In a significant move for India's digital payments landscape, Google Pay and Axis Bank announced a strategic partnership on Tuesday, 17 December 2025. The collaboration has resulted in the launch of a novel co-branded credit card named the Google Pay Flex Axis Bank Credit Card.
A New Era of UPI-Powered Credit
The newly unveiled card is fundamentally designed to bridge the gap between everyday UPI transactions and credit facilities. Built on the domestic RuPay payments network, this Axis Bank-backed card allows users to seamlessly integrate credit into their daily digital payments made via UPI. The companies stated that the initiative aims to make the credit experience as common and effortless as the UPI payments millions of Indians perform daily.
Arnika Dixit, President & Head of Cards, Payments and Wealth Management at Axis Bank, highlighted the rationale behind the launch. She noted that with UPI becoming the preferred payment method, there was a clear opportunity to create a tailored credit product for digital-first consumers. This offering combines Axis Bank's financial expertise with Google Pay's technological prowess.
Key Features and Benefits of the Flex Card
The Google Pay Flex Axis Bank credit card is packed with user-centric features aimed at simplifying and rewarding digital spending.
1. Fully Digital and Instant Access
Applying for this card is a completely paperless process. Customers can apply at Zero Cost from anywhere and begin transacting within minutes. The card exists digitally on the user's mobile phone within the Google Pay app, eliminating the need for a physical card and ensuring access is always at hand.
2. Payment Flexibility and Ubiquity
Since it operates on the RuPay network, the card can be used for payments at millions of offline merchant points as well as for online checkouts across various applications, offering extensive payment flexibility.
3. Rewards and Financial Controls
The card introduces a straightforward and instant rewards system. Users earn 'Stars' on every transaction, which can be redeemed instantly on subsequent Flex transactions, with 1 Star being equal to ₹1. There is no need to wait for a monthly cycle to use rewards.
Furthermore, the Google Pay app provides robust financial controls. Users can track their spends and bills directly within the app. It offers the flexibility to pay the bill in full or convert it into easy EMIs. The app also allows users to manage their card security by instantly blocking or unblocking the card and resetting the PIN.
Simplifying Credit for the Digital User
The launch underscores a major shift towards embedded finance, where credit becomes a fluid part of the transaction journey rather than a separate product. By leveraging the ubiquitous UPI infrastructure, Google Pay and Axis Bank are making formal credit more accessible. The instant reward redemption and in-app EMI conversion features directly address the desire for immediate gratification and financial flexibility among modern consumers.
This partnership between a global tech giant and a leading Indian private bank is poised to intensify competition in the co-branded credit card segment, pushing further innovation focused on the unique needs of India's rapidly growing digital economy.
