ICICI Bank Emeralde Credit Card

ICICI Emeralde Credit Card is among the most premium offering by the bank and can be considered a tough competitor to various premium credit cards. With this card, ICICI targets HNIs (High Net-Worth Individuals) who frequently go on business trips and don’t want to compromise with their luxurious lifestyle.

ICICI Bank Emeralde Credit Card offers exclusive benefits like a 24×7 concierge service (that provides assistance regarding hotel/restaurant reservations, flight bookings, and car rentals), unlimited complimentary airport lounge access to domestic as well as international terminals, personal air accident insurance coverage of Rs. 3 crores, etc. Keeping all the traveling requirements of its premium customers in mind, ICICI charges a nominal foreign currency markup fee of 1.5% on transactions made in a different currency and a zero cash advance fee on cash withdrawals from ATMs.

One unique feature of ICICI Bank Emeralde Credit Card is that it allows you to choose between two membership plans- the monthly plan, where the cardholders need to pay a monthly fee of Rs. 1,000, and the annual plan with an annual membership fee of Rs. 12,000.

ICICI Bank Emeralde Credit Card

( 4.6 / 5 )
ICICI Bank Emeralde Credit Card
  • Joining Fee₹12,000 + GST
  • Annual Fee₹12,000 + GST
  • Best Suited ForMovies, Travel, Shopping
  • Reward TypeReward Points

Rewards Rate

4 RPs on every Rs. 100 spent on all transactions (except fuel, utilities and insurance categories) and 1 RP on every purchase of Rs. 100 on insurance and utilities.

Welcome Benefits

N/A

Movie & Dining

A discount of up to Rs. 750 on BookMyShow second movie/event ticket onwards (max 4 tickets per month), no cancellation charge on movie ticket cancellation (max benefit of Rs. 12,000 per year), a minimum discount of 15% at partnered restaurants under the ICICI Culinary Treats program. 

Rewards Rate

4 RPs on every Rs. 100 spent on all transactions (except fuel, utilities and insurance categories) and 1 RP on every purchase of Rs. 100 on insurance and utilities.

Reward Redemption

The earned Reward Points can be redeemed against gifts or cash credit, where 1 Reward Point = Rs. 0.25

Travel

Complimentary international & domestic lounge visits, no charge (waived up to a max of Rs. 12,000) on cancellation of flight/hotel/movie ticket bookings up to max two cancellations every year

Domestic Lounge Access

Complimentary Unlimited Domestic Airport Lounge Access

International Lounge Access

Complimentary Unlimited International Airport Lounge Access Via Priority Pass

Golf

Complimentary round/lesson of golf each month on a minimum spend of Rs. 50,000 in the previous month (max 4/month)

Insurance Benefits

Credit Shield insurance worth Rs. 50,000, an air accidental death cover worth Rs. 3 crore and many other insurance benefits under travel category (as illustrated later in the article)

  • Spend-Based Waiver

    Annual Fee Waiver on Spends of ₹10 Lakh or More

    Rewards Redemption Fee

    ₹99 + GST

    Foreign Currency Markup

    2%

    Interest Rates

    3.75% Per Month

    Fuel Surcharge Waiver

    1% fuel surcharge waived on all fuel purchases at all fuel pumps across the country.

    Cash Advance Charges

    2.5% Subject to a Minimum of ₹500

    • Unlimited complimentary domestic and international airport lounge access.
    • Up to Rs. 750 off on purchase of second ticket onwards (up to max 4 tickets/month) on BookMyShow for all movie and non-movie ticket purchases.
    • Complimentary golf round/lesson on every Rs. 50,000 spent on the card in the previous month (up to a maximum of 4 rounds/lessons per month).
    • Nominal Foreign Currency Markup of 2%.
    • Reversal of cancellation charges (up to Rs. 12,000) on a maximum of 2 transactions/year for flight/hotel/movie ticket booking.
    • Get up to 4 Reward Points every time you spend Rs. 100.

    ICICI Bank Emeralde Credit Card Features and Benefits

    The Emeralde Credit Card that is offered by the ICICI Bank is one of the bank’s most premium offerings, and it is issued only to selected customers with a high income and a good relationship with the bank. It offers several attractive benefits across categories, including rewards, travel, insurance, and more. To understand the card’s benefits & features in detail, refer to the following points:

    Spends-Based Waiver

    Annual renewal fee waived on the expenditure of ₹10,00,000 in the card anniversary year.

    Travel Benefits

    • Complimentary lounge access to domestic as well as international airports under the AmEx/MasterCard/Visa lounge program and the Priority Pass Membership Program.
    • Air travel insurance plans, including a personal accident (air accidental death) cover worth Rs. 3 crore.
    • A nominal forex mark-up fee of 2% on international transactions.
    • No cancellation charge on hotel/flight bookings (up to Rs. 12,000) for a maximum of 2 transactions per year.

    Airport Lounge Access

    You get unlimited complimentary access to lounges at select domestic and international airports across the world with the ICICI Emeralde Credit Card.

    Visa/MasterCard/AmEx Lounge Access Program

    You get unlimited complimentary domestic airport lounge access with your Emeralde Credit Card through the lounge access program of the payment network- Visa/MasterCard/AmEx.

    Priority Pass Membership

    ICICI Emeralde Credit Card entitles you to unlimited access to partner airport lounges with complimentary membership of Priority Pass.

    ICICI Emeralde Credit Card Golf Privilege

    • You get one complimentary round/lesson of golf each month via Golftipz for every Rs. 50,000 spent using the card in the previous month.
    • A maximum of 4 rounds of golf can be availed in a given month.
    • To avail yourself of the golf benefit and book a complimentary golf game, you must first register for your Emeralde Credit Card on the Golftripz website.
    • The complimentary round of golf for a given month is visible on the Golftripz portal only after the 10th of the following month.
    • The complimentary golf game can be played anytime in the next 2 months once it is available in your Golftripz account.

    Dining and Movie Benefits

    • Up to Rs. 750 off on movie/event tickets, second ticket onwards on BookMyShow (max 4 tickets per month).
    • Rs. 750 off the second movie/non-movie ticket onwards on BookMyShow for a maximum of 4 tickets in a month.
    • Minimum 15% off on dining bills at well-known restaurants under the Culinary Treats program.
    • No cancellation charge on movie ticket bookings (max benefit capped at Rs. 12,000 per year).

    24×7 Concierge Service

    Being a premium credit card, it offers you a 24×7 concierge service that you can use if you need any assistance regarding-

    • Restaurant and hotel reservations.
    • Flight referral and reservation.
    • Flowers and gifts.
    • Car rentals.
    • Booking movie tickets.

    Apart from these, you also get Medical Concierge privileges, under which, in case you need to be moved to a place for appropriate medical attention, ICICI’s iAssist concierge will help you with the same. The concierge will get you admitted to the required hospital and put you in touch with your doctors.

    It should be noted that all these concierge services are available only in New Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Chennai.

    Insurance Benefits

    You get travel-related insurance benefits with this card, as illustrated in the chart below

    Insurance Type Cover
    Personal Air Accident Rs. 3 crore
    Baggage insurance Up to Rs. 25,000
    Loss of checked-in baggage USD 1,200
    Delay in receipt of checked-in baggage USD 300 in excess of 12 hours
    Loss of travel documents USD 500
    Delay in flight USD 250 in excess of 12 hours
    Plane hijacking USD 250 per hour up to a max of 12 hours

    All these insurance covers are applicable only for international travel (not for domestic travel).

    Apart from these travel-related insurance benefits, you also get a Credit Shield cover worth Rs. 50,000, which covers your liability in case of loss of card from 2 days prior to 7 days after reporting the loss of card.

    ICICI Bank Emeralde Credit Card Rewards

    Just like most other ICICI credit cards, you earn ICICI Bank Rewards with this credit card. Earlier, the card used to offer Payback Points, but the Payback Program has now been replaced by the ICICI Rewards Program, which is as follows for this card:

    • 4 Reward Points on each ₹100 spent on all retail purchases except utilities, fuel, and insurance.
    • 1 Reward on every ₹100 spent on selected categories such as utilities and insurance.

    Reward Redemption

    The earned Reward Points can be redeemed against gifts or statement credit, where 1 Reward Point is valued at Re. 0.25. To redeem your points for cash back, you can call 080-40146444, and to redeem them against gifts, you will have to call 1860-258-5000.

    ICICI Emeralde Credit Card Fees & Charges

    Since it is a super-premium credit card, the cardholders get a couple of relaxations on fees and charges applicable to the ICICI Emeralde Credit Card. The following table gives an overview of the various fees that one has to pay as an ICICI Emeralde credit cardholder-

    Interest Rate 3.75% Per Month
    Foreign Currency Mark-up Fee 2%
    Cash Withdrawal Charges Nil
    Reward Redemption Fee Rs. 99 (per GST) per redemption request
    Fuel Surcharge Waived off at all filling stations across India

    Other Credit Cards Similar to ICICI Emeralde Credit Card

    HDFC Bank Infinia Credit Card and Axis Bank Magnus Credit Card are two other super-premium credit cards that offer similar features and benefits. The following table contains a detailed comparison between the four credit cards-

    Credit Cards Reward Rate Key Feature(s) Annual Fee
    ICICI Emeralde Credit Card
    • 4 Reward Points per Rs. 100 spent (except spends on fuel, utilities, and insurance categories).
    • 1 Reward Point per Rs. 100 on utilities and insurance.
    • 1 Reward Point = Rs. 0.25.
    • Unlimited domestic/international airport lounge access.
    • Lower forex markup fee of just 2%.
    • Rs. 1,000 per month or Rs. 12,000 per annum (taxes additional)
    HDFC Infinia Credit Card (Metal Edition)
    • 5 Reward Points per Rs. 150 spent.
    • Up to 10x Reward Points via Smartbuy.
    • Max value of Reward Point = Re. 1.
    • Unlimited complimentary domestic and international airport lounge access.
    • Club Marriott Membership and dining and travel benefits at ITC hotels.
    • Lower forex markup fee of 2%.
    • Rs. 12,500 per annum (taxes additional).
    Axis Bank Magnus Credit Card
    • 12 Edge Reward Points per Rs. 200 spent.
    • 5x Edge Reward Points via Travel Edge.
    • 1 Edge Reward Point = Rs. 0.20
    • Unlimited domestic airport lounge access and eight complimentary international airport lounge access per annum.
    • Lower interest rate of 2.5% and lower forex markup fee of 2%.
    • 25,000 Bonus Edge Reward Points on minimum spends of Rs. 1 lac in a month.
    • Rs. 10,000 per annum (taxes additional)

    ICICI Bank Emeralde Credit Card Eligibility

    Since it is an exclusive premium credit card, it has strict eligibility criteria. Salaried applicants must have a minimum monthly income of Rs. 1,50,000, and self-employed applicants must have filed an income tax return for Rs. 18,00,000 in the previous year. Along with this, the applicant should have a really good credit history with no records of payment defaults.

    Conclusion

    Emeralde ICICI Bank Credit Card
    Keeping in mind all this card’s benefits, it can be said that this is probably one of the best credit cards in the premium segment offered by ICICI Bank. But of course, it is overshadowed by the even more premium ICICI Bank Emeralde Private Metal Credit Card. Still, it’s a great deal for high-net-worth business persons who frequently fly overseas on business trips.

    What do you think of this premium offering by ICICI? Do let us know in the comments.

    FAQs:

    The Reward points are valid for 3 years from the date of accumulation.

    The Reward points can be redeemed for cashback or gifts, with 1 RP = Re. 0.25 by contacting customer care.

    Yes, the fuel surcharge is waived at all fuel stations across India with your ICICI Bank Emeralde Credit Card.

    No, the concierge service is available only in New Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Chennai.

    6 comments

    • Nikhil Jain

      How is this a good card when per point value is just 0.25? That’s basically 1% return on domestic spends. Not that they are giving 1:1 ratio for hotel or flights. Why wouldn’t one stick to the AmazonPay variant if one is content with just 1% return?

      • A

        Kartik Kanwar

        The reward rate is bad I get it. But see all the other benefits it offers. From airport lounge access, to free movies..

    • It is not up-to-date info. SPAs are discontinued in 2024 itself.

    • GAURAV SHUKLA

      Thanks, which card in your experience offers the best services and rewards.

    • Abhinav Shukla

      not sure how can you give this card a 4.6-star rating much better cards are available that too below this category

      • A

        Ankur Mittal

        Yes would update it. Earlier better welcome/annual benefits were provided.

    Leave your comment

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