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ICICI Bank
ICICI Bank Emeralde Credit Card
4.6Best for bill payments
Premium
- Joining fee
- ₹12,000
- Annual fee
- ₹12,000
- Welcome bonus
- —
- Forex markup
- 2%
- Interest p.a.
- 45%
- Min income
- ₹1,50,000/mo
How this card earns
Reward rates by category, with caps and an estimated yearly value.
| Spend category | Reward rate | Monthly cap | Est. value/yr |
|---|---|---|---|
Utilities & bills 1 ICICI Reward Point per ₹100 on utilities/insurance; point value ≈ ₹0.25 | 0.25% | — | ₹300 |
Insurance 1 ICICI Reward Point per ₹100; point value ≈ ₹0.25 | 0.25% | — | ₹300 |
| All other spends | 1% | — | ₹1,200 |
Estimated yearly value assumes ₹10,000/month spend in each category, capped where the card caps rewards.
Fees & charges
Joining fee₹12,000
Annual fee₹12,000
Annual fee waiverAnnual fee waived on spends of ₹10,00,000 or more in the previous year
Foreign currency markup2%
Finance charge (p.a.)45%
Fuel surcharge waiver1%
Key benefits
- 4 ICICI Reward Points per ₹100 on domestic and international retail spends (≈1% value-back)
- 1 Reward Point per ₹100 on utilities and insurance
- Up to 4 complimentary golf rounds per month based on spends
- Buy-one-get-one (up to ₹750 off) on BookMyShow movie tickets, up to 4 times/month
- 1% fuel surcharge waiver at all fuel stations (₹400–₹4,000)
- Comprehensive travel and personal-accident insurance
- 24x7 concierge services
What we like
- +Unlimited complimentary domestic and international lounge access
- +Strong travel, golf and lifestyle benefits
- +Reduced 2% foreign currency markup
What to watch
- −High ₹12,000 annual fee with a steep ₹10 lakh waiver threshold
- −Base reward value-back of only ~1% is modest for the fee
- −Premium tier effectively superseded by Emeralde Private Metal
Compare with similar cards
- Top reward
- 5%
- Annual fee
- Lifetime free
- Top reward
- 5%
- Annual fee
- ₹500
- Welcome bonus
- ₹500 value
- Top reward
- 1%
- Annual fee
- ₹2,000
- Welcome bonus
- ₹5,000 value