CardAgent
Verified by CardAgent admin · last checked 08 Jul 2026
ICICI Bank

ICICI Emeralde Credit Card (Metal)

35
Ranked #63 of 170 in credit
creditMastercard/AmEx/Visa/RuPaySuper-premium (metal)

Metal edition of the standard ICICI Emeralde, offering genuinely unconditional unlimited lounge access that has survived repeated devaluations, but requiring disciplined iShop-portal redemption to realize its real 4% reward rate rather than the effective 1% via statement credit.

Score breakdown

Data completeness: 95% · Last verified: 09 Jul 2026

Reward value24/100 · weight 71%
≈ 1.20% effective on the standard basket (eligible spend only)
Wide-coverage rewards: +0.6% score bonus — earns broadly without narrow category restrictions.
No rewards on: rent. Reward score is scaled by ×(1 − 2.5%), proportional to how much of the standard basket falls in these excluded categories (v4 formula, capped at −5%). Tip: pair with a card that covers these.
Fee efficiency34/100 · weight 12%
Redemption flexibility75/100 · weight 9%
Perks88/100 · weight 9%

Fees

All fees shown base + 18% GST (India card fees legally attract GST).

Joining fee
₹12,000 + 18% GST
= ₹14,160 total
Annual fee
₹12,000 + 18% GST
= ₹14,160 / year total
Waiver: Waived on Rs 10 lakh annual spend in previous anniversary year (reduced from Rs 15 lakh in Nov 2024); rent, government services, education via third-party apps excluded from this spend calc
Forex markup
2%

Lounge access

Domestic (per year)
Unlimited
International (per year)
Unlimited

Reward structure

CategoryTypeRateCapNotes
online_travel_bookingpoints8.00%(8 pts @ ₹1.00)—12X points on hotels via iShop portal = 8% actual value at Rs 1/point
online_spendspoints1.00%(4 pts @ ₹0.25)——
travelpoints1.00%(4 pts @ ₹0.25)——
groceriespoints1.00%(4 pts @ ₹0.25)——
diningpoints1.00%(4 pts @ ₹0.25)——
fuelpoints0.25%(1 pts @ ₹0.25)——
all_spendspoints0.25%(1 pts @ ₹0.25)—4 points per Rs 100 = 4% nominal but only 1% actual at Rs 0.25/point statement credit; excludes fuel/govt/rent/property/tax/wallet

Welcome offer

Da Milano voucher Rs 5,000 on Rs 2 lakh spend within first 60 days of card issuance

Milestone benefits

Pros

  • Unlimited lounge access with NO spend gate survived multiple devaluation rounds (rare durability), massive redemption-value upside if disciplined about using iShop (4x better than statement credit), strong insurance bundle, 2% forex markup competitive for the segment, monthly-fee payment option (Rs 1,000/month, waived at Rs 1L monthly spend) unique flexibility

Cons

  • FLAG — TWO DOCUMENTED 2026 DEVALUATIONS (per cardinsight.in, Mar 2026): rewards REMOVED entirely on government services, fuel, rent, property management, tax payments, third-party wallet transactions (Metal variant specifically)
  • BookMyShow BOGO now gated behind Rs 25,000 quarterly spend (previously unconditional)
  • 1% wallet-load fee on loads Rs 5,000+
  • 2% gaming fee introduced for fantasy sports
  • transport rewards capped Rs 20,000/month
  • add-on card fee raised to Rs 3,500 one-time for Metal variant. Redemption value collapses to 1% effective if redeemed for statement credit instead of iShop.

What's inside

More benefits

  • BookMyShow BOGO

    ₹750

    Up to Rs 750 off second ticket, up to 4x/month; no cancellation charge (max Rs 12,000/year)

    Cap ₹36,000 / monthly. Rs 25,000 quarterly spend required (added 2026)

  • Golf program

    Up to 4 complimentary golf rounds/lessons per month

  • Birthday dining voucher

    ₹7,500

    Rs 7,500 voucher from Trident Hotels on birthday

    yearly.

  • Air accident insurance

    ₹3,00,00,000

    Rs 3 crore air accident death cover

    yearly.

Insurance cover

text
₹NaN

Eligibility

text
Salaried Rs 1.5 lakh/month+ or self-employed ITR Rs 18 lakh/year+; ICICI Global Private Client customers auto-eligible

Small print

Fuel surcharge:1% fuel surcharge waiver at all fuel stations