ICICI Bank has announced another round of changes to its credit card terms and conditions, effective from November 15. This is the second revision to the bank’s credit card portfolio in the same year.
The latest update includes a sharp increase in the spending requirement for complimentary airport lounge access, caps on reward points for utility, insurance, and grocery transactions, changes to fuel surcharge waiver limits, and the introduction of new fees for supplementary cardholders.
Several of these changes are in line with recent revisions announced by other banks, including charges on education payments made through third-party platforms and additional fees on high-value utility bill payments.
Airport Lounge Access Spend Requirement Increased
ICICI Bank credit cardholders will now need to spend ₹75,000 in the preceding calendar quarter to qualify for complimentary domestic airport lounge access in the next quarter. Earlier, the minimum spend required was ₹35,000.
For example, to be eligible for lounge access during the January to March 2025 quarter, a cardholder must spend at least ₹75,000 between October and December 2024. The same rule will apply for all subsequent quarters.
Commenting on the change, Sumanta Mandal, founder of TechnoFino, said that this is a very high spending requirement to qualify for complimentary lounge access.
This revised criterion will apply to multiple ICICI Bank credit cards, including:
- ICICI Bank HPCL Super Saver Visa Credit Card
- ICICI Bank MasterCard Coral Credit Card
- ICICI Bank Rubyx Visa Credit Card
- ICICI Bank Sapphiro Visa Credit Card
- ICICI Bank Adani One Signature Credit Card
- MakeMyTrip ICICI Bank Platinum Credit Card
- Other eligible ICICI Bank credit cards
Reward Points Capped on Utility and Insurance Payments
ICICI Bank will introduce a cap on reward points earned from utility and insurance payment transactions.
- Premium credit cards such as ICICI Bank Rubyx Visa, Sapphiro Visa, Emeralde Visa, and similar variants will earn rewards on spends up to ₹80,000 per month
- All other ICICI Bank credit cards will earn rewards only up to ₹40,000 per month
Any spending beyond these limits will not earn reward points.
Grocery and Departmental Store Rewards Also Capped
Reward point earnings on grocery and departmental store spending will also be subject to monthly limits.
- Premium credit cards will earn rewards on grocery spends up to ₹40,000 per month
- Other ICICI Bank cards will earn rewards only up to ₹20,000 per month
Spending beyond these caps will not qualify for reward points.
Revised Fuel Surcharge Waiver Policy
ICICI Bank has revised its fuel surcharge waiver policy across its credit card portfolio.
- Fuel surcharge waiver will apply on fuel transactions up to ₹50,000 per month for most ICICI Bank credit cards
- For the Emeralde Mastercard Metal Credit Card, the surcharge waiver limit is higher at ₹1,00,000 per month
Fuel spends beyond these limits will attract applicable surcharge fees.
Changes in Spending Thresholds for Fee Waivers and Milestones
The bank has revised the spending criteria used for annual fee reversal and milestone benefits.
- Rent payments
- Government transactions
- Education payments made through credit cards
will no longer be counted towards spending thresholds for annual fee waiver and milestone benefits.
Additionally, for ICICI Emeralde and Emeralde Private Metal Credit Cards, the annual fee waiver threshold has been reduced to ₹10 lakh per year, down from ₹15 lakh earlier.
Airport Spa Facility Discontinued
ICICI Bank has discontinued airport spa access provided through the DreamFolks card. This benefit was earlier available on select premium credit cards, including:
- ICICI Bank Sapphiro Visa Credit Card
- ICICI Bank Emeralde Credit Card
- ICICI Bank Adani One Signature Credit Card
- Emirates ICICI Bank Emeralde Credit Card
- Other eligible variants
Annual Fee Introduced for Supplementary Cardholders
ICICI Bank has introduced an annual fee of ₹199 for supplementary credit cards. This fee will be charged in the card anniversary month statement.
One Percent Charge on Education and High-Value Utility Payments
Education payments made using ICICI Bank credit cards through third-party payment apps such as CRED, Paytm, Cheq, MobiKwik, and others will now attract a 1% transaction fee.
However, education payments made directly through school or college websites or POS machines using ICICI Bank credit cards will remain fee-free.
In addition, utility payments exceeding ₹50,000 per month will also attract a 1% surcharge.
What These Changes Mean for ICICI Bank Credit Card Users
The latest revisions indicate a clear shift toward higher spending requirements and tighter reward caps. Complimentary benefits such as lounge access and reward earnings are now closely linked to consistent high-value spending.
Cardholders should carefully review their usage patterns to determine whether their current ICICI Bank credit card continues to offer value under the revised terms.