Deep-Dive Review: Times Black ICICI Bank Credit Card

Community Verdict

[!NOTE] The Times Black ICICI Bank Credit Card is a super-premium invite-only Visa issued in association with Times Internet Ltd. It targets the UHNI segment with unlimited domestic + international lounge access, a low 1.49% forex markup, and luxury-stay milestone benefits (Ayatana, Lohono, Tata CLiQ Luxury). The ₹20,000 + GST annual fee is waived on ₹25 Lakh of annual spend, and the standing benefits — Priority Pass, Dreamfolks, Zomato Gold, Quorum Club and CribLife lifestyle — make it a more lifestyle-forward alternative to HDFC Infinia or Axis Reserve for the timesblack-issued UHNI profile. The card is invite-only, so application routing is via timesblack.com rather than the public ICICI funnel.

Pros

• Unlimited Domestic & International Lounge Access: Live ICICI page confirms “unlimited complimentary lounge access at domestic airports” (via Dreamfolks) and “unlimited complimentary accesses to international airport lounges” via Priority Pass — both primary and Plus cardholders.
• 1.49% Forex Markup: Among the lowest forex markups in India (vs. standard 3.5%) — significant savings for international travellers.
• Zomato Gold Annual Membership: Standing benefit — annual membership for exclusive dining privileges across partner restaurants.
• Quorum Club Elite Access: “Special offers on membership and access to events at The Quorum Club and dining discounts at select restaurants.”
• CribLife Curated Lifestyle Services: “Lifestyle management services from CribLife with 6 exclusive offerings.”
• 24x7 Dedicated Concierge: Round-the-clock assistance at 1800-26-70731 (premium UHNI line).
• Welcome Bundle (~₹26,000 Value): EaseMyTrip Luxury Stay Gift Card ₹10,000 OR Lohono ₹12,000, plus Toni & Guy ₹3,000 + Interflora ₹1,000 lifestyle cards, plus Zomato Gold annual membership, plus Atlys + OneVasco travel-visa benefits.
• 1% Fuel Surcharge Waiver: Available at all fuel stations (no HPCL restriction) — rare on a super-premium card.
• Add-on Plus Card for Family: ICICI Bank Plus (add-on) card benefits extend to family at no extra cost.
• Air Accident Insurance: Air accident insurance cover is included (sum insured per ICICI Comprehensive Insurance Cover PDF).

Cons

• Invite-Only Sourcing: Application funnel routes via timesblack.com — not directly available to all applicants; reserved for UHNI / pre-approved segments.
• ₹20,000 + GST Joining and Annual Fee: Even after fee waiver, the entry threshold is ₹25 Lakh annual spend — only viable if you can comfortably clear that spend.
• ₹2 Lakh Monthly Income Requirement: Salaried applicants need ₹2,00,000+ per month; self-employed need ₹24 Lakh per year ITR — restricts to the UHNI segment.
• 5,000 RP/Statement Cycle Cap: Combined cap on Utility + Insurance + Education + Government payments category — points earned beyond 5,000 per cycle are reversed.
• Standard Reward Exclusions: No points on fuel, rent, EMI conversions, or government payments.
• Statement Cashback is Poor: 1 RP = ₹0.40 against statement credit — catalogue redemptions are strongly recommended to extract real value.
• High Late Payment Fees: Sliding-scale ₹100 to ₹1,300 on total outstanding; failure to pay the minimum due triggers 3.75% per month interest.
• No Public Downgrade Path: Top-of-stack super-premium card with no public downgrade option — once sourced, retention is the only path.

Reward Spends & Categories

Times Black ICICI Bank earns Reward Points with a 5,000 RP/cycle cap on excluded categories (verified from the live ICICI page and FAQ):

Category Spend	Earning Rate / Reward Points
🌐 International Spend	2.5 Reward Points per ₹100 (≈2.5% catalogue / 1.0% statement)
🛒 Domestic Retail Spend	2 Reward Points per ₹100 (≈2% catalogue / 0.8% statement)
✈️ Flights & Hotels (International)	2.5 RP per ₹100 via Visa international rails
🛍️ Online Shopping	2 RP per ₹100 on domestic portals
🏪 Offline Retail	2 RP per ₹100 retail
🥦 Groceries	2 RP per ₹100 (no separate acceleration)
💡 Utility Bill Payments	2 RP per ₹100 (capped at 5,000 RP/cycle along with Insurance + Education + Government)
🛡️ Insurance Premiums	2 RP per ₹100 (counts toward 5,000 RP/cycle cap)
🎓 Education Transactions	2 RP per ₹100 (counts toward 5,000 RP/cycle cap)
🏛️ Government & Tax Payments	2 RP per ₹100 (counts toward 5,000 RP/cycle cap — also excluded)
🏠 Rent Transactions	0% (Rent spends completely excluded)
⛽ Fuel Transactions	0% (1% surcharge waiver applies, no points earned)
💳 Wallet Loads	0% (No points)
💰 Cash Advances	0% (No points)
📅 EMI Conversions	0% (No points — points are reversed)

Reward Point Redemption Value

Times Black’s redemption landscape:

• Statement Credit: 1 Reward Point = ₹0.40
• ICICI Brand Catalogue (Health, Travel, Shopping, Electronics, Fashion, Home): Up to 1 RP = ₹1
• Air-mile Transfers: Not supported.
• Redemption Fee: ₹99 per redemption request.

[!TIP] Catalogue redemption is essential — at ₹0.40/RP statement value, even the 2 RP/₹100 base rate translates to only 0.8% cashback. Catalogue redemptions flip this to 2% on domestic spend and 2.5% on international.

Airport Lounge & Travel Perks

The lounge benefits on Times Black are the headline feature — confirmed on the live ICICI page:

[!IMPORTANT]

• Domestic Airport Lounges: Unlimited complimentary access via Dreamfolks — primary and Plus cardholders, no quarterly spend gate.
• International Airport Lounges: Unlimited complimentary accesses via Priority Pass — primary and Plus cardholders across 1,400+ lounges in 145+ countries.
• No Spend Gate: Standing benefits — no quarterly milestone required to unlock.
• CFAR Refund: Up to ₹12,000 refund on cancellation charges for domestic flight + hotel bookings via participating partners (CFAR benefit).
• 1.49% Forex Markup: Among the lowest in India — international spending is significantly cheaper vs. standard 3.5%.
• Atlys + OneVasco Visa Benefits: Welcome benefit — travel-visa services via Atlys and OneVasco (separate from milestones).

Annual Milestone Vouchers

Times Black has 4 annual milestones, all on anniversary-year spend tiers:

Spend Threshold	Milestone Benefit	Value
₹2 Lakh	Klook international experience voucher	₹10,000
₹5 Lakh	WeWork day passes (India) OR airport transfers via Thumby Aviation / Avis / Indian Travel House	₹10,000
₹10 Lakh	Tata CLiQ Luxury Gift Card	₹10,000
₹20 Lakh	One night luxury stay at Ayatana or Lohono	₹20,000
₹25 Lakh	Annual fee waived for the next year	₹23,600 (incl. GST)

[!NOTE] Milestone benefits can be accessed through the Times Black app for six months from the date of eligibility notification.

Welcome Benefits — Annual Joining Bundle

The welcome bundle on fee payment (delivered via email within 45 business days of joining fee payment):

• EaseMyTrip Luxury Stay Gift Card worth ₹10,000 OR Lohono Gift Card worth ₹12,000
• Lifestyle Gift Cards: Toni and Guy ₹3,000 + Interflora ₹1,000
• Zomato Gold Annual Membership for exclusive dining privileges
• Travel visa benefits via Atlys and OneVasco

Total welcome-bundle headline value: ~₹26,000 (selecting Lohono + lifestyle cards + Zomato Gold).

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The Times Black ICICI Bank Credit Card is invite-only — application routing is via timesblack.com for pre-approved Times Internet / UHNI segments. For official terms, refer to the Times Black card page and the CFAR claim process. Premium concierge: 1800-26-70731.