ICICI MakeMyTrip Signature Review: One Fee, Then Free

The MakeMyTrip ICICI Bank Signature card suits people who book trips on MakeMyTrip a few times a year and don't want another annual fee. You pay ₹2,500 once, the welcome benefits return more than that, and after that it costs nothing to hold. The weak spots are a 3.5% forex markup and a 6% booking rate that's capped at ₹1,500 a month.

Who it's for

This card is for domestic travellers who already use MakeMyTrip for flights, hotels or holiday packages and want a fee-free card that rewards it. It also works for people who take the train often, thanks to a quarterly railway lounge visit. It isn't for frequent international travellers, people who book directly with airlines, or anyone hoping to earn transferable airline miles.

Fees and waiver

The joining fee is ₹2,500 and the annual fee is ₹0, so it's effectively lifetime free from year two. You don't need to chase a spend threshold to keep it, which is rare for a card with lounge access. In the first year, ICICI credits ₹1,500 as MyCash, MakeMyTrip's wallet credit, plus a MakeMyTrip holiday voucher worth ₹2,500 within 45 days of joining. If you'll use both, that's ₹4,000 of value against the ₹2,500 fee. The minimum income is ₹30,000 a month.

Reward structure

BestCard's data lists two earning rates:

• 6% on MakeMyTrip bookings, capped at ₹1,500 a month
• 2% on everything else

The rewards are tied to MakeMyTrip's MyCash ecosystem, so treat them as travel credit rather than cash and check how ICICI credits non-MakeMyTrip spend before you rely on it. The ₹1,500 monthly cap matters more than it first appears, because travel spend is lumpy. You reach the cap at ₹25,000 of bookings in a single month, and anything above that earns no extra.

Worked example

Say you spend ₹30,000 a month on the card, averaging ₹8,000 on MakeMyTrip.

• MakeMyTrip: ₹8,000 × 6% = ₹480
• Everything else: ₹22,000 × 2% = ₹440
• Total: ₹920 a month, or about ₹11,040 a year

Now look at timing. If that ₹96,000 of annual booking spend is really one ₹60,000 holiday plus smaller trips, the big month earns only ₹1,500 instead of ₹3,600. Spreading bookings across months, booking flights and hotels separately where it makes sense, gets you closer to the full 6%.

Lounge, travel and other benefits

• Domestic airport lounges: 2 visits a quarter, up to 8 a year, subject to a quarterly spend condition. Our records disagree on the threshold, with one field listing ₹75,000 of quarterly spend and another ₹5,000, so confirm the current figure with ICICI before counting on it.
• Railway lounges: 1 visit a quarter, a useful perk for regular train travellers. Our guide to railway lounge access lists which stations have them.
• International lounges: 1 visit a year via DreamFolks.
• MMTBLACK Platinum membership: complimentary, which brings MakeMyTrip's member pricing and perks.

These details come from BestCard's latest card data. ICICI and MakeMyTrip update this card's terms periodically, so verify on ICICI's site before applying.

Getting the most from it

A few simple habits lift the card's value. Book flights and hotels as separate transactions where the price is the same, so a single big trip doesn't blow through the ₹1,500 monthly cap in one go. Use the ₹2,500 holiday voucher and ₹1,500 MyCash early, before you forget about them or they lapse, and check their validity in the MakeMyTrip app. Keep an eye on your quarterly spend if you want the domestic airport lounge visits, since they depend on it. And because 2% on everyday spend is respectable but not exceptional, it's fine to use the card for daily purchases when you don't hold a stronger cashback card. Finally, keep a zero or low forex card for trips abroad, so the 3.5% markup never eats into what you've earned.

Pros and cons

Pros

• No annual fee after the one-time ₹2,500 joining fee
• ₹1,500 MyCash and a ₹2,500 holiday voucher on joining
• 6% on MakeMyTrip bookings and 2% on other spend
• Complimentary MMTBLACK Platinum membership
• Railway lounge access every quarter, plus domestic airport lounges

Cons

• 6% earning is capped at ₹1,500 a month, which a single holiday can exceed
• Rewards are tied to MakeMyTrip rather than flexible cash or miles
• Only 1 international lounge visit a year
• 3.5% forex markup makes it a poor card to use abroad

Eligibility

ICICI lists a minimum income of ₹30,000 a month. As with most cards, approval also depends on your credit history and existing relationship with the bank. If you're unsure where you stand, the card matcher can show cards that fit your profile.

How it compares

MakeMyTrip ICICI Bank Credit Card: the other mid-range MakeMyTrip card costs ₹999 a year, waived on ₹3 lakh, and earns 3% on travel and 1% elsewhere. Its big advantage is a 0.99% forex markup, far better than the Signature's 3.5%. Pick it if you also spend abroad and can clear the waiver.

MakeMyTrip ICICI Platinum: the entry card costs ₹500 once, earns 1.5% on travel and 0.5% elsewhere, and offers 1 domestic lounge visit a quarter on ₹75,000 of quarterly spend. It's cheaper but earns far less. See our MakeMyTrip Platinum review.

Federal Bank Scapia: lifetime free with zero forex markup, about 2% back on general spend and about 4% on flights and hotels booked in the Scapia app, plus unlimited domestic lounge access in months with ₹5,000 of spend. If you're not tied to MakeMyTrip, it's the more flexible travel card. Our Scapia review has the details.

For a broader look, our roundup of the best credit cards for MakeMyTrip bookings ranks the full field.

Verdict

The MakeMyTrip ICICI Signature is a sensible, low-commitment travel card. The welcome benefits cover the one-time fee, the 6% rate rewards loyal MakeMyTrip users, and the railway lounge visits add something few rivals offer. Just keep the monthly cap in mind when you book big trips, confirm the lounge spend rule, and carry a low-forex card for overseas spending. If MakeMyTrip is where you book, it's an easy card to keep for years.