HDFC Bank INFINIA Credit Card Metal Edition vs Times Black ICICI Bank Credit Card
Last verified 20 Oct 2026 · how we compare
Side by side
| Feature | HDFC Bank INFINIA Credit Card Metal Edition | Times Black ICICI Bank Credit Card |
|---|---|---|
| Issuer | HDFC Bank | ICICI Bank |
| Joining fee | ₹12,500 | ₹20,000 |
| Annual fee | ₹12,500 | ₹20,000 |
| Fee waiver | Renewal fee waived if you spend ₹10 lakh or more in the 12 months before your renewal date. Paying the joining fee, and each renewal fee, earns 12,500 reward points (worth ₹12,500 on HDFC SmartBuy flights and hotels). No joining fee waiver is offered. | From the second year, the ₹20,000 annual fee is waived if you spent ₹25 lakh or more in the previous card year. Rent, government, education and EMI payments don't count towards it. Paying the joining fee within the first two statements unlocks the welcome benefits: a ₹12,000 Lohono or ₹10,000 EaseMyTrip stay voucher, ₹10,000 of visa services (Atlys and OneVasco), Toni&Guy and Interflora vouchers (₹3,000 and ₹1,000) and a year of Zomato Gold. |
| Everyday spends (value back) | 3.33% | 2% |
| Online shopping (value back) | 3.33% | 2% |
| Fuel (value back) | 0% | 0% |
| Groceries (value back) | 3.33% | 2% |
| Travel (value back) | 3.33% | 2% |
| Bills and utilities (value back) | 3.33% | 2% |
| Dining and food delivery (value back) | 3.33% | 2% |
| Rewards in short | 5 reward points per ₹150: about 3.3% back if you use the points for flights and hotels on HDFC SmartBuy (₹1 a point), or up to 1% as statement credit (up to ₹0.30 a point). Up to 10 times the points on travel and shopping through SmartBuy, within 15,000 bonus points a month. Fuel, rent, wallet loads and government payments earn nothing. | 2% back in reward points on spends in India and 2.5% abroad, if you use the points where ICICI values them at their best (up to ₹1 a point). Taken as statement credit a point is worth ₹0.40, so 0.8% in India and 1% abroad. Milestone rewards worth ₹10,000 each at ₹2 lakh, ₹5 lakh and ₹10 lakh of yearly spend (Klook, airport transfers or WeWork passes, Tata CLiQ Luxury) and a ₹20,000 luxury stay at ₹20 lakh. Fuel and rent earn nothing. |
| Works on UPI | No | No |
| Airport lounge | Unlimited lounge visits in India by swiping the card and unlimited visits abroad through Priority Pass, for the primary cardholder and each add-on cardholder, with no spend condition. Add-on cardholders need their own Priority Pass abroad, and guests pay $27 plus GST a visit. | Unlimited lounge visits in India by swiping the card and unlimited visits abroad through Priority Pass, for the primary cardholder and add-on cardholders, with no spend condition. Guests pay $29 plus GST a visit abroad. |
| Forex markup | 2% | 1.49% |
| Fuel surcharge waiver | 1% waiver on fuel transactions of ₹400 to ₹1 lakh, capped at ₹1,000 per statement cycle. Fuel earns no points, and HDFC Bank charges a 1% fee on single fuel transactions above ₹15,000. | 1% waiver at all petrol pumps, up to ₹1,000 of waiver per statement cycle under the card's own terms. ICICI's general fee schedule limits all-pump waivers to ₹50,000 of fuel spend a cycle (₹500 of waiver), so the lower limit may apply. GST on the surcharge isn't refunded at non-HPCL pumps, and fuel payments above ₹10,000 carry a 1% fee. |
| Card network | Not published by the bank | Visa |
| Minimum income (salaried) | Not published by the bank | ₹2,00,000 a month |
Value back is the % of spend you get at the bank's published redemption value. “–” means the bank doesn't publish it. Fees exclude GST.
Which one to pick
Pick the HDFC Bank INFINIA Credit Card Metal Edition if
HDFC Bank has invited you and you'll redeem points for flights and hotels on SmartBuy
₹12,500 joining, ₹12,500 a year
Pick the Times Black ICICI Bank Credit Card if
you can't get an Infinia invitation, or you'll use Times Black's vouchers and milestone rewards
₹20,000 joining, ₹20,000 a year
CreditParakh is not a bank or lender. Approval, limits and final terms are decided by the issuer.
Questions people ask
Which earns more, HDFC Infinia or Times Black?
Infinia, at the values each bank publishes: 5 points per ₹150, about 3.3% when points go to flights and hotels on SmartBuy, or at most 1% as statement credit. Times Black earns 2% in India and 2.5% abroad where ICICI values points at up to ₹1, or 0.8% and 1% as statement credit. Times Black adds milestone rewards worth ₹10,000 each at ₹2 lakh, ₹5 lakh and ₹10 lakh of yearly spend, and a ₹20,000 stay at ₹20 lakh.
Can I apply for Infinia or Times Black?
Times Black, yes: ICICI's Apply button leads to the Times Black website, for Indian citizens aged 21 or over earning ₹2 lakh a month (salaried) or ₹24 lakh a year (self-employed). Infinia is by invitation only: HDFC Bank picks customers and publishes no income or age criteria. Keeping Infinia needs ₹18 lakh of card spend a financial year or ₹50 lakh of average balances with HDFC Bank.
Which is better for spending abroad?
Times Black charges a lower forex markup (1.49% against Infinia's 2%) and earns 2.5% on spends abroad. Infinia's 3.3% earn rate at SmartBuy values is still higher. Both give unlimited Priority Pass lounge visits abroad; guests pay $27 plus GST a visit on Infinia and $29 plus GST on Times Black.
Do they earn on bills and fuel?
Infinia earns on utility and telecom bills up to 2,000 points a month each, but nothing on government payments. Times Black earns on utility bills, insurance, education and government payments up to 5,000 points a statement cycle across all four. Neither earns on fuel, rent or wallet loads. Infinia waives the 1% fuel surcharge up to ₹1,000 a statement cycle; Times Black's terms say the same, but ICICI's general fee schedule may limit it to ₹500.
Full details: HDFC Bank INFINIA Credit Card Metal Edition · Times Black ICICI Bank Credit Card · find the card that fits your spending
Last verified 20 Oct 2026 on each issuer's official page. Fees and rewards change; check the issuer's terms before you apply.