ICICI Rubyx Credit Card
ICICI Rubyx is an expensive card (₹5,000/year) that derives almost all its value from the BookMyShow BOGO (buy one get one) movie offer. If you watch 2 or more movies a month at PVR, Inox, or BookMyShow partner cinemas, the BOGO alone can save ₹4,800-9,600 per year — exceeding the fee. Without the movie habit, the 0.5% base reward rate on a ₹5,000 fee card is an embarrassingly poor deal.
By Ashutosh · Updated June 2026
The BOGO math: BookMyShow tickets average ₹350-600 each. Getting one free per transaction (BOGO) on 2 transactions per month saves ₹700-1,200/month or ₹8,400-14,400/year. Against the ₹5,000 fee, this is strongly net positive for regular cinema-goers. But ICICI typically caps the BOGO benefit at 2 free tickets per month (verify current terms). Complimentary Rubyx eligibility via ICICI Bank relationships (certain account types) eliminates the fee calculation entirely, making it excellent value for those holders.
Someone who watches 4+ movies a month in cinemas AND holds an ICICI Bank account that makes the card complimentary — or a household where the combined BOGO savings exceed ₹5,000/year.
You watch movies rarely (once a month or less) and your spending is spread across general categories — the 0.5% base rate does not justify ₹5,000/year under any reasonable scenario.
2 pts/₹100 retail (0.5%), 1 pt/₹100 utility (0.25%) · 1pt = ₹0.25 · 2,500 welcome points
PROS
- Movie BOGO
- Dining discounts
- Decent lounge access
CONS
- ₹5,000 fee is high for 0.5% rate
- Low utility rate
- Better options available at lower fees
- BookMyShow BOGO Movie Tickets: Buy one, get one free on movie tickets booked via BookMyShow — the card's signature benefit. At 2 uses per month with an average ticket price of ₹450, you save ₹900/month or ₹10,800/year in free tickets. This single benefit alone covers the ₹5,000 fee more than twice over for regular moviegoers.
- Dining at ICICI Culinary Treats Partners: ICICI Rubyx provides dining discounts at partner restaurants through the Culinary Treats program. Discounts typically range from 15-25% at 2,000+ restaurants across major Indian cities. At ₹6,000/month on dining at partner restaurants, a 20% discount saves ₹1,200/month or ₹14,400/year — a strong secondary benefit.
- Domestic Lounge Access: 4 complimentary domestic airport lounge visits per year. At ₹650 per visit, this is ₹2,600 in saved lounge fees annually. Not the strongest lounge benefit at this fee tier, but adds up alongside movie savings for frequent travelers who also watch films regularly.
- Milestone-Based Reward Upgrades: ICICI Rubyx may offer accelerated reward points on milestone spend thresholds. On crossing ₹2,00,000 in annual spend, additional bonus points are credited. For high-spending cardholders who use Rubyx as a primary card across all categories, the milestone bonus partially compensates for the low base rate.
Rubyx earns 0.5% on groceries and general online shopping. Amazon Pay ICICI (free) earns 5% on Amazon and 1% elsewhere. On ₹30,000/month mixed spend, Amazon Pay ICICI returns ₹600-1,500/month versus Rubyx's ₹150/month — and costs nothing in annual fee.
Rubyx earns 0.5% on travel bookings and has limited lounge access (4 domestic visits). Axis Atlas earns 5 EDGE Miles per ₹100 on travel platforms (worth approximately 2.5%) and provides unlimited Priority Pass lounge access after milestone. At ₹50,000+ annual travel spend, Atlas returns ₹1,250+ versus Rubyx's ₹250.
Rubyx has no fuel benefit and earns only 0.5% on fuel transactions, making you net negative after the 1.8% surcharge. ICICI HPCL Super Saver at ₹1,000/year gives 2.5% plus surcharge waiver — the better ICICI card for fuel spend at one-fifth the fee.
If you want a premium card without the cinema dependency, HDFC Regalia Gold at ₹2,500/year earns 4X points on all spends plus international lounge access through Priority Pass. It costs ₹2,500 less per year than Rubyx and provides better general rewards for non-movie-focused users.
Rubyx handles movies and dining. Amazon Pay ICICI (free) handles Amazon purchases at 5%. This combo covers two large lifestyle spend categories — entertainment and e-commerce — at the Rubyx fee only. No incremental fee for adding Amazon Pay ICICI.
Rubyx covers movies and dining. Super Saver fills the fuel gap at 2.5% plus surcharge waiver. Both are ICICI cards, simplifying account management. Combined, the two handle your main lifestyle categories — fuel, food, and films.
View ICICI HPCL Super Saver Credit Card →Use Rubyx for movies and dining where it excels. Use SBI Cashback (₹999/year) as your primary online card at 5% on all online spends. Between the two, movies give BOGO value and online shopping returns 5% — total fee is ₹5,999 but total benefit for high-spend users can be ₹20,000+ annually.
View SBI Cashback Card →Is the BookMyShow BOGO benefit capped per month?
Yes, ICICI Bank caps the BOGO benefit. As of mid-2026, the cap is typically 2 free tickets per calendar month (one from each transaction where you buy one ticket and get one free). Maximum free tickets earned annually are therefore approximately 24. Verify the current cap in ICICI's credit card benefits page, as caps have been revised in the past.
Can ICICI account holders get Rubyx complimentary?
Yes. Certain ICICI Bank private banking and wealth management account types (Wealth, Private, and some premium savings accounts) come with complimentary Rubyx or even Emeralde cards. If you hold a qualifying ICICI relationship, ask your relationship manager — you may not need to pay the ₹5,000 fee at all.
What is the reward point redemption value on ICICI Rubyx?
ICICI Rubyx earns ICICI Reward Points that can be redeemed via the ICICI iMobile or internet banking platform. The redemption rate varies — points are worth approximately ₹0.25-0.50 per point depending on the redemption category. At 0.5% base earning rate (low) and variable redemption value, the reward points aspect of this card is secondary to its lifestyle benefits.
Does Rubyx have international lounge access?
No. Rubyx provides 4 domestic airport lounge visits per year but no international lounge access. If international lounges matter, ICICI Emeralde (higher tier) or cards with Priority Pass access like Axis Atlas or HDFC Regalia are better suited.
What happens to my Rubyx card if my ICICI account is closed?
The credit card and the savings account are technically separate products. Closing your ICICI savings account does not automatically close the credit card. However, any complimentary card eligibility tied to the account relationship would lapse, and ICICI may charge the standard ₹5,000 annual fee at renewal.
Is there a Rubyx Visa and a Rubyx Mastercard version?
Yes, ICICI Rubyx has historically been available in both Visa and Mastercard variants. The benefits are identical across networks — the difference is only in which payment network processes your transactions. Both have the same BOGO, lounge, and dining benefits.
Can the BOGO be used for OTT streaming ticket bookings or only physical cinema?
The BOGO is for physical movie ticket bookings via BookMyShow — at partner cinemas like PVR Inox, Cinepolis, and others listed on BookMyShow. It does not apply to BookMyShow OTT subscriptions or streaming rentals. The benefit is cinema-seat specific.