Credit Card Comparison: HDFC Millennia Vs. Flipkart Axis Vs. Amazon ICICI

When it comes to shopping, the most sought-after features are rewards and cashback. HDFC Millennia, Flipkart Axis and Amazon ICICI are some of the popular credit cards that offer maximum value back on credit card spends in certain categories. Among these, Amazon ICICI and Flipkart Axis stand out as co-branded cards that offer decent cashback specifically for their respective brands. Whereas, HDFC Millennia stands apart by providing benefits across a diverse range of brands and categories. Choosing between these credit cards might be difficult as all of them reward you with decent benefits on your online shopping. Thus, to make it simpler for you, we have done a detailed comparison of these credit cards so that you can choose which card fits your spending pattern the most and can help in earning maximum value back on your purchases:

Top Credit Cards in India | Which Credit Card Should You Get? | Check Eligibility for Top Cards

While all three cards come with decent benefits when compared to the annual fee that they charge, as highlighted in the above table. The actual value back one would receive on each transaction can be understood with the below table that showcases the percentage of cashback earned with different merchants on different categories.

Cashback Comparison: HDFC Millennia Vs. Flipkart Axis Vs. Amazon ICICI

*Amazon Partner merchants include brands like Yatra, BookMyShow, FreshMenu, Faasos, Byju’s, Urban Ladder, etc.

How HDFC Millennia is different from Flipkart Axis & Amazon ICICI?

HDFC Millennia Credit Card differentiates from both the cards due to its rewards structure. While Amazon ICICI and Flipkart Axis provide direct cashback on transactions, HDFC Millennia offers cashback in the form of CashPoints or reward points. These CashPoints can be redeemed for cashback against your statement balance or flight/ hotel bookings, products from the rewards catalogue and more. Overall, Flipkart Axis and Amazon ICICI work on a simple cashback structure, whereas HDFC Millennia comes with its own limitations related to CashPoints redemption.

Suggestion: Best Credit Cards for Shopping | Check Eligibility for Top Cards

Value-back Comparison

Let us understand how much you can save when using these cards for the below-mentioned spends on the specific merchants/categories, and considering you are an Amazon Prime member as well.

Note: The rewards rate for HDFC Millennia is considered at 1 CashPoint = Re. 1 against statement balance.

Which one is better for shopping?

All three credit cards offer decent benefits in respective areas, yet each card targets a different audience. Flipkart Axis Credit Card caters to frequent shoppers at Flipkart or Myntra, Amazon ICICI rewards Amazon Prime users for their transactions. In contrast, HDFC Millennia covers a wide range of top brands, allowing you to earn higher rewards on platforms like BookMyShow, Flipkart, Myntra, Swiggy, and more. If you are an Amazon loyalist, Amazon ICICI is a suitable option, especially if you are a Prime member. However, it would be more beneficial if the card comes with complimentary Amazon Prime Membership as higher benefits are offered only to Prime customers. So, Flipkart Axis is a better option than Amazon ICICI because of its higher base rate and 4% cashback on preferred merchants without any hidden terms.

When it comes to shopping at other brands like Flipkart, Myntra, Swiggy, Zomato and more, HDFC Millennia offers better cashback as compared to Flipkart Axis. HDFC Millennia offers 5% cashback on all these brands, while Flipkart Axis provides 5% cashback on Flipkart, 1.5% cashback on Myntra, and 4% cashback on other brands. However, Millennia does have a limitation as you can only earn a maximum of 1,000 CashPoints per month, whereas there is no maximum capping on monthly cashback offered by Flipkart Axis.

To summarize, based on cashback value, HDFC Millennia emerges as a rewards credit card for online shopping, whereas Amazon Pay ICICI and Flipkart Axis, being co-branded credit cards, offer better benefits on the collaborated brand.

Suggestion: Best Credit Cards for Online Shopping | Check Eligibility for Top Cards

Travel Benefits

When it comes to travel, HDFC Millennia and Flipkart Axis provide complimentary lounge access. The travel benefits offered by these cards are as follows:

• HDFC Millennia Credit Card: 8 complimentary domestic lounge access per calendar year (Max. 2 in a quarter)
• Flipkart Axis Credit Card: 4 complimentary domestic lounge visits every year

Not offering any travel benefits by Amazon ICICI is justified as it is an entry-level credit card with no joining and annual fee. However, when comparing the travel perks of the other two credit cards, HDFC Millennia would be a better choice for individuals who frequently travel across the country. On the other hand, combining the 4% cashback on travel brands like Cleartrip makes Flipkart Axis an attractive option for frequent travellers. Unfortunately, neither of these credit cards offers international lounge access, limiting these benefits to domestic travel only. Overall, both HDFC Millennia and Flipkart Axis justify their annual fees by providing a reasonable number of lounge access and other travel benefits.

Suggestion: Best Credit Cards for Lounge Access | Check Eligibility for Top Cards

Welcome Benefits

HDFC Millennia and Flipkart Axis both credit cards offer welcome benefits worth the joining fee as per the below details:

HDFC Millennia Credit Card: 1,000 CashPoints worth Rs. 1,000 (if redeemed against statement balance) after the payment of joining fee.

Flipkart Axis Bank Credit Card: The card offers welcome benefits through vouchers or cashback worth Rs. 1,100:

• Flipkart voucher worth Rs. 500 on making the first transaction
• 15% cashback up to Rs. 500 on the first transaction on Myntra
• 50% discount up to Rs. 100 on the first transaction for new Swiggy customers using code “AXISFKNEW“

Considering that Amazon Pay ICICI Credit Card is a lifetime free credit card, not offering any welcome benefit seems reasonable. However, when comparing with the other two credit cards, both cards make up for the joining fee by offering valuable welcome benefits. With HDFC Millennia, although you pay Rs. 1,000 for the joining fee, you receive welcome benefits worth Rs. 1,000, effectively balancing out the initial cost. On the other hand, Flipkart Axis goes beyond the joining fee with extensive welcome benefits. For an annual fee of Rs. 500, you get welcome benefits worth Rs. 1,100, which is more than twice the value of the joining fee.

Suggestion: Credit Cards with Best Welcome Benefits | Check Eligibility for Top Cards

Other Benefits

Other than shopping and travel, you can also avail benefits like free gift vouchers, dining discount and much more through these credit cards. Below mentioned are the additional benefits offered by these credit cards:

Based on the above comparison table, all the cards provide a similar fuel surcharge waiver. However, for dining purposes, both HDFC Millennia and Flipkart Axis stand out as better options. Not only do they offer an additional 5% discount compared to Amazon ICICI, but they also provide 5% cashback (HDFC Millennia) and 4% cashback (Flipkart Axis) on transactions made at Swiggy. When it comes to milestone benefits, HDFC Millennia offers additional rewards worth Rs. 1,000 on achieving a spending milestone of Rs. 1 Lakh in a quarter, roughly amounting to Rs. 33,000 per month. Achieving this milestone is quite feasible if you use your credit card for a significant portion of your expenses.

Which card should you choose?

The decision between HDFC Millennia, Amazon ICICI, and Flipkart Axis entirely depends on your spending habits and preferred choices. If you are an Amazon Prime member, opting for Amazon ICICI would be more beneficial as compared to the other two cards. However, when it comes to shopping, selecting HDFC Millennia can help you save more on your expenses due to its multi-brand discounts, especially if you are not loyal to a specific brand. While all the cards offer similar benefits, they significantly differ from each other on the following points:

• HDFC Millennia is a rewards credit card, providing you the flexibility to redeem your reward points not only for statement balance but also for flight or hotel bookings, as well as products from the rewards catalogue. However, it’s worth noting that the value of CashPoints reduces when redeemed for options other than cashback. On the other hand, Amazon ICICI and Flipkart Axis offer direct cashback without any hassle of earning and redeeming the reward points.
• HDFC Millennia stands out by offering a 5% cashback across multiple brands, while the other two cards limit their higher benefits exclusively to their collaborated brands. With Amazon ICICI and Flipkart Axis, you can enjoy a 5% cashback solely on their respective brands. Additionally, Flipkart Axis has a higher base rate compared to the other two credit cards, yet HDFC Millennia provides better rewards for online shopping.
• Amazon ICICI is a lifetime free credit card, whereas the other two cards charge an annual fee that is waived off on achieving the spending milestones. Flipkart Axis comes with a nominal fee of Rs. 500, while HDFC Millennia charges Rs. 1,000, making it a drawback compared to the benefits offered by the Flipkart Axis Credit Card, except for lounge access.

To summarize, the right credit card for you will depend on the following details:

Choose HDFC Millennia if:

• You frequently shop online from brands like Flipkart, Amazon, Myntra, etc.
• You prefer rewards instead of direct cashback
• You are ready to pay an annual fee of Rs. 1,000
• You are able to spend Rs. 1 Lakh annually

Choose Flipkart Axis if:

• You frequently shop at Flipkart
• You want to earn direct cashback instead of rewards
• You are new to credit cards & want to improve your credit score
• You are looking for an online shopping credit card

Choose Amazon ICICI if:

• You are an Amazon Prime member & want to earn cashback on Amazon spends
• You are looking for an entry-level credit card
• You frequently use Amazon Pay to make payments
• You are looking for a zero annual fee credit card