ICICI Bank Coral Credit Card Review

ICICI Bank Coral Credit Card Review

At a Glance

Joining Fee ₹500 + GST (₹590 all-in)
Annual Fee ₹500 + GST from year two, waived if you spent ₹1.5 lakh in the previous year
Best Suited For Salaried users earning ₹20,000 a month or more who want a cheap first ICICI card with spend-linked lounge and movie perks
Reward Type ICICI Bank Reward Points

The ICICI Bank Coral Credit Card is ICICI’s entry-level rewards card. It costs ₹500 + GST to join and the same every year, and the renewal fee goes away once you spend ₹1.5 lakh in a year.

It earns 2 reward points per ₹100 on retail spends, plus milestone points of up to 10,000 a year. Lounge visits and BookMyShow discounts are included, but both unlock only after you hit a quarterly spend target.

This review explains those targets, the categories that earn nothing, and who should pick a different card.

Rewards & Benefits

Reward rate and earn structure

Spend Reward points per ₹100 Points capped above
Retail spends 2 No cap published
Utilities and insurance 1 ₹40,000 each per statement cycle
Grocery and department stores 2 ₹20,000 per statement cycle
Transportation, such as metro and toll 2 ₹10,000 per statement cycle
Rent, fuel, wallet loads and cash 0 Not applicable

The caps are spend limits per statement cycle. Spends above them still go through but earn no points. ICICI also counts government payments as utility payments for rewards.

Redemption and point value

You redeem points on the ICICI Bank Rewards catalogue for products and vouchers across travel and luggage, electronics, home appliances, fashion, and health and beauty.

ICICI does not publish a fixed rupee value per point for Coral, so the value depends on the item you choose. Every catalogue redemption carries a ₹99 + GST handling fee.

Collect points and redeem in one go rather than in small lots. Reward points lapse if you cancel the card, so redeem them before you close it.

Milestone benefits

Spends in an anniversary year Bonus points
₹2 lakh 2,000
Every further ₹1 lakh 1,000
Maximum 10,000 a year, reached at ₹10 lakh

Rent, government and education payments, EMI transactions and fees do not count towards the milestones. On ₹2 lakh of spends, you would earn 4,000 base points plus 2,000 milestone points, 6,000 in total.

Lounges, movies and fuel

Benefit Allowance and condition
Domestic airport lounge 1 visit a quarter, after ₹75,000 of spends in the previous quarter
Railway lounge 1 visit a quarter, 4 a year
BookMyShow 25% off up to ₹100, after ₹25,000 of spends in the previous quarter
INOX 25% off up to ₹100, twice a month
Fuel surcharge waiver 1% on ₹400 to ₹4,000 at HPCL pumps

Spends in one quarter unlock the benefit for the next quarter. For BookMyShow, ICICI’s quarters run from the 26th, so ₹25,000 spent between 26 September and 25 December unlocks the offer for January to March. The airport lounge benefit is for the primary cardholder only.

ICICI’s card page describes the BookMyShow discount as twice a month, while its FAQ refers to 2 offers for the quarter. Check the BookMyShow offer page before you book. Add-on cardholders must hit the ₹25,000 target on their own.

The fuel waiver applies when you pay on an ICICI Merchant Services machine at HPCL, on fuel spends up to ₹50,000 a statement cycle.

RuPay variant extras

Coral comes on more than one network. The RuPay variant adds a ₹2 lakh personal accident cover and a 24×7 concierge, and as a RuPay card it can be linked to UPI apps. A RuPay Braille version is available for visually impaired customers.

Fees & Charges

Charge Amount
Joining fee ₹500 + GST
Annual fee ₹500 + GST, waived on ₹1.5 lakh spends in the previous year
Add-on card fee ₹199 + GST a year
Forex markup 3.5%
Interest rate 3.75% a month (45% a year)
Cash advance fee 2.5% of the amount, minimum ₹500
Late payment fee ₹100 to ₹1,300, based on the amount outstanding
Over-limit fee 2.5%, minimum ₹550
Rent payments 1% fee, no reward points
Fuel spends 1% fee on transactions above ₹10,000
Utility and transportation spends 1% fee on transactions above ₹50,000
Education fees via third-party apps 1% fee
Wallet loads 1% fee on loads of ₹5,000 or more
Skill-based gaming 2% fee
Redemption handling fee ₹99 per request

Fees are from ICICI Bank’s card page and MITC updated in October 2026, and 18% GST applies on top. The ₹1.5 lakh waiver works out to ₹12,500 a month, and the same exclusions as the milestones apply.

The charge that catches people out is the late fee slab. An outstanding of ₹1,001 to ₹5,000 costs ₹600 + GST, and ₹5,001 to ₹10,000 costs ₹750 + GST.

Eligibility & Documents Required

Criteria Requirement
Age 21 to 65 years
Salaried ₹20,000 a month
Self-employed ₹2,40,000 a year
Documents Proof of identity, proof of address and income proof

You must be an Indian citizen. ICICI also offers Coral against a fixed deposit with the same ₹500 fees, which can help if your income or credit history falls short.

Pros & Cons

Pros Cons
Low ₹500 fee, waived at ₹1.5 lakh Lounge needs ₹75,000 a quarter
Up to 10,000 milestone points a year No published fixed point value
Railway lounge visits without a spend target ₹99 + GST on each redemption
RuPay variant works on UPI No points on rent, fuel or wallet loads

ICICI Coral vs Competitors

Card Annual fee Fee waived at
ICICI Bank Coral ₹500 + GST ₹1.5 lakh a year
ICICI Bank Rubyx ₹2,000 + GST ₹3 lakh a year
SimplySAVE SBI Card ₹499 + GST ₹1 lakh a year
HDFC Bank MoneyBack ₹500 + GST ₹50,000 a year

Coral and Rubyx earn the same 2 points per ₹100 in India. Rubyx adds more perks for a fee four times higher, which pays off only for heavy spenders.

The SBI and HDFC cards cost the same and are easier to keep free, and both pay more on everyday categories such as groceries and online shopping.

How to Apply

Apply on the Coral Credit Card page of ICICI Bank’s website, or through iMobile and Net Banking if you already bank with ICICI. Choose your network variant, fill in your income and KYC details, and upload your documents.

Existing ICICI customers often see a pre-approved offer, which can speed up approval.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the ICICI Coral annual fee waived?

Yes, if you spend ₹1.5 lakh in the previous year. Rent, government and education payments, EMIs and fees do not count towards it.

How many lounge visits does ICICI Coral give?

1 domestic airport lounge visit a quarter, unlocked by ₹75,000 of spends in the previous quarter, plus 1 railway lounge visit a quarter.

What is the minimum salary for ICICI Coral?

₹20,000 a month for salaried applicants and ₹2.4 lakh a year for the self-employed. You must be 21 to 65 years old.

Does ICICI Coral earn points on fuel and rent?

No. Fuel, rent, wallet loads and cash withdrawals earn no points. Rent payments also attract a 1% fee.

Can I use ICICI Coral on UPI?

Yes, if you hold the RuPay variant. Link it to a UPI app and pay at merchant QR codes.

Bottom Line

Get the ICICI Bank Coral Credit Card if you want a low-cost first card from ICICI, spend at least ₹1.5 lakh a year to keep it free, and can reach ₹25,000 a quarter for the movie discounts. The RuPay variant adds UPI and insurance.

Skip it if you spend under ₹75,000 a quarter and want lounge access, because the airport visits will stay locked. Skip it too if you want simple cashback, since ICICI gives no fixed point value and charges ₹99 to redeem. A flat cashback card will serve you better.

Fees and features are as of October 2026. Check ICICI Bank’s site before applying.

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *