An airline agnostic travel card for frequent flyers who want lounge access and flexible miles.
The Horizon credit card by Axis Bank is an intermediate level card made specifically for travelers, where the expenses incurred can earn airline miles and hotel points for the frequent flyer. This card was introduced following the buyout of the India cards portfolio by Axis Bank from Citibank and has replaced the previous Citi PremierMiles card. Placed right below the Axis Atlas, this card has an annual fee of Rs 3,000 plus GST and offers EDGE Miles that can be transferred to numerous airlines and hotels’ loyalty programs. Plus, it offers an extremely generous lounge allowance scheme for a card priced in this range.
The guide on Horizon Credit Card goes through all the features of this card, including the mileage calculation, transfer partners, fees, and everything else about this card post the changes made in the program on April 2026.
What the Horizon Credit Card Is Built For:
The Horizon credit card is considered an example of an “airline agnostic travel card” by the industry. Being a co-branded card means being attached to a particular airline, which makes the card unique since it allows earning a universal currency known as EDGE Miles that can be transferred to a chosen airline/hotel partner. This feature, combined with the small fee and access to many lounges, is the unique selling point of this card. It is suitable for people who spend medium to high amounts of money and enjoy redeeming points rather than receiving cash back.
Horizon Credit Card Features at a Glance:
Here is the quick snapshot before we get into the detail.
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| Card type | Airline-agnostic travel credit card |
| Joining fee | Rs 3,000 plus GST (Rs 3,540 total) |
| Annual fee | Rs 3,000 plus GST, no spend-based waiver |
| Reward currency | EDGE Miles |
| Accelerated earning | 5 EDGE Miles per Rs 100 on airline and Travel EDGE spends |
| Base earning | 2 EDGE Miles per Rs 100 on other eligible spends |
| Welcome benefit | 5,000 EDGE Miles on first spend of Rs 1,000 or more within 30 days |
| Renewal benefit | 1,500 EDGE Miles on each anniversary from year two |
| Redemption value | 1 EDGE Mile = Rs 1 on Travel EDGE, or 1:1 to partners |
| Variants | Visa Signature and Mastercard World |
| Forex markup | 3.5 percent |
| Age eligibility | 18 to 70 years, Indian resident |
Rewards and Where to Get the Acceleration:
The reward structure has two clear tiers. You earn the accelerated rate when you spend directly with airlines, which means bookings on airline-owned websites, at airline counters, or through airline helpline numbers, and when you book through the Axis Bank Travel EDGE portal. Every other eligible category earns the base rate. The card does not apply any monthly cap on the accelerated miles, which is a genuine advantage over cards that throttle bonus earning after a threshold.
| Spend category | Earn rate | Effective rate |
|---|---|---|
| Airline websites and Travel EDGE portal | 5 EDGE Miles / Rs 100 | 5 percent |
| All other eligible spends | 2 EDGE Miles / Rs 100 | 2 percent |
| Fuel, rent, utilities, insurance, wallet, tolls, education, government | No miles | 0 percent |
To get the acceleration, keep your flight bookings on the airline’s own channel or on Travel EDGE rather than on a third-party travel aggregator, because aggregator bookings often code to a category that earns only the base rate or nothing at all. The excluded categories are worth memorising, since fuel, utilities and telecom, rent, insurance, transportation and tolls, educational and government institutions, and wallet loads earn zero miles on the Horizon Credit Card.
One category stands out for what it does not exclude. Gold and jewellery spending is not on the Horizon Credit Card exclusion list, so they earn the base 2 EDGE Miles per Rs 100. This is a genuine edge over the pricier Axis Atlas, which removed gold and jewellery from earning entirely on 20 April 2024. If you buy jewellery for weddings or festivals, this card turns those large tickets into miles while its own more expensive sibling gives you nothing on the same spend, which makes it a quiet but strong selling point for Indian buyers.
Where You Can Transfer Your Points:
EDGE Miles earned on this card are worth Rs 1 each when you redeem them for flights and hotels on the Travel EDGE portal, or you can transfer them at a 1:1 ratio to airline and hotel loyalty programs. The transfer route is where the real value sits, because a mile moved into the right airline program can be worth well above Re 1 on a premium cabin booking. The card carries the same premium partner list found on Axis Bank’s top tier cards like Magnus and Reserve, which is a strong point for a card at this fee.
Strong airline options that continue to hold their value include the following.
- Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer, good for business and first class awards.
- Air Canada Aeroplan has a wide partner network and stopover options.
- Japan Airlines Mileage Bank, strong for Oneworld premium cabin value.
- Air India Maharaja Club, the most versatile choice for domestic routes.
- Flying Blue, Etihad Guest, Turkish Miles and Smiles, and United MileagePlus for wider reach.
Group A and Group B of the Axis Explained:
Group A consists of all international airlines, as well as the few left premium hotel partners. These partners receive a lower cap compared to the second group, which is Group B. Both groups have different annual transfer caps, which also change each calendar year. It means that the customers need to meet a specific annual transfer cap for each airline in either group A or group B. If there are several cards belonging to the customer, the annual cap for the highest card will apply.
| Group A partners (tighter cap) | Group B partners (higher cap) |
|---|---|
| Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer | Air India Maharaja Club |
| Air Canada Aeroplan, Japan Airlines | Flying Blue, Qantas, AirAsia |
| Etihad Guest, Turkish, United | IHG One Rewards, ITC Hotels |
| Wyndham Rewards (only hotel left in A) | SpiceJet, IndiGo BluChip |
| British Airways, Finnair, Vietnam (weaker ratios) | Radisson Rewards, Orchid Rewards |
The annual transfer cap for the Horizon Credit Card is set at 5,00,000 EDGE Miles in total for each calendar year. The maximum number of miles that can be transferred to Group A partners is 1,00,000 EDGE Miles, while 4,00,000 EDGE Miles can be transferred to Group B partners. That is more than what is allowed by the Atlas card. Thus, people who are transferring miles can benefit from using the cheap card. It should be mentioned that British Airways, Finnair Plus, and Vietnam Airlines, which belong to Group A, transfer their miles at a 2:1 ratio instead of a normal 1:1.
When Axis Stopped the Accor Transfer:
Axis Bank discontinued the program of the three major travel partners – Accor Live Limitless, Marriott Bonvoy, and Qatar Airways Privilege Club on 2 April 2026 without any warning. These three partners became important due to the near fixed rate of about Rs 2 per point through hotel stays, and Accor served as the benchmark for measuring the rewards for the Indian points community.
According to industry coverage, the fall in rupee’s worth and the amount of point purchases made it impossible for the bank to continue such partnerships. Instead of these three programs, Axis Bank introduced British Airways, Finnair, and Vietnam Airlines, but at a lower ratio. Points already accrued in an Accor account will remain untouched.
Overall Return You Can Expect:
On paper, the Horizon Credit Card returns about 5 per cent on airline and Travel EDGE spends and about 2 per cent on general spending, valuing each mile at Re 1. If you transfer miles into the right airline program and book premium cabins, the effective value per mile can climb above Re 1, which pushes the real return higher on travel spends.
After the April 2026 changes, the easy hotel value through Accor is gone, so today the reliable high-value route is airline transfers to programs like KrisFlyer, Aeroplan, and JAL. For someone who mostly earns the base rate on everyday spending, the return is a modest 2 per cent, which is why this card rewards travel-heavy usage rather than broad daily spending.
Lounge Access and Who Can Use It:
Lounge access is where this card genuinely leads its price segment. The Visa Signature variant gives more domestic visits than the Mastercard World variant. International lounge access is available on both. Only the primary cardholder can use the complimentary visits, so add on cardholders are not covered by the free quota.
| Lounge type | Visa Signature | Mastercard World |
|---|---|---|
| Domestic per quarter | 8 visits | 6 visits |
| Domestic per year | Up to 32 visits | Up to 24 visits |
| International per quarter | 2 visits | 2 visits |
| International per year | Up to 8 visits | Up to 8 visits |
| Guests covered | No, primary cardholder only | No, primary cardholder only |
At entry you swipe the card for a small authorisation, Rs 2 on Visa and Rs 25 on Mastercard for domestic lounges, and roughly USD 1 for international lounges. This amount is refunded after the visit is authorised, so it is not a real cost.
No Spend Condition on Lounge Access:
This is a real advantage that most cards in this segment cannot match. A large number of Axis Bank cards, including popular ones like the ACE, Flipkart, Select, Privilege, and even the premium Magnus, unlock domestic lounge access only after you spend Rs 50,000 in the previous three calendar months. The Horizon Credit Card is exempt from that spend gate. Both its domestic and international lounge visits are available with no prior spend requirement at all, so you only tap the card for the small refundable authorisation at entry.
For someone who spends modestly but still flies often, that means the lounge access is usable from day one rather than locked behind a quarterly spend target. It places the Horizon Credit Card in the same no spend gate group as the far pricier Atlas, Reserve, and Burgundy Private cards, which is rare at a Rs 3,000 fee.
Visa Signature Benefits on This Card:
The Visa Signature variant of the Horizon Credit Card carries two layers of value. The first is card-specific: the Visa Signature version gives eight complimentary domestic lounge visits per quarter against six on the Mastercard World version, so it is the better pick for domestic flyers. The second layer is the network-level Visa Signature privileges that ride along with the tier.
- Access to the Visa Luxury Hotel Collection with room upgrades and late checkout where available.
- A 24-hour Visa concierge for travel, dining, and booking assistance.
- Select golf program access at partner courses.
- Purchase protection, extended warranty, and travel-related coverage as offered under the Visa Signature tier.
Exact network benefits can change, so it is worth confirming the current Visa Signature guide before you rely on any single perk.
Forex Markup and Late Fee Charges:
The foreign currency markup on the Horizon Credit Card is 3.5 per cent on international transactions, which is standard for a card in this class but higher than a true zero forex travel card. Late payment charges follow the standard Axis Bank slab, which is tied to your total amount due, and every late fee also attracts 18 per cent GST on top. The slab below is the one that applies to this card.
| Total amount due | Late payment fee |
|---|---|
| Less than Rs 500 | Nil |
| Rs 500 to Rs 5,000 | Rs 500 |
| Rs 5,001 to Rs 10,000 | Rs 750 |
| Rs 10,001 to Rs 25,000 | Rs 900 |
| Rs 25,001 to Rs 50,000 | Rs 1,100 |
| More than Rs 50,000 | Rs 1,300 |
As an example, an unpaid balance of Rs 9,774 falls in the Rs 5,001 to Rs 10,000 band and draws a Rs 750 late fee before GST. A further penalty of Rs 100 applies if you miss the minimum amount due for two consecutive billing cycles.
| Other charge | Amount |
|---|---|
| Fuel surcharge waiver | 1 per cent on Rs 400 to Rs 5,000, capped at Rs 400 a month |
| Cash advance fee | 2.5 per cent of the amount, minimum Rs 500 |
| Over-limit charge | 2.5 per cent of the over-limit amount, minimum Rs 500 |
| Dining discount | 15 per cent up to Rs 500 via EazyDiner on Rs 2,500 orders, once a month |
| Lost card liability cover | Up to Rs 10 lakh |
Eligibility Criteria of Horizon Credit Card
The eligibility bar for the Horizon Credit Card is straightforward. The bank then judges your application on income, credit score, and credit history, and these indicative criteria can change from time to time.
- Age between 18 and 70 years for the primary cardholder.
- Indian resident.
- A healthy credit score and clean repayment history improve approval odds.
- Add-on cards are available at no extra fee.
How the Horizon Credit Card Compares With Other Cards:
With new Atlas applications paused, the Horizon Credit Card has become the default mid-tier travel card for new applicants. Here is how it lines up against the cards it is most often weighed against.
| Feature | Horizon | Atlas | SBI Miles Elite | HSBC TravelOne |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annual fee | Rs 3,000 | Rs 5,000 | Rs 4,999 | Rs 4,999 |
| Travel earn | 5 / Rs 100 | 5 / Rs 100 | 6 / Rs 100 | 3 / Rs 100 |
| Transfer ratio | 1:1 | 1:2 | 1:1 | 1:1 |
| Annual transfer cap | 5,00,000 | 1,50,000 | Varies | Varies |
| Domestic lounge | Up to 32 / yr | Fewer | Fewer | Fewer |
| Intl lounge | Up to 8 / yr | Tiered | Yes | Yes |
| Gold/jewellery | Earns 2x | Excluded | Varies | Varies |
| Lounge spend gate | None | None | Varies | Varies |
| Fee waiver | None | None | Yes on spend | Yes on spend |
| Accor transfer | No | No | Yes, 2:1 | Yes, 1:1 |
The takeaway is simple. If you value lounge access and a high transfer ceiling at a low fee, the Horizon Credit Card wins. If you want double the miles per rupee and can absorb a higher fee, Atlas still edges ahead on pure redemption value for existing holders. If hotel value through Accor is your priority, HSBC TravelOne is now the card to hold, since it kept the Accor route.
Trivia You Probably Did Not Know:
- This is the immediate successor of Citi PremierMiles, following the acquisition of Citibank’s India credit card portfolio by Axis Bank.
- Although a bit less expensive compared to the Atlas card, it comes with a much higher yearly transfer cap of 5,00,000 miles compared to 1,50,000 miles on the Atlas.
- It offers the same elite partners as the super-premium Magnus and Reserve cards.
- During Axis’ fee revision in December 2024, it was one of the rare exceptions to be spared the Rs 99 EDGE Miles redemption fee and the Rs 199 partner transfer fee applicable to other Axis retail cards.
- Gold and jewellery purchases earn the basic 2 EDGE Miles per Rs 100 as they are not on the exclusion list. This is rather surprising considering that Atlas discontinued earning on gold and jewellery purchases as early as April 2024.
- There is no Rs 50,000 quarterly spend requirement for accessing domestic lounges through the card.
- The EDGE Miles will usually be valid for about 3 years, unlike the Citi PremierMiles points that never expire.
Our Rating Out of Five:
After weighing up the pros and cons of this card, including the relatively cheap membership fee and exceptional lounge access, alongside the lack of an Accor route and 1:1 transfer rate, along with no fee waiver or mileage milestone, the Horizon Credit Card is still a strong performer, receiving a 4/5 rating. This is an excellent card in its price range despite recent alterations to its redemption story.
| Category | Score | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Rewards earning | 4 / 5 | Strong 5x on travel, no cap |
| Lounge access | 5 / 5 | Best in class for the fee |
| Redemption value | 3 / 5 | 1:1 only, hotel value weakened |
| Fees and charges | 3.5 / 5 | Low fee, but no waiver |
| Overall | 4 / 5 | Great value mid-tier travel card |
Final Verdict on Horizon Credit Card
If you fly often, want heavy domestic lounge access with no spend gate, and like the freedom to move miles to many airlines without paying a premium fee, the Horizon Credit Card is an easy card to recommend. Two quiet advantages sweeten the deal: lounge access works from day one with no Rs 50,000 quarterly spend condition, and gold and jewellery spends still earn base miles where the pricier Atlas gives you nothing.
Just go in clear-eyed about what changed in April 2026: the hotel transfer value is thinner, the new Group A partners are poor value on this card, and there is no way to waive the annual fee through spending. Match your travel patterns to the partners that still hold value, redeem your miles before they age out, and this card pays for itself several times over on lounge access alone.
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