We can very well call this post – the clash of the titans. When it comes to credit cards, Infinia has always been the aspiration for many. Getting it would mean an achievement in itself thanks to the stringent eligibility. With up to 33% rewards, Infinia became the most rewarding credit card in India for masses. But then came many devaluations and a new challenger, the Axis Magnus credit card. Axis Bank’s lucrative rewards on Magnus have now made it a challenger to HDFC Bank Infinia at many levels. Here is a detailed comparison of Axis Magnus vs HDFC Infinia to help you decide which is better for which case.
Fees and Charges
| Fee | Infinia | Magnus |
|---|---|---|
| Joining Fees | Rs 12500+GST | Rs 10000+GST |
| Welcome Benefit | 1 year Club Marriott membership 12500 RP if joining fees is paid | 1 Economy Domestic Flight Ticket OR Rs 10000 Tata CLiQ voucher |
| Annual Fees | Rs 12500+GST | Rs 10000+GST |
| Annual Fees Waiver | Rs 10 Lakhs Spend | Rs 15 Lakhs Spend |
| Renewal Benefit | 12500 RP if the renewal fee is paid | 1 Economy Domestic Flight Ticket OR Rs 10000 Tata CLiQ voucher |
| Issued as | Metal | Metal |
Magnus needs a much higher spend to get the annual fee waiver. But, we would not consider it as a problem as the annual fee is well compensated by the Tata CLiQ voucher. Even the Infinia has a good renewal benefit, 12500 RP can be directly used for booking flights and hotels on Smartbuy.
Rewards
Both Infinia and Magnus are super-premium credit cards and offer excellent rewards. While earning rewards is easy, we have different options and values for redemption. The Magnus reward rate is mentioned as a range as the values are different based on redemption. More on this in the rewards redemption section.
| Infinia | Magnus | |
|---|---|---|
| Rewards | 5 RP per Rs 150 ~3.3% | 12 RP per Rs 200 ~1.2% to 4.8% |
| Flights | 25 RP per Rs 100 ~16.5% | 60 RP per Rs 200 ~6% to 24% |
| Milestone Benefit | None | 25000 EDGE RP on spending Rs 1 Lakh in a month ~5% to 20% |
| Insurance | 5 RP per Rs 150 up to 5000 RP per day | 12 RP per Rs 200 up to Rs 1 Lakh per txn |
| Grocery Transactions | Maximum 2000 RP per calendar month | No Cap |
| Wallet and Fuel | No Rewards | No Rewards |
| Rent and Govt Services | No Rewards | 12 RP per Rs 200 ~1.2% to 4.8% |
Smartbuy vs Grab Deals for Accelerated Rewards
Grab Deals is to Axis Bank is what Smartbuy is to HDFC Bank. Both offer plenty of options to earn accelerated reward points. Grab Deals has many more partners than Smartbuy. But, the best way to benefit of these platforms is to buy instant vouchers for accelerated rewards. There are plenty of options and can be used for almost all types of spends depending on the brand.
- Axis Magnus can earn a maximum of 10000 EDGE RP on Grab Deals. There is no cap on the rewards earned through Gyftr Instant Vouchers.
- Infinia can earn maximum 15000 RP in a calendar month through Smartbuy. This also includes instant vouchers.
| Partner | Infinia | Magnus |
|---|---|---|
| Instant Voucher | 5X ~16.5% | 3X to 10X ~3.6% to 48% |
Rewards Redemption
This is what will decide which is the right for you – Infinia or Magnus. The reward points for Infinia hold a higher value for all redemptions except airmiles. Magnus can help you earn and transfer reward points for airmiles at a much faster rate.
For someone who is into transferring reward points to airlines and hotel loyalty programs, Axis Magnus is a far better deal than anything else right now. Here is a calculator that will help you decide which one offers better value for your spending.
Except airmiles reward rate, Infinia is still the king when it comes to other redemption options. We get a better value even for redeeming gift vouchers.
| VALUE OF 10 RP | Infinia | Magnus |
|---|---|---|
| Flights Redemption | Rs 10 | Rs 2 |
| Tanishq Vouchers | Rs 10 | Rs 2 |
| Apple Products | Rs 10 | Rs 2 |
| Airmiles | 5 to 10 Airmiles | 8 Airmiles |
| Voucher Redemption | Rs 5 | Rs 2 |
Transfer Partners
Both Axis Magnus and HDFC Infinia now have an extensive list of transfer partners. But, Axis Magnus still holds the edge when it comes to earning accelerated reward points. Also, Magnus has a better ‘miles earn rate’ of 4.8% while Infinia offers between 1.6% to 3.3% miles reward rate on spends.
| Transfer Partner | Magnus Partner | Infinia Partner |
|---|---|---|
| Air Asia – airasia rewards | Yes | Yes |
| Air Vistara – Club Vistara | Yes | Yes |
| Ethiopian Airlines – ShebaMiles | Yes | |
| Turkish Airlines – Miles and Smiles | Yes | Yes |
| ITC – Club ITC | Yes | |
| Air France-KLM – Flying Blue | Yes | Yes |
| Etihad Airways – Etihad Guest | Yes | Yes |
| IHG Hotels & Resorts – IHG One Rewards | Yes | |
| Marriott International – Marriott Bonvoy | Yes | |
| United Airlines – United MileagePlus | Yes | Yes |
| Singapore Airlines – KrisFlyer | Yes | Yes |
| Qatar Airways – Privilege Club | Yes | |
| Spicejet – SpiceClub | Yes | |
| Air Canada – AeroPlan | Yes | |
| ALL – Accor Live Limitless | Yes | |
| Avianca LifeMiles | Yes | |
| British Airways Executive Club | Yes | |
| Finnair Plus | Yes | |
| Hainan Airlines – Fortune Wings Club | Yes | |
| IHG One Rewards | Yes | |
| Vietnam Airlines – Lotusmiles Program | Yes | |
| Wyndham Rewards | Yes |
Airport Lounge Access
Infinia has an edge here. We get unlimited airport lounge access for both primary and add on cards in Infinia.
| Airport Lounge Access | Mode | Infinia | Magnus |
|---|---|---|---|
| Domestic Primary | CC / PP | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Domestic Add On | CC | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Domestic Add On | PP | Unlimited | NIL |
| International Primary | PP | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| International Add On | PP | Unlimited | NIL |
Which card is better – HDFC Infinia vs Axis Magnus
When to choose HDFC Infinia
- Your preferred redemption option is not airmiles. Infinia points can be used for directly booking flights at 1:1 value.
- You need unlimited domestic and international lounge access for both primary and add on cards.
When to choose Axis Magnus
- You preferred redemption option is airmiles. Magnus has an extensive list of transfer partners.
- You can maximize your spends to hit the 1L spend milestone in a calendar month and get 25K bonus EDGE rewards
28 thoughts on “HDFC Infinia vs Axis Magnus Credit Card”
Is it true that the points doesn’t come after completing the milestone … Also is there any capping on the points earned through edge travel platform ?? The prices are on higher side id there is no accelerated rewards than one should avoid buying from edge travel
Axis has been consistent in posting the milestones. There is no issue.
No cap on Travel Edge rewards.
namaste,
thank you for the analysis and for sharing the comparison calculator.
two questions on which i’d like your opinion are:
1) icici amazon pay vs hdfc infinia/axis magnus… which is better? (amazon is my preferred shopping platform)
2) what is the difference between airmiles and reward points redemption?
Amazon Pay ICICI credit card is similar to cashback cards.
Infinia and Magnus are travel and airmiles focused credit cards. So, no direct comparison.
I already have an Infinia and Now Axis has offerd me Magnus. I want to use the rewards for International and domestic travel only . which card would be better for me.
Magnus is far ahead right now for this
Hi, considering majority of my spends are for fuel(lorries) and insurance as I am into the business of cement crusher. Let’s say 2 lakhs a month for just fuel, what would be the best card for me? I have a business regalia as LTF since last month.
Given that from mar23 axis won’t count rent and insurance for monthly and annual spend limits, it will be difficult for most to meet them and thus, DB or Infinia will again be bttr. Is that the right way to think?
It is the same for HDFC Bank also. No rewards on rent payments.
Hi
Axis has also excluded the rental value from milestone benefit.
So won’t HDFC still be better?
The biggest difference which magnus has compared to DCB or even Infinia is the 8 meet and greet services which it offers. Its really good from a lifestyle point of view.
DB doesn’t give rewards but consider them for limits… axis doesn’t. Which is a big difference
Which limit? Annual fee waiver?
For DB spend is considered for annual fee waiver and for monthly 80k benefits
In axis, these are not considered and thus one won’t earn 25k monthly and will have to pay annual fees too.. without 25k monthly, magnus, I would assume, is not bttr than DB.
Please opine
Ok. Yes, for the milestone. That’s right. It still counts for milestone and annual fee waiver in case of HDFC.
Axis card is lot of hype and no real benefit. I am using this card for some time and it doesn’t even as good as any other free credit cards there in the market, except unlimited lounge facility. Customer support is pathetic, milestone benefit comes god only knows when, 5X on travel etc. no idea how/when they credit if it is still true, transferring the points for partners is a farce – what ever I transferred I got 1.3% return overall. If your spend in any month is over 1L, you get 1-1.3% points. They keep changing the rules too often making it impossible to use it for long term. If you are ready to keep spending time & effort, it may work out, but that doesn’t fit to a premium card category at all !.
I currently have DCB which is LTF. Confused between upgrading to Infinia or applying for Magnus. Main use of points in the past has been for domestic travel. While Vistara is a partner for both, not sure how good are the other transfer partners under Magnus. Also, for travel to Europe, US and South East Asia which transfer partner under Magnus can be used? I see merit in no caps for now on Magnus on transfer and redemption but not sure which card to go for! Would appreciate your views on it
If it is airmiles you are looking for, then Magnus is the better option. You could choose between United, Singapore Airlines, Qatar Airways and Turkish Airlines.
for domestic travel are airmiles any good? Except for Club Vistara where it is anyway difficult to find a seat between the metros
For domestic travel, Vistara is one of the easiest options. But, yes the availability is a major challenge for some routes.
You can also use Turkish miles for Air India bookings but may not be a good value in all cases.
This is one area where the Infinia and DCB are still better. We can use 1 RP at Rs 1 for revenue bookings on any airline.
Thank you. Wanted to check how good are the FF programs of SpiceJet and AirAsia? These seem to be the other transfer partners for domestic travel. What would a DEL-BOM flight be for these FF programs? Like for Vistara it is 6000 CV points
The AirAsia partner is for the parent AirAsia company. It will not work for India. SpiceJet SpiceClub points do not have a great value. They would be around 40 paise each.
Hi,
Good analysis as always,
Would like to add that
Infinia has a cap of 5k points per DAY on Insurance transaction, which means any transaction above 1.5 lakhs will fetch 5k points only unless one has 2 seperate policies of smaller amounts paid on seperate days
Also one good thing for now there is no cap on utility spends with Infinia
What might i ask is Axis’s policies regarding Insurance and Utility bills?
Are there similar caps on Magnus ?
Thank you KSB!
I have added in the insurance rewards now. Magnus too has a cap for rewards on insurance transactions.
For utility bills, there is no cap for both Magnus and Infinia as of now.
Hello
You are one of the best bloggers i ever seen now i need some guidance from you.
I’m a student studying BTech (2nd year) and i have 2 ICICI credit cards Amazon pay and hpcl super saver. Now i got upgradation call to paid variant of coral amex but not LTF. how to ask for LTF of that variant.Also I’m In thought of getting rid of hpcl super saver as it’s has very low capping and also a paid variant. Can I degrade it to platinum as ICICI rewards are worst and lack lustre.
Thank you SK. You can email them and ask if they can offer LTF Coral. LTF Coral is mostly issued pre-approved for salary accounts. You can apply Platinum as an additional card and then close HPCL supersaver.
Thanks for spending your valuable time for helping me.
I will try what as you advised
Could you please let me know what does DCB & LTF coral cards are ?