Several significant changes are coming to HDFC and ICICI Bank credit cards starting July 1, 2025, impacting fees, reward points, and lounge access. Here’s a breakdown of what you need to know to prepare for these changes.
HDFC Bank is implementing a series of revisions to its credit card charges and reward programs, effective July 1, 2025. These changes cover various transaction types, including wallet loading, online gaming, utility payments, and rent payments.
Wallet Loading: A 1% charge will apply if you load third-party wallets like PayTM, Mobikwik, Freecharge, or Ola Money with more than ₹10,000 per month using your HDFC Bank credit card. The charge is applicable on the entire wallet loading spend for the month and is capped at ₹4,999 per month. However, loading wallets via HDFC Bank's PayZapp is exempted from these charges.
Online Skill-Based Gaming: Transactions on online skill-based gaming platforms such as Dream11, Rummy Culture, Junglee Games, and MPL exceeding ₹10,000 per month will incur a 1% charge. This charge is also capped at ₹4,999 per month, and no reward points will be earned on these transactions.
Utility Payments: For utility transactions, a 1% charge will be levied if your monthly spending exceeds ₹50,000 on consumer cards or ₹75,000 on business cards. The charge applies to the entire utility spend for the month, with a maximum cap of ₹4,999. Insurance transactions are excluded from this charge.
Rent Payments: A 1% fee will be levied on all rent payment transactions, capped at ₹4,999 per month.
Reward Points on Insurance Transactions: HDFC Bank is capping reward points on insurance transactions. Infinia and Infinia Metal credit cards will have a limit of 10,000 reward points per month. Diners Black, Diners Black Metal, and Biz Black Metal cards will be capped at 5,000 per month. All other cards will have a limit of 2,000 per month. The Marriott Bonvoy card is an exception, with no capping on reward points for insurance transactions.
Lounge Access: Starting June 10, 2025, Tata Neu Infinity and Tata Neu Plus credit cardholders will no longer gain direct access to domestic airport lounges by swiping their cards. Instead, access will be granted via vouchers based on quarterly spending milestones.
Rent, Fuel, and Education Payments: The maximum charge per transaction for rent, fuel, and education categories is capped at ₹4,999. The existing 1% charge will continue to apply to all rent transactions, fuel transactions exceeding ₹15,000/₹30,000 per transaction, and education transactions done via third-party apps. Payments made directly through college/school websites or their POS machines will not incur these charges.
ICICI Bank is also introducing changes to its credit card rules, primarily affecting airport lounge access, effective July 1, 2025.
Airport Lounge Access: Eligible ICICI Bank credit cardholders can avail of free lounge access at select domestic airports, provided they meet a minimum spending threshold. Cardholders need to spend a minimum of ₹75,000 in the previous quarter to avail of free domestic airport lounge access in the next quarter. For instance, spending ₹75,000 between March 26, 2025, and June 25, 2025, will grant free lounge access from July 1, 2025, to September 30, 2025. This rule applies only to select ICICI credit cards, with premium cards like Emeralde, Diamant, Adani One, MakeMyTrip, and Times Black cards being exempted.
Exclusions from Spending Threshold: Certain spends will not be counted towards the minimum ₹75,000 required for lounge access. These include rent payments, education-related payments, transactions involving government payments, joining/annual fees, late fees, interest charges and principal, transactions such as reward redemption, EMI payments, cancellations, reversals, and credit balance refunds.
These changes from HDFC and ICICI Bank aim to regulate specific expenses and strengthen financial tracking. If you use credit cards for services like wallet loading, online gaming, utility payments, or rent, it's essential to plan your spending accordingly to avoid the new charges. For ICICI Bank cardholders, tracking your spending to meet the lounge access criteria is crucial if you wish to continue enjoying this benefit. By understanding these changes, cardholders can make informed decisions to optimize their credit card usage and minimize potential costs.
