The ICICI Bank Emeralde Credit Card is a top-tier offering by the bank that competes with HDFC’s Infinia credit card. It is designed for High Net-Worth Individuals (HNIs) who frequently travel for business and seek a luxurious lifestyle.
The Emeralde Credit Card provides exclusive benefits such as 24×7 concierge services for hotel/restaurant reservations, flight bookings, and car rentals. Additionally, cardholders have unlimited complimentary access to airport lounges worldwide, personal air accident insurance cover of Rs. 3 crore, and more. ICICI Bank understands its premium customers’ travel requirements and charges a minimal foreign currency markup fee of 1.5% on transactions made in foreign currency, along with zero cash advance fees for withdrawals from ATMs.
Initially, ICICI Bank offered the Emeralde Credit Card in two variants – MasterCard and American Express – but since both payment networks are not accepting new customers, the bank has recently launched the card on the Visa platform.
One unique feature of the Emeralde Credit Card is that cardholders can choose between two membership plans – the monthly plan, where they pay a monthly fee of Rs. 1,000, or the annual plan with an annual membership fee of Rs. 12,000.
Rewards and Benefits of the ICICI Bank Emeralde Credit Card
| Benefits | Details |
|---|---|
| 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. |
Fees & Charges details of the ICICI Bank Emeralde Credit Card
| Fees & Charges | Amount |
|---|---|
| Joining Fee | Rs. 1,000 (plus taxes) for monthly plan, Rs. 12,000 (plus applicable taxes) for annual plan |
| Renewal Fee | Rs. 1,000 (plus applicable taxes) for monthly plan, Rs. 12,000 (plus applicable taxes) for annual plan |
| Spend based Waiver | Monthly fee reversed on expenditure of Rs. 1,00,000 in the previous month, annual fee reversed on annual spend of Rs. 15,00,000 in the previous anniversary year |
| 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. |
ICICI Bank Emeralde Credit Card Features and Benefits
| Categories | Benefits |
|---|---|
| Spends-Based Waiver | Monthly renewal fee waived if Rs. 1,00,000 spent in the previous month. Annual renewal fee waived on the expenditure of Rs. 15,00,000 in the card anniversary year. Joining fee reversed if spends threshold is reached in the first anniversary year. |
| Travel Benefits | Complimentary lounge access to domestic and international airports under AmEx/MasterCard/Visa lounge program and Dreamfolks membership program. Unlimited complimentary domestic airport spa access through Dreamfolks membership. Air travel insurance plans including personal accident (air accidental death) cover worth Rs. 3 crore. 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 | Unlimited complimentary access to lounges at select domestic and international airports across the world with the ICICI Emeralde Credit Card. |
| Golf Privilege | 1 complimentary round/lesson of golf each month via Golftipz for every Rs. 50,000 spent using the card in the previous month. Maximum of 4 rounds of golf can be availed in a given month. |
| 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 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 | 24×7 concierge service for assistance with restaurant and hotel reservations, flight referral and reservation, flowers and gifts, car rentals, and movie ticket bookings. Medical Concierge privileges for assistance with medical attention and hospital admission. |
Note: Complimentary airport lounge access is available through both Visa/MasterCard/AmEx lounge access program and Dreamfolks lounge access program. Dreamfolks membership entitles the primary cardholder to unlimited access to partner lounges and spas, while accompanying guests are required to pay for lounge access.
Rewards of ICICI Bank Emeralde Credit Card
The Emeralde Credit Card from ICICI Bank allows you to earn ICICI Bank Rewards. Previously, this card offered Payback Points, but the program has now been replaced by the ICICI Rewards Program. Here are the details of the rewards program for this card:
- Earn 4 Reward Points for every ₹100 spent on retail purchases, excluding utilities, fuel, and insurance.
- Earn 1 Reward Point for every ₹100 spent on select categories like utilities and insurance.
Redeeming Your Rewards: You can redeem your Reward Points for gifts or statement credit, where 1 Reward Point is worth ₹0.25. To redeem your points for cashback, call 080-40146444, and to redeem them for gifts, call 1860-258-5000.
Fees & Charges of ICICI Emeralde Credit Card
Here is the table format of the given information:
| Fees and Charges | Amount/Rate |
|---|---|
| Interest Rate | 3.4% per month (or 40.8% annually) |
| 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 |
ICICI Bank Emeralde Credit Card Eligibility:
- Salaried applicants must have a minimum monthly income of Rs. 3,00,000.
- Self-employed applicants must have filed an income tax return of Rs. 30,00,000 in the previous year.
- Applicants must have a good credit history with no records of payment defaults.
How to apply for ICICI Bank Emeralde Credit Card
To apply for the ICICI Emeralde Credit Card, you have the option of applying online or offline. If you prefer the latter, simply visit your nearest ICICI Bank branch and submit an application. Alternatively, follow the steps below to apply online:
- Visit the link: Emeralde Credit Card
- Click on the ‘Apply now‘ option.
- Fill out the application form carefully.
- Submit all required documents and complete the application process.