What Real Users Are Saying About the Times Black ICICI Bank Credit Card? 

I spent the last few weeks diving deep into user experiences around the Times Black ICICI Bank Credit Card — not through marketing brochures or glossy press releases, but through real conversations on r/CreditCardsIndia and related communities. 

This post is my effort to share everything: excitement, frustrations, and everything in between, so you can decide if this premium card deserves a spot in your wallet.

How the ICICI Times Black Card position itself? 

ICICI and Times Internet teamed up to create the Times Black: a premium lifestyle card that promises travel privileges, high reward multipliers, and curated experiences.

With an annual fee of around ₹20,000 (plus taxes), it’s intended to sit in the same bracket as HDFC Infinia or Axis Magnus, but with the Times Group’s lifestyle twist (exclusive events, concierge perks, etc.).

What Real Users Love about Times Black ICICI Credit Card? 

Let’s start on a positive note: because quite a few users have reported genuinely rewarding experiences with this card.

1. The Reward Multiplier that Impresses

Several posts highlight that the biggest draw of Times Black is its accelerated reward rate when using the iShop/voucher portal. Some users have reported effective returns reaching double digits when optimized through the right vouchers (source).

“If you’re smart about using the iShop portal, the returns can be ridiculous — easily 8–12% on certain spends,” wrote one user in their detailed seven-month usage review (Reddit link).

2. Milestone Rewards Done Right

For those with high monthly spends, the card seems generous with milestone perks. Users mentioned luxury hotel vouchers, airport transfer credits, and exclusive gift experiences as part of the reward mix. These can substantially offset the steep annual fee if you’re able to hit spend thresholds consistently

3. Travel Benefits with a Lifestyle Touch

Frequent travellers have appreciated the lounge access, visa service support, and concierge benefits. 

For many, the CribLife lifestyle program added a touch of novelty, with event invitations like the “Iconic Evening at the Red Fort” experience covered by mainstream news (TOI coverage).

Where Users Hit Roadblocks with ICICI Times Black? 

1. The Devaluation Story

Easily the most discussed (and most disliked) development around Times Black was the reward point devaluation. In mid-2024, users noticed their redemption value quietly drop from ₹1 per reward point to ₹0.6 for many vouchers (source). That’s a 40% haircut overnight. As one Redditor put it:

“It went from looking like a true premium card to just another typical high-fee option overnight.”

Even after some partial revaluation updates, many users remained wary, calling the frequent reward structure shifts confusing and trust‐eroding.

2. High Spending Threshold for Fee Waiver

The fee waiver conditions reportedly require around ₹25 lakh in annual spends (source). 

That’s a big number, not easy to hit unless you’re charging almost every business and travel expense to the card. For most users, it ends up being a “fee justified only if optimized” kind of card, not one that automatically delivers value.

3. Redemption and Portal Glitches

Several people wrote about redemption limitations and ecosystem hiccups. Caps on voucher redemptions, slow crediting of accelerated points, and an inactive bill payment option within the Times Black app were recurring themes (source).

“The portal is fancy but half the time doesn’t load. It’s not exactly a seamless experience for something labeled ‘super-premium’.”

4. Complexity Fatigue

Another sentiment that stood out, especially on threads like ‘Who buys Times Black?’, is that some users feel the product tries to do too much. It combines travel, lifestyle, vouchers, milestones, portals, and experiential perks: but in practice, you need to remember too many rules to get your money’s worth.

As one user summed it up: “I bought into the idea of a lifestyle card. Ended up tracking spreadsheets of voucher caps.”

Is It the Right Cardfor You?

If your typical lifestyle involves frequent travel, high‐value online shopping, or corporate spends that easily cross ₹20–25 lakh annually, this card can offer serious value when managed actively. The milestone gifts and accelerated rewards can genuinely offset the high fee.

But for anyone who prefers simplicity, fixed cashback, or doesn’t redeem regularly through portals, the Times Black can feel overengineered. The uncertainty around reward valuations is also something to keep in mind.

Here’s How Real Users Look at the Card? 

• Optimizers: Love the high multipliers and perks (example).
• Minimalists: Find it too much work for too little clarity (example).
• New premium explorers: See it as an entry-level “luxury” card before upgrading to HDFC Infinia or DCB Metal (example).

My Personal Take about ICICI Times Black Credit Card?

I like that ICICI is trying to stretch beyond its comfort zone with this product. It’s elegant, tech-driven, and brings a mix of local Indian lifestyle perks with global travel polish. But personally, I’d rather keep my premium card experience simple: clear reward math, fewer moving parts, easy redemption. For me, “devaluation surprise” doesn’t sit well, no matter how good the event invites are.

If you’re self-disciplined, detail-oriented, and enjoy squeezing maximum value from multipliers, this is an exciting sandbox. But if you’re the “Amazon ICICI Cashback Card and chill” type (like I am most days), you might find this card a bit too aspirational for its own good.

 In short: Times Black is a card for optimizers, not for casual users. Make sure your spend pattern matches its design before you sign that form.

Want To Explore Further?

Check out this real review where I've broken down everything related to Times Black ICICI credit card based on what real users like you and me look out for in a credit card.