Credit Card Comparison: HDFC Infinia vs. ICICI Bank Emerald Private Metal Credit Card (After iShop Launch)

Super-premium credit cards offer a host of exclusive benefits tailored for high-net-worth individuals. In this article, we compare two of the most prestigious options in India—the HDFC Infinia Credit Card and the ICICI Bank Emeralde Private Metal Credit Card. This comparison is based on official information from HDFC Bank and ICICI Bank, focusing on reward programs, travel perks, shopping advantages, and fees to help you make an informed decision.


Both cards feature a sleek metallic design, symbolizing exclusivity, but they differ significantly in rewards, benefits, and cost structures.

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HDFC Infinia Credit Card​

Designed for high-spending individuals, the HDFC Infinia offers one of the most rewarding point redemption structures, making it an excellent choice for travel and luxury benefits.

Key Features:​

• Reward Points:
  • 5 Reward Points (RP) per ₹150 spent on retail purchases, including insurance, utilities, and education (except fuel).
  • Reward cap: 2,000 RP/month on grocery spends and 5,000 RP/day on insurance spends.
• Accelerated Rewards:
  • 10X RP on travel and shopping via SmartBuy.
  • High Redemption Value:
    • Flights & Hotels via SmartBuy: 1 RP = ₹1
    • Apple Products & Tanishq Vouchers via SmartBuy: 1 RP = ₹1
    • Airmiles Conversion: 1 RP = 1 air mile
    • Cashback: 1 RP = ₹0.30
• Travel & Lifestyle Benefits:
  • Unlimited Airport Lounge Access (Domestic & International) for primary and add-on cardholders.
  • Club Marriott Membership (First year free) with dining and stay discounts.
  • Complimentary nights and buffets at select ITC Hotels.
  • Unlimited Golf Games at leading Indian and select international courses.
• Additional Perks:
  • Fuel Surcharge Waiver: 1% on fuel spends between ₹400 & ₹1,00,000 (Max waiver: ₹1,000/month).
  • Foreign Currency Markup Fee: 2% + GST on international transactions.
  • 24x7 Concierge Services for travel, dining, and business assistance.
  • Insurance Coverage:
    • ₹3 Crore Air Accidental Cover.
    • ₹50 Lakh Emergency Overseas Hospitalization.
    • ₹9 Lakh Credit Shield Cover.
  • No Cash Advance Fee with an interest-free period of up to 50 days.

Drawbacks:​

• High Annual Fee: ₹12,500 + GST.
• Invitation-Only Eligibility: Difficult to obtain.
• Capped Accelerated Rewards: Max 15,000 bonus RP/month on SmartBuy.

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ICICI Bank Emeralde Private Metal Credit Card​

The ICICI Bank Emeralde Private Metal caters to frequent travelers with its unique reward structure and lifestyle benefits.

Key Features:​

• Reward Points:
  • 6 RP per ₹200 spent across all retail categories, including groceries, utilities, education, and insurance.
  • Category Caps:
    • 1,000 RP cap per cycle for groceries, utilities, and education each.
    • 5,000 RP cap per cycle on insurance spends.
• Accelerated Rewards via iShop:
  | Category | iShop Multiplier | RP per ₹100 |
  |-----------|----------------|-------------|
  | Flights | 6X | 18 RP |
  | Hotels | 12X | 36 RP |
  | Shopping Vouchers | 6X | 18 RP |

• Reward Redemption:
  • Cashback & gifts: 1 RP = ₹0.25.
  • Flights, hotels & brand vouchers: 1 RP = ₹1.
  • Rewards catalog: 1 RP = ₹0.6.
  • Statement credit: 1 RP = ₹0.4.

• Travel & Lifestyle Benefits:
  • Unlimited Airport Lounge Access (Domestic & International).
  • Complimentary Airport Spa Access via Dreamfolks membership.
  • Travel Cancellation Cover: Up to ₹12,000 annually (max 2 cancellations per year).
  • Milestone Benefit: EaseMyTrip vouchers worth ₹6,000 (₹3,000 each at ₹4L & ₹8L spend milestones).

• Additional Perks:
  • Taj Epicure Membership (First year free) with dining, spa, and hotel discounts.
  • BOGO on BookMyShow tickets (Twice per month, max ₹750 per ticket).
  • Complimentary Golf Rounds (Up to 4 per month for ₹50,000+ spends in previous month).
  • Fuel Surcharge Waiver: 1% on all fuel transactions.
  • Foreign Currency Markup Fee: 2% + GST.
  • 24x7 i-Assist Concierge Services.
  • No Late Payment Fees or Over-Limit Charges.

Drawbacks:​

• High Annual Fee: ₹12,499 + GST.
• Lower Base Reward Rate: Compared to HDFC Infinia.

Category-wise Comparison​

Feature	HDFC Infinia Credit Card	ICICI Bank Emeralde Private Metal Credit Card
Annual Fee	₹12,500 + GST	₹12,499 + GST
Reward Points	5 RP per ₹150 spent (except fuel)	6 RP per ₹200 spent (all spends)
Accelerated Rewards	10X on flights and hotels via SmartBuy	6X on flights & shopping vouchers; 12X on hotels via iShop
Reward Point Value	1 RP = ₹1 for flights and hotels on SmartBuy	1 RP = ₹0.25 for cashback and gifts; up to ₹1 for other options
Reward Points Redemption	Flights & Hotels via SmartBuy (1 RP = ₹1); Apple Products & Tanishq Vouchers via SmartBuy (1 RP = ₹1); Airmiles (1 RP = 1 Airmile); Cashback (1 RP = ₹0.30)	Cashback & gifts (1 RP = ₹0.25); Flights, Hotels & Shopping Vouchers via iShop
Fuel Reward Points	Not applicable	Standard reward points
Lounge Access	Unlimited domestic and international airport lounge access	Unlimited domestic and international airport lounge access
Travel Benefits	Club Marriott membership	Complimentary domestic airport spa access; Travel Cancellation Cover
Foreign Currency Markup Fee	2% + GST	2% + GST
Fuel Benefits	1% surcharge waiver on fuel spends between ₹400 & ₹1,00,000 (Max: ₹1,000/month)	1% surcharge waiver on all fuel spends
Shopping Benefits	10X RP via SmartBuy	6X RP on shopping vouchers via iShop; Milestone Benefit: EaseMyTrip vouchers
Hotel Benefits	10X RP on SmartBuy; Complimentary nights & buffet at participating ITC hotels	12X RP on hotel bookings via iShop; Complimentary Taj Epicure membership
Entertainment Benefits	-	BOGO on BookMyShow movie/event tickets twice per month
Golf Benefits	Unlimited complimentary golf games	Complimentary golf round/lesson every month (with conditions)
Concierge Services	24x7 Concierge	24x7 Concierge
Cash Advance Fee	No fee	No fee
Additional Benefits	-	No late payment fees, no over-limit fees
Eligibility	Invitation-only	By invitation

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Conclusion: Which Card is Right for You?​

• Choose HDFC Infinia if you prioritize high reward redemption rates, Club Marriott membership, and unlimited golf privileges. It is ideal for those who frequently book travel via SmartBuy and maximize accelerated rewards.
• Choose ICICI Emeralde Private Metal if you prefer higher reward multipliers on flights and hotels, airport spa access, and no extra charges on late payments or over-limit transactions. It suits frequent travelers who book via iShop.

Both cards cater to premium users, and your choice depends on your spending habits and reward preferences.


Which one suits you best? Share your thoughts!

There might be some mistakes in my creation, so please correct me if I am wrong. I will fix them accordingly.

 

[Noxious]

Great review
Hoping to get my hands on EPM very soon.

 

[Dr.Anand456Dr.Anand456 is verified member.]

Great review
Hoping to get my hands on EPM very soon.

Thanks! Hope I get an EMP soon too.

 

[kvndsz512]

its not 10x on flight and hotels both 5x on flight and 10x on hotel only in ur table the accelerated thing

shopping benefits also in table is mostly 5x only except pharmaeasy/igp etc only 2-4 category are 10x rest all are 5x only

and i guess better is emerald metal as it has better redemption at present 100% and 90% is way more better than the 70% capping in hdfc .. even ur earning more points on emerald 18% and 36% which is more than infinia... and even in amazon flipkart gv u pay 3-4% taxes which is not there on icici emerald metal at present...

at present even no capping on gv limit...hdfc has 10k on most things

 

[Dr.Anand456Dr.Anand456 is verified member.]

its not 10x on flight and hotels both 5x on flight and 10x on hotel only in ur table the accelerated thing

shopping benefits also in table is mostly 5x only except pharmaeasy/igp etc only 2-4 category are 10x rest all are 5x only

and i guess better is emerald metal as it has better redemption at present 100% and 90% is way more better than the 70% capping in hdfc .. even ur earning more points on emerald 18% and 36% which is more than infinia... and even in amazon flipkart gv u pay 3-4% taxes which is not there on icici emerald metal at present...

at present even no capping on gv limit...hdfc has 10k on most things

Ok, thanks for information.

 

[RDR]

Nice comparison!

Couple of corrections suggested:
1. EPM only gives fuel surcharge waiver. You don’t get base RP for fuel.
2. EPM doesn’t have domestic spa access. Only lounge.

 

[Sidharth1094]

Cash redemption is 1 rp = ₹0.40

 

[Dr.Anand456Dr.Anand456 is verified member.]

Cash redemption is 1 rp = ₹0.40

Which card...? Hdfc..?

 

[Noxious]

Applied for EPM, had to contact bank RM, he said "will be done", lets see how it goes.
I have a good TRV of around 5 crores with ICICI and a very long standing relationship.

 

[shu_sha]

Applied for EPM, had to contact bank RM, he said "will be done", lets see how it goes.
I have a good TRV of around 5 crores with ICICI and a very long standing relationship.

With this TRV you'll easily get EPM

 

[Dr.Anand456Dr.Anand456 is verified member.]

Applied for EPM, had to contact bank RM, he said "will be done", lets see how it goes.
I have a good TRV of around 5 crores with ICICI and a very long standing relationship.

How did your TRV reach ₹5 crore? Can you share some details? Also, how many years have you been associated with ICICI Bank? This will give me a better idea. By the way, I also applied for this card today—let's see what happens.

 

[shu_sha]

By the way, I also applied for this card today—let's see what happens.

How did you applied for this card?
Is all of your approvals already taken care?

 

[Noxious]

How did your TRV reach ₹5 crore? Can you share some details? Also, how many years have you been associated with ICICI Bank? This will give me a better idea. By the way, I also applied for this card today—let's see what happens.

2 current accounts with more than 3 crores in Overdraft limit, 50 lakhs in FD, credit card with 10 lakhs limit, around 30 lakhs in stock market using ICICI direct, 4 car loan(15L/15L/35L/60L), wealth management savings account.
Had a LAP of 1.72 crores which was recently foreclosed within 6 months of issuing the loan.

Been using ICICI exclusively(other than CC) since last 12 years if I am not wrong, all car loans, home loans, business loans, overdraft been with them.
In total, including family we have 5 wealth accounts, 3 current accounts with ICICI and planning to increase our overdraft to 10 crores which is in process as of now.

 

[Noxious]

How did you applied for this card?
Is all of your approvals already taken care?

You gotta contact your RM to apply for this card unless you get a pre approved offer from ICICI on the imobile app/website

 

[Dr.Anand456Dr.Anand456 is verified member.]

2 current accounts with more than 3 crores in Overdraft limit, 50 lakhs in FD, credit card with 10 lakhs limit, around 30 lakhs in stock market using ICICI direct, 4 car loan(15L/15L/35L/60L), wealth management savings account.
Had a LAP of 1.72 crores which was recently foreclosed within 6 months of issuing the loan.

Been using ICICI exclusively(other than CC) since last 12 years if I am not wrong, all car loans, home loans, business loans, overdraft been with them.
In total, including family we have 5 wealth accounts, 3 current accounts with ICICI and planning to increase our overdraft to 10 crores which is in process as of now.

Thanks for sharing! You are definitely eligible for this card. I truly hope you get it. If even you don't receive it, I might lose my trust in ICICI Bank. 😅

 

[Dr.Anand456Dr.Anand456 is verified member.]

How did you applied for this card?
Is all of your approvals already taken care?

No, I’ve just received the first level of approval from the BM. Finally, the wealth branch manager has at least agreed to apply for the card. Everything is still in process.

 

[shu_sha]

No, I’ve just received the first level of approval from the BM. Finally, the wealth branch manager has at least agreed to apply for the card. Everything is still in process.

Keep us posted will definitely need your case reference 😉