BUILD

YOUR
CREDIT
BRICK
BY
BRICK.
 C O N T E N T S

LET’S GET STARTED

IT’S IN YOUR HANDS

SAFETY FIRST

MANAGING YOUR ACCOUNT

LET’S GET Thank you for choosing the ICICI
Bank Instant Platinum Credit

STARTED
Card. It is an excellent choice to
help you being building a good
credit history with a complimen-
tary entry into our credit builder
programme.

If you have never taken credit

before, it is difficult for lenders to
know whether you will repay
your borrowing on time. Using
the ICICI Bank Instant Platinum
Credit Card responsibly will show
that you can comfortably spend
and repay on time, thus helping
you build a good credit score.

In this guide, you will find infor-

mation on all that you wanted to
know about building credit histo-
ry, managing your account well,
avoiding charges and using your
credit card responsibly.
BASICS OF
CREDIT
WHAT IS CREDIT?
When you buy something today and pay for it later, you have
just taken credit.
Simply put, credit can help you get the things you want when
you don't have enough cash on hand to get them.

WHAT IS A CREDIT CARD?

Your credit card is a form of credit - a substitute for money in

the form of a plastic card enabling you to buy now but pay
later.
• You can use it to make purchases both in stores or online.
• You can also use your credit card for balance transfers and
taking out cash from an ATM.
• If you need money for an emergency or unforeseen
expenditure, you don't have to apply for loans at the last
moment you already carry one in the form of a credit card.
 SECURED
WHAT ARE SECURED CREDIT CARDS?
The ICICI Bank Instant Platinum Credit Card is a secured credit card i.e. it is issued against the security of a Fixed
Deposit. It is an excellent choice to help you begin building a good credit score.

WHAT IS A CREDIT SCORE?

Your credit score is a number that indicates to lenders how ‘credit worthy’ you are.
• It is calculated using records of how well you are repaying or have repaid any credit.
• Most lenders provide repayment information to credit reference agencies or credit bureaus (CIBIL in India) which
calculate and maintain your credit score.
WHAT ARE SECURED • This CREDIT CARDS?
score is used for decisions on whether to lend further to you, without which, it is difficult for lenders to know
whether
The ICICI Bank Instant you will
Platinum repay
Credit Cardyour
is aborrowing on time.
secured credit card i.e. it is issued against the security of a Fixed Deposit.
It is an excellent choice to help you begin building a good credit score.

WHAT IS A CREDIT SCORE?

Your credit score is a number that indicates to lenders how ‘credit worthy’ you are.
• It is calculated using records of how well you are repaying or have repaid any credit.
• Most lenders provide repayment information to credit reference agencies or credit bureaus (CIBIL in India) which
calculate and maintain your credit score.
• This score is used for decisions on whether to lend further to you, without which, it is difficult for lenders to know
whether you will repay your borrowing on time.
IT’S IN
YOUR A good credit score takes time to
build. If you don’t have a credit

HANDS
score or want to improve it, you
can now do it with the ICICI Bank
Instant Platinum Credit Card and
secure your future loan require-
ments with a good credit history.
HOW THE ICICI BANK CREDIT BUILDER PROGRAMME WORKS?

Entry into the Credit Builder programme is complimentary with the ICICI Bank Instant Platinum Credit Card. Under this programme:
• We report your good credit behaviour to credit rating agencies to generate your credit score
• We also give you access to information on how to a build good score
• A good score, in turn, can improve your chances of getting a future loan approved and may also help you get better interest rate or
increased credit limits

TO START BUILDING YOUR CREDIT SCORE, YOU WILL NEED TO:

• Spend regularly on your card as score generation doesn't begin till you do this
• Stay within your credit limit. This indicates that you are not 'credit-hungry' and is a good credit practice
• Always make your monthly payments to us and to other lenders on time. Behaving well on the ICICI Bank Instant Platinum Card is
important but don't allow late payments or defaults on other loans or cards as it will spoil your score – after all, other lenders may
report this behavior as well
• Continuously manage your purchase and payment to avoid lowering your credit score
HOW TO MAINTAIN CREDIT SCORE
If you manage credit responsibly, your scores will be maintained.

We have put together major factors that affect your credit score and what you can do about them, step by step, block
by block -
• Use your Instant Credit Card regularly
• Make payments on time. Late payments or defaults indicate that you are unable to manage the expense. If you have
to make partial payments, try to pay back at least 50-75% of the outstanding
• Monitor any joint loan accounts – a missed payment by your joint applicant will also affect your credit score
• Stay within your credit limit. A high utilization of credit limit may indicate that your income is not sufficient to manage
expenses
• Apply for new credit in moderation – only as much as you need. Make an informed decision to apply for loans / cards
at multiple lenders
• Responsible use of credit cards indicate that you are financially secure and in control of your expenses. This may make
lenders view future loan applications favorably
HOW TO TRACK CREDIT SCORE
Your credit rating and scores are held in a report acces-
sible through a credit agency or bureau. Banks and
other financial institutions from whom you may have
taken a card or loan report your credit behavior to these
independent credit bureaus.
Your ICICI Bank Instant Credit Card scores will be report-
ed to CIBIL or the Credit and Information Bureau of India
Limited.
We suggest that you review your credit scores
frequently so that you can track your progress and see
if you are moving in the right direction. You can order
your Credit Information Report or CIR from the credit
bureau. Click here to order yours.
MANAGING
YOUR
ACCOUNT
Your ICICI Bank Instant Platinum Credit Card is the
perfect substitute for money whenever you need
it but aren’t carrying enough. It’s convenient, free
and internationally valid.
MANAGING YOUR ACCOUNT IS IN YOUR
HANDS AND IT’S ALL ABOUT CONTROL.
3 things you can do to manage your account well:

USE CREDIT RESPONSIBLY

You can use your ICICI Bank Instant Platinum
Credit Card conveniently at shops and stores,
restaurants, hotels airlines, petrol pumps and
many other locations around the world.
When you wish to make a purchase simply offer
your credit card to the merchant. The merchant
will dip your card at a PIN enabled POS terminal
and enter the amount to be paid by you. The POS
terminal will prompt for a PIN. Enter your 4-digit
Credit Card PIN on the POS terminal. Pull out the
card once the transaction is complete. You will be
given a receipt for the transaction.
ALWAYS
Check the amount on the receipt
Keep one copy of the receipt or charge-slip carefully until you have cleared the entire bill amount for the month. This will be useful in case of any doubt
or dispute later.
Tally your purchases on your monthly statement. In the event of an error or mismatch, highlight immediately. Billing errors can be corrected and you
can contact ICICI Bank Customer Care for assistance.
If you don’t receive your statement or misplace it, we suggest that you proactively seek information on the payment due. ICICI Bank offers easy ways
to access this through online, call and SMS channels.

NEVER
Share your card account number, CVV, PIN, personal or financial details or passwords. This information can be used to fraudulently use your card
without your authorisation.
Let the card plastic out of sight at payment counters. If you lose your card or suspect theft, notify us immediately and have the card blocked.
BE IN CONTROL OF YOUR SPENDS
It is advisable to use the credit card for spends you are sure that you can pay back. While you can make purchases up to the credit limit issued on your
card, remember that you need to pay for all your purchases.

ALWAYS
Plan your spends
Limit cash advance to emergency usage only. Cash advance do not get grace period for repayment and attract interest from the date of the advance itself.
Avoid using up your entire available credit limit. If you use up your credit limit often, this may indicate over-dependency on credit or that you don’t have
sufficient income to manage your expenses. Keeping your spends well within your credit limit is good credit management.
When you receive the monthly statement, it is important that you pay at least the minimum amount due. This is just 5% of the total bill due.
KEEP CHARGES IN CHECK
There are no charges on using your ICICI Bank Instant Platinum Credit Card for purchases.
Any charges on using the card beyond the available limit or on non-payment or late payment are communicated by us from time to time in the Most
Important Terms and Conditions. You can also access its most updated version at www.icicibank.com.

To avoid a buildup of charges,

ALWAYS

Tally your bills. Please ensure that you go through your monthly statements. If you come across purchases you have not made, inform us immediately.

Keep track of your monthly payments. If you clear your entire bill before the due date no interest will be charged.

You get up to 48 days of free credit period on the ICICI Bank Instant Platinum Credit Card except on cash advances.
If you choose to make only a part payment, however, you will need to pay interest on the balance outstanding. To avoid interest and late payment
charged, make full or more than the minimum payment each month.

Pay your credit card bills on time. At ICICI Bank, you have the convenience of paying either by cash at any ICICI Bank branch, or dropping a cheque at
any ICICI Bank ATM close to you. Please buffer in a few days to allow the payment to be cleared by your due date.
Or you may simply opt for any of the other easy payment options:
AUTO-DEBIT FACILITY

You can now control when and how you make payments without ever missing one!
With our auto-debit facility pay your bills directly through your ICICI Bank account by simply giving a written instruction to debit the payment every
month on a pre-set due date. In case the due date falls on a Sunday or a holiday, the amount would be automatically debited the next working day.

ONLINE PAYMENT
Make online payments instantly anywhere, anytime using the Bill Pay (ICICI Bank Savings Account holders) or Click to Pay options
(savings account holder with other banks).
You can also make your card payment through our Customer Care, if you have an ICICI Bank Savings Account.