ICICI Coral Credit Card is the entry-level option in ICICI Bank’s Gemstone credit card series. Within the Coral family there are a few variants, including Coral Visa/MasterCard, Coral American Express, and Coral HPCL cards.
This article focuses on the Coral American Express variant, which I find to be the strongest option among the Coral cards. When used thoughtfully, it offers attractive returns for a starter-level credit card.
ICICI has adjusted the card’s benefits a few times; here is the current set of features and charges.
Table of Contents
- Fees
- Reward Points
- Benefits
- How to Apply?
- Bottomline
Fees
- Joining Fee: Rs. 500 + GST (no welcome vouchers)
- Annual Fee: Rs. 500 + GST (waived on annual spend of Rs. 1.5 lakh)
The annual fee waiver threshold is reasonable, though a welcome benefit would make the card more appealing initially.
Reward Points
- 2 PAYBACK Points per Rs. 100 spent on the card, excluding fuel. (Approx. reward rate: 0.5%)
- 4 PAYBACK Points per Rs. 100 on online transactions. (Approx. reward rate: 1%)
- 1 PAYBACK Point per Rs. 100 on utilities and insurance payments. (Approx. reward rate: 0.25%)
- Milestone #1: 2,000 PAYBACK Points on cumulative spend of Rs. 2,00,000
- Milestone #2: 1,000 PAYBACK Points for every additional Rs. 1,00,000 spent after the first Rs. 2,00,000, up to a cap of 10,000 PAYBACK Points per year
Based on these structures, the card’s benefits scale up to about Rs. 10 lakh of annual spending. Favoring online transactions maximizes rewards—the effective rate can reach roughly 1.25% when milestone bonuses are included.
Benefits
- Buy 1 Get 1 on BookMyShow (up to 2 free tickets per month, ticket value capped at Rs. 250 each)
- Buy 1 Get 1 on INOX (up to 2 free tickets per month, ticket value capped at Rs. 250 each)
- Complimentary airport lounge access: 1 per quarter
- Complimentary railway lounge access: 1 per quarter
- Access to ICICI Amex merchant offers and limited-time promotions
For an entry-level card, these rewards and privileges are impressive. One important caveat is that this is an American Express card, so merchant acceptance can be more limited than Visa or MasterCard. Cardholders who shop frequently at merchants that don’t accept Amex may face inconvenience.
How to Apply?
- New customers: Apply online or visit an ICICI branch
- Existing ICICI credit cardholders: Contact customer care to request this variant
In my experience, the card was issued within seven days of request with no fresh CIBIL enquiry when I applied while holding another ICICI American Express product. ICICI’s handling of multiple cards on a shared credit limit is user-friendly compared with some other banks.
Bottomline
- Cardexpert Rating: 4/5
If you want an ICICI-branded credit card, the Coral American Express is a sensible choice: low fees (with a clear waiver path), decent benefits, and access to ICICI Amex offers. It is also a good option for retaining a credit line with ICICI if you plan to simplify your wallet by closing other cards.
I also appreciate the card’s distinctive design, which was one of the reasons I chose it.
What do you think about the ICICI Bank Coral American Express Credit Card?