What all will you expect from the best credit card: good welcome and renewal benefits, opportunity to earn accelerated reward points and good value for points redemption, travel benefits, lifestyle benefits, etc.? The ICICI Bank Emeralde Private Metal Credit Card provides all these benefits and a lot more. No wonder many credit card enthusiasts call it the best credit card. In this article, we will do an ICICI Bank Emeralde Private Metal Credit Card review, understand its features and benefits, and why you must have this credit card in your wallet.
Overview Table
| Feature | Details |
| Card type | Rewards card |
| Reward range | Up to 36% value back on every Rs. 200 spent |
| Joining fee | Rs. 12,499 + Taxes |
| Welcome bonus | 12,500 reward points, Taj Epicure annual membership, and EazyDiner Prime membership |
| Renewal fee | Rs. 12,499 + Taxes |
| Renewal benefit | 12,500 reward points and a complimentary EazyDiner Prime annual membership |
| Best for | Earning up to 18% value back on redemption of reward points on booking flights, and up to 36% on hotel bookings |
| USP | Good welcome and renewal benefits, good base and accelerated reward rate, complimentary airport lounge access, BOGO offer on movie tickets, golf benefits, spend-based waiver on annual renewal fee, etc. |
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Fees & Benefits
The joining fee on the ICICI Bank Emeralde Private Metal Credit Card is Rs. 12,499 + Taxes.
The card provides the following welcome benefits.
- Reward points
The cardholder gets 12,500 reward points. The points are credited within 45 days of joining fee realisation and card activation.
- Taj Epicure membership
The cardholder will get a 1-year Taj Epicure membership. The membership provides exclusive benefits like one complimentary night stay, discounts on stays, meals, spa, etc.
- EazyDiner Prime membership
A member can enjoy 25 to 50% discounts on meals by booking a table through the EazyDiner App.
The card annual renewal fee is Rs. 12,500.
The cardholder gets the following annual renewal benefits.
- Reward points
The cardholder gets 12,500 reward points as annual renewal benefits. The points are credited within 45 days of the annual renewal fee realisation.
- EazyDiner Prime membership
A member can enjoy 25 to 50% discounts on meals by booking a table through the EazyDiner App.
The annual renewal fee is waived if the cardholder spends Rs. 10 lakhs in the previous year. The spend threshold for annual fee reversal will exclude rent, government, and education payments.
Rewards Structure
The ICICI Bank Emeralde Private Metal Credit Card provides 6 reward points on every Rs. 200 spent on all eligible retail transactions. There are limits on earning reward points on specific categories as follows.
| Category | Reward points capping per statement cycle |
| Insurance | 5,000 |
| Groceries | 1,000 |
| Utilities | 1,000 |
| Education | 1,000 |
The following categories are excluded from earning any reward points.
- Government services like intra-Government purchases, fines, Government payments, postal services, Court costs, tax payments
- Tax preparation services
- Real estate agents and managers
- Fuel
The Emeralde Private Metal cardholder can earn accelerated reward points of up to 12X (72 reward points) through the iShop portal as follows.
| Category | Reward rate |
| Hotel booking | 12X or 72 reward points/Rs. 200 spent |
| Flights booking | 6X or 36 reward points/Rs. 200 spent |
| Bus booking | 6X or 36 reward points/Rs. 200 spent |
| Shopping vouchers | 6X or 36 reward points/Rs. 200 spent |
The cardholder can earn a maximum of 10,000 reward points daily on the iShop portal. Similarly, the cardholder can earn a maximum of 18,000 reward points monthly on the iShop portal. The reward points earned from iShop transactions will be credited within 90 days of the transaction or from 45 days of the completion of travel/stay.
For transactions later converted into EMIs, the reward points will be reversed.
The cardholder must note the following charges.
- For rent pay transactions, there will be a 1% fee on the transaction amount.
- A fee of 1% of the transaction amount will be charged for fuel transactions exceeding Rs. 10,000.
- A fee of 1% of the transaction amount will be charged for utility payment transactions exceeding Rs. 50,000.
- A fee of 1% of the transaction amount will be charged for education payments made through third-party apps.
Rewards Redemption
The reward points earned on the ICICI Bank Emeralde Private Metal Credit Card can be redeemed in various ways. The redemption value of each reward point can be up to Rs. 1. The reward points can be redeemed as follows.
| Category | Redemption value per point |
| Flight tickets and hotel booking | Rs. 1 |
| Apple, Tanishq, Tumi, Coach, Brooks Brothers, Emporio Armani, Jimmy Choo, G-Star Raw, Canali and Mother Care vouchers | Rs. 1 |
| Rewards catalogue | Rs. 0.60 |
| Statement credit | Rs. 0.40 |
The flight tickets, bus tickets, and hotel rooms can be booked by redeeming reward points through the iShop portal. The cardholder can pay 100% of the flight booking/bus booking transaction value by redeeming reward points. The cardholder can pay 90% of the hotel booking transaction value by redeeming reward points. The remaining 10% must be paid through the Emeralde Private Metal Credit Card.
Similarly, the cardholder can pay 50% of the gift voucher purchase transaction value by redeeming reward points. The remaining 50% must be paid through the Emeralde Private Metal Credit Card.
A maximum of 50,000 reward points can be redeemed as statement credit in a statement cycle. The reward points have a validity of 36 months from the date of issuance.
Additional Features
The Emeralde Private Metal Credit Card offers a number of additional features.
- Milestone spend benefit
The cardholder will receive EaseMyTrip air travel vouchers worth Rs. 6,000 on spending Rs. 8 lakhs in a card anniversary year. The cardholder will receive the first voucher worth Rs. 3,000 on spending Rs. 4 lakhs, and the second voucher worth Rs. 3,000 on reaching spends of Rs. 8 lakhs in the same anniversary year. The spend threshold for milestone benefits will exclude rent, government, and education payments.
- Complimentary airport lounge access
The primary and add-on cardholders can enjoy unlimited complimentary airport lounge access at international airports outside India through the Priority Pass.
Similarly, the primary and add-on cardholders can enjoy unlimited domestic complimentary airport lounge access at participating airports within India.
- BOGO offer on movie tickets
The cardholder can avail of the Buy One Get One (BOGO) offer twice a month through BookMyShow. A discount of up to Rs. 750 can be availed on the 2nd ticket on movies, sports events, theatre, concert tickets, etc.
- No cancellation charges on flight and hotel bookings
As per this insurance, the cardholder will receive coverage for cancellation of flights and hotel bookings that are non-refundable. The coverage is for bookings made by the primary cardholder using the Emeralde Private Metal Credit Card for their own trip/stay. The coverage is only for the non-refundable amount, excluding any convenience fees.
The maximum coverage is of Rs. 12,000. The coverage is applicable for the two cancellations for booking tickets/stays within India only.
- Golf rounds
The primary cardholder can enjoy unlimited complimentary golf games.
- Fuel surcharge waiver
The 1% fuel surcharge will be waived at all fuel stations on fuel transactions of up to Rs. 4,000. The maximum waiver is Rs. 1,000 in a statement cycle.
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How to Apply
The ICICI Bank Emeralde Private Metal Credit Card is an invite-only credit card. You will have to talk to your Relationship Manager (RM) to get an invitation to apply for this card.
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Optimal Use
The cardholder can maximise the usage of the Emeralde Private Metal Credit Card by using it for travel bookings through the iShop portal. For booking hotels through the iShop portal, the cardholder gets 12X or 72 reward points for every Rs. 200 spent. It translates into 36 reward points for every Rs. 100 spent. These reward points can then be redeemed for booking flights or hotels through the iShop portal. With a redemption value of Rs. 1/point, the cardholder gets a value back of 36%.
Similarly, for booking flights through the iShop portal, the cardholder gets 6X or 36 reward points for every Rs. 200 spent. It translates into 18 reward points for every Rs. 100 spent. These reward points can then be redeemed for booking flights or hotels through the iShop portal. With a redemption value of Rs. 1/point, the cardholder gets a value back of 18%.
Expert Verdict/Conclusion
Most credit card enthusiasts aspire to have the Emeralde Private Metal Credit Card. It provides good welcome and annual renewal benefits. The cardholder can earn accelerated reward points of up to 12X through the iShop portal and then redeem the points against flight/hotel bookings to get a value back of up to 36%. The card provides good lifestyle benefits like BOGO on movies, unlimited complimentary domestic and international airport lounge access, unlimited golf rounds, etc. With so many features and benefits, it is an ideal credit card to have. If you are a frequent traveller and/or enjoy the above-mentioned lifestyle benefits, you must have the ICICI Bank Emeralde Private Metal Credit Card in your wallet.