ICICI Bank To Tighten Credit Card Charges From 2026, Gaming And Transport Spends Face New Fees

ICICI Bank has announced a fresh overhaul of its credit card fee and benefit structure, with changes set to take effect between January and February 2026. As reported by The Economic Times on December 9, the bank will introduce a 2 percent charge on online gaming transactions and a 1 percent fee on transportation spends exceeding Rs 50,000. 

Additional charges on third-party wallet loading and revisions to reward points and card benefits are also part of the update. Together, these form the ICICI Bank credit card changes 2026, impacting a wide range of cardholders.

Online Gaming, Wallets And Transport Spending To Attract Higher Costs

Under the revised rules, ICICI Bank will charge 2 percent on transactions carried out on online gaming platforms such as Dream11, Rummy Culture, Junglee Games and MPL. The bank clarified that the charge will also apply to similar merchant category codes that may be introduced in the future. According to Business Today, the fee will be applicable across card variants without exception.

In addition, a 1 percent fee will be levied on transportation-related transactions once spending exceeds Rs 50,000 on select merchant category codes. Customers loading Rs 5,000 or more into third-party wallets including Amazon Pay, Paytm, MobiKwik, Freecharge and OlaMoney will also have to pay a 1 percent charge. A detailed explainer by GoodReturns highlighted that wallet-based credit card usage has surged in recent years, leading banks to reassess pricing.

These transaction-level revisions are a key element of the ICICI Bank credit card changes 2026, especially for customers with high digital spends.

Revised Transaction Charges

Reward Points, Movie Benefits And Add-On Card Fees Reshaped

ICICI Bank has also revised reward point eligibility across multiple credit card variants. As reported by Angel One, reward points on transportation spends will continue but will now be capped. Premium cards such as Rubyx, Sapphiro and Emeralde will earn reward points on transportation spends up to Rs 20,000 per month, while entry-level cards will have a lower cap of Rs 10,000.

Insurance-related spends will continue to earn reward points up to Rs 40,000 on select cards. However, complimentary BookMyShow movie benefits will be discontinued for Instant Platinum credit cards from February 1, 2026. 

Other cards will retain movie offers only if customers spend at least Rs 25,000 in the preceding quarter. Add-on cardholders of the Emeralde Metal Credit Card will also face a one-time fee of Rs 3,500 for new add-on cards issued from January 15, 2026.

Key Benefit And Fee Revisions

Regulatory Background And Earlier Developments

The tightening of card charges comes amid rising regulatory focus on digital payment risks. In its Statement on Developmental and Regulatory Policies, released on December 8, 2023 (Serial No. 05/2023-24), the Reserve Bank of India called for better risk-based pricing and transparency in card-based payments. The report can be accessed on the RBI website.

Further, the Payment and Settlement Systems Report – June 2024, released by the RBI on June 28, 2024, showed a steady rise in credit card usage for online gaming and wallet-linked transactions. The report is available under the Publications section on the RBI website.

This regulatory backdrop explains the timing of the ICICI Bank credit card changes 2026, which mirror broader industry trends.

To understand how such charges compare across lenders, a consumer explainer on credit card fees published by LoansJagat provides useful context.

What ICICI Bank Has Said

In its official communication, ICICI Bank said the changes are part of a periodic review of card features and charges. The bank added that while some benefits are being capped or withdrawn, reward earnings will continue on eligible categories within specified limits.

Conclusion

Cardholders should review their spending behaviour ahead of 2026. Awareness of revised charges and benefit caps will help avoid surprises and manage costs better.
 

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