Let us look in details about the changes made in the two credit cards of the Axis Bank from June 20, 2025.
Axis Bank REWARDS Credit Card changes
There is no change to the spend categories excluded from Joining benefit calculation, earning rewards and spend based fee waiver calculation. “However, to simplify, such transactions will be identified based on the spend category (Utility & Telecom, Rent, Wallet, etc.) rather than the assigned 4-digit Merchant Category code,” according to Axis Bank.HDFC Bank revises lounge access policy for these credit card users effective from June 10, 2025
From the changes, it seems that Axis Bank will now use a simpler approach to decide which transactions don’t earn rewards or count toward fee waivers. It is expected that these changes will make easier for users to understand which transactions qualify for earning rewards and fee waiver on certain spending.
Earlier, the REWARDS Credit Card relied on 4-digit Merchant Category Codes (MCCs) to identify transactions excluded from reward earnings, fee waivers, and milestone benefits. Moving forward, the system will use spend categories (such as Utilities, Rent, or Wallet) for greater clarity. While the excluded categories themselves remain unchanged, this shift is designed to simplify tracking for cardholders.
The bank has said that it will exclude the transactions made on rent and wallet will be excluded to decide if the credit card holder is eligible for spend based fee waiver on the credit card.
A credit card holder will also not earn rewards on the following transactions:
Transactions made on Transportation & Tolls,
Utilities,
Insurance,
Educational Institutions,
Govt. Institutions,
Wallet,
Rent,
Fuel.
The following transactions will also be excluded for calculating milestone benefit calculation:
Insurance,
Wallet,
Rent
Cash Withdrawal.
REWARDS Credit Card will also have further changes from July 1, 2025 and October 1, 2025.
From July 1, 2025, credit card holders will get Swiggy offer twice a month on their credit card. From October 1, 2025, the bank will have a right to forfeit unredeemed EDGE REWARD points or EDGE Miles post 30 days of credit card closure or if minimum amount due on your credit card is outstanding for more than 90 days.
Flipkart Axis Bank Credit Card changes
From June 20, 2025, Flipkart Axis Bank Credit Card holders will get increased cashback of 7.5% from earlier cashback of 1% on Myntra purchases. However, credit card holder can maximum cashback of Rs 4,000 per statement in a quarter.
Further, a credit card holder will continue to earn 5% cashback on Flipkart and Cleartrip for maximum of Rs 4000 per statement in a quarter. The cashback you earn for purchases during any statement month will be credited within 3 days before your next statement is generated. So if your statement is dated the 15th, cashback will be credited by the 12th of each month.
The statement quarter will be defined on the basis of statement date of the credit card.
4 complimentary domestic airport lounge access will be discontinued from June 20, 2025 for the Flipkart Axis Bank Credit Card holders.
Similar to REWARDS Credit Card, there is no change to the spend categories excluded from earning rewards and spend based fee waiver calculation. However, to simplify, such transactions will now be identified based on the spend category (Utility & Telecom, Rent, Wallet load, etc.) rather than the assigned 4-digit Merchant Category Code (MCC).
Following transactions will be excluded from cashback:
Utility & Telecom,
Education,
Rent,
Wallet load,
Government services,
Insurance,
Gold & Jewellery,
Fuel,
Financial Institutions,
Cash advances and Repayments.
Further, rent payments and wallet load transactions will be excluded from spend based fee waiver calculation.
