Thread by @pointperkspicks

Review 18: 🏆 Built for the Big Leagues

The Axis Magnus Burgundy Credit Card is making rounds in the CC community, with more people opting for it. Sharing review & my experience with the card for 2 years

#ccgeek #PointsPerksPicksAXISMagnus

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Key rewards

⚡ Unmatched Reward Rate: Up to 24% on Travel EDGE, 14% on monthly spends above ₹1.5L
✈️ 5:4 transfer ratio to 20+ airline and hotel loyalty programs
🛫 Airport Lounge Access: Unlimited international + domestic (with guest access)
🧑‍✈️ 4 complimentary airport Meet & Greet services per year
🎯 Annual redemption cap of 10L EDGE RP

Despite the 2024 Axis credit card devaluations, this card has stayed strong, retaining features that matter most to high-frequency, high-value travelers

The 5:4 reward rate stands out

🔍 Reward Rate Snapshot (as miles):

Regular spend (up to ₹1.5L/mo): ~4.8%
Monthly spends above ₹1.5L: ~14%
Travel EDGE spends (up to ₹2L): ~24%
Travel EDGE beyond ₹2L: ~14%

🟥 No rewards on: fuel, insurance, gold, wallet loads, utilities, govt. spends.

The redemption value in INR will vary a lot based on the partner. Let's discuss more details in the upcoming sections

🔁 Redemption

Transfer Ratio: 5 EDGE RP = 4 Airmiles / Hotel Points

Annual Redemption Cap:

Total: 10L RP (vs. 5L on regular Magnus)
Group A: 2L RP (e.g., Accor, Marriott, Singapore Airlines)
Group B: 8L RP (e.g., Air India, IHG, ITC)

🧳 Travel & Access Benefits

🏢 Domestic Lounge Access: Unlimited (₹50K spend in 3 months required)
🌍 International Lounge Access: Unlimited via Priority Pass
👥 Guest Access: 4 per year (across both domestic & international lounges)
🤝 Airport Meet & Greet: 4 complimentary services per year
💱 Forex Markup Fee: 2% + GST (Effective ~2.36%)

Forex is an excellent spend with a low markup of 2% but returns ranging from 5-14%

What is this gaga about 20-30% returns?

Scenario 1 – Monthly Spend > ₹1.5L:

Earn Rate: 35 EDGE Reward Points per ₹200 spend
Conversion: 35 ER = 28 Accor Points
Value: 28 Accor Points ≈ ₹56 (assuming ₹2 per point)
Effective Rate: ₹56 return on ₹200 spend = 28% value when redeemed for Accor hotel stays

Scenario 2 – Travel EDGE Spend (up to ₹2L/month):

Earn Rate: 60 ER per ₹200 spend 👇
Maximizes travel rewards on eligible bookings

Please note that once 2L/Year Group A is completed for ACCOR, the value may seem to significantly decline as the other partners will not provide the same level of value back.

Hence, 4-14% is a reasonable way of valuing the cc returns

🍽️ Dining Benefits

EazyDiner Prime membership (birthday month activation)
Dining Delights: 40% off at partner restaurants (monthly)
Rs. 50% up to 3000 EazyDiner voucher on the birthday month

Who can get the AXIS Magnus Burgundy?

Burgundy customers only
Joining Fee - Rs. 30,000+GST
Waiver - Rs. 30,00,000+ spend/year

What was my experience?

I garnered more than 8-9L points over the last 3 years using the Magnus (+burgundy) card. This has been my core card for the years and ensured that I need to apply for Infinia, EPM, etc.

PRO TIP

1) Although FUEL, Utilities, GOLD are not covered in the spends. There are ways to get the same covered through vouchers

2) If there are expenses on vouchers, rather than GIFTEdge, its better to buy through Amazon kind of platforms as it gets covered in AEP (35 ER/200)

Verdict

Magnus is purely developed for power users with power spends (>20-25L spend) and a combined spend of 1.5L+ in a month

Benefits such as the 5:4 partner transfer ratio, unlimited lounge access (with guest visits), and complimentary airport meet & greet services make it a strong pick for high-spending, frequent travelers.

However, the card's ₹30,000 annual fee with only ₹5,000 in welcome benefits, exclusions in spend categories, and reward redemption caps could feel restrictive to some.

For fuel

https://x.com/pointperkspicks/status/1940985600389402629