Deep-Dive Review: ICICI Bank Imperial Credit Card

Community Verdict

[!NOTE] The ICICI Bank Imperial Credit Card is a discontinued lifetime-free Visa card that ICICI Bank no longer sources to new applicants. The official product page returns 404 on the live ICICI Bank site (verified 2026-07-03), and the Wayback Machine has no archived snapshot. Existing cardholders retain the legacy benefits — Lifetime Free (₹0 joining, ₹0 annual, ₹0 renewal), 1 ICICI Reward Point per ₹100 retail (≈ 0.25% return at ₹0.25/point), 1.5% on online spends per Finology Select data, 1% fuel surcharge waiver on ₹400–₹4,000 HPCL transactions, and 1 complimentary domestic airport lounge visit per quarter (no documented spend gate — verify eligibility via iMobile). The card is positioned as a “premium” tier but offers entry-level rewards economics.

Pros

• Lifetime Free: Zero joining, annual, and renewal fees — no spend-based waiver needed.
• 1.5% effective rate on online spends: Double the standard retail earn rate on e-commerce transactions (Finology Select data — verify with iMobile statement).
• 1 ICICI Reward Point per ₹100 on offline retail: Standard base earn, redeemable at ₹0.25 per point via statement credit.
• 1% fuel surcharge waiver at HPCL pumps: Small saving on transactions between ₹400 and ₹4,000.
• 1 domestic airport lounge visit per quarter: No documented spend gate — verify eligibility via iMobile.
• Visa global acceptance: Usable anywhere Visa is taken.
• Free add-on card: Available via iMobile.
• Standard ₹50,000 fraud liability cover plus counterfeit-card protection.

Cons

• Card discontinued — not available for new applications: Official ICICI Bank page returns 404; sourcing has been stopped. Wayback Machine has no archived snapshot.
• 0.25% effective retail return is very poor: 1 RP per ₹100 redeemed at ₹0.25/RP = just 0.25%, which is among the lowest base earn rates in the Indian market today.
• ₹99 + GST redemption fee: Redeeming Reward Points through the ICICI catalogue incurs a processing fee; small redemptions (under 400 RP = ₹100) lose money after the fee.
• 36-month point expiry: Unused Reward Points expire 3 years from accumulation.
• No international lounge access: Only domestic.
• 3.5% forex markup: Useless for international travel.
• Heavy exclusion list: Fuel, rent, wallet loads, government payments all earn zero Reward Points.
• Cash advance interest 3.5% per month (42% per annum): Not a card for ATM withdrawals.
• ₹500 cash withdrawal fee: Flat charge per ATM transaction.
• No milestone bonuses, no annual vouchers: Unlike ICICI Coral or HPCL Super Saver, there’s no spend-threshold reward.
• No insurance benefits beyond the standard fraud liability cover.
• No premium support / dedicated helpdesk.

Reward Spends & Categories

The ICICI Bank Imperial Credit Card earns ICICI Reward Points (worth ₹0.25/point at catalogue redemption):

Category	Earning Rate	Notes
🛒 Offline Retail	1 ICICI Reward Point per ₹100	~0.25% return at ₹0.25/RP
🌐 Online Spends	1.5 RP per ₹100 (Finology data)	~0.375% return at ₹0.25/RP
💡 Utility Payments	0% (Excluded)	—
🛡️ Insurance Premiums	0% (Excluded)	—
🍽️ Dining	No accelerated rate	—
🎬 Movies	No movie benefit	—
🏛️ Government & Tax Payments	0% (Excluded)	—
🏠 Rent Payments (MCC 6513)	0% (Excluded)	—
⛽ Fuel Transactions	0% (1% surcharge waiver ₹400–₹4,000 at HPCL pumps)	—
💳 Wallet Loads	0% (Excluded)	—

[!IMPORTANT] At ₹0.25 per Reward Point, the 1 RP per ₹100 retail earn is just 0.25% effective return. The 1.5 RP per ₹100 online rate (Finology Select data) is slightly better at ~0.375%, but still well below HDFC Millennia (5X on Amazon/Flipkart/Myntra ≈ 1.25%) or Amazon Pay ICICI (5% on Amazon.in for Prime). For most spend profiles, this card is best relegated to a tertiary wallet role.

Reward Point Redemption Value

ICICI Reward Points on Imperial redeem via the Reward Points catalogue (iMobile app / net banking):

• Cash via Statement Credit: 1 RP = ₹0.25 (after ₹99 + GST redemption fee per request)
• Vouchers / Products via Catalogue: 1 RP = ₹0.25 equivalent value
• Air miles / Hotel transfers: Not supported on Imperial — only catalogue redemption

[!IMPORTANT] Best value is redeeming in batches (avoid multiple ₹99 fees) for statement credit or vouchers. There is no airline transfer option on Imperial.

Welcome Benefit & Milestones

[!IMPORTANT]

• Welcome Benefit: None documented on the official ICICI Bank page for Imperial Credit Card.
• Annual Milestone Rewards: None documented.
• Annual Fee Waiver: Not applicable — the card is Lifetime Free (₹0 joining, ₹0 annual, ₹0 renewal).

Airport Lounge & Travel Perks

[!IMPORTANT]

• Domestic Airport Lounge: 1 complimentary visit per calendar quarter at select Indian airports — no spend gate documented (verify eligibility via iMobile).
• International Airport Lounge: Not included on Imperial Credit Card.
• Indian Railway Lounge: Not included.
• Priority Pass: Not provided.
• Emergency Card Replacement: Available via iMobile.

[!TIP] For unlimited or premium lounge access, pair this card with HDFC Infinia or Axis Atlas. Imperial is a tertiary wallet card; another card must handle serious travel perks.

Fees & Charges — Snapshot

Fee / Charge	Amount
Joining Fee	Nil (₹0)
Annual Fee (Year 1)	Nil (₹0)
Annual Fee (Year 2 onwards)	Nil (₹0) — Lifetime Free
Add-on Card Fee	Nil
Foreign Currency Markup	3.5%
Cash Withdrawal Fee	₹500 (flat)
Cash Advance Interest	3.5% per month (42% p.a.)
Reward Redemption Fee	₹99 + GST per request
Fuel Surcharge	1% (waived ₹400–₹4,000 at HPCL pumps)
Late Payment Fee	Sliding scale per MITC
Over Limit Penalty	2.5% of overlimit amount (Min ₹500) per MITC
Card Replacement Fee	₹100
Duplicate PIN Fee	Nil
Statement Retrieval Fee	Nil

Indicative Value Chart (₹1.5 Lakh annual spend, existing cardholder)

Category	Annual Spend	Reward / Saving	Notes
Online spends (1.5 RP/₹100)	₹60,000	900 RP → ₹225	After ₹99 fee, net ≈ ₹126
Offline retail (1 RP/₹100)	₹75,000	750 RP → ₹188	After ₹99 fee, net ≈ ₹89
Fuel (1% HPCL surcharge waiver)	₹15,000	—	₹150 saving
Annual fee	—	—	₹0 (Lifetime Free)
Net annual benefits	₹1,50,000	₹365	~0.24% effective return

[!CAUTION] At ~0.24% effective return after the ₹99 redemption fee, this card is better than ICICI Gold only because it’s lifetime free — there’s no annual fee offsetting your gains. But 0.25% retail earn is still very poor by 2026 standards. Existing cardholders should redeem in big chunks (₹500+ at a time) to amortise the ₹99 fee.

Who Should Get This Card?

Best suited for:

• Existing cardholders continuing to use the card as long as it’s active
• Customers who want a tertiary wallet card with zero fees and a single domestic lounge visit per quarter
• HPCL loyalty customers who want the 1% surcharge waiver as a marginal saving
• Users who will bulk-redeem Reward Points (₹500+ at a time) to amortise the ₹99 fee

Not ideal for:

• New applicants (card is discontinued — official page returns 404)
• Reward maximizers (0.25% effective return is among the lowest in the market)
• Frequent small redeemers (₹99 fee destroys small redemptions)
• International travelers (3.5% forex + no international lounge)
• Users who want milestone bonuses, multiple lounge visits, or insurance

The Verdict

[!NOTE] The ICICI Bank Imperial Credit Card is a legacy lifetime-free Visa card that ICICI Bank has quietly discontinued. The official product page returns 404, the Wayback Machine has no archive, and the rewards economics (0.25% retail earn after the ₹99 redemption fee) are uncompetitive by 2026 standards. The one saving grace is lifetime free + 1 quarterly domestic lounge without a documented spend gate — but new applicants cannot source this card.

The math for it: Spend ₹1.5 Lakh/year across online + offline retail and earn ~₹400 in Reward Points before the ₹99 fee, plus ₹150 fuel surcharge waiver, minus ₹0 annual fee — net ₹365 in benefits. That’s a small but real positive return with no annual fee drag.

The math against it: The 0.25% retail earn rate is ~5x worse than HDFC Millennia base (1.25% on Amazon/Flipkart/Myntra), ~20x worse than Amazon Pay ICICI (5% Amazon.in Prime), and worse than even basic debit-card UPI cashbacks. The ₹99 redemption fee further erodes value on small redemptions.

Bottom line: Existing cardholders can keep using it as a tertiary card but should consider upgrading to ICICI Coral (₹500 fee waived on ₹1.5L spend + 2 RP/₹100 retail + BookMyShow + 1 quarterly lounge) or Amazon Pay ICICI (lifetime free + 5% Amazon for Prime) for far better rewards. New applicants cannot source this card — first-timers should look at IDFC FIRST Classic (lifetime free + 4X on top spend category + 4 domestic lounges/year) or Amazon Pay ICICI (lifetime free + 5% Amazon for Prime) instead.

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Last verified on July 3, 2026. Data based on Finology Select benefit table and 404 confirmation on the live ICICI Bank Imperial Credit Card page.

For ICICI Bank customer support: 1860-120-7777 / creditcards@icicibank.com.

For monetization on the side, apply for any active ICICI Bank credit card via CredSutra — CredSutra earns a referral commission on approved cards at no cost to you. (Note: ICICI Imperial Credit Card itself is not available for new applications.)