu Infinity HDFC Bank | Axis Bank ACE |
|---|---|---|
| Our rank | #40✓ Better | #127 |
| Our verdict | Keep | Keep |
| Lounge visits in India | 8/year (2/quarter) | 4/year at the 11 rooms on Axis's Set A list |
| Lounge visits abroad | 4/year | None |
| Forex, in the bank’s words | 2% + GST | 3.5% of the transaction value, plus a 3.5% dynamic-currency-conversion markup — raised from 1.5% on 28 August 2026. |
| Interest (APR) | 3.75%/mo (45%/yr) | 3.75%/mo (55.55%/yr) — Axis standard tier |
| Income needed (salaried) | ₹1,00,000/month (HDFC's own eligibility block) | not published |
| Income needed (self-employed) | Annual ITR above ₹12,00,000 (HDFC's own eligibility block) | not published |
† Tata Neu Infinity HDFC Bank: NeuCoins are a fixed ₹1 currency, but a Tata-locked one: you can spend them at Tata Neu and Tata brands and nowhere else — no airline or hotel transfer partners. ₹1 is both the value and the ceiling, and since Aug-2025 they expire 12 months after the month you earn them.
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
| Monthly spend | Tata Neu Infinity HDFC Bank | Axis Bank ACE |
|---|---|---|
| At ₹30,000 a month | ₹5,100 | ₹5,100 |
| At ₹75,000 a month | ₹12,700 | ₹12,700 |
| At ₹1.5 lakh a month | ₹25,400 | ₹25,400 |
| At ₹3 lakh a month | ₹50,800 | ₹50,800 |
| At ₹5 lakh a month | ₹81,600 | ₹84,600✓ Better |
| Pays for itself from | ₹9,000 a month | ₹3,000 a month✓ Better |
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
| Monthly spend | Tata Neu Infinity HDFC Bank | Axis Bank ACE | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|
| ₹25,000 | ₹2,700 | ₹4,200✓ Better | Axis Bank ACE by ₹1,500 |
| ₹50,000 | ₹8,500 | ₹8,500 | Level |
| ₹75,000 | ₹12,700 | ₹12,700 | Level |
| ₹1 lakh | ₹16,900 | ₹16,900 | Level |
| ₹1.25 lakh | ₹21,200 | ₹21,200 | Level |
| ₹1.5 lakh | ₹25,400 | ₹25,400 | Level |
| ₹1.75 lakh | ₹29,600 | ₹29,600 | Level |
| ₹2 lakh | ₹33,800 | ₹33,800 | Level |
| ₹2.25 lakh | ₹38,100 | ₹38,100 | Level |
| ₹2.5 lakh | ₹42,300 | ₹42,300 | Level |
| ₹2.75 lakh | ₹46,500 | ₹46,500 | Level |
| ₹3 lakh | ₹50,800 | ₹50,800 | Level |
| ₹3.25 lakh | ₹55,000 | ₹55,000 | Level |
| ₹3.5 lakh | ₹59,200 | ₹59,200 | Level |
| ₹3.75 lakh | ₹63,500 | ₹63,500 | Level |
| ₹4 lakh | ₹67,700 | ₹67,700 | Level |
| ₹4.25 lakh | ₹71,900 | ₹71,900 | Level |
| ₹4.5 lakh | ₹75,800 | ₹76,100✓ Better | Axis Bank ACE by ₹300 |
| ₹4.75 lakh | ₹78,700 | ₹80,400✓ Better | Axis Bank ACE by ₹1,700 |
| ₹5 lakh | ₹81,600 | ₹84,600✓ Better | Axis Bank ACE by ₹3,000 |
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 0 and 0
Tata Neu Infinity HDFC Bank's Tata NeuCoins cannot be moved to any airline or hotel; Axis Bank ACE's Axis Bank Cashback cannot be moved to any.
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
Tata Neu Infinity HDFC Bank
- NeuCoins are Tata-locked — no airline or hotel transfer partners, ₹1 is the ceiling
- NeuCoins now expire 12 months after the month earned (w.e.f. Aug-2025)
- Since 01-Jun-2025 the Priority Pass is issued only on request — you must phone HDFC for it, or the 4 international visits stay locked
Axis Bank ACE
- The lounge visits are gated on ₹50,000 of spend in the previous 3 calendar months — new cards get the issuance month plus three free, then the gate bites
- The 5% and 4% categories share ONE ₹500-per-statement ceiling, so the accelerators cap out around ₹6,000 a year
- The 5% exists only through Google Pay on Android; utility bills paid anywhere else have earned zero since 20 Apr 2024
Common questions 5 answered
Which is better, Tata Neu Infinity HDFC Bank or Axis Bank ACE?
Axis Bank ACE is ahead of Tata Neu Infinity HDFC Bank at 4 of the 20 spends we test between ₹25,000 and ₹5 lakh a month and level at the rest; its lead is widest at ₹5 lakh a month, at ₹3,000 a year. Pick Tata Neu Infinity HDFC Bank instead if airport lounges matter more to you than the money: it gets you into 721 of the lounges we track to Axis Bank ACE's 12, or if you spend abroad: its forex markup is 2% against 3.5% on Axis Bank ACE, 1.5 percentage points less on every rupee spent in another currency.
Tata Neu Infinity HDFC Bank or Axis Bank ACE: which is worth more at ₹3 lakh a month?
Tata Neu Infinity HDFC Bank and Axis Bank ACE are level at ₹50,800 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, Tata Neu Infinity HDFC Bank or Axis Bank ACE?
Axis Bank ACE: ₹499/yr against ₹1,499/yr. Tata Neu Infinity HDFC Bank waives its fee if you spend ₹3,00,000 a year; Axis Bank ACE waives its fee if you spend ₹2,00,000 a year.
Which gets you into more airport lounges, Tata Neu Infinity HDFC Bank or Axis Bank ACE?
Tata Neu Infinity HDFC Bank: 721 of the 792 lounges we track, against 12 for Axis Bank ACE. Visit limits and guest charges differ by card; each card's page lists them.
How current is this comparison?
Tata Neu Infinity HDFC Bank was last checked against its bank's own documents on 24 Oct 2026, Axis Bank ACE on 26 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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More on these two cards 15 pages
- What Tata NeuCoins are worth
- What Axis Bank Cashback are worth
- Tata Neu Infinity HDFC Bank: #3 for RuPay & UPI
- Credit card forex markup in India, bank by bank
- UPI on a credit card: the RuPay route to travel points
- Tata Neu Infinity HDFC Bank vs HDFC Regalia Gold
- Tata Neu Infinity HDFC Bank vs Tata Neu Infinity SBI Card
- Tata Neu Infinity HDFC Bank vs Amazon Pay ICICI Bank
- Tata Neu Plus HDFC Bank vs Tata Neu Infinity HDFC Bank
- Tata Neu Infinity HDFC Bank vs HDFC Bank Millennia
- Tata Neu Infinity HDFC Bank vs CASHBACK SBI Card
- HDFC Bank Millennia vs Axis Bank ACE
- Axis Bank ACE vs CASHBACK SBI Card
- Swiggy Ornge HDFC Bank Credit Card vs Axis Bank ACE
- Airtel Axis Bank Credit Card vs Axis Bank ACE
Sources
Tata Neu Infinity HDFC Bank was last checked against its bank's own documents on 24 Oct 2026, Axis Bank ACE on 26 Oct 2026. Every fact above comes from these 12 documents; the banks' own are marked official. A fact a bank does not publish shows as "not published", never as zero.
The documents 12 sources
- Official HDFC's own product page — "5% back as NeuCoins on Non-EMI Spends on Tata Neu and partner Tata Brands" read
- Official HDFC Bank MITC / Key Fact Statement v3.9 (dated April-2026, updated 08-May-2026) — the KFS fee table machine-verifies Tata Neu Infinity at ₹1,499 joining/annual read
- Official Tata Neu HDFC Bank card T&C PDF (updated 03-Jan-2026) — 2% forex and the shared Plus/Infinity earn and lounge rules read
- Official HDFC Bank MITC / Key Fact Statement v4.15 (October 2026) — the Tata Neu Infinity fee row (₹1,499, waived at ₹3 lakh a year) and the 50,000-NeuCoin statement-cycle ceiling read
- Community CardInsider review — ₹1,499 fee/₹3L waiver, 5% Tata brands, lounge 8+4, 12-month NeuCoin expiry read
- Community Business Standard — UPI earn split (0.5% + 1% via Tata Neu UPI ID, 500/mo cap) read
- Official Revision of Axis Bank Credit Card Terms and Conditions — the bank-wide notice: DCC 1.5% to 3.5%, and gift cards, Bridge Fees, Road Fees and Tolls out of rewards, from 28 Aug 2026 read
- Official Axis Bank ACE product page — the 5%/4%/1.5% cashback grid, four lounge visits a year, and the fee table with ₹499 joining read
- Official ACE cashback Terms & Conditions — the ₹500-per-statement ceiling shared by the 5% and 4% categories, and the exclusion list read
- Official Axis Bank Domestic Airport Lounge Access Program — ACE is a Set A card at 4 complimentary visits a year, gated on ₹50,000 of spend in the previous 3 months read
- Official Axis Bank Key Fact Sheet, last updated 8 Oct 2026 — ACE joining ₹499 and annual ₹499, waived at ₹2,00,000 of preceding-year spend read
- Official Axis Travel EDGE Program eligible cards — ACE does not appear, so there is no transfer route out of this card read