ICICI Bank Credit Card Charges & Benefits Revamped From Jan 2026
Big Changes Ahead for ICICI Credit Card Users
The focus keyword: ICICI Bank credit card charges is trending as India’s second-largest private bank announced sweeping revisions to its credit card rewards, fees, and entertainment benefits. Starting January 15, 2026, and rolling out in phases until February 1, 2026, these changes will affect millions of retail cardholders across categories — from entry-level Coral cards to super-premium Emeralde Metal.
The most talked-about update? The BookMyShow Buy-One-Get-One offer will now be conditional, requiring a quarterly spend threshold. Alongside, new fees on wallet loading, transportation spends, and online gaming transactions are set to reshape how customers use their cards.
High-Value Transportation Spends: New 1% Fee
- A 1% charge will apply on transportation transactions exceeding Rs 50,000 under select merchant category codes.
- This primarily impacts high-value travel bookings such as airlines, luxury buses, and premium railway spends.
Reward Points Caps on Travel & Transport
ICICI Bank is tightening reward point accruals on transportation spends:
- Emeralde, Emeralde Private, Sapphiro, Rubyx → Rewards capped at Rs 20,000 per month.
- Coral, Platinum, Manchester United, CSK, Expressions, mid-tier cards → Rewards capped at Rs 10,000 per month.
This means frequent travelers booking trains or buses may see reduced reward accumulation.
Entertainment Benefits: BookMyShow Offer Now Conditional
The popular Buy-One-Get-One (BOGO) movie ticket offer is changing:
- Cardholders must spend Rs 25,000 in the previous quarter to unlock the benefit in the current quarter.
- From February 2026, Instant Platinum credit cards will lose this benefit entirely.
- Other eligible ICICI cards will continue, but only with the spend requirement.
Super-Premium Emeralde Cards: Stricter Rules
Emeralde cardholders face the biggest shake-up:
- Dynamic Currency Conversion (DCC) fee raised to 2%.
- No reward points on Government services, Fuel, Rent, Property management, Tax payments, Wallet transactions.
- New add-on cards will attract a one-time fee of Rs 3,500.
This signals ICICI’s push to limit reward leakage on non-core spends.
Foreign Currency & DCC Charges Revised
Different card categories now have updated DCC fees:
- MakeMyTrip Travel cards → 0.99%
- Times Black → 1.49%
- Amazon Pay ICICI → 1.99%
- MMT Signature, Platinum & others → Up to 3.5%
Frequent international travelers will need to factor in these higher costs.
Online Gaming Transactions: New 2% Fee
ICICI Bank is cracking down on gaming spends:
- A 2% fee will apply on deposits and transactions on platforms like Dream11, Rummy Culture, Junglee Games, MPL, and future gaming merchant codes.
- This reflects RBI’s growing scrutiny of online gaming payments.
Wallet Loading Charges
- A 1% fee will be levied on wallet loading transactions of Rs 5,000 or more.
- Applies to wallets like Amazon Pay, Paytm, MobiKwik, Freecharge, OlaMoney.
Other Applicable Changes
- Branch cash payment charges increased.
- Foreclosure charges introduced for cancelled Instant EMIs.
- HPCL Super Saver Credit Card → Reward points on insurance payments capped at Rs 40,000 per month.
What This Means for Customers
These changes reflect a broader industry trend: banks are tightening rewards, introducing spend-linked benefits, and discouraging high-risk categories like gaming and wallets. For ICICI cardholders, the key takeaway is clear — spend strategically to maximize benefits.
Trending Queries
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