2026 credit card rule changes by ICICI Bank: Full details inside

ICICI Bank has announced revised charges and benefits for its credit cardholders effective January 2026. The changes will take effect between January and February 2026, significantly affecting cardholders.

One of the major changes is that the bank will now levy a 2% fee on online gaming transactions, an Economic Times report said, citing an official ICICI Bank statement.

Let’s look at the top changes that are expected to come into effect in 2025, as per the ET report:

Transaction fee

Here are the new transaction charges on all retail credit cards:

Rewards and benefits

• Reward points on transportation transactions (transactions carried out via the Transportation Merchant Category) will be capped at ₹10,000 for mid-tier cards like Platinum and Manchester United and at ₹20,000 for premium cards like Emeralde Private and Sapphiro.

• Rewards on insurance spends will be capped at ₹40,000 on the ICICI Bank HPCL Super Saver Credit Card.

• ICICI Bank Instant Platinum Chip Credit Card and ICICI Bank Instant Platinum Credit Card will not get the BookMyShow Buy-One-Get-One offer starting from February 1, 2026.

• To get the BookMyShow Buy-One-Get-One offer, customers will now have to spend at least ₹25,000 in the previous calendar quarter.

Dynamic Currency Conversion Fee

From January 15, 2026:

• A 1.49% Dynamic Currency Conversion Fee 1.49% would be applicable on Times Black ICICI Bank Credit Card.

• A 2% Dynamic Currency Conversion Fee would be applicable on ICICI Bank Emeralde Metal Credit Card, ICICI Bank Emeralde Credit Card and ICICI Bank Emeralde Private Credit Card.

• A 0.99% Dynamic Currency Conversion Fee would be applicable on the MakeMyTrip ICICI Bank Travel Credit Card.

• A 1.99% Dynamic Currency Conversion Fee would be applicable on the Amazon Pay ICICI Bank Credit Card.

Moreover, for ICICI Bank Emerald Metal Credit Cards, a one-time fee of ₹3,500 will be applicable on all add-on (plus) cards issued on or after January 25, 2026.

These changes, to be implemented in phases from January to February 2026, are important for ICICI Bank credit card customers. Cardholders must spend accordingly and keep a check on their transactions to avoid unnecessary fees and charges.

HDFC Bank's new lounge access rules

Starting from January 10, 2026, HDFC Bank debit card users will no longer be able to swipe cards for lounge access and will require vouchers to enter airport lounges.