Credit cards are used for their compelling features, such as travel benefits, dining offers, movie ticket discounts, great reward rates, and much more. However, there is one simple feature that everyone looks for these days: the cashback feature. Such a credit card offers cash back on all transactions made with it. With such cards, one can instantly save on their purchases, and they are not rigid like reward point-based credit cards. There are numerous credit cards available that offer cash back on spending made with them. In this article, we will discuss two of the best cashback credit cards: the HSBC Live+ and the Axis Bank Ace Credit Card.
The HSBC Live+ offers 10% accelerated cashback on dining, grocery, and food delivery spend, along with ₹1,000 cashback on spending ₹20,000 in the First 30 Days. One can also get great movie and dining discounts with this card. The card comes with an annual fee of ₹999 + GST.
The Axis Bank Ace Credit Card is another popular cashback credit card offered by Axis Bank. The Ace card also comes with a nominal annual fee of ₹499 + GST and offers significant cash back on spending made with it. With this card, cardholders can earn up to 5% cashback on transactions like bill payments, partner merchants, and all other purchases. Moreover, cardholders can enjoy complimentary access to domestic lounges.
HSBC Live+ Credit Card
The HSBC Live+ is a cashback-based credit card that is popular for its awesome cashback on transactions. The card is issued at an annual fee of ₹750. It welcomes you with ₹1,000 cashback on spending ₹20,000 in 30 days of card issuance. As far as the cashback benefits are concerned, cardholders can enjoy
- 10% accelerated cashback on dining, grocery, and food delivery spends
- 1.5% unlimited cashback on all other transactions
Users can also enjoy 4 complimentary domestic lounge accesses per year, limited to one per quarter, receive 15% off at EazyDiner, and purchase 2 movie tickets to get one free when booking through BookMyShow on Saturdays. The annual fee of ₹999 + GST can be waived on spending ₹2 lakh or more in the previous year with your HSBC Live+.
Axis Bank Ace Credit Card
The Axis Ace Credit Card is one of the most popular credit cards available in the Indian market. The card is known for its excellent cashback rate and impressive benefits in shopping and travel. The card is free of any joining fee for a limited time. An annual fee of ₹499 + GST will be charged in the second year onwards, along with a spend-based waiver.
With this card, you can earn up to 5% cash back on purchases made with it. Apart from that, the Ace card also offers benefits in dining, where the cardholders can enjoy up to a 15% discount on dining bills. Moreover, one can access domestic airport lounges multiple times in a year with the Ace credit card. The card earns cashback based on the following criteria:
- For every utility bill payment and DTH & mobile recharges via Google Pay, the card offers 5% cashback.
- Get a 4% cashback on spends made on Zomato, Swiggy, and Ola
- Earn 1.5% cashback on all other purchases.
The 5% and 4% cashback categories have a combined maximum capping of ₹500 per statement cycle. There is no capping on the 1.5% cashback category, and you can earn unlimited cashback. The Ace credit card comes with four complimentary domestic airport lounge accesses, which are provided every year. Enjoy up to 15% off dining bills at over 4,000 restaurants.
The annual fee of the card can be waived if you spend ₹2 Lakh or more in the previous year.
Quick Comparison
Now that we have understood both the cashback credit cards in detail, it’s time to understand the differences between the Axis Bank Ace Credit Card and HSBC Live+:
| Basis | HSBC Live+ | Axis Ace |
| Annual Fee | ₹999 + GST | First Year Free; Limited Time Offer ₹499 + GST From Second Year Onwards |
| Cashback | 10% Cashback on Dining, Grocery, & Food Delivery Spends.1.5% Unlimited Cashback on All Other Spends | 5% Cashback on Bill Payments and Mobile Recharges via Google Pay4% Cashback on Swiggy, Zomato, & Ola1.5% Unlimited Cashback on All Other Spends |
| Cashback Redemption | Cashback Will be Automatically Credited to the Card’s Statement Balance | Cashback Will be Automatically Credited to the Card’s Statement Balance |
| Welcome Benefits | ₹1,000 Cashback on Spending ₹20,000 in the First 30 Days | N/A |
| Dining Benefits | Up to 15% off on EazyDiner | Up to 15% off on Dining Bills at Restaurants Under the Axis Bank Dining Delights Program |
| Movie Benefits | Buy two and Get 1 Free Movie Tickets Through BookMyShow on Saturdays | N/A |
| Airport Lounge Access | 4 Complimentary Domestic Lounge Access per Year | 4 Complimentary Domestic Lounge Access per Year |
Bottom Line
Both the HSBC Cashback and Axis Bank Ace Credit Cards offer numerous benefits in addition to an impressive cashback rate. However, to make a decision between these two cards, one must consider all the benefits and features that are associated with them. The HSBC Live+ provides more benefits than the Ace Credit card. One can receive numerous welcome benefits, including a SonyLiv subscription and vouchers from Myntra, Amazon, Ajio, and Swiggy. Moreover, the card provides access to domestic and international lounges as a welcome benefit. Additionally, the HSBC Cashback card offers numerous monthly promotions from EazyDiner, Amazon, Blinkit, and many other partners.
On the other hand, the Ace Credit card by Axis Bank offers a competitive cashback rate, allowing users to earn cashback on popular platforms such as Swiggy, Zomato, and Ola. Additionally, the offer includes complimentary access to domestic lounges each year. Therefore, if you want a card that offers cashback on Swiggy and Zomato, as well as lounge access every year, then opt for the Axis Bank Ace Credit card. Otherwise, if you are looking for the features that the HSBC cashback card offers, then you should opt for it. The decision lies in your spending behavior and your expectations.