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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)

Fees

Joining Fee

Rs. 1,000 + GST (per month)

Renewal Fee

Rs. 1,000 + GST (per month)

Best Suited For

Movies | Travel | Shopping |

Reward Type

Reward Points

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

Golf

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

Domestic Lounge Access

Complimentary unlimited domestic airport lounge access under the MasterCard/American Express/Visa lounge program

International Lounge Access

Complimentary unlimited international airport lounge access under the Dreamfolks program membership

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)

Zero Liability Protection

Get a liability protection cover worth Rs. 50,000 against a lost/stolen card applicable from 2 days before reporting the loss and till 7 days after it.

Spend Based Waiver

Monthly fee reversed on the expenditure of Rs. 1,00,000 in the previous month, annual fee reversed on an annual spend of Rs. 15,00,000 in the previous anniversary year.

Rewards Redemption Fee

Rs. 99 + GST on each redemption request

Rewards Redemption Fee

Rs. 99 + GST on each redemption request

Foreign Currency Markup

1.5% of the total transaction amount

Interest Rates

3.40% per month (or 40.80% annualized)

Fuel Surcharge

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

Cash Advance Charges

Nil

Add-on Card Fee

Nil

  • Tata CliQ voucher with a monetary value of Rs. 5,000 redeemable for purchases at www.tatacliq.com on your birthday (applicable for AmEx variant only)
  • Unlimited complimentary domestic and international airport lounge access along with complimentary spa access at select domestic airports.
  • 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 max 4 rounds/lessons per month).
  • Nominal Foreign Currency Markup of 1.5% and a lower interest rate of 1.99% on cash withdrawals.
  • Reversal of cancellation charges (up to Rs. 12,000) on a max 2 transactions/year for flight/hotel/movie ticket booking.
  • Choice between monthly and annual plans for card membership.
  • 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 having a high income and a good relationship with the bank. It comes with several attractive benefits across various categories, including rewards, travel, insurance, and many more. To understand the card’s benefits & features in detail, refer to the following points:

Spends-Based Waiver

  • The monthly renewal fee is waived if Rs. 1,00,000 were spent in the previous month.
  • Annual renewal fee waived on the expenditure of Rs. 15,00,000 in the card anniversary year. The joining fee is reversed if the spends threshold is reached in the first anniversary year.

Travel Benefits

  • Complimentary lounge access to domestic as well as international airports under the AmEx/MasterCard/Visa lounge program and the Dreamfolks Membership Program.
  • Unlimited complimentary domestic airport spa access through Dreamflolks membership.
  • Air travel insurance plans, including a personal accident (air accidental death) cover worth Rs. 3 crore.
  • A nominal forex mark-up fee of 1.5% 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.

Dreamfolks Lounge Access Program

  • ICICI Emeralde Credit Card entitles you to unlimited access to partner airport lounges with complimentary membership of the Dreamfloks lounge access program worth USD 99. You also get access to partner spas at select airports with the Dreamfolks membership.
  • Dreamfolks is the world’s largest airport lounge access program, with over 1,000 partner lounges across 115 countries.
  • You can see the list of airport lounges that you can access for free with the Dreamfolks lounge access program membership here.
  • The lounge visit is complimentary only for the primary cardholder. Any accompanying guest, including any of the add-on cardholders, will have to pay to access the lounge.

ICICI Emeralde Credit Card Golf Privilege

  • You get 1 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
Missing flight due to trans-shipment USD 300
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 and charges that one has to pay as an ICICI Emeralde credit cardholder-

Interest Rate 3.4% per month (or 40.8% annually), a lower interest rate of just 1.99% on cash withdrawals with the card
Foreign Currency Mark-up Fee 1.5% of the transaction amount
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, Axis Bank Magnus Credit Card and Citibank Prestige Credit Card are three 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 1.5%.
  • Monthly membership plan also available.
  • 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 Rewrd 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
  • Unlimitted domestic airport lounge access and 8 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 need to have a minimum monthly income of Rs. 3,00,000, and self-employed people should have filed an income tax return of Rs. 30,00,000 in the previous year. Along with this, the applicant should have a really good credit history with no records of payment defaults.

How to Apply for ICICI Bank Emeralde Credit Card?

You can very easily apply for the ICICI Bank Emeralde Credit Card by visiting the card’s official page on the bank’s website and then submitting all the required documents. You will also need identity proof, address proof for KYC, and proof of income, like salary slips/ITR, in order to complete your application.

Customer Care

ICICI Bank offers 24×7 customer support to its credit card cardholders over the phone and through email. You can contact ICICI Bank’s call center at 18601207777 or drop them an email at their email address, which is [email protected], to report the loss of a card or for any other issue. If your issue isn’t resolved after this, you can contact their higher-ups at [email protected].

Conclusion

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 and offers tough competition to cards like HDFC Infinia and Standard Chartered Ultimate card. The American Express version of the card certainly has the upper hand as it offers a few additional features like a Tata CliQ voucher worth Rs. 5,000 every year on your birthday, a 15% discount on a gym membership (Anytime Fitness), and complimentary in-flight and airport wifi access. 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 a period of 3 years from the date of accumulation.
The Reward points can be redeemed against cashback or gifts at a value of 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.
Culinary Treats is a discount program under which you get a minimum of 15% discount on your dining bills at participating restaurants. This program is complimentary with ICICI Bank Emeralde Credit Card.
No, the concierge service is available only in New Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Chennai.
ICICI Bank is currently issuing the Emeralde Credit Card only on the Visa payment network. Since MasterCard and American Express are not allowed to onboard new customers as per RBI instructions, ICICI Bank is currently not issuing the Emeralde Credit Card on MasterCard and AmEx platforms.
ICICI Bank Emeralde Credit Card

ICICI Bank Emeralde Credit Card

(4.6/5)

2 Comments

  1. Abhinav Shukla Reply

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

    • Ankur Mittal Reply

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

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