ICICI Bank Credit Cards

The ICICI Emeralde Private Metal is a flat ~3% earner with Taj Epicure membership, unlimited lounges and a competitive 2% forex markup — genuinely premium for the ICICI wealth customer. It earns 6 reward points per ₹200 (3 per ₹100), each worth up to ₹1 on travel and gift-voucher redemptions and ₹0.40 against a statement, so the headline is ~3% on best redemptions and ~1.2% to statement. The 12,500-point joining benefit is worth ₹5,000 at that statement rate and up to ₹12,500 if you redeem it well, against a ₹12,499 fee that waives at ₹10 lakh. Alongside Taj Epicure Plus it carries unlimited lounges, unlimited golf, EazyDiner Prime, BookMyShow BOGO and EaseMyTrip vouchers at ₹8 lakh. The asterisk is the trajectory: two devaluations in 15 months stripped out rent, fuel, tax and government earning and squeezed utilities, grocery and education down to 1,000 points a statement cycle each — roughly ₹33,000 of spend before they stop earning — and the trimming may not be over: buy the 2026 version, not the 2023 legend. Invite-only.

Why it stands out Flat ~3% (6 RP/₹200) + Taj Epicure + unlimited lounges + 2% forex — the invite-only ICICI flagship

Best suited for For ICICI wealth customers who can secure an invite, will redeem via travel/vouchers for the full ~3%, and value Taj Epicure and a 2% forex markup. Not for those who want straightforward cashback.

The ICICI Emeralde (Metal) is ICICI's "almost-flagship" — 4 reward points per ₹100, unlimited domestic lounges with international Priority Pass, and a 2% forex markup, for a ₹12,000 fee waived at ₹10 lakh. It sits one rung below the invite-only Emeralde Private Metal. Every ICICI route we can price pays ₹0.40 a point — statement credit, the voucher store and iShop travel alike — so 4 RP/₹100 is ~1.6% however you redeem, and the "up to ₹1" ICICI markets is a ceiling its own iShop FAQ declines to commit to. The only transfer route open to this card is Air India at 6:1 (~₹0.17 a point), which is worse still. Fuel, rent, cash and wallet loads earn nothing, and utility, insurance and government payments drop to 1 RP/₹100. Since Nov 2024 those categories also carry per-cycle spend caps — ₹80,000 of utility, ₹80,000 of insurance and ₹40,000 of grocery — and the BookMyShow benefit became spend-gated at ₹25,000 a quarter from Jan 2026. Solid for the ICICI customer who will clear the waiver and wants the access; the Private Metal is the better card if you can get invited, because its points convert to Air India at 1:1.

Why it stands out 4 RP/₹100 (~1.6% on every published route) + unlimited domestic lounges + Priority Pass, ₹12,000 fee waived at ₹10L

Best suited for For ICICI customers who will clear the ₹10 lakh waiver and want the lounges, golf and 2% forex more than the earn rate — the reward return is a flat ~1.6%. If you can secure an invite, the Emeralde Private Metal is the stronger card.

The Times Black ICICI is a super-premium metal card built around entertainment access — movies, concerts and events without the ticket counter — wrapped in unlimited domestic lounges, international Priority Pass and Quorum Club membership (curated events, dining and networking). It earns 2 reward points per ₹100 domestic (~0.8% at ₹0.40/point) and 2.5 per ₹100 international (~1%), on a milestone ladder that runs from a ₹10,000 Klook voucher at ₹2 lakh of spend to a ₹20,000 Ayatana voucher at ₹20 lakh, and a 1.49% forex/DCC markup, well under ICICI's standard 3.5% though not its lowest (the MakeMyTrip ICICI charges none from 10 November 2026). The ₹20,000 fee waives only at ₹25 lakh, so this is genuinely brilliant for the person attending ticketed events most weeks and a ₹20,000 indulgence for everyone else. Note the trims: one 5,000 RP/cycle cap shared by utility, insurance, education and government payments, and fuel, rent and EMI excluded outright — so buy it purely for the access, at volume.

Why it stands out Unlimited lounges + Quorum Club + curated event access, with a 1.49% forex markup

Best suited for For ICICI HNW customers who attend ticketed events or fly most weeks and will clear ₹25 lakh of spend. For ordinary moviegoers the ₹20,000 fee is hard to justify.

The Emirates Skywards ICICI Bank Emeralde is ICICI's super-premium airline co-brand, built around Emirates Skywards Miles that credit directly to your Emirates account. It earns a flat 2 Skywards Miles per ₹100 on all spends (roughly 2% in mile value at our ₹1/mile airline baseline), welcomes you with 10,000 Skywards Miles and complimentary Skywards Silver Tier status, and repeats the 10,000 miles on each ₹10,000 renewal. Spend ₹15 lakh in a year (with at least ₹50,000 on Emirates.com) and you upgrade to Skywards Gold. Lounge access is unlimited — domestic and international — for the primary cardholder, via Priority Pass for cards issued on or after 15 Nov 2024 (DreamFolks before that), and you get up to 10% off Emirates flights. There is no fee waiver; the ₹10,000 joining and renewal fees are the price of entry. The maths only works if you actually fly Emirates and redeem miles in premium cabins — as a general spender's card the 3.5% forex and the absent fee waiver blunt the 2% earn.

Why it stands out 2 Emirates Skywards Miles per ₹100 straight into your Emirates account, unlimited lounges and Skywards Silver status — the super-premium card for the committed Emirates flyer

Best suited for For frequent Emirates flyers who will redeem Skywards Miles on premium-cabin awards and upgrades and will use the unlimited lounges and Silver/Gold status. Not for general spenders — the miles are only worth the premium if you fly Emirates.

ICICI Sapphiro is a sensible mid-premium card — modest reward points but enough lounge access for a monthly flyer, golf, and a fee that waives at ₹6 lakh. It earns 2 ICICI Reward Points per ₹100 on domestic spends (~0.5% at about ₹0.25/point), 4 RP per ₹100 internationally (~1%) and 1 RP per ₹100 on utilities and insurance, with 4 domestic lounge visits a quarter (gated behind ₹75,000 of quarterly spend) and 2 international visits a year. The 2026 ICICI devaluation wrapped nearly every benefit in a spend condition: lounges need ₹75k/quarter, BookMyShow needs ₹25k/quarter, and fuel, rent and third-party wallet loads stopped earning altogether. Government payments were not stripped — ICICI bills them as utilities, so they earn the halved 1 RP rate. Since Nov 2024 the earning itself is capped per statement cycle: utility and insurance at ₹80,000 of spend each, grocery and departmental stores at ₹40,000. Great for the consistent spender; frustrating for the occasional one.

Why it stands out Lounge access for a monthly flyer + golf at a ₹6L-waivable fee — though 2026 wrapped the perks in spend gates

Best suited for For ICICI customers who travel domestically for work and will clear ₹75,000/quarter to keep the lounge access live. Not for occasional spenders, who will trip every threshold.

The Adani One ICICI Bank Signature is the premium tier of the Adani One co-brand, aimed at the frequent Adani-airport traveller. It earns 7 Adani Reward Points per ₹100 at ICICI's listed participating merchants — on ICICI's own published list, the retail and food outlets inside Adani-managed airports — plus 2 per ₹100 on international spends and 1.5 on other domestic spend. An Adani Reward Point redeems at about ₹1 inside the Adani One app, so ICICI's "up to 7%" headline is literal, and the 1.5 base is a real 1.5%. Utilities and insurance drop to 0.5 per ₹100; fuel, rent, cash, EMI and wallet loads earn nothing. The travel kit is genuinely premium: a ₹5,000 flight voucher on ₹25,000 of spend in 60 days plus a ₹2,000 hotel voucher on activation, 2 Pranaam meet-and-greet services a year, 4 valet and 4 premium car-parking instances, 8 porter services, up to 16 domestic lounge visits a year (4 a quarter, gated behind ₹75,000/quarter spend since 1 Jul 2026) and 2 international visits, plus a BookMyShow offer. The ₹5,000 fee waives at ₹6 lakh — but note that a waived fee also cancels the joining vouchers. The catch is liquidity, not rate: every point is trapped in one app.

Why it stands out 7 Adani Reward Points per ₹100 at Adani-airport merchants — a true 7% at ₹1 a point — plus 16 lounge visits and Pranaam airport service

Best suited for For frequent flyers through Adani-managed airports who value Pranaam service, valet and heavy lounge access, spend inside the terminals and will clear ₹75k/quarter. The earn rate stands up; the question is only whether you can spend the points.

The Emirates Skywards ICICI Bank Sapphiro is the middle tier of ICICI's Emirates co-brand, sitting between the entry Rubyx and the super-premium Emeralde. Since 15 January 2026 it earns a flat 1.5 Emirates Skywards Miles per ₹100 on eligible domestic and international retail spends — cut from 2 — credited straight to your Emirates account, worth roughly 1.5% at the ₹1/mile airline baseline. It welcomes you with 5,000 Skywards Miles and complimentary Emirates Skywards Silver Tier status, repeats 5,000 miles on renewal, and lets you retain Silver with ₹5 lakh of annual spend. Lounge access is 2 domestic visits a quarter (gated behind ₹75,000 of quarterly spend) plus 2 international visits a year, via Priority Pass for cards issued on or after 15 Nov 2024 (DreamFolks before). You also get up to 10% off Emirates flights. There is no fee waiver on the ₹5,000 fee. It is a sensible pick for the regular-but-not-heavy Emirates flyer; for everyone else the modest earn and 3.5% forex make it a niche buy.

Why it stands out The mid-premium Emirates co-brand — 1.5 Skywards Miles per ₹100, Emirates Silver status and both domestic and international lounges

Best suited for For regular Emirates flyers who want Skywards Silver status and both domestic and international lounge access without stepping up to the ₹10,000 Emeralde. Not for general spenders — the miles pay off only if you fly Emirates.

ICICI Rubyx is a dual-network card — you get both a Visa/Mastercard and an Amex on one account, which means two lounge programmes, two offer ecosystems, golf and concierge on a single bill for ₹2,000 a year (waivable at ₹3 lakh). That perk bundle is the genuine draw; the rewards are middling — 2 ICICI Reward Points per ₹100 domestic (~0.5% at about ₹0.25/point) and 4 RP per ₹100 international (~1%), plus milestone points (3,000 RP at ₹3 lakh, then +1,500 per ₹1 lakh, up to 15,000/year). Utility and insurance spends earn at half that — 1 RP per ₹100 — and government payments are billed as utilities, so they earn at the same halved rate rather than nothing. Since Nov 2024 those categories are also capped per statement cycle — ₹80,000 of utility spend, ₹80,000 of insurance and ₹40,000 of grocery, each worth 800 points, after which they earn nothing until the cycle turns. Lounge access runs 2 domestic visits a quarter on ₹75,000 of prior-quarter spend plus 8 railway visits a year, with golf rounds tied to monthly retail spend. The 2026 ICICI devaluation added spend gates and exclusions (BookMyShow at ₹25k/quarter, transport capped, fuel, rent and wallet loads dropped). Lean on the Visa side for everyday acceptance and buy it for the lounges, not the earn.

Why it stands out Visa/Mastercard + Amex on one account — two lounge networks, two offer ecosystems, one bill

Best suited for For mid-tier ICICI customers who want lounge access on two networks and will clear ₹75k/quarter to keep it live. Buy it for the perk bundle, not the ~0.5% base earn.

For travellers who book everything through MakeMyTrip, the MakeMyTrip ICICI card is a quietly excellent deal — 6% myCash on hotels, 3% on flights, cabs and buses, 1% elsewhere (myCash redeems at ₹1), MMTBLACK Gold status, and a class-leading 0.99% forex markup, all for ₹999 (waived at ₹3 lakh). A ₹1,000 MMT voucher welcomes you and another lands each year on fee payment, and the card replaced the discontinued MMT Signature and Platinum. Its long-running exemption from ICICI's lounge spend-gate lapsed on 30 Jun 2026, so domestic lounge visits (2 a quarter) now need ₹75,000 of spend in the preceding quarter; the one international visit a year remains. Insurance premiums earn 1% but only to 1,000 myCash an anniversary year. The catch is the co-brand one: your value lives inside MMT, and the platform's pricing can quietly erode it. Superb if you book MMT anyway; a trap if you price-shop.

Why it stands out 0.99% forex + 6% myCash on MakeMyTrip hotels + MMTBLACK Gold status — all for ₹999

Best suited for For MakeMyTrip power users who book flights and hotels through MMT regularly and will also use the 0.99% forex abroad. Not for price-shoppers who compare across travel portals.

ICICI Coral is the bank's long-standing starter card — modest reward-point earning, a BookMyShow/INOX movie discount and a quarterly railway/airport lounge visit. It earns 2 ICICI Reward Points per ₹100 (~0.5% at about ₹0.25/point) and 1 RP per ₹100 on utilities and insurance, with a 1% HPCL fuel surcharge waiver; the ₹500 fee waives at ₹1.5 lakh. Since 15 Nov 2024 ICICI has also capped the spend that earns at all: ₹40,000 a statement cycle on utilities, ₹40,000 on insurance and ₹20,000 on groceries and departmental stores — 400 points each, then nothing. The 2026 devaluation reached even here: the movie discount is now gated behind ₹25,000 of quarterly spend, airport lounge access behind ₹75,000/quarter, and transport spends (MCC 4111/4112/4784/4131) capped at ₹10,000/month from Feb 2026 — thresholds the lighter spenders a starter card targets will struggle to clear (the railway lounge, 1/quarter, stays unconditional). ICICI's own free Amazon Pay card out-earns it for most people.

Why it stands out A movie discount and a quarterly lounge on a starter card — but the 2026 perks are now spend-gated

Best suited for For first-time ICICI customers who will clear ₹25k–₹75k of quarterly spend to unlock the movie and lounge benefits. Lighter spenders are better served by the free Amazon Pay ICICI card.

The Adani One ICICI Bank Platinum is the entry card of the Adani One co-brand. It earns 3 Adani Reward Points per ₹100 at ICICI's listed participating merchants — which, on ICICI's own published list, are the retail and food outlets inside Adani-managed airports — plus 1.5 per ₹100 on international spends and 1 per ₹100 on other domestic spend. An Adani Reward Point redeems at about ₹1 inside the Adani One app, so those rates really are about 3%, 1.5% and 1%. Utilities and insurance drop to 0.5 per ₹100, and fuel, rent, cash, EMI and wallet loads earn nothing at all. Joining benefits are a ₹2,000 flight voucher on ₹10,000 of spend in 60 days plus a ₹1,000 hotel voucher on activation, and the ₹750 fee waives at ₹3 lakh. The lifestyle perks are spend-gated: 2 airport lounge visits a quarter need ₹75,000 of spend in the previous quarter, and the BookMyShow offer needs ₹25,000. The real constraint is not the earn rate — it is that every point is trapped in one app.

Why it stands out 3 Adani Reward Points per ₹100 at Adani-airport merchants, and an Adani Reward Point is worth ₹1 — but the points only spend inside Adani One

Best suited for For frequent flyers through Adani-managed airports who will spend inside the terminals, use Adani One for bookings and clear ₹75k/quarter to keep the lounge live. The 1% base is respectable for a ₹750 card, but only if you can actually spend the points.

ICICI Bank Expressions is a customisable-design starter card: you pick the card face, and it earns a touch more than the Coral — 3 ICICI Reward Points per ₹100 on retail (~0.75% at ₹0.25/point) and 1 RP per ₹100 on utilities and insurance, for a ₹499 fee that waives at ₹1.5 lakh. It carries the usual ICICI starter kit: 1 domestic lounge visit a quarter (gated behind ₹75,000 of quarterly spend), a BookMyShow 25%-off movie offer (gated behind ₹25,000/quarter since ICICI's 15 Jan 2026 revision) and a 1% HPCL fuel surcharge waiver. Since 15 Nov 2024 the bill categories are capped: ₹40,000 a statement cycle of utility spend, ₹40,000 of insurance and ₹20,000 of grocery and departmental spend earn anything at all. The 3-points base makes it a slightly stronger everyday earner than the 2-point Coral, but ICICI's lifetime-free Amazon Pay card still out-earns it for most people. A reasonable, low-fee first card for someone who likes the personalised design.

Why it stands out Design-your-own card face plus 3 reward points per ₹100 — a slightly-better-earning starter card for ₹499

Best suited for For first-time ICICI customers who want a personalised card face and a marginally better base earn than the Coral, and will clear ₹75k/quarter to keep the lounge live. Most people are still better off on the free Amazon Pay ICICI.

The Emirates Skywards ICICI Bank Rubyx is the entry point into ICICI's Emirates co-brand range. It earns a flat 1 Emirates Skywards Mile per ₹100 on all eligible spends (roughly 1% at the ₹1/mile airline baseline), carries complimentary Skywards Blue Tier membership (no welcome miles), gives 1 domestic lounge visit a quarter (gated behind ₹75,000 of quarterly spend, with no international lounge access) and up to 10% off Emirates flights. There is no annual fee waiver on the ₹1,000 fee. It is a thin proposition — a 1% flat earn only worth chasing if you fly Emirates and value the Skywards status — and the pricier Emirates Sapphiro or Emeralde carry the real benefits.

Why it stands out The entry Emirates co-brand — 1 Skywards Mile per ₹100 and complimentary Skywards Blue status for a ₹1,000 fee

Best suited for It suits occasional Emirates flyers who want to collect Skywards Miles cheaply and value the Skywards Blue membership for its own sake. Anyone who flies Emirates more seriously should look at the Emirates Sapphiro, and everyone else at a general-purpose ICICI card with a better earn rate.

The Amazon Pay ICICI card is still the most frictionless cashback card in the country and the top pick for beginners — lifetime-free, with 5% back on Amazon for Prime members (3% for non-Prime), 2% where you log in and pay with Amazon Pay at partner merchants such as BigBasket and Swiggy, and 1% on most other spends, all paid instantly as spendable Amazon Pay balance with nothing to manage. The catch in 2026 is the fine print: fuel, rent, EMIs, cash, education, tax payments, international, gold and silver earn nothing, and since 11 Oct 2025 nor do utility bills paid outside Amazon. January 2026 added transaction fees too (1% on wallet loads of ₹5,000 or more, 2% on skill-based gaming, 1% on transport transactions over ₹50,000). Still excellent — just no longer untouchable.

Why it stands out Lifetime-free, 5% on Amazon for Prime members (3% non-Prime) + 2% at Amazon Pay merchants — paid instantly as Amazon Pay balance

Best suited for Anyone with Amazon Prime who shops on Amazon regularly. The 5% is instant and automatic; non-Prime members still get 3% — the best Amazon rate on any no-fee card. Just not for fuel, rent, international spends or utility bills paid to the biller, which earn nothing.

The ICICI Bank HPCL Coral is the entry-level HPCL fuel co-brand — the cheapest way onto ICICI's HPCL rail, with a ₹199 fee that waives at just ₹50,000 of annual spend. On HP fuel it delivers up to 3.5% back: 2.5% cashback (capped ₹100/month) plus a 1% surcharge waiver. Elsewhere it earns a modest 2 ICICI Reward Points per ₹100 (~0.5% at ₹0.25/point) and 1 RP per ₹100 on utilities and insurance — and since 15 Nov 2024 ICICI caps the rewarded spend in those buckets at ₹40,000 (utility), ₹40,000 (insurance) and ₹20,000 (grocery & departmental) per statement cycle, 400 reward points apiece. There is a BookMyShow 25%-off movie offer (gated behind ₹25,000/quarter since ICICI's 15 Jan 2026 revision). There is no lounge access. It is the lighter sibling of the ICICI HPCL Super Saver, which costs more but pays ~5% on HP fuel and adds grocery earning and lounge access — so the HPCL Coral suits a lighter fuel spender who wants a near-free fuel card, while heavier HP refuellers should step up to the Super Saver.

Why it stands out Up to 3.5% back on HPCL fuel for a ₹199 fee — the cheapest ICICI fuel card, easily waived at ₹50,000

Best suited for For light-to-moderate HPCL refuellers who want a near-free fuel card and will clear the low ₹50,000 fee waiver. Heavier HP fuel spenders are better on the ICICI HPCL Super Saver (~5% fuel, grocery earn, lounge).

The ICICI HPCL Super Saver is the best fuel card for HPCL-side commuters — and it earns that partly by being more than a fuel card. On HP fuel it pays 4% cashback (capped ₹200/month) plus a 1% surcharge waiver for an effective ~5%, with a further ~1.5% in Happy Coins through the HP Pay app. Crucially it also pays 5% on groceries and departmental stores (20 reward points per ₹100, capped 400 RP — about ₹2,000 of spend — a month, shared with utility and bill payments), a category most petrol co-brands skip, with ~0.5% on everything else, all for a ₹500 fee that waives at ₹1.5 lakh (plus a ₹500 welcome reward — 2,000 RP on ₹5,000 spend in 45 days). Insurance premiums sit outside that 5% bucket — they earn the 2 RP/₹100 base and, since 1 Feb 2026, only on the first ₹40,000 per statement cycle. Lounge access is gated behind ₹75,000 of quarterly spend, and 25% off BookMyShow twice a month now needs ₹25,000 of spend in the preceding quarter. HPCL-network-locked, with full value leaning on the HP Pay app and sensible point redemption — a practical, near-free keeper for the HP household.

Why it stands out ~5% on HPCL fuel (4% cashback + 1% waiver) plus 5% on grocery/departmental — for a ₹500 fee

Best suited for For car owners who refuel primarily at HPCL/HP outlets and want grocery earning too. Less suited to IOCL/BPCL-side drivers, who have better-matched co-brands.

The ICICI Platinum Chip is a lifetime-free, no-frills starter whose real product is a CIBIL score, not rewards. It earns 2 ICICI Reward Points per ₹100 on retail spends (~0.5% at about ₹0.25/point) and 1 RP per ₹100 on utilities and insurance, with a 1% HPCL fuel surcharge waiver — the points are among the least valuable currencies in India and are effectively a rounding error. Since 15 Nov 2024 even that is capped — ₹40,000 a statement cycle of utility spend, ₹40,000 of insurance and ₹20,000 of grocery and departmental spend earn anything at all. Use it cleanly for a year to build history, then move up. As a stepping stone it is fine, but ICICI's own free Amazon Pay card out-earns it for most people, so consider that first.

Why it stands out Lifetime-free credit-building starter — rewards are a rounding error

Best suited for For first-time ICICI applicants who want a zero-fee card to build a credit history. If you want actual rewards on a free card, the Amazon Pay ICICI is the better pick.