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Axis Bank sending notice for clarification regarding customer's travel spends on atlas

TechnoFino

Founder
TF Family
Founder
Admin
Axis Bank today sent notices to many of its Atlas credit card customers requesting clarification and invoices regarding their "travel category spends". Axis Atlas is a travel-focused credit card, so it's surprising that the bank is asking for invoices and clarification for travel category expenses over the past few months. A few days ago, Axis Bank deducted Edge Miles and Edge Reward Points from some customers' reward accounts, citing business transactions. Now, they are requesting clarification on affected customers' travel spends within the next 30 days, otherwise, the bank will cancel their credit cards.

Here, I'm attaching a copy of the notice email:

Screenshot 2024.png

Many genuine Atlas customers have been affected by this move. Some people just spent under 10k on travel categories and received clarification notices. I can understand Axis's desire to eliminate abusers from their customer list, but troubling genuine customers is unacceptable. This is the main reason I didn't add the Axis Magnus Burgundy credit card/Axis Magnus credit card to our list of the best credit cards for 2024. While it may offer good rewards, it's not reliable at all. Axis should revert to their old credit card reward system as they are not capable of running a reward system with airmiles transfer partners.
For peace of mind, stay away from Axis Bank credit cards.
 

Saipsy

TF Premier
Will this still work if I have multiple Axis cards? I'm completely fed up of Axis, have just sent a scathing mail to MD desk. I'm a frequent traveler and they requested Indigo invoices, of which I have 16, all personal use. Even after merging and compressing, its a 9mb pdf which wasn't going through. Split it into 2 to send via 2 mails, and it finally goes through but they keep replying 'can't view email because of large size'. I have exchanged 22 emails with them so far. Anyone with any experience of sending large PDF's?
At this point, I just wanna get my miles and close the card.
Use this to downsize PDFs
 

ccrnc

TF Select
VIP Lounge
Use this to downsize PDFs
Already did, went from 16mb's to 9mb. Can't cut down any further, so I split the pdf's into 2 and sent as 2 mails of 4.5mb each. It went through as well, but now they are saying, cannot see query because of large email size or some autistic nonsense. This whole process has been downright harassment. First, no clarity on what invoices they want and now they don't have a mechanism to accept invoices properly.
Similar story with me. I have 25+ transactions, mix of flights and credit/intermiles all personal. I sent them all invoices but still they replied after 10 days saying a document missing and mentioned all 4 merchants and total amount of around 4.5 lakhs. I have sent 6 more mails asking for which documents is missing but they replied only once with the same email with all 4 merchants and total amount. I don't know if they are not able to see the attachments or why are they not telling me the exact missing merchant.
The size is not the problem for me as they acknowledged the receipt of attachment when I sent them.

If you have multiple cards, first block and replace from app the one for which they are asking to the invoices. Within 2 days, you will be able to login to traveledge and transfer the points. It will give u a blocked popup after login but ignore that. I think you will be able to transfer EM and ER both by replacing 1 card only. I have only 1 card (Atlas) but I had few ER as well from my closed cc. I was able to transfer both.
Thanks for the explanation, will be trying this. I have a lot of pending EM's, as well as my Plat milestone bonus, hopefully those are credited before 20th as well.
 

indiatraveller

TF Buzz
VIP Lounge
I blocked and replaced the card as well as sending them all invoices for hotel and airline spends on the same day. Not sure which one worked but voila, the next day I was able to access my rewards and promptly transferred them all out
 

nrj1007

TF Premier
I blocked and replaced the card as well as sending them all invoices for hotel and airline spends on the same day. Not sure which one worked but voila, the next day I was able to access my rewards and promptly transferred them all out
Probably block and replace worked as they take minimum 5 working days to review invoices.
 

laser00

TF Buzz
VIP Lounge
It took more than 20 days after sending invoices to get it unblocked after escalating to PNO, got unblocked last week, got an email from PNO yesterday asking to submit invoices as an update to the ticket. Not sure if they are even following up the tickets. Seems like they are just doing copy paste most of the time.
 

bhsiddharth

TF Premier
VIP Lounge
For those whose accounts are still blocked, just block and replace the card. My edge miles got unblocked after two days and I also started receiving pending miles using this method. I don't guarantee that it will work for all but I feel there is nothing wrong in trying instead of writing emails to Axis.
bro, after reading this, I did it immediately around 10 pm, the new card got generated. and next day by evening 5pm, i could see the edge rewards and travel edge got unblocked. I am not sure what worked as I had submitted the invoices around 25th march. After getting unblocked, the next day, I received a mail from PNO that it is now active.

I have initated the transfers so that It gets credited to my travel partners. Didn't have any miles pending to be credited, so cannot map that yet.

But in anycase, thank you so much for this tip, this might have worked out for me.

Should I continue using the card? if it is unblocked by this trick, they might block again?
 

nrj1007

TF Premier
bro, after reading this, I did it immediately around 10 pm, the new card got generated. and next day by evening 5pm, i could see the edge rewards and travel edge got unblocked. I am not sure what worked as I had submitted the invoices around 25th march. After getting unblocked, the next day, I received a mail from PNO that it is now active.

I have initated the transfers so that It gets credited to my travel partners. Didn't have any miles pending to be credited, so cannot map that yet.

But in anycase, thank you so much for this tip, this might have worked out for me.

Should I continue using the card? if it is unblocked by this trick, they might block again?
If PNO mailed that its unblocked, you can use it.
For those like me who unblocked by the trick only, we get a popup that its locked but we are able to transfer points. In our case they may fix their loophole and block again
 

indiatraveller

TF Buzz
VIP Lounge
If PNO mailed that its unblocked, you can use it.
For those like me who unblocked by the trick only, we get a popup that its locked but we are able to transfer points. In our case they may fix their loophole and block again
Where do you get a popup?
 

vseera

TF Buzz
So just an update:

My EM account got unblocked a while ago and I transferred all my miles out. However, I have not received any new miles for transactions made in March. I had written to them and have been following up, with delay after delay.

Today I called them up to ask about it and the guy told me the miles would be credited by end of April lol. I told him it's because Axis wants to wait for the 20th April deadline and then asked for the cards cancellation team.
I have cancelled my Magnus for now. Next on the chopping block is the Vistara Infinite, which I will cancel once I see how things go with the Magnus cancellation.

For all those waiting for edge miles to be credited for March transactions, you will have to wait longer as Axis is being disingenuous as usual.

On a separate note: I am planning to send all my invoices to Axis proactively as and when I do the spend on Atlas from now on. I am wondering if everyone of us starts doing the same, that should overwhelm their support team a bit ;)
 
I closed both my cards (magnus and atlas) out of frustration and to my surprise, I was able to log in into my edge account. Transferred all edge miles to ITC and the same was credited in two days.

So in retrospect, the bank blocked my rewards account, I was able to walk away with all my reward points anyway, and Axis Bank lost a customer. What a stupid stupid bank!
 
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