ICICI Emeralde Credit Card: My 1-Year Hands-On Review

For full details on fees, features and benefits of the ICICI Bank Emeralde Credit Card, see the official review. The following is my personal experience after using the card for about a year.

Upgrade Process

I expressed interest in the Emeralde card soon after it launched. Within a week the bank called, accepted my request for the Emeralde (Amex variant) and delivered the card in roughly two weeks. Initially the card was issued with a fee, but I discovered I was eligible for a first-year free (FYF) offer and followed up to get the fee waived.

At the time, ICICI maintained a list of users eligible for FYF—likely based on prior-year spends. If you believe you qualify, you can request consideration through an ICICI Wealth Management relationship manager.

Unboxing

Da Milano Voucher

• Voucher Value: Rs. 5,000

I received the Da Milano voucher as a welcome benefit roughly 45 days after meeting the required spend. I redeemed it at the Da Milano outlet in Mumbai T2 for a wallet and accessories. The outlet staff were unfamiliar with the voucher, so the redemption took about 30 minutes—longer than I planned while trying to visit the Amex lounge.

Trident Dining Voucher

• Voucher Value: Rs. 7,500

The Trident dining voucher is a birthday benefit available only on the Amex variant; I received it about a month before my birthday and it carried roughly six months’ validity. I used it at Trident Chennai to offset dining charges during a stay. The process was straightforward, but it’s wise to confirm acceptance with the hotel before your visit.

Airport Lounge Usage

On a visit to Chennai airport in early 2020, I tried to access two domestic lounges on the same day using the same card. The first swipe worked, but the second swipe was denied. With other cards this usually isn’t an issue; my guess is the lounge system treated both terminals as the same registered location, but I wasn’t given a definitive reason.

Spa Benefit

The complimentary spa access is one of the headline benefits of this card, and I had planned to use it on trips with friends. In practice, however, I never used the spa benefit even once during the year I held Emeralde. Part of the reason was reduced travel last year, and part was disappointment with the quality and experience compared to other airport spas I’ve tried.

Boingo Wifi

The Boingo Wi‑Fi access benefit did not work reliably for me. I attempted to use it at multiple airports, including Chennai and Mumbai T2, but it never connected properly on my iPhone. Coverage would appear, then vanish when I tried to use it. I tried various troubleshooting steps without success.

Other Benefits

• BookMyShow: I saved over Rs.3,000 in the first two months using the Buy 1 Get 1 offer, though I did not continue using it frequently after that.
• Wellness benefits: The portals handling wellness and medical benefits were buggy and difficult to use when I explored them, so I did not pursue those benefits further. They may have improved since.

Renewal

My annual renewal arrived during the COVID period and I had not met the Rs.15 lakh spend needed for an automatic fee waiver. After the renewal fee was charged, I contacted the bank to request a waiver. Following an account review, the bank reversed the annual fee and GST. The explanation I received referenced valuing the customer relationship; in my case a combination of spends and overall account relationship appeared to help.

If you encounter difficulty via regular phone support, contacting the bank over social media can sometimes be effective.

Bottom line

In my first year with the card I estimate savings of around Rs.15,000, excluding spa and lounge benefits and regular reward points. That makes the card worthwhile if it is issued to you for free. The card’s real value comes from lounge and spa perks; with reduced travel after COVID-19, the usefulness of those benefits may decline. If you get the card with first-year benefits such as the Da Milano voucher and the Trident dining voucher, you can realize meaningful value. Without those perks, the card’s reward rate on everyday spends is modest (around 1%), making it harder to extract strong value.

If you hold the ICICI Emeralde Credit Card, feel free to share your experience in the comments.