Parakram Select Credit Card

Does Parakram Select give lounge access?

Yes, but not for free in the way older reviews describe. You get 2 domestic lounge visits a quarter only if you spent ₹75,000 on the card in the preceding quarter. That works out to about ₹25,000 a month. International lounges come through a Priority Pass membership, and ICICI's page does not state how many free visits it includes.

Older Reddit threads quote a ₹35,000 quarterly gate from ICICI's 2024 changes. The figure on ICICI's page in October 2026 is ₹75,000, so plan around that one.

Parakram Select is ICICI's defence card, and the higher of two tiers. The base card is the ICICI Parakram Credit Card.

The CSD month, in points

The card pays 10 reward points per ₹100 at grocery stores, department stores and Canteen Stores Department outlets. Everything else earns 2 points per ₹100. Our data lists a bonus cap of 1,000 points a month, which you would reach at about ₹10,000 of qualifying spend. That cap is not confirmed (our record also shows a ₹250 cap), so check it with ICICI before you rely on it.

Take a typical month:

• ₹8,000 at CSD and the local supermarket: 800 points.
• ₹12,000 on dining, online orders and the rest: 240 points.

That is 1,040 points. If the 1,000-point cap applies, pushing the CSD and grocery bill to ₹20,000 still gets you only 1,000 bonus points. The extra ₹10,000 earns nothing at the higher rate. Users who do a big family shop once a month say this is where the card disappoints them.

We do not have a confirmed rupee value per point for this card, so we are not printing a percentage. Check the value in the ICICI app before you redeem. Users say ICICI's iShop portal gives better value on flight and hotel bookings than plain catalogue redemptions.

One tier up from Parakram

The base Parakram earns 5 points per ₹100 in the same categories and 1 point elsewhere, with one domestic visit a quarter and no Priority Pass. Our data shows the same 1,000-point monthly bonus cap on both, still to be confirmed.

So Select earns about double if your CSD and grocery spend is under ₹10,000 a month. Above ₹20,000, both hit the same ceiling and the gap narrows to the base rate and the lounges. Both are listed as lifetime free in our record, which makes Select the obvious pick if you qualify for it.

Who can apply for Parakram Select

ICICI builds the Parakram cards for defence personnel. Our record does not list exact eligible groups or documents. The questions users ask most are whether retired personnel can apply with pension proof and whether family members qualify. Ask ICICI directly. Users also say approval is smoother if your defence salary account is with ICICI, though that is not a stated rule.

The fee deserves a check too. Our record says no joining or annual fee, and users describe it as lifetime free, but some older listings show ₹500. Get it confirmed in your sanction letter.

Is Parakram Select worth it?

For serving personnel who shop at CSD every month and spend up to ₹10,000 there, yes. It is free to hold, doubles the base Parakram's bonus rate and adds Priority Pass.

It is weaker if you want hassle-free lounge visits, since the quarterly lounge spend gate is the top complaint in our sentiment data, or if most of your spend falls outside groceries and canteens. If SBI is your salary bank, users say the Shaurya SBI Card is the comparison to make.

Credit Card Information Compiled by: Abhijeet Kumar | Reviewed by: Anmol Ratan Sachdeva