Fees, how the invite works, the iShop rules in plain English and what an Emeralde Private Metal reward point is really worth.
| Annual fee | ₹12,499 + GST |
| Fee waiver | Spend over ₹10 lakh a year |
| Base earn | 6 RP per ₹200 (about 3%) |
| iShop hotels | 12X, up to 36% back |
| Lounges and golf | Unlimited |
Card overview
The ICICI Emeralde Private Metal credit card (also searched as ICICI Emerald) is ICICI Bank’s invite-only ₹12,499 metal card. You get unlimited lounge access and golf, Taj Epicure Plus and EazyDiner Prime memberships, and up to 12X reward points when you book hotels on iShop.
It’s the top card in ICICI’s range, and the rewards show it. Every point is worth up to ₹1 on iShop, so the base 6 points per ₹200 works out to about 3% back. That’s on your everyday spends, before you even get to the accelerated rates.
Wondering if the fee is worth it? The 12,500 points you get when you join are worth up to ₹12,500 on iShop. That pays for the joining fee in one go.
Good to know: Emeralde Private Metal is invite-only. ICICI offers it to its Private Banking clients through their relationship manager, so there’s no form to fill in online.
Reward point value at a glance
An Emeralde Private Metal point is worth different amounts depending on where you use it. Flight, hotel and brand vouchers (Apple, Tanishq, Tumi, Coach and more) in ICICI’s rewards catalogue are worth ₹1 a point too, and other catalogue products ₹0.60.
Up to ₹1 per point
iShop flights and hotels
1:1 to Air India
Maharaja Club transfers
₹0.40 per point
Cashback on your statement
Here’s what that looks like in rupees. Book a ₹40,000 hotel stay on iShop and you earn 14,400 points. Use them on your next iShop flight and they’re worth up to ₹14,400. That’s 36% of what you spent, coming back to you.
Where you earn, and where you don’t
Where you earn most
72 RP per ₹200Hotels booked through iShop (12X).
36 RP per ₹200iShop flights, buses and shopping vouchers (6X).
Strong rates
6 RP per ₹200On almost everything else, including international spends.
Groceries, utilities and education earn too, up to 1,000 points each per statement cycle. Insurance earns up to 5,000.
Earns nothing
- Fuel
- Rent
- Wallet loads
- Tax and government payments
- Cash withdrawals
Key takeaways
- The ICICI Emeralde Private Metal credit card costs ₹12,499 + GST a year. Spend over ₹10 lakh in a year and the next renewal fee is waived.
- It’s invite-only. ICICI offers it to Private Banking clients through their relationship manager.
- You earn 6 points per ₹200 on regular spends, which is about 3% back at ₹1 a point.
- On iShop you earn 6X on flights and vouchers and 12X on hotels, with up to 18,000 bonus points a month.
- You and up to 3 Plus cardholders get unlimited domestic and international lounge access.
What’s in this guide
Emeralde Private Metal vs Emeralde credit card: which one is this?
There are two ICICI Emeralde credit cards: the regular Emeralde (₹12,000 + GST, open to apply) and the Emeralde Private Metal (₹12,499 + GST, invite-only). This page covers the Private Metal.
The names are almost the same, so it’s no surprise that search results mix them up. But the cards are quite different.
| Emeralde Private Metal | Emeralde | |
|---|---|---|
| How you get it | By invite, through your ICICI relationship manager | Apply online |
| Annual fee | ₹12,499 + GST | ₹12,000 + GST |
| Reward rate on regular spends | About 3% | About 1% |
| Golf | Unlimited rounds or lessons every month | Up to 4 a month, 1 for every ₹50,000 spent |
| Lounge access for Plus cardholders | Yes, unlimited | Primary cardholder only |
| Late payment fee | Nil | ₹100 to ₹1,300 |
Both cards waive the renewal fee when you spend over ₹10 lakh in a year. If you don’t bank privately with ICICI, the regular Emeralde is the one you can apply for.
ICICI Emeralde Private Metal credit card fees and charges
The Emeralde Private Metal costs ₹12,499 + GST to join and the same each year after, and the renewal fee is waived when you spend over ₹10 lakh in the year.
You get 12,500 reward points once the joining fee is paid and the card is active, and another 12,500 on each renewal. ICICI says these can take up to 45 days to show up.
Is the Emeralde Private Metal card lifetime free?
No, but you can skip the renewal fee. Spend over ₹10 lakh in your card year, which is about ₹83,000 a month, and next year’s fee is waived. Rent, government and education payments don’t count towards that ₹10 lakh, and neither do fees, interest or EMIs.
There’s one trade-off to know about. In a year when your fee is waived, you don’t get the 12,500 renewal points.
| Charge | What you pay |
|---|---|
| Joining fee | ₹12,499 + GST |
| Annual fee | ₹12,499 + GST from year 2, waived on spends over ₹10 lakh |
| Plus (add-on) cards | ₹3,500 + GST one-time per card, up to 3 cards |
| Forex markup | 2% |
| Paying in rupees abroad (DCC) | 2% |
| Interest | 3.75% a month (45% a year) |
| Cash withdrawal fee | Nil, but interest starts from day one |
| Late payment fee | Nil |
| Overlimit fee | Nil |
| Utility or transport payments above ₹50,000 | 1% fee |
| Education fees through third-party apps | 1% fee |
| Wallet loads of ₹5,000 or more | 1% fee |
A nil late fee is rare, but interest still applies if you don’t pay in full. And at 2%, the forex markup is fine without being special, so if you spend a lot abroad it’s worth doing the math on a lower-markup card for those trips.
ICICI Emeralde Private Metal eligibility: how the invite works
The Emeralde Private Metal is invite-only: ICICI offers it to Private Banking clients through their relationship manager, and there’s no online application.
| Requirement | What we know |
|---|---|
| Age | 21 to 65 years |
| Who can get it | Salaried or self-employed |
| Relationship | An ICICI Private Banking relationship, at the level ICICI sets |
| Income | Not published |
| Documents | No physical documents needed |
ICICI doesn’t publish an income or relationship figure for this card. You’ll see numbers quoted on other sites, but none of them come from the bank, so we’d treat them as guesses.
How to get an invite
Talk to your ICICI relationship manager. If your relationship with the bank meets ICICI’s bar, they can offer you the card. There’s nothing to apply for online and no paperwork to send in.
Can it be withdrawn?
Yes. ICICI can review, downgrade or take back the card if your relationship with the bank drops below what it asks for. So it’s worth keeping an eye on your relationship value, the same way you would for any Private Banking perk.
How you earn Emeralde Private Metal reward points
The ICICI Emeralde Private Metal earns 6 reward points per ₹200 on regular spends and up to 72 points per ₹200 on hotels booked through ICICI’s iShop portal.
Base: 6 points per ₹200
Every eligible ₹200 you spend earns 6 points. That includes international spends, so there’s no separate rate to remember when you travel. At ₹1 a point on iShop, that’s about 3% back on everyday spending.
iShop accelerators
iShop is ICICI’s own booking and shopping portal. Book there with your Emeralde Private Metal and the points add up much faster.
| What you book on iShop | Points per ₹200 | Up to |
|---|---|---|
| Hotels | 72 (12X) | 36% back |
| Flights | 36 (6X) | 18% back |
| Buses | 36 (6X) | 18% back |
| Shopping vouchers (230+ brands) | 36 (6X) | 18% back |
There’s a monthly limit. ICICI caps iShop bonus points at 18,000 a month and 10,000 a day for this card, and your base points come on top. You’d reach the monthly cap at about ₹55,000 of hotel bookings, or about ₹1.2 lakh of flights and vouchers.
Here’s an example. Say this month you book a ₹40,000 hotel on iShop and spend ₹1 lakh on everything else.
- The hotel earns 14,400 points: 1,200 base and 13,200 bonus
- Your other ₹1 lakh earns 3,000 points
- Total: 17,400 points, worth up to ₹17,400 on your next iShop booking
That’s about 12% back on ₹1.4 lakh of spending.
iShop points usually show up within 90 days of booking, or 45 days after your trip or stay, whichever is later. So if they aren’t there the next morning, don’t worry.
Caps and what earns nothing
Some everyday categories earn the normal 6 points per ₹200 but stop at a limit each statement cycle:
- Groceries: up to 1,000 points
- Utilities and telecom: up to 1,000 points
- Education: up to 1,000 points
- Insurance: up to 5,000 points
Fuel, rent, wallet loads, tax and government payments, cash withdrawals and card fees earn nothing at all.
What your Emeralde Private Metal points are actually worth
One Emeralde Private Metal point is worth up to ₹1 when you redeem on iShop for flights or hotels, and transfers 1:1 to Air India Maharaja Club.
| How you redeem | Value per point | Return on regular spends | Return on iShop hotels |
|---|---|---|---|
| iShop flights, buses and hotels | Up to ₹1 | About 3% | Up to 36% |
| Catalogue flight and hotel vouchers | ₹1 | 3% | 36% |
| Catalogue brand vouchers (Apple, Tanishq, Tumi, Coach and more) | ₹1 | 3% | 36% |
| Other catalogue products | ₹0.60 | 1.8% | 21.6% |
| Statement credit | ₹0.40 | 1.2% | 14.4% |
| Air India Maharaja Club | 1 Maharaja Point | Depends on the flight | Depends on the flight |
On iShop you can pay for up to 100% of a flight with points, up to 90% of a hotel booking and up to 50% of a shopping voucher. You can also mix points and cash, and iShop shows you exactly what your points are worth at checkout.
Statement credit is the easy option, but at ₹0.40 it gives you less than half of what the same points get you on flights, hotels or brand vouchers. You can also only take up to 50,000 points a statement cycle this way.
To check any redemption yourself, use this:
Value per point = what it would’ve cost in cash ÷ points used
Tip to make your PointsFly: pay the cash part of an iShop booking with your Emeralde Private Metal. That part earns points again, so your next trip starts building as soon as this one is booked.
How to redeem
- Where: on iShop at checkout, or in ICICI’s rewards catalogue.
- Fees: ICICI charges ₹99 + GST for each redemption, and iShop charges the same each time you use points in a booking. It’s a flat fee, so redeem in bigger amounts.
- Expiry: points are valid for 3 years from the date you earn them.
Want to see what your own balance could do? Try our reward points calculator.
Transfer to Air India Maharaja Club
Emeralde Private Metal points move to Air India Maharaja Club at 1:1, so 10,000 points become 10,000 Maharaja Points. It’s the card’s only airline or hotel transfer partner.
- Points go to your own Maharaja Club account, usually within 5 working days.
- ICICI hasn’t published a minimum transfer for this card. The 2,000-point minimum you might see applies to other ICICI cards.
- Once a transfer goes through, you can’t reverse it.
Golden rule: seat first, transfer second. Find the Air India award you want before you move a single point.
How far do Maharaja Points actually go? Our guide to Air India Maharaja points value breaks it down, and our guide to ICICI reward points covers every way to use them.
ICICI Emeralde Private Metal credit card benefits
The main Emeralde Private Metal benefits are unlimited lounge access and golf, Taj Epicure Plus and EazyDiner Prime memberships, and up to ₹12,000 a year back on cancelled domestic flights and hotels.
Joining and renewal
- 12,500 reward points when you join, and again on each renewal
- Taj Epicure Plus membership
- EazyDiner Prime membership
Golf
Unlimited complimentary golf rounds or lessons every month for the primary cardholder. ICICI credits each month’s golf benefit by the 10th of the following month, and you have two months to use it.
Dining and hotels
- Taj Epicure Plus: a one-year membership with a complimentary night’s stay, a set meal for two and discounts at participating Taj hotels.
- EazyDiner Prime: a 12-month membership with at least 25% off at EazyDiner’s Prime restaurants, plus 1+1 deals at some of them.
Movies
Buy 2 tickets for a movie, sports event, play or concert on BookMyShow and get up to ₹750 off the second, twice a month.
Milestone vouchers
- Spend ₹4 lakh in your card year: ₹3,000 EaseMyTrip flight voucher
- Spend ₹8 lakh: another ₹3,000 EaseMyTrip flight voucher
That’s up to ₹6,000 in vouchers a year.
Travel cover
- Cancellations: up to ₹12,000 a year back on non-refundable domestic flights, 4 or 5-star hotel stays and movie tickets you cancel, for your first 2 bookings. Book on the card and cancel at least 24 hours before.
- Air accident cover: up to ₹3 crore for the primary cardholder on international flights, as long as you bought the ticket on the card and used the card at least once in the 60 days before.
- Baggage and delays: up to ₹84,000 for lost checked-in baggage, ₹21,000 for delayed baggage and ₹17,500 for flight delays.
- Purchase protection: up to ₹1,40,000.
Concierge
Call 1800 267 0731 any time, day or night.
Fuel
A 1% fuel surcharge waiver on fuel spends up to ₹4,000 a time, up to ₹1,000 a statement cycle. Plus cardholders get it too.
ICICI Emeralde Private Metal lounge access
Emeralde Private Metal gives unlimited domestic and international lounge access to both the primary and Plus cardholders, with no quarterly spend requirement.
Domestic: unlimited, no spend needed
Most ICICI cards now ask you to spend a set amount in the previous quarter before you can use domestic lounges. Emeralde Private Metal doesn’t. Just swipe your card at the lounge and you’re in. Go as often as you like.
Each visit can last up to 3 hours. ICICI’s partner lounges cover 43 cities, from the big metros to airports like Ayodhya, Jewar and Mopa.
Lounges only a few ICICI cards can use
Some lounges on ICICI’s list are open only to Emeralde Private Metal, Times Black and Diamant cardholders. These are the ones marked * in the list below:
- 080 VIP Lounge, Bengaluru: Terminal 1 domestic, and Terminal 2 domestic and international
- Prive Lounge, Hyderabad: international departures
- Prive Lounge, New Delhi: domestic departures, next to food court 2
Domestic lounge list
Here’s every lounge on ICICI’s list (updated September 2026), by city. Terminal names are as ICICI gives them.
| City | Lounges |
|---|---|
| Agartala | Primus Lounge, Main terminal domestic |
| Ahmedabad | The Lounge, T1 domestic; Adani Lounge (Premium Loyalty), T1 domestic; Adani Lounge, T2 domestic; Adani Silver Lounge, T2 international |
| Amritsar | Primus Lounge, T1 domestic; Airr Lounge, Main terminal international |
| Ayodhya | Casual Dining Restaurant, Main terminal domestic |
| Bengaluru | 080 VIP Lounge*, T1 domestic; 080 VIP Lounge*, T2 domestic; 080 VIP Lounge*, T2 international; 080 Lounge (West PH 1, West PH 2, East), T1 domestic; 080 Lounge, T2 domestic; 080 Lounge, T2 international |
| Bhopal | Primus Lounge, T1 domestic |
| Bhubaneswar | O’Vetra Lounge, T1 domestic |
| Calicut | Bird Lounge, T1 international |
| Chandigarh | Primus Lounge, Main terminal domestic; Primus Lounge, Main terminal international |
| Chennai | Travel Club Lounge A and B, T1 domestic; Travel Club Lounge, T4 domestic; Travel Club Lounge, T2 international |
| Coimbatore | Blockberry Lounge, T1 domestic |
| Dehradun | Carnations Lounge, T1 domestic |
| Dibrugarh | Saptagiri Restaurant, T1 domestic |
| Durgapur | Flurys, Main terminal domestic |
| Goa (Dabolim) | Travel Club Lounge, Main terminal domestic; Travel Club Lounge, Main terminal international |
| Goa (Mopa) | Encalm Lounge, T1 domestic; Encalm Lounge, T1 international |
| Guwahati | The Lounge, T1 domestic; The Lounge, T1 international |
| Gwalior | Paahun Executive Lounge, Main terminal domestic |
| Hyderabad | Encalm Lounge, T1 domestic; Encalm Lounge, T1 international; Prive Lounge*, T1 international |
| Indore | Primus Lounge, T1 domestic |
| Jaipur | The Lounge, T2 domestic |
| Jammu | Paahun The Executive Lounge, T1 domestic |
| Kannur | Pearl Lounge, Main terminal domestic; Pearl Lounge, Main terminal international |
| Kochi | Earth Lounge, T1 domestic; Earth Lounge and Earth Business Lounge, T3 international |
| Kolkata | Travel Club Lounge, T2 domestic; Travel Club Lounge, T2 international |
| Lucknow | Adani Lounge, T3 domestic; Budweiser, T3 international |
| Madurai | Primus Lounge, T1 domestic |
| Mumbai | Adani Lounge, T1B domestic; Good Times Bar, T1B domestic; Adani Lounge, T2 domestic; Adani Silver International Lounge, T2 international |
| Nagpur | Mandarin Lounge, T1 domestic; The Airr Lounge and Bar, Main terminal domestic |
| Navi Mumbai | Adani Silver Lounge, T1 domestic |
| New Delhi | Encalm Lounge, T1 domestic; Encalm Lounge, T2 domestic; Prive Lounge*, domestic departures; Encalm Lounge, T3 domestic; Encalm Lounge, T3 international |
| Noida (Jewar) | Travel Club Lounge, Main terminal domestic; Travel Club Lounge, Main terminal international |
| Patna | Uttham Lounge, T1 domestic |
| Prayagraj | Zesto Lounge, T1 domestic |
| Pune | Elysian Lounge, Main terminal domestic; Elysian Lounge, Main terminal international; Earth Lounge, T1 international |
| Raipur | Airr Lounge, T1 domestic |
| Ranchi | Airr Lounge, Main terminal domestic |
| Siliguri (Bagdogra) | Take Off Bar and Lounge, Main terminal international |
| Srinagar | Paahun The Executive Lounge, T1 domestic |
| Thiruvananthapuram | The Lounge, T1 domestic; The Lounge, T2 international |
| Trichy | O’Vetra Domestic, T1 domestic; O’Vetra International, T1 international |
| Varanasi | Take Off Bar, Main terminal domestic |
| Visakhapatnam (Bhogapuram) | Encalm Lounge, T1 domestic; Encalm Lounge, T1 international |
International: unlimited with Priority Pass
You and your Plus cardholders each get a Priority Pass membership with unlimited visits to 1,900+ lounges in 145+ countries. Guests aren’t included and cost US$29 + GST per visit. To see the lounges at your airport, use the Priority Pass lounge finder.
Plus cardholders get it too
You can add up to 3 Plus cards for family members at ₹3,500 + GST each, one-time. Every Plus cardholder gets the same unlimited domestic and international lounge access as you. For a family that flies together, that alone can be worth more than the annual fee.
Lounges change from time to time, so check the list with ICICI before you fly.
ICICI Emeralde Private Metal review: our verdict
If you’re an ICICI Private Banking client who travels often and books hotels on iShop, the Emeralde Private Metal pays back its ₹12,499 fee quickly through lounges, golf and 12X hotel points.
So is it worth it? For most people who get the invite, yes. The joining points alone cover the fee, the base rate of about 3% is strong for everyday spending, and unlimited lounges for you and your family save real money if you fly a few times a year. It’s less useful if you rarely travel, or if you’d rather move points to many airlines, because Air India is the only transfer partner.
What we like
- About 3% back on regular spends, up to 36% on iShop hotels
- Unlimited lounges for you and up to 3 Plus cardholders
- Unlimited golf every month
- No late payment fee and no cash withdrawal fee
What could be better
- Invite-only, with no published criteria
- Air India is the only transfer partner
- iShop bonus points stop at 18,000 a month
- 2% forex markup
A great fit if you bank privately with ICICI, travel a few times a year with family, and book hotels and flights online.
A weaker fit if you rarely fly, want lots of airline partners to choose from, or spend heavily abroad.
More credit cards: HDFC Infinia · HSBC Premier · Amex Platinum · Axis Magnus · HDFC Biz Power
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ICICI Emeralde Private Metal FAQs
Is ICICI Emeralde invite only?
The Emeralde Private Metal is invite-only. ICICI offers it to Private Banking clients through their relationship manager, and there’s no online application. The regular ICICI Emeralde card is different. You can apply for it online if you’re salaried with ₹1.5 lakh a month or self-employed with ₹18 lakh a year.
Who gets an Emeralde Private Metal card?
ICICI offers it to Private Banking clients whose relationship with the bank meets the level ICICI sets. The bank doesn’t publish that figure. You need to be between 21 and 65, and you can be salaried or self-employed. The easiest way to find out is to ask your relationship manager.
Is the ICICI Emeralde Private Metal card worth it?
For frequent travellers, yes. The 12,500 joining points are worth up to ₹12,500 on iShop, which covers the fee. You also get about 3% back on regular spends, up to 36% on iShop hotels, and unlimited lounges and golf. It’s less useful if you rarely travel.
Which is better, HDFC Infinia or ICICI Emeralde Private Metal?
Both are invite-led top-tier cards. Infinia gives you more airline and hotel transfer partners, while Emeralde Private Metal earns a strong 3% on regular spends and gives unlimited lounges to up to 3 Plus cardholders. If transfers matter most to you, look at our HDFC Infinia guide.
What is the value of 1 ICICI reward point?
On the Emeralde Private Metal, a point is worth up to ₹1 on iShop flights, buses and hotels and on flight, hotel and brand vouchers, ₹0.60 on other catalogue products and ₹0.40 as a statement credit. You can also move points to Air India Maharaja Club at 1:1. Other ICICI cards have lower values, which our ICICI reward points guide covers.
What is the ICICI Emeralde Private Metal credit limit?
There’s no fixed limit. ICICI sets it based on your income, credit history and relationship with the bank. Cardholders report a wide range, so the best way to know is to ask your relationship manager when you get the invite.
Can Plus cardholders use lounges with the Emeralde Private Metal?
Yes. Up to 3 Plus cardholders get the same unlimited domestic and international lounge access as the primary cardholder. Each Plus card costs ₹3,500 + GST, one-time. The ₹3 crore air accident cover is only for the primary cardholder, though.
Is Emeralde Private Metal ICICI’s best metal credit card?
It’s ICICI’s top card. It has the highest base reward rate in ICICI’s range, the biggest iShop limits and unlimited lounges and golf. For how it stacks up against metal cards from other banks, see our guide to metal credit cards in India.
Card terms change often. This page reflects ICICI Bank’s published terms as of 29 October 2026. Confirm current terms with ICICI Bank before applying.
