CardAgent
Verified by CardAgent admin · last checked 08 Jul 2026
ICICI Bank

ICICI Times Black Credit Card

42
Ranked #44 of 170 in credit
creditVisa/Mastercard (metal)Ultra-premium (invite-based/application)

ICICI ultra-premium metal card co-branded with Times Internet/Times Prime, positioned above Emeralde Private, differentiating on unlimited lounge access for add-ons, low forex markup, gold-purchase discount, and lifestyle bundling (Times Prime Black, Quorum Club) rather than pure reward-rate competitiveness.

Score breakdown

Data completeness: 95% · Last verified: 09 Jul 2026

Reward value36/100 · weight 71%
≈ 1.78% effective on the standard basket (eligible spend only)
Wide-coverage rewards: +0.6% score bonus — earns broadly without narrow category restrictions.
Fee efficiency18/100 · weight 12%
Redemption flexibility75/100 · weight 9%
Perks88/100 · weight 9%

Fees

All fees shown base + 18% GST (India card fees legally attract GST).

Joining fee
₹20,000 + 18% GST
= ₹23,600 total
Annual fee
₹20,000 + 18% GST
= ₹23,600 / year total
Waiver: Waived on Rs 25 lakh annual spend — one of the highest waiver thresholds among Indian premium cards
Forex markup
1.49%

Lounge access

Domestic (per year)
Unlimited
International (per year)
Unlimited

Reward structure

CategoryTypeRateCapNotes
online_travel_bookingpoints12.00%(12 pts @ ₹1.00)—Up to 12X points via iShop portal for flights/hotels/luxury shopping
diningpoints1.25%(5 pts @ ₹0.25)——
online_spendspoints1.25%(5 pts @ ₹0.25)——
travelpoints1.25%(5 pts @ ₹0.25)——
groceriespoints1.25%(5 pts @ ₹0.25)——
international_spendspoints2.00%(2 pts @ ₹1.00)—2 points per Rs 100 international = 2%
all_spendspoints1.00%(1 pts @ ₹1.00)—1 point per Rs 100 domestic = 1% base rate; no fuel rewards
fuelpoints0.25%(1 pts @ ₹0.25)——

Welcome offer

Complimentary Times Prime Black annual subscription (claimed worth Rs 1.2 lakh+, bundling OTT — Hotstar/SonyLIV/Discovery+ — plus other partner subscriptions); Rs 3,000 Toni&Guy gift voucher; annual Zomato Gold membership; welcome access to The Quorum Club (20% off exclusive restaurants, co-working space access, event access, 15% membership discounts)

Milestone benefits

Pros

  • Genuinely unlimited lounge access for BOTH primary AND add-on cardholders (rare — most cards exclude add-ons), lowest forex markup among researched premium cards (1.49%), unique flat 1.25% discount on MMTC-PAMP gold coins/bars (no other researched card offers this), helicopter transfer option is a genuine differentiator, strong welcome package that likely exceeds the joining fee if subscriptions are used, easier approval than HDFC Infinia or ICICI Emeralde Private per community reports

Cons

  • FLAG — community sentiment (CardMaven forum) is skeptical: users note the base 1-2% reward rate is weak for a Rs 20,000-fee card, and the standout "feature" is often described as just the 21g metal build
  • zero rewards on fuel
  • Rs 25 lakh fee-waiver threshold is extremely high even for this segment
  • helicopter transfer limited to Bangalore-only routes
  • heavy reliance on bundled Times Prime Black subscriptions for value rather than pure spend-based rewards, which may not suit all spending profiles

What's inside

More benefits

  • Times Prime Black subscription

    ₹1,20,000

    Complimentary annual Times Prime Black membership bundling OTT (Hotstar, SonyLIV, Discovery+) and other partner subscriptions

    yearly. On card activation

  • Quorum Club membership

    20% off at exclusive restaurants, event access, co-working space access, 15% membership discounts

    yearly. Welcome benefit on approval

  • Helicopter/luxury transfer

    1 helicopter transfer/year (Bangalore Airport only) OR 2 luxury cab transfers

    yearly. Rs 5 lakh annual spend milestone, weather/availability dependent

  • MMTC-PAMP gold discount

    Flat 1.25% instant discount on gold coins/bars purchased online

  • Concierge service

    24x7 international and domestic concierge via i-Assist

  • Zomato Gold membership

    Complimentary annual Zomato Gold membership

    yearly.

Insurance cover

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Eligibility

text
Age 21+, salaried Rs 2 lakh/month+ (Rs 24L/year) or self-employed ITR Rs 24 lakh+/year; forum reports suggest ICICI approves widely for existing high-limit ICICI cardholders on a shared-credit-limit basis

Small print

Fuel surcharge:No fuel surcharge waiver mentioned; fuel earns ZERO reward points entirely