AXIS Atlas vs HDFC Regalia Gold vs AXIS Horizon

helloworld · May 11, 2024

This is a wiki post, so anyone with appropriate permissions can edit and make necessary changes.

General Note:

Redemption calculations are assumptions for illustrative purposes and may vary. Please confirm specific terms directly with card issuers.

Terminology:

EM: Edge Miles (Axis Rewards)
RP: Reward Points (HDFC Rewards)
FYF: First Year Free
JF: Joining Fee
LTF: Lifetime Free
AF: Annual Fee
BV: Brand Vouchers (e.g., Regalia Gold Milestone Benefit)
SFV: SmartBuy Flight Voucher (e.g., Regalia Gold Milestone Benefit)
3Q/5Q: Quarters (for Regalia Gold milestones)
TE: Travel Edge (Axis Travel Booking Platform)
MP: Mile Point (Axis Redemption Value for EM)

Joining Fee and Benefits:

Category	Atlas	Horizon	Regalia Gold
Joining Fee	₹5900	₹3540	₹2950 (or FYF/LTF)
Welcome Benefit	2.5K EM	5K EM	₹2500 Voucher (if fee paid)
Annual Fee	₹5900	₹3540	₹2950 (or waived >₹4L spends)
Renewal Benefit	Up to 5K EM (Tier based) 0 (Silver Tier) 2.5K EM (Gold Tier) 5K EM (Platinum Tier)	1.5K EM	None (but waived for >₹4L)

Spend Rewards:

Category	Atlas	Horizon	Regalia Gold
Travel (Airlines, Hotels and Travel EDGE)	5 EM/₹100	5 EM/₹100	4 RP/₹150 (higher via SmartBuy)
Marks & Spencer, Myntra, Reliance Digital, Nykaa!	2 EM/₹100	2 EM/₹100	20 RP/₹150
General	2 EM/₹100	2 EM/₹100	4 RP/₹150

Milestone Benefits:

Category	Atlas	Horizon	Regalia Gold
1.5L Spends/Year	-	-	₹1500 BV (1Q)
3L Spends/Year	2.5K EM	-	-
5L Spends/Year	-	-	₹4500 BV (3Q) + ₹5000 SFV = ₹9500
7.5L Spends/Year	5K EM (Gold Tier)	-	₹ 7500 BV (5Q) + ₹ 5000 SFV = ₹12.5K
15L Spends/Year	10K EM (Platinum Tier)	-	-

Redemption Options:

Domestic Options	Atlas	Horizon	Regalia Gold
TravelEdge/SmartBuy	1 EM = ₹1	1 EM = ₹1	1 RP = ₹0.50p
Accor, Marriott, Wyndham (Gr. A)	2 EM = 1 MP (Marriott) 1 EM = 2 MP (Others) Group A: 30K EM Limit/Year Group B: 1.2L EM Limit/Year	1 EM = 1 MP Group A: 1L EM Limit/Year Group B: 4L EM Limit/Year	1 RP = up to 0.5 MP (Accor, Wyndham)
Vistara, ITC, IHG (Gr. B)	1 EM = 2 MP	1 EM = 1 MP	1 RP = upto 0.5 MP (IHG)
Products/Vouchers	1 EM = ₹0.20p	1 EM = ₹0.20p	1 RP = upto ₹ 0.35p Gold Catelogue: 1 RP = 0.65p
Statement Credit	-	-	1 RP = ₹0.20p

Lounge Access:

Location	Atlas	Horizon	Regalia Gold
Domestic	8 (Silver), 12 (Gold), 18 (Platinum)	32 visits (VISA), 24 visits (MC)	12 visits
International	4 (Silver), 6 (Gold), 12 (Platinum)	8 visits	6 visits

Exclusions:

Atlas: Jewlry, Rent, Govt., Insurance, Fuel, Utilities, Wallet
Horizon: Rent, Govt., Insurance, Fuel, Utilities, Wallet, Education, Transportation & Toll
Regalia Gold: Rent, Govt., Wallet

Net Return:

Ranges in percentage (e.g., 5.4% to -4.2%) explain best-to-worst-case returns:

This range in the rewards table represents the possible return on your spending after factoring in joining fees, and milestone bonuses for specific spending levels.
- Left Value (e.g., 5.4%)
  - This is the maximum reward rate achievable through optimal usage, like earning on Travel Edge purchases and redeeming at a high value (e.g., 1 mile = 2 INR). This rate takes effort but can be reached with strategic spending.
- Right Value (e.g., -4.2%)
  - This represents the minimum achievable rate through regular spending and basic redemption (e.g., 1 mile = 1 INR). This is straightforward and attainable for all cardholders.
So, for any given spending amount, you can expect a reward rate between these two values. The lower end is your minimum return, while the upper end is achievable with careful planning.

= Spend Rewards + Milestone Benefits + Welcome Benefits - Fee / Spends

Category	Atlas (1 EM = ₹2 to ₹1)	Horizon (1 EM = ₹1)	Regalia Gold (1 RP = ₹0.50p)
1.5L Spends/Year	10K EM to 5.5K EM - 5.9K Fee (JF) = 9.4% to -0.27%	12.5K to 8K EM - 3540 Fee (JF) = 5.97% to 2.97%	20K RP to 4K RP - 450 Fee (JF) = 7.36% to 2.03%
3L Spends/Year	20K EM to 11K EM - 5.9K Fee (JF) = 11.36% to 1.7%	20K to 11K - 3540 Fee (JF) = 5.48% to 2.48%	40K RP to 8K RP - 450 Fee (JF) = 7.01% to 1.68%
5L Spends/Year	30K EM to 15K EM - 5.9K Fee (JF) = 10.82% to 1.82%	30K to 15K - 3540 Fee (JF) = 5.29% to 2.29%	66.67K RP to 13.33K RP - 450 Fee (JF) = 8.47% to 3.14%
7.5L Spends/Year	45K EM to 22.5K EM - 5.9K Fee (JF) = 11.21% to 2.21%	-	1L RP to 20K RP - 450 Fee (JF) = 8.27% to 2.94%
15L Spends/Year	87.5K EM to 42.5K EM - 5.9K Fee (JF) = 11.27% to 2.44%	-	-

1.5L Spends in a year	10K EM to 5.5K EM - 11.8K Fee (JF+AF) = 5.4% to -4.2%	14K to 9.5K EM - 7080 Fee (JF+AF) = 4.61% to 1.61%	20K RP to 4K RP - 3.4K Fee (JF+AF) = 7.23% to 0.06%
3L Spends in a year	20K EM to 11K EM - 11.8K Fee (JF+AF) = 9% to -0.25%	21.5K to 12.5K - 7080 Fee (JF+AF) = 4.8% to 1.8%	-
5L Spends in a year	30K EM to 15K EM - 11.8K Fee (JF+AF) = 9.64% to 0.64%	31.5K to 16.5K - 7080 Fee (JF+AF) = 4.88% to 1.88%	66.67K RP to 13.33K RP - 3.4K Fee (JF+AF) = 9.8% to 2.54%
7.5L Spends in a year	47.5K EM to 25K EM - 11.8K Fee (JF+AF) = 10.92% to 1.73%	-	1L RP to 20K RP - 3.4K Fee (JF+AF) = 9.83% to 2.53%
15L Spends in a year	92.5K EM to 47.5K EM - 11.8K Fee (JF+AF) = 11.45% to 2.36%	-	-

Recommendations:

Horizon: Best for generic spends, especially below ₹3L annually.
Atlas: Optimal for heavy spenders redeeming through 1:2 MP for travel/hotel partnerships.
Regalia Gold: Balanced choice for spending up to ₹7.5L with milestone benefits. Redemptions available for non-travel too.

ujjwal2024 · Sep 12, 2024

sourpai said:
What is 0.5 multiplier for HDFC?
It is 5000/150*5*5 = 825 points redeemable for 1:1 on flights and hotels (For Infinia, DCB, DCB metal only)
But for Regalia Gold, 825 points redeemable for 1:0.5 = 412 on flights and hotels

For Atlas, it is
5000/100*5 = 250 points transferable to Airmiles at 1:2 = 500 Airmiles / Accor points

it is not 0.5 multiplier...it is 5X multiplier...
again to repharse the calculation...
infinia, DCB, DCB metal gives 5 point per rs 150 they have 1:1 airmiles transfer ratio
Regalia gives 4 point per rs 150 regalia gold have 2:1 airmiles transfer ratio (means 2 regalia point = 1 airmie)
Atlas gives 5 point per Rs. 100 and it have generous 1:2 airmile transfer ration (means 1 atlas point - 2 airmile)
for Rs. 5000 expenditure on hotel or flight booking on smartbuy/ traveledge
Infinia DCB will give 5/150*5*5000 =825 point = 825 airmile
Regalia gold will give 4/150*5*5000 = 660 point = 330 airmile
Atlas will give 5/100*5000 = 250 point = 500 airmile

Hope it is clear now...

sourpai · Sep 12, 2024

ujjwal2024 said:
it is not 0.5 multiplier...it is 5X multiplier...
again to repharse the calculation...
infinia, DCB, DCB metal gives 5 point per rs 150 they have 1:1 airmiles transfer ratio
Regalia gives 4 point per rs 150 regalia gold have 2:1 airmiles transfer ratio (means 2 regalia point = 1 airmie)
Atlas gives 5 point per Rs. 100 and it have generous 1:2 airmile transfer ration (means 1 atlas point - 2 airmile)
for Rs. 5000 expenditure on hotel or flight booking on smartbuy/ traveledge
Infinia DCB will give 5/150*5*5000 =825 point = 825 airmile
Regalia gold will give 4/150*5*500 = 660 point = 330 airmile
Atlas will give 5/100*5000 = 250 point = 500 airmile

Hope it is clear now...

Yeah... you are right about regalia gold. Corrected my post now

liza10o · Oct 6, 2024

How does the air mile transfer on atlas work?

First i go on partner website , for eg, air india, create an account, then on travel edge, i link member using air india member, then i transfer my points to the partner, how much time does this take?

I read somewhere that for a flight costing 5k, i would be requiring different no. Of airmiles on different partners like airasia, spicejet,etc. how do i check that?

And how is this practical given the flight prices are volatile, suppose today i compare prices between all partners and transfer miles to the cheapest partner, but when the points actually gets transferred, some other partner is cheaper, so how do you guys manage that?

helloworld · Oct 22, 2024

liza10o said:
How does the air mile transfer on atlas work?

First i go on partner website , for eg, air india, create an account, then on travel edge, i link member using air india member, then i transfer my points to the partner, how much time does this take?

- https://www.technofino.in/community...xis-edge-to-transfer-partners-timeline.11140/

liza10o said:
I read somewhere that for a flight costing 5k, i would be requiring different no. Of airmiles on different partners like airasia, spicejet,etc. how do i check that?

- https://www.technofino.in/community...-for-india-domestic-flights.32895/post-818853

liza10o said:
And how is this practical given the flight prices are volatile, suppose today i compare prices between all partners and transfer miles to the cheapest partner, but when the points actually gets transferred, some other partner is cheaper, so how do you guys manage that?

consider the price / points at the time of your booking, anything you get later whether up/down not in your hands. you book based on the price and stick to it.

vinit04 · Oct 31, 2024

BVC said:
@helloworld Good thread.

Even though it’s a Wiki Post, I suggest you to add Fuel Surcharge Waiver option, as Waiver is not applicable for Regalia Gold.

Will fuel spen on regalia gold be consider for milestone benefit?

Indrajeet100 · Oct 31, 2024

vinit04 said:
Will fuel spen on regalia gold be consider for milestone benefit?

Yes it counts towards milestone. Even government payment like taxes not getting any rewards count for milestone.

helloworld · Oct 31, 2024

vinit04 said:
Will fuel spen on regalia gold be consider for milestone benefit?

Yes, no restrictions except EMI or cashwithdrawls etc. default exclusion categories, rest all included.

So far, only AXIS / YES implemented this limitation of categories in milestone, other banks didn't followed yet.

PaneerButterMasala · Nov 1, 2024

Possible to add DCB/Infinia into the list @helloworld?

helloworld · Nov 1, 2024

PaneerButterMasala said:
Possible to add DCB/Infinia into the list @helloworld?

those are different price segments and not related to these cards, IMO. + its simple straight forward reward structure. 3.33% regular and smartbuy 16%, no milestones etc. for Infinia.

DCB has quarterly milestone and that requires 4L spends, which is high for most. Anycase, both are 10k+ cards, will compare them with Emeralde private and similar cards. Tq

PaneerButterMasala · Nov 1, 2024

helloworld said:
those are different price segments and not related to these cards, IMO. + its simple straight forward reward structure. 3.33% regular and smartbuy 16%, no milestones etc. for Infinia.

DCB has quarterly milestone and that requires 4L spends, which is high for most. Anycase, both are 10k+ cards, will compare them with Emeralde private and similar cards. Tq

That would be awesome!

hedgehog2122 · Nov 15, 2024

vinit04 said:
Will fuel spen on regalia gold be consider for milestone benefit?

Yes and even I get fuel surcharge waiver get credited back to account

blaze · Nov 17, 2024

helloworld said:
This is a wiki post, so anyone with appropriate permissions can edit and make required changes.

Redemption calculations are complicated, so take it for assumption purpose only.

CATEGORY ATLAS HORIZON REGALIA GOLD
Joining Fee ₹ 5900 ₹ 3540 ₹ 2950 (or FYF/LTF)
Welcome Benefit 2.5K EDGE Miles (EM)^ 5K EM 2500 Voucher if Fee Paid
(Net: -₹ 450)
Annual Fee ₹ 5900 ₹ 3540 ₹ 2950 (or LTF)
waived if >₹ 4L Spends
Renewal Benefit Upto 15K EM (Based on Milestone)* 1.5K EM 0 (Net: -₹2950 if not spent >₹4L)
Exclusions Jewlry, Rent, Govt., Insurance, Fuel, Utilities, Wallet Utility, Insurance, Education, Govt. Spends, Wallet, Rent, Fuel, Transportation & Toll Rent, Govt., Wallet
Travel (Airlines, Hotels and Travel EDGE) 5 EM/100
(2 EM/100 if spends >2L/pm) 5 EM/100 4 RP/150 (1x)
(5x for Flights/BUS/MMT,
10x for Hotels,
3x for Trains) through smartbuy
Marks & Spencer, Myntra, Reliance Digital, Nykaa! 2 EM/100 2 EM/100 20 RP/150
Other Spends 2 EM/100 2 EM/100 4 RP/150
Yearly Benefit: * Annual + Milestone EM - Quarterly + Milestone RP/Brand vouchers
(Myntra, Reliance Digital, Marriott etc.)/Smartbuy flight voucher
1.5L Spends in a year - - ₹ 1500 BV (If spend in a quarter)
3L Spends in a year 0 EM + 2.5K EM = 2.5K EM - -
5L Spends in a year - - ₹ 4500 (3Q) + ₹ 5000 SFV = ₹ 9500
7.5L Spends in a year 2.5K EM + 2.5K (3L) + 2.5K EM = 7.5 EM (Gold) - ₹ 7500 (5Q) + ₹ 5000 SFV = ₹ 12.5K
15L Spends in a year 5K EM + 2.5K (3L) + 2.5K (7.5L) + 5K EM = 15K EM (Platinum) - -
Redemption (Domestic Options): Group A: 30K EM Limit/Year
Group B: 1.2L EM Limit/Year Group A: 1L EM Limit/Year
Group B: 4L EM Limit/Year Gold Catelogue: 1 RP = 0.65p
Travel EDGE (TE) / Smartbuy (SV) 1 EM = ₹ 1 1 EM = ₹ 1 1 RP = ₹ 0.50p
Accor, Marriott, Wyndham (Gr. A) 1 EM = 2 Miles/Points (MP) except Marriott
2 EM = 1 MP for Marriott 1 EM = 1 MP 1 RP = upto 0.5 MP (Accor, Wyndham)
Vistara, ITC, IHG (Gr. B) 1 EM = 2 MP 1 EM = 1 MP 1 RP = upto 0.5 MP (IHG)
Products/Vouchers - 1 EM = upto ₹ 0.30p 1 RP = upto ₹ 0.35p
Statement Balance - - 1 RP = ₹ 0.20p
Lounge Upto 18 Domestic, 12 International (based on Tier) Upto 32 Domestic, 8 International 12 Domestic, 6 International (Direct benefit)
Net Return:

1 EM = ₹ 1
1 MP = ₹ 1 High reward 5M & MP to low reward 2 EM & TE
Ex: Spent entirely on Travel EDGE to earn 5M/100 and redemption to 1:2 Miles/Hotel partner (high reward case)
Or Spent entirely offline at 2M/100 and redemption through Travel EDGE 1:1 (low reward case) High reward 5M & MP to low reward 2 EM & TE
Ex: Spent entirely on Travel EDGE to earn 5M/100 and redemption to 1:1 Miles/Hotel partner (high reward case)
Or Spent entirely offline at 2M/100 and redemption through Travel EDGE 1:1 (low reward case) High reward 20 RP & Gold Catelogue to Low reward 4 RP & Direct Flight/Hotel booking (and spends ₹ 1.5L in a quarter)
1.5L Spends in a year 10K EM to 5.5K EM - 11.8K Fee (JF+AF)
= 5.4% to -4.2% 14K to 9.5K EM - 7080 Fee (JF+AF)
= 4.61% to 1.61% 20K RP to 4K RP - 3.4K Fee (JF+AF)
= 7.23% to 0.06%
3L Spends in a year 20K EM to 11K EM - 11.8K Fee (JF+AF)
= 9% to -0.25% 21.5K to 12.5K - 7080 Fee (JF+AF)
= 4.8% to 1.8% -
5L Spends in a year 30K EM to 15K EM - 11.8K Fee (JF+AF)
= 9.64% to 0.64% 31.5K to 16.5K - 7080 Fee (JF+AF)
= 4.88% to 1.88% 66.67K RP to 13.33K RP - 3.4K Fee (JF+AF)
= 9.8% to 2.54%
7.5L Spends in a year 47.5K EM to 25K EM - 11.8K Fee (JF+AF)
= 10.92% to 1.73% - 1L RP to 20K RP - 3.4K Fee (JF+AF)
= 9.83% to 2.53%
15L Spends in a year 92.5K EM to 47.5K EM - 11.8K Fee (JF+AF)
= 11.45% to 2.36% - -

Note: Above returns assumed:

Spends took 2 years (so calculated both JF and AF)

Based on above table below are the recommendations:

Horizon: For generic spends, preferred card for upto 3L annual spends.

Atlas: Best if redemption through 1:2, otherwise stick to Horizon upto 3L annual spends, 1:1 not recommended unless >7.5L annual spends.

Regalia: Best for generic spends, upto 7.5L annual spends.

It seems no mention about fuel surcharge waiver in HDFC Regalia Gold. So, double check before using card but milestone benefits applicable on fuel spends too.

^ 2500 EDGE Miles shall be credited to cardholders’ EDGE Miles account upon successful completion of 1 transaction on the card within 37 days from the date of card issuance Note: This will be applicable for all cards sourced from 20th April 2024 onwards.

Here’s a quick rundown for those confused (better understanding do refer the table again):

(e.g., 5.4% to -4.2%)
This range in the rewards table represents the possible return on your spending after factoring in joining fees, renewal perks, and milestone bonuses for specific spending levels.

Left Value (e.g., 5.4%)

This is the maximum reward rate achievable through optimal usage, like earning on Travel Edge purchases and redeeming at a high value (e.g., 1 mile = 2 INR). This rate takes effort but can be reached with strategic spending.

Right Value (e.g., -4.2%)

This represents the minimum achievable rate through regular spending and basic redemption (e.g., 1 mile = 1 INR). This is straightforward and attainable for all cardholders.

So, for any given spending amount, you can expect a reward rate between these two values. The lower end is your minimum return, while the upper end is achievable with careful planning.

You are calculating joining fee and annual fee in the same year, thats not how it works.

Also whats 5M? Can we convert to some consistent naming and a list in the begining explaining what each param means

helloworld · Nov 17, 2024

blaze said:
You are calculating joining fee and annual fee in the same year, thats not how it works.

helloworld said:
Note: Above returns assumed:

Spends took 2 years (so calculated both JF and AF)

If you can redeem in same year before renewal do remove renewal fee (along renewal benefits). But most of us redeem in next year after renewal (by paying fee and taking renewal benefits), so included that.

90% of the time its the case, usually for any card. Unless we spend heavily in that year itself.

blaze said:
Also whats 5M? Can we convert to some consistent naming and a list in the begining explaining what each param means

Added terminology.

blaze · Nov 17, 2024

helloworld said:
added terminology for easier understanding.

Apologies, I feel I was a bit rude above.

Btw fantastic work with the comparison.

blaze · Nov 17, 2024

helloworld said:
Also, assuming same year doesn't work effectively, only renewal provide better insights for reward cards.

Two sections one for renewal and one for first year.

helloworld · Nov 17, 2024

The content has been reformatted for clarity and ease of reference. Previously, all details were presented in a single, large table, it has now been split into multiple categorized tables (e.g., fees, rewards, milestones). Also, removed renewal benefits and fee from net return calculations and adjusted with re-calculations.

helloworld · Nov 17, 2024

@drsel or anyone who has multi-year experience with Atlas, could you clarify below point:

So, if we take below example.. what would be this person Tier?

2024: Silver (new Atlas holder) and spent 5L in that year.
2025: Is it no Tier?

So, basically Atlas has only two tiers (after recent devaluation), which is either Gold or Platinum?

drsel · Nov 17, 2024

helloworld said:
@drsel or anyone who has multi-year experience with Atlas, could you clarify below point:

View attachment 75030

So, if we take below example.. what would be this person Tier?

2024: Silver (new Atlas holder) and spent 5L in that year.
2025: Is it no Tier?

So, basically Atlas has only two tiers (after recent devaluation), which is either Gold or Platinum?

He will remain in silver tier, for spends below 7.49 lacs.
Always going to be three tiers, silver being the base, you can't go below that

helloworld · Nov 17, 2024

drsel said:
He will remain in silver tier, for spends below 7.49 lacs.
Always going to be three tiers, silver being the base, you can't go below that

but as per confirmation (multiple times), it seems there is no silver for 2nd year onwards. Only Gold or Platinum. Silver is for only Gold downgrade.

Same mentioned in above screenshot as '-' instead 'Silver' like Gold downgrade.

thanks for the update, will update.

drsel · Nov 17, 2024

helloworld said:
but as per confirmation (multiple times), it seems there is no silver for 2nd year onwards. Only Gold or Platinum. Silver is for only Gold downgrade.

Same mentioned in above screenshot as '-' instead 'Silver' like Gold downgrade.

thanks for the update, will update.

Because you cannot get downgraded from the lowest level or bottom

AXIS Atlas vs HDFC Regalia Gold vs AXIS Horizon

TF Legend

General Note:​

Terminology:​

Joining Fee and Benefits:​

Spend Rewards:​

Milestone Benefits:​

Redemption Options:​

Lounge Access:​

Exclusions:​

Recommendations:​

TF Ace

TF Legend

TF Buzz

TF Legend

TF Buzz

TF Select

TF Legend

TF Premier

TF Legend

TF Premier

TF Premier

TF Select

(e.g., 5.4% to -4.2%)​

TF Legend

TF Select

TF Select

TF Legend

TF Legend

TF Prestige

TF Legend

TF Prestige

General Note:

Terminology:

Joining Fee and Benefits:

Spend Rewards:

Milestone Benefits:

Redemption Options:

Lounge Access:

Exclusions:

Recommendations:

(e.g., 5.4% to -4.2%)