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ICICI Bank has announced a set of changes to credit card charges, reward structures, and lifestyle benefits that will affect retail cardholders from mid-January 2026. The revisions will be implemented in phases through February and will apply across the bank’s credit card portfolio.
Among the notable changes, the bank will introduce additional fees on high-value transportation and wallet-loading transactions, while tightening reward caps and eligibility conditions on select benefits, including entertainment offers.
From January 2026, ICICI Bank will levy a 1% charge on transportation-related transactions exceeding ₹50,000 under specific merchant category codes. The move primarily impacts high-value travel spends.
At the same time, reward points on transportation transactions will be capped on a monthly basis. Premium cards such as Emeralde, Emeralde Private, Sapphiro and Rubyx will earn rewards only on spends up to ₹20,000 per month, while mid-tier cards, including Coral, Platinum, Manchester United, CSK and Expressions, will have a lower cap of ₹10,000.
These limits largely affect railway and bus bookings.
The bank has also revised its entertainment benefits. The popular BookMyShow Buy-One-Get-One offer will now be linked to a minimum quarterly spend. Cardholders must spend at least ₹25,000 in the previous calendar quarter to unlock the benefit in the current quarter.
From February 2026, Instant Platinum credit cards will no longer offer this benefit, while other eligible cards will continue to provide it subject to the new spend condition.
For super-premium cardholders, ICICI Bank has increased the Dynamic Currency Conversion (DCC) fee on Emeralde Metal, Emeralde Private and Emeralde (PVC) cards to 2 percent. In addition, Emeralde Metal cardholders will stop earning reward points on government services, fuel, rent and property management, tax payments, and third-party wallet transactions. New add-on cards issued on the Emeralde Metal variant will attract a one-time fee of ₹3,500.
The bank has also revised foreign currency and DCC charges across card categories. DCC fees will stand at 0.99% for MakeMyTrip Travel cards, 1.49% for Times Black cards, 1.99% for Amazon Pay ICICI cards, and up to 3.5% for several other variants, including MMT Signature and Platinum cards.
From January 2026, ICICI Bank will impose a 2% fee on transactions made on online gaming platforms such as Dream11, Rummy Culture, Junglee Games and MPL. The charge will apply to deposits and similar transactions and will extend to comparable gaming-related merchant category codes introduced in the future.
Wallet-loading transactions will also become costlier. A 1 percent fee will apply to third-party wallet loads of ₹5,000 or more on platforms including Amazon Pay, Paytm, MobiKwik, Freecharge and OlaMoney.
Other changes include higher charges for branch cash payments and the introduction of foreclosure charges on cancelled Instant EMIs. Separately, HPCL Super Saver Credit Card holders will continue to earn reward points on insurance payments only up to ₹40,000 per month at the existing earn rate.
Most of the revised charges will take effect from January 15, 2026, while certain reward caps and benefit withdrawals will apply from February 1, 2026.
Among the notable changes, the bank will introduce additional fees on high-value transportation and wallet-loading transactions, while tightening reward caps and eligibility conditions on select benefits, including entertainment offers.
From January 2026, ICICI Bank will levy a 1% charge on transportation-related transactions exceeding ₹50,000 under specific merchant category codes. The move primarily impacts high-value travel spends.
At the same time, reward points on transportation transactions will be capped on a monthly basis. Premium cards such as Emeralde, Emeralde Private, Sapphiro and Rubyx will earn rewards only on spends up to ₹20,000 per month, while mid-tier cards, including Coral, Platinum, Manchester United, CSK and Expressions, will have a lower cap of ₹10,000.
These limits largely affect railway and bus bookings.
The bank has also revised its entertainment benefits. The popular BookMyShow Buy-One-Get-One offer will now be linked to a minimum quarterly spend. Cardholders must spend at least ₹25,000 in the previous calendar quarter to unlock the benefit in the current quarter.
From February 2026, Instant Platinum credit cards will no longer offer this benefit, while other eligible cards will continue to provide it subject to the new spend condition.
For super-premium cardholders, ICICI Bank has increased the Dynamic Currency Conversion (DCC) fee on Emeralde Metal, Emeralde Private and Emeralde (PVC) cards to 2 percent. In addition, Emeralde Metal cardholders will stop earning reward points on government services, fuel, rent and property management, tax payments, and third-party wallet transactions. New add-on cards issued on the Emeralde Metal variant will attract a one-time fee of ₹3,500.
The bank has also revised foreign currency and DCC charges across card categories. DCC fees will stand at 0.99% for MakeMyTrip Travel cards, 1.49% for Times Black cards, 1.99% for Amazon Pay ICICI cards, and up to 3.5% for several other variants, including MMT Signature and Platinum cards.
From January 2026, ICICI Bank will impose a 2% fee on transactions made on online gaming platforms such as Dream11, Rummy Culture, Junglee Games and MPL. The charge will apply to deposits and similar transactions and will extend to comparable gaming-related merchant category codes introduced in the future.
Wallet-loading transactions will also become costlier. A 1 percent fee will apply to third-party wallet loads of ₹5,000 or more on platforms including Amazon Pay, Paytm, MobiKwik, Freecharge and OlaMoney.
Other changes include higher charges for branch cash payments and the introduction of foreclosure charges on cancelled Instant EMIs. Separately, HPCL Super Saver Credit Card holders will continue to earn reward points on insurance payments only up to ₹40,000 per month at the existing earn rate.
Most of the revised charges will take effect from January 15, 2026, while certain reward caps and benefit withdrawals will apply from February 1, 2026.
