ICICI Bank has been on a roll recently, going about expanding their credit card portfolio with new products over the past few years. They have a tie-up due to launch a co-brand credit card with Ola, they already launched a new credit card with Amazon India (check out how to get it), and their other credit card offerings are seemingly doing alright as well. Which brings me to their next, ICICI Bank Emeralde Credit Card.
Now, they are in the midst of shuffling things a bit. ICICI Bank is launching a new product in the market as a part of their Gemstone collection of cards, which is labelled as the Emeralde. The card comes with an INR 12,000 per annum fees, so it sits on top of their current set of Gemstone cards, which include the Coral, Rubyx and Sapphiro range, but much below their very high-end Diamant card.
While the literature for the card is not out yet like you can already see from the image above, the card comes as an American Express + MasterCard Elite Credit Card, and it comes together in one fee paid per annum, or per month.
The card focusses on benefits in three categories, Travel, Lifestyle and Wellness.
- Travel: There will be unlimited international lounge access offered on this card, and unlimited domestic airport spa access. Additionally, you get complimentary wi-fi at up to 1 million hotspots with Boingo using the Amex version. Free cancellations on travel and hotel bookings up to INR 12,000 per annum
- Lifestyle: 4 Complimentary rounds of golf every month and INR 750 off on movies and event tickets 8 times a month (4 times on MasterCard, 4 times on American Express).
- Wellness: You get up to 50% off on Gym memberships at Talwalkars and Golds Gym, and discounts in the wellness category as well.
Apart from that, as a milestone benefit, you get a complimentary gift voucher worth INR 5,000 from Da Milano on spending INR 2,00,000 in two months of joining. You also get an INR 7,500 voucher from Trident Hotels on your birthday.
The card drops the lowest markup fee on international transactions from an Indian card at the moment, taking it to 1.5%.
However, the spanner in the wings is that the card offers you Payback points towards rewards. They could have made a good catalogue of their own for the product as well.
This won’t be an easy market to win for them, however, given I know of at least one other bank which is working on a big new card release which I can’t talk about just yet!
Have you checked out the ICICI Bank Emeralde Credit Card? What do you think of it?
Hello Sir,
Any new update happening or restructure with this card
Thanks,
PK2
New Etihad Guest card from SBI, has that been reviewed?
@Ravish just this morning. https://livefromalounge.boardingarea.com/2019/01/25/etihad-sbi-card-2019/
Hopefully the card would be the Amex charge card improving their features compared to the cost they charge.
ICICI really seems to be upping their game. I have a held a useless LTF Icici card which now got much better with the amazon card coming in, hopefully this one or their Ola one turn out to be useful.
Looks like icici is ready to stem the steady market share loss under the new leadership. This + Axis scaling up their retail portfolio can only be positive.
“… I know of at least one other bank which is working on a big new card release which I can’t talk about just yet!” – You mean the secretive SBI Etihad card? 😀
@Abhinav, no, another bank will be announcing a product shortly too.
Any idea if said card is worth waiting for? I’m thinking of applying for either Emerald (depending on the features), Premier Miles or the Yes one.
Premier Miles is a good card with a decently low annual fee.
Earning and redemption rates are also decent, with a nice mix of lounge access as well.
In super premium category?
I hope its from citibank they really need to refresh their credit card line up.
Payback rewards seem like a bummer.
I just got myself the ICICI Rubyx this month. You have any suggestions as to the best value that I can get from Payback rewards? Their catalogue seems very bad.
Statement credit.
ICICI Rubyx / Sapphire allow for stmt credits? Never found that anywhere – pls share if some hack, thanks
Product feature, not a hack.
Check your payback points count and call on 080-40146444. First they verify available points count and ask you to call again 3 days later for redemption. Charges Rs. 25+taxes. 1pt =25p