A Quick Note on the Axis Atlas Fiasco
The Indian credit card space is always lively, with Axis frequently offering some drama. Last evening was no exception. Axis sent out mass emails to Atlas Credit Card holders. They asked cardholders to provide more details about certain expenses in the "Travel Category" because they suspected these to be "non-personal" spending.
In this post, instead of delving into the reasons why Axis may have taken this action and over-analyzing it, we'll focus on what you can do if you find yourself in this situation.
The “I did not receive any email club.”
If you haven't received any emails or notifications, that's great! Generally, I wouldn't transfer points speculatively due to fear of impending devaluation. However, if you have tentative plans for any award bookings, it might be a good idea to proceed with the transfer and make those bookings sooner rather than later.
If you were to insist, "Jay, I have no plans. I still want to transfer my points to an airline and a hotel program. I don't want to deal with this Axis circus anymore. Where should I transfer?"
My answer would be Accor and United.
The “I received the love letter from Axis, club.”
If you received this email, let's explore your options.
Firstly, don't take immediate action. Give it a few days. Axis is likely overwhelmed with emails, calls, and requests about this, and most of their frontline staff probably don't know what to do yet. Let the news circulate internally within the organization before you act. In fact, with Axis, you never know, there's a chance they might reverse this situation, attributing it to a technical glitch.
Secondly, if your Edge Reward account is still blocked after a week, you'll want to start gathering the information that Axis Bank is requesting. They should have mentioned a specific period in the email you received. Although the email cites "Travel" as the category, Axis Bank seems more concerned about transactions that earn the 5x multiplier on Atlas, such as airline and hotel expenses.
Start by pulling out transactions that match these details from the given period. Look for invoices or airline tickets that correspond to these transactions. When you have these, instead of using the URL provided by Axis Bank in the email (which only lets you upload up to 3 attachments), send them in an email to premium.experience@axisbank.com. You can also include pno@axisbank.com in the CC or BCC.
The email inbox can only accept attachments up to a certain size. If your email is rejected due to large attachments, try compressing them into a zip file and resend it.
After sending your email, you should receive an automatic acknowledgement. From there, it's essentially a waiting game.
1️⃣ They may respond by confirming that everything is in order and your account has been restored.
2️⃣ Alternatively, they might request invoices and details about additional transactions, which you should supply as requested.
3️⃣ Unfortunately, they might also reject your expenses, opt to close and cancel your card, and forfeit your Edge Miles balance.
If you have any specific questions, please leave them in the comments section below (available to paid subscribers only). I will do my best to assist you.
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I have booked tickets for my colleques also, how can I be able to justify this, I have my colleques company ID’s, I can be able to provide that
Some tickets are large amounts but they transferred the same amount from their bank account to my account, we all went for a trip together