Credit card changes: ICICI Bank to levy 2% fee on gaming platforms, tweak rewards and benefits from Jan 2026

ICICI Bank has announced a fresh round of changes to its credit card features and charges, tightening fees on select transactions while revising rewards and benefits across several popular cards. The updated rules will be rolled out in phases between January and February 2026 and will apply to all retail credit card customers, the bank said in a statement.

Among the most notable changes is a new 2% charge on transactions carried out on online gaming platforms. Payments made on platforms such as Dream11, Rummy Culture, Junglee Games and MPL will attract this fee, which will also apply to similar merchant category codes (MCCs) that may be introduced in the future. The charge will be levied on both deposits and other comparable gaming-related transactions.

ICICI Bank is also introducing higher charges on wallet and transportation spends beyond certain thresholds. Customers loading funds of Rs 5,000 or more onto third-party wallets such as Amazon Pay, Paytm, MobiKwik, Freecharge and OlaMoney will now be charged a 1% fee on the transaction amount. In addition, a 1% charge will apply on transactions exceeding Rs 50,000 made under select transportation MCCs, impacting high-value travel-related spends.

Alongside transaction fees, the bank has reworked reward point structures for several cards. 

ICICI Bank has rolled out one of its most extensive credit card overhauls in recent years, revising fees, reward structures and benefits across nearly its entire portfolio. Most changes will come into force from January 15, 2026, while certain reward caps and discontinuations will apply from February 1, 2026.

> Super-premium Emeralde cardholders will feel the biggest impact. The Dynamic Currency Conversion (DCC) fee on Emeralde Metal, Emeralde Private and Emeralde (PVC) cards has been raised to 2%. In addition, Emeralde Metal users will no longer earn reward points on government services, fuel, rent, property management, tax payments and third-party wallet transactions. New add-on cards on Emeralde Metal will now attract a Rs 3,500 one-time fee.

> Transportation spends will now be reward-capped across several cards. Emeralde, Emeralde Private, Sapphiro and Rubyx cards will earn rewards only on Rs 20,000 of monthly transportation spends, while Coral, Platinum, Manchester United, CSK, Expressions and other mid-tier cards will be capped at Rs 10,000 per month. This primarily affects railways and bus bookings.

> Entertainment benefits are being tightened. The popular BookMyShow Buy-One-Get-One offer will no longer be unconditional. Cardholders must now spend Rs 25,000 in the previous calendar quarter to unlock the benefit for the current quarter. From February, Instant Platinum cards will lose this benefit entirely.

> DCC markup rates have been realigned by card category. Charges now range from 0.99% on MMT Travel cards, 1.49% on Times Black, 1.99% on Amazon Pay ICICI, to 3.5% on most other cards, including MMT Signature and Platinum.

> Several new universal surcharges apply to all retail cards. These include a 2% gaming fee, 1% wallet load charge on amounts above Rs 5,000, 1% surcharge on high-value transportation transactions, higher branch cash payment fees, and foreclosure charges on cancelled Instant EMIs.

> Insurance-related spends will also see limits. HPCL Super Saver Credit Card users will continue earning reward points on insurance payments only up to Rs 40,000 per month at the current earn rate.

> However, several other ICICI Bank cards will continue to offer BookMyShow benefits, subject to a minimum quarterly spend of Rs 25,000, with eligibility reviewed every quarter.

The bank has also revised fees on add-on cards and foreign currency transactions. A one-time fee of Rs 3,500 will be introduced for new add-on cards issued on the Emeralde Metal Credit Card from January 15, 2026. Dynamic Currency Conversion (DCC) fees have been updated across cards, ranging from 0.99% on MakeMyTrip Travel cards to 2% on Emeralde variants.

ICICI Bank advised cardholders to review the revised terms carefully, as while some benefits continue with new caps, others are being withdrawn or repriced, potentially impacting spending strategies in 2026.