3 pts / ₹100 · Up to 36 pts / ₹100 on Hsbc Travel With Points Hotels
Strong dataHSBC India Premier vs ICICI Bank Times Black Credit Cards – Fees, Lounge, Forex
Side-by-side comparison of the HSBC India Premier and the ICICI Bank Times Black. Verify fees, lounge access, forex markup, and base rewards before you apply.
The short answer
VerdictPick Premier for travel and spending abroad.
Pick Times Black for lounge access.
Head-to-head
Three core metrics- Annual fee Premier ₹20,000 Annual-fee waiver not offeredTimes Black ₹20,000 Waivable at ₹25,00,000 spend
- Forex markup Premier saves ~₹500 per ₹1L abroadPremier 0.99%Times Black 1.49%
- Domestic lounge Times Black has unlimited domestic visitsPremier 24/year (6 per quarter)Times Black Unlimited
Reward earning explained
Per card2 pts / ₹100
Strong dataPick based on what matters
4 dimensionsStart with the constraint you care about most: annual fee (HSBC India Premier: ₹20,000 vs ICICI Bank Times Black: ₹20,000), forex markup (0.99% vs 1.49%), or lounge access (24/year (6 per quarter) vs Unlimited).
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Travel HSBC India Premier wins HSBC India Premier is better for travel
HSBC India Premier is stronger here. Forex markup is 0.99%.
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Forex markup HSBC India Premier wins HSBC India Premier is better for forex
HSBC India Premier is stronger here. Forex markup is 0.99%.
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Lounge access ICICI Bank Times Black wins ICICI Bank Times Black is better for lounge access
ICICI Bank Times Black is stronger here. ICICI Bank Times Black offers unlimited domestic lounge visits versus 24 per year.
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Rewards Insufficient data Insufficient data to compare rewards
Available evidence is incomplete: HSBC India Premier is not safely INR-comparable (no usable point value). ICICI Bank Times Black conservative base value ~0.8% per ₹100.
All fields
Example usage at this monthly spend
At ₹50k/month spend:
- Times Black ICICI Bank: ~₹400/month at base rate
- HSBC Premier: Base earn not clearly specified
Illustrative only, using current base rates before caps.
| Field | Premier HSBC India | Times Black ICICI Bank |
|---|---|---|
| Insurance — Air accident cover Only available for Times Black ICICI Bank | Not specified | ₹3 crore |
| Insurance — Lost card liability cover ₹3 lakh vs ₹50,000 | ₹3 lakh | ₹50,000 |
| Insurance — Underwriter | Insured by ICICI Lombard General Insurance Company Limited | Insured by ICICI Lombard General Insurance Company Limited |
| Lounge Access | ||
| Domestic lounge visits 24/year (6 per quarter) vs Unlimited | 24/year (6 per quarter) | Unlimited |
| International lounge visits 2 per year vs Unlimited | 2 per year | Unlimited |
| Forex / International Use | ||
| Forex markup Same forex; compare fee and lounge rows. 0.99% vs 1.49% | 0.99% | 1.49% |
| Fees | ||
| Recurring annual fee | ₹20,000 | ₹20,000 |
| Annual-fee waiver Not offered vs ₹25,00,000 | Not offered | ₹25,00,000 |
| Interest-free period Only available for Times Black ICICI Bank | Not specified | Up to 48 days |
| Monthly interest rate 2.99% / month vs 3.75% / month | 2.99% / month | 3.75% / month |
| Fuel benefit 1% surcharge waiver · ₹400–₹4,000 transactions vs 1% surcharge waiver · up to ₹4,000 transactions | 1% surcharge waiver · ₹400–₹4,000 transactions | 1% surcharge waiver · up to ₹4,000 transactions |
| Rewards | ||
| Points per ₹100 3 pts / ₹100 vs 2 pts / ₹100 | 3 pts / ₹100 | 2 pts / ₹100 |
| Conservative base value Not safely INR-comparable vs ~0.8% | Not safely INR-comparable | ~0.8% |
| Earn ceiling 18,000 points per month — shared across Hsbc Travel With Points Cars, Hsbc Travel With Points Flights & Hsbc Travel With Points Hotels vs Not stated | 18,000 points per month — shared across Hsbc Travel With Points Cars, Hsbc Travel With Points Flights & Hsbc Travel With Points Hotels | Not stated |
| Point value (headline channel) Issuer headline redemption rate — see each card page for the full channel grid. Only available for Times Black ICICI Bank | Not specified | ₹0.4 |
Notes
- Card benefits change frequently. Always verify current terms on the issuer's official website or app before applying.
HSBC India Premier
Verify with issuer , opens external siteICICI Bank Times Black
Verify with issuer , opens external site