The card I recommend most often as a second card
Axis ACE is lifetime free. It earns 2% on general spends — four times the entry-tier average of ~0.5%. It earns 5% on utility bills. And it earns 4% on dining and online shopping with no monthly cap.
The catch in the utility rate took me a read-through of the terms to find.
Verdict
Get this card if: You pay utility bills online via Google Pay, order food online, and want a no-fee card that earns more than 1% on everything. Excellent first card or cashback-stack companion.
Skip this card if: You pay utility bills directly through BBPS or your electricity board's website rather than Google Pay. The 5% requires the GPay routing specifically.
Raj's receipt
Raj, 23, IT professional. ₹25,000/month spend.
| Spend bucket | Monthly | Rate | Monthly cashback |
|---|---|---|---|
| Utility bills via Google Pay | ₹5,000 | 5% | ₹250 |
| OTT subscriptions | ₹1,000 | 5% | ₹50 |
| Dining (restaurants + Zomato) | ₹5,000 | 4% | ₹200 |
| Online shopping | ₹8,000 | 4% | ₹320 |
| General / offline | ₹6,000 | 2% | ₹120 |
| Total cashback | ₹940/month → ₹11,280/year |
Annual fee: ₹0 (lifetime free).
Effective rate on total spend: 3.76%. No entry-tier card in our catalogue comes close.
Versus the entry market
Entry-tier average: ₹0 fee (most are free), ~0.5% general-spend rate.
Axis ACE: ₹0 fee (matches), 2% base rate (4× the average), 4–5% on key categories. This card is an outlier in its tier — the rates are mid-tier, the fee is entry-tier.
Why isn't this card more discussed? Because it requires Google Pay for the utility 5% and because the 2% base rate doesn't make headlines the way "10X points" does — even when 10X on a 5-paisa base is 50 paisa, and ACE's 2% is ₹2 per ₹100.
Where it bites
The 5% utility rate requires Google Pay specifically. If you pay electricity, water, or broadband through BBPS, your state utility's website, or any other payment platform, the rate drops to 2%. Only Google Pay utility payments trigger the 5% accelerator. This is stated in the card terms and it matters if you're on a different bill-payment habit.
No lounge access. ACE is a pure cashback card. There are no lounge visits, no golf, no concierge. If airport lounges are a criterion, look elsewhere.
Myth → Truth: "2% on all other spends means 2% on rent and wallet top-ups." Rent payments via apps (RedGiraffe, NoBroker pay) and wallet loads are excluded from the accelerated rate and may attract no reward or a lower rate. Check the current T&C.
Comparable cards
- Amazon-heavy shopper → Amazon Pay ICICI: Lifetime free, 5% on Amazon for Prime members, 2% on Amazon for non-Prime — purpose-built for Amazon spend. Better if Amazon is your primary shopping channel; worse if you buy across platforms.
- Want a mid-tier step up → Axis Flipkart Credit Card: Lifetime free with higher earning potential on Flipkart ecosystem, same zero-fee philosophy. Consider this if Flipkart dominates your online shopping.
- Need lounge too → IDFC FIRST Wealth: Free premium card with lounge + golf + Priority Pass. Lower earn rate (0.63%) but the perk bundle compensates. Run both cards for best total value.
My take
The Axis ACE is the best uncapped cashback card at zero annual fee in India, for the specific profile it targets: someone who pays utility bills on Google Pay, orders food online, and wants every spend to earn meaningfully.
The "same sentence" test: ❌ "Axis ACE offers excellent rewards for everyday spenders." ✅ "Axis ACE earns ₹11,280/year on ₹25k/month spend at ₹0 annual fee — 3.76% effective return, four times the entry-tier average."
Bottom line: Get it as a first or second card. Pay your utility bills through Google Pay. Watch the cashback accumulate in your statement.
See if it fits your actual spending profile → Run your profile