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ICICI Bank Emeralde Private Metal Credit Card Launched

ICICI Bank has launched the Emerald Private Metal Credit Card, which offers all the benefits of the ICICI Emerald Credit Card along with a few additional benefits.

Welcome Benefits:
  1. Taj Epicure membership for the first year. [You'll get one stay voucher with this]
  2. Receive 12,500 bonus reward points after annual fee payment each year.
  3. EazyDiner Prime membership (renewed annually).
Main Benefits:
  1. Unlimited golf games/lessons for the primary cardholder.
  2. Unlimited domestic airport lounge access using the Emerald Private Metal Credit Card for both the primary and add-on cardholders.
  3. Unlimited international airport lounge access using Priority Pass for both the primary and add-on cardholders.
  4. Buy one, get one free movie/event ticket from BookMyShow twice per month. Maximum Discount: Rs. 750 per ticket.
  5. Up to Rs. 12,000 refund for a maximum of 2 transactions per year on tickets booked exclusively with the Emeralde Private Metal Credit Card.
  6. Discounted markup fees: 2%.
  7. 1% fuel surcharge waiver for all transactions up to Rs. 4000. Maximum surcharges waiver - Rs. 1000 per statement cycle.
  8. No Extra Charges/Penalty For: Cash Withdrawal, Over limit, Late payment.
  9. You can get 3 complimentary add-on cards
Reward System:
Earn 6 reward points for every Rs. 200 spent.
No reward points on Tax Payment, Rent payments, EMI and Fuel purchases.

Reward Points Value:
Flight/Hotel Booking: 1 reward point = Rs. 1
Gift Vouchers*: 1 reward point = Rs. 1
Rewards Catalogue [other products]: 1 reward point = Rs. 0.60
Statement Credit: 1 reward point = Rs. 0.40

*Brands' Gift Vouchers available under the 1:1 redemption ratio include:
  • Travel Category: MakeMyTrip, EaseMyTrip, Yatra, ClearTrip, Hyaat, Marriott International, ITC Hotels, Taj Hotels.

    View attachment 36109
  • Electronics: Apple
  • Luxury Brands: Tanishq, Mothercare [Luxe], G-Star Raw [Luxe], Giorgio Armani [Luxe], Emporio Armani [Luxe], Canali [Luxe], Coach [Luxe], Tumi [Luxe], Scotch & Soda [Luxe], Jimmy Choo [Luxe]
There are lots of other brand vouchers available, but for those, you'll get a value of 1 reward point = Rs. 0.60. I think you have a decent option available under the 1:1 redemption category. ITC, Hyatt, Marriott, Taj, and other travel-related vouchers are worth considering. So, in terms of redemption options, I must say this is a decent card. And I think this is better than HDFC SmartBuy portal flight or hotel booking redemption system. The main downside of SmartBuy portal flight or hotel booking redemption is that you can't use 100% reward points. However, in the case of ICICI Emeralde Private Metal Card, you can just get an MMT voucher or any other travel voucher and book your flights or hotels.

Reward Rate:
Flight/Hotel Booking: 3%
Gift Vouchers: 3%
Rewards Catalogue: 1.8%
Statement Credit: 1.2%

Reward Redemption:
You can redeem your ICICI Bank Reward Points across Catalogues, from movie and travel vouchers to lifestyle products, mobiles, appliances, statement credit and more.
Redemption of Reward Points against statement balance (cashback redemption) is capped at 50,000 Reward Points per Statement cycle.

Reward Capping:
  • Reward Points earned on Insurance transaction will be capped at 5,000 Reward Points per statement cycle. [Spends required to reach maximum reward- Rs. 1,66,800]
  • Reward Points earned on grocery transaction will be capped at 1,000 Reward Points per statement cycle. [Spends required to reach maximum reward- Rs. 33,400]
  • Reward Points earned on Utilities transaction will be capped at 1,000 Reward Points per statement cycle. [Spends required to reach maximum reward- Rs. 33,400]
  • Reward Points earned on Education transaction will be capped at 1,000 Reward Points per statement cycle. [Spends required to reach maximum reward- Rs. 33,400]

Milestone Benefits:
Spend Rs. 8 lakhs per year and receive 2 air travel vouchers worth Rs. 3000 each (total Rs. 6000) from EaseMyTrip. Reward Rate: 0.75%.
Spends 4 Lakhs and get first EaseMyTrip voucher worth Rs. 3000/-​
Spends 8 Lakhs and get your second EaseMyTrip voucher worth Rs. 3000/-​

Charges:
Joining Fee: Rs. 12,499 + GST.
Annual Fee: Rs. 12,499 + GST.
Annual Fee Reversal Criteria: Spend Rs. 10 lakhs in the next card membership year to have your annual fee reversed.

Card Replacement Fees: Rs. 3500/-

Opinion:
The ICICI Bank Emeralde Private Metal Credit Card is the flagship credit card of ICICI Bank. When considering the reward rate, I must say this card offers decent value back on spending. The main drawback is that ICICI Bank does not offer a reward points transfer feature like HDFC Bank or Axis Bank.
Typically, credit cards of this nature provide the option to transfer points. However, in this case, we can only redeem our reward points for brand gift vouchers. I hope ICICI Bank will address this issue and introduce some transfer partners soon. You'll receive 12,500 reward points worth Rs. 12,500 on joining, so mathematically you'll only need to pay the GST (Approx. Rs. 2250/-) each year, similar to the SC Ultimate credit card. Additionally, you'll receive Taj Epicure membership for the first year with this card, allowing you to enjoy a complimentary stay at a Taj hotel. This benefit can help offset your card's joining fees effectively.
Overall, this is a good credit card, unlike other gemstone cards, as it offers a better reward rate. If you are seeking a premium credit card but don't plan to redeem your reward points for airline miles and instead prefer gift vouchers, then this credit card is for you.
 
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So now Emeralde metal seems a good bargain? Another benefit which we missed to mention is 750/- off on BMS tickets every month.

I will target this card after 6 months as recently I added 3 CCs and would now go slow (Infinia, Platinum Travel and SBI Elite)
 
So now Emeralde metal seems a good bargain? Another benefit which we missed to mention is 750/- off on BMS tickets every month.

I will target this card after 6 months as recently I added 3 CCs and would now go slow (Infinia, Platinum Travel and SBI Elite)
Seems to be. Everyone talking about it. It was good from day 1, even after devalue, cause they give too much suddenly, then they realises ops, houston we did a bubu.

India mein kya bolte hai...isro, we have a problem ?

Btw,
Can you tell me why sbi elite ? You already got infinia.
 
Seems to be. Everyone talking about it. It was good from day 1, even after devalue, cause they give too much suddenly, then they realises ops, houston we did a bubu.

India mein kya bolte hai...isro, we have a problem ?

Btw,
Can you tell me why sbi elite ? You already got infinia.
I got Elite before Infinia. Frankly only for its 500/- off on BMS movie tickets 😆 . For first year, its virtually free as you get equal amt of vouchers for fees (5K). I will close this in 11th month. I am looking at IDFC Wealth (Same BMS offer and its LTF) or this Emeralde metal.
 
I got Elite before Infinia. Frankly only for its 500/- off on BMS movie tickets 😆 . For first year, its virtually free as you get equal amt of vouchers for fees (5K). I will close this in 11th month. I am looking at IDFC Wealth (Same BMS offer and its LTF) or this Emeralde metal.
For Movie tickets, you can go for ICICI Sapphiro now. Try applying online after logging into NetBanking. Many people are getting Sapphiro LTF.
 
Only under alumni program I guess.
No.

Read from here:
 
For Movie tickets, you can go for ICICI Sapphiro now. Try applying online after logging into NetBanking. Many people are getting Sapphiro LTF.
It shows me its available for me as an upgrade to APay card. I dont want to discontinue APay as its one of the best LTF cards out there.
 
It shows me its available for me as an upgrade to APay card. I dont want to discontinue APay as its one of the best LTF cards out there.
Not Upgrade.
Read from here:
Click the apply button in loans/credit cards after logging into NB. Check the quoted thread.
 
I got Elite before Infinia. Frankly only for its 500/- off on BMS movie tickets 😆 . For first year, its virtually free as you get equal amt of vouchers for fees (5K). I will close this in 11th month. I am looking at IDFC Wealth (Same BMS offer and its LTF) or this Emeralde metal.
Emeralde metal dont have bogo offer for movie tickets. Only emeralde plastic have.

You can try other lower variant of icici cards.
 
I thought the same at first. Then i slowly started using it. When you pay for cc fees, you find out ways to atleast make it even at the end of the year.

I got a lot of reward points saved up. Waiting for some offer to use them. I think got 2 yrs expiry on those.

I used the card at domestic lounges 4x, 12x df for different international lounges. For wife, i used my other pp, the lounges had no problem allowing that. Used atleast 10x times for bms 1+1. I got lucky with my international trips, and i make sure i arrive atleast 5 hrs ahead of my flight, that way i can checkin my luggage and after security, can relax at lounges. With the plastic emeralde, got the top tier df card, got 2 complimentary alcoholic drinks as well, so thats a plus, cause the lounge food are not at par sometimes.

Not use the spa feature yet, most of the times i visited the spa was either closed or was over crowded.
Very good analysis and thought process. I hold the similar opinion for a lifestyle card without having to think too much about reward points and burning them.
I used the card at domestic lounges 4x, 12x df for different international lounges.
2 complimentary alcoholic drinks
Can you please help me to understand the above. I have been planning to get this card from long. Thanks!
 
Not a fact for all cases.

I tried a mumbai hotel booking for 5 nights.

Deluxe room + breakfast
Direct mmt app
5696 inc tax/n x 5 nights
= 28480.

Mmt cash using mmt card / Rs = 427
(After completing my stay).
I am mmt black exclusive member.

= Rs. 28053 (using mmt app + mmt card).

If i use smart buy, same hotel, same category, its showing as
6094 inc tax/n x 5 nights
= 30470.

Using hdfc rf card (4rp/150) +
10x accelerated rewards
= 812 x 10x = 8120 rp. 1 rp = 0.30
= 2436 back (after how many days ?)

= 28034 (using rf + 10x smartbuy).

So i am saving Rs. 19 only. Which I will not get right away. And if i do booking directly with mmt, i get a free room upgrade, cause of my mmt membership as extra perk.

I did the same for flight using mmt. I was making around 3k more with mmt direct than thru smartbuy. Hotel and flight 10x rewards is not worth doing thru smartbuy in my view.

So I dont see anything positive about the accelerated reward system.

Regalia gold is 4rp / 150 as well. Dcp, dcb, infinia, I not looked, maybe worth it ? Can anyone do the calculation if they have these cards ?

As technofino said earlier:
With emeralde plastic + metal @ 0.60 per rp, you get 2x value already. Even hdfc 10x accelerated rewards cannot beat that, yet.

Better yet, once you got enuff rp, get mmt vouchers with your rewards @ 1:1, you are getting more value for your hotel and flight booking only at mmt. There are a lot of other offers @ 1:1 with icici.

If i use smart buy, same hotel, same category, its showing as
6094 inc tax/n x 5 nights
= 30470.

HDFC INFINIA
If I book this hotel through SmartBuy using Infinia, the calculation would be like:
=(30470/150) * 50 (5rp*10x) = 10,156 reward points. You can use them as 1:1 for next transaction on Hotels/Flights/Tanishq (70% of the lot). With redemption in cash, it would be = 10156 * 0.30 = 3000/- which you can redeem in next billing cycle.

ICICI Emeralde Metal:
5696 inc tax/n x 5 nights = 28480.
Pay using Emeralde = (28480/200)*6 = 854 RPs = 854 *0.4 = 341/- cash


Please correct me if I am wrong. You have to compare with Infinia and NOT Regalia as Emeralde metal is Infinia competitor so compare Appels to apples.
 
What is the exact criteria to get this card ? Spoke to my RM, she said you need 2 cr NRV for approval for the card with fees included.
 

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