In-depth review
Emirates Skywards ICICI Bank Sapphiro Credit Card
The middle tier of ICICI's Emirates co-brand, sitting between the entry Rubyx and the super-premium Emeralde. It earns a flat 1.5 Emirates Skywards Miles per ₹100 straight to your Emirates account — roughly 1.5% at the ₹1/mile airline baseline, cut from 2 miles on 15 January 2026 — and welcomes you with 5,000 miles plus complimentary Skywards Silver status. A sensible pick for the regular Emirates flyer; a niche buy for everyone else, with no fee waiver on the ₹5,000 fee.
Read the full review →Key features
What this card is built to do — the highlights that actually matter.
Welcome Benefit
~₹5,000 in vouchers, points or cashback in year one — usually conditional on a first spend within 30–90 days
1.5% on Other
1.5 Emirates Skywards Miles per ₹100 (~1.5% at the ₹1/mile airline baseline) on eligible domestic and international retail spends; miles credit to your Emirates Skywards account
Airport Lounge Access
2 domestic lounge visits a quarter (gated behind ₹75,000/quarter spend) plus 2 international visits a year — via Priority Pass (cards issued on/after 15 Nov 2024) or DreamFolks (before)
24x7 Concierge
Up to 10% off Emirates flight bookings on emirates.com or the Emirates App using the card
Fuel Surcharge Waiver
1% waiver on fuel transactions, capped at ₹500/month
Movie Ticket Benefit
Buy one BookMyShow ticket and get up to ₹500 off the second, twice a month, gated behind ₹25,000 of quarterly spend (from 15 Jan 2026)
Hotel Membership
Complimentary Emirates Skywards Silver Tier membership — 25% bonus miles on Emirates flights, extra baggage and priority check-in
Milestone Bonus
~₹5,000 in bonus rewards on hitting annual spend milestones
✈️ TRAVEL BENEFITS
Lounge access, miles, forex rates and travel perks at a glance.
AIRPORT LOUNGE ACCESS
8 visits/yr
Domestic lounges
Priority Pass
International lounges
₹6,000
Estimated annual value
3.5%
Forex markup
- Domestic + international airport lounge access (8 domestic visits/yr, worth ~₹6,000)
👑 PREMIUM LIFESTYLE BENEFITS
Concierge, golf, hotel membership and high-value perks for premium cardholders.
₹5,000
Milestone bonus value
- 24x7 lifestyle and travel concierge
- Complimentary Emirates Skywards Silver Tier membership — 25% bonus miles on Emirates flights, extra baggage and priority check-in
- 5,000 Skywards Miles on each annual renewal (the matching 5,000-mile welcome benefit is a one-off joining bonus, counted separately); retain Emirates Silver Tier with ₹5 lakh of annual spend
🎬 ENTERTAINMENT BENEFITS
Movies, OTT subscriptions and entertainment perks.
- Buy one BookMyShow ticket and get up to ₹500 off the second, twice a month, gated behind ₹25,000 of quarterly spend (from 15 Jan 2026)
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.
Full reward structure
What you earn on every rupee, per spend category — as of 11 Oct 2026. Rates assume 1 pt = ₹1.00. How we value points →
| Category | Type | Rate | Monthly cap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Other | airline miles | 1.5%1.5 pts/₹100 × ₹1.00 | — |
Other: 1.5 Emirates Skywards Miles per ₹100 (~1.5% at the ₹1/mile airline baseline) on eligible domestic and international retail spends; miles credit to your Emirates Skywards account
Earns nothing on: Fuel · Rent · Cash Advances · Wallet Loads · Government & Tax · Education · Utility Bills · Insurance
These spends earn no rewards at all — not a reduced rate, and not the base rate. They are also normally left out of any milestone or fee-waiver calculation.
Fees & charges
The numbers that matter beyond rewards — verify on the issuer site before applying. Fees below are shown inclusive of 18% GST, as of 11 Oct 2026.
| Charge | Amount |
|---|---|
| Annual fee (incl. 18% GST) | ₹5,900 |
| Joining fee (incl. 18% GST) | ₹5,900 |
| Finance charge (APR) | 3.75% p.m. |
| Forex markup | 3.5% |
| Fuel surcharge waiver | 1%, cap ₹500 |
Perks & benefits
Estimated annual value beyond rewards — ~₹23,000/yr in total.
5,000 Skywards Miles on each annual renewal (the matching 5,000-mile welcome benefit is a one-off joining bonus, counted separately); retain Emirates Silver Tier with ₹5 lakh of annual spend
2 domestic lounge visits a quarter (gated behind ₹75,000/quarter spend) plus 2 international visits a year — via Priority Pass (cards issued on/after 15 Nov 2024) or DreamFolks (before)
Complimentary Emirates Skywards Silver Tier membership — 25% bonus miles on Emirates flights, extra baggage and priority check-in
Up to 10% off Emirates flight bookings on emirates.com or the Emirates App using the card
Buy one BookMyShow ticket and get up to ₹500 off the second, twice a month, gated behind ₹25,000 of quarterly spend (from 15 Jan 2026)
1% fuel surcharge waiver on transactions of ₹400–₹4,000 at any fuel outlet
Should you get it?
- Best for: Regular Emirates flyers who want Silver status without the Emeralde's fee, Travellers who redeem Skywards Miles on Emirates
- Premium tier — a solid all-rounder for steady monthly spend.
- Strongest value if you spend heavily on everyday spends (1.5% back).
- Frequent travellers benefit from the included airport lounge access.
Pros & cons
✓ Pros
- Emirates Skywards Silver status and a 5,000-mile welcome
- Both domestic and international lounge access
- Up to 10% off Emirates flights
✕ Cons
- No fee waiver on the ₹5,000 annual fee
- ~1.5% earn that is only worth it if you redeem Skywards well
- Domestic lounge access gated behind ₹75,000 of quarterly spend
Eligibility & documents
This is the figure for salaried applicants. Where ICICI Bank sets a separate one for the self-employed, its own eligibility page gives it.
Documents required
- 📄PAN card
- 📄Aadhaar / valid address proof
- 📄Latest 3 months bank statement
- 📄Income proof — salary slips (salaried) or ITR (self-employed)
- 📄Recent passport-size photograph
How to redeem rewards
Ways to convert what you earn into real value.
- 🎁Redeem Skywards Miles for Emirates flights, upgrades and partner awards via your Emirates Skywards account
- 🎁Use miles toward hotel stays and partner bookings in the Emirates Skywards programme
What your Emirates Skywards Miles are worth
Realistic value per point by redemption route — the difference is what most people leave on the table.
₹1 per Skywards Mile, the house baseline for a full-service airline currency
No fee waiver on a ₹5,000 card, and a ~1.5% earn that only materialises if you redeem Skywards well, mean the value depends entirely on flying Emirates and redeeming Skywards Miles well; retaining Silver status also needs ₹5 lakh of annual spend.
Frequently asked questions
How many miles does the card earn?
What is the welcome benefit?
How much lounge access do I get?
How does it compare to the Emirates Emeralde?
How has the Emirates Skywards ICICI Bank Sapphiro Credit Card changed over time?
Has the Emirates Skywards ICICI Bank Sapphiro Credit Card been devalued recently?
When did the Emirates Skywards ICICI Bank Sapphiro Credit Card's fees last change?
How did the Emirates Skywards ICICI Bank Sapphiro Credit Card change in 2026?
The bottom line
The Goldilocks Emirates card for a regular Emirates flyer — Silver status, a 5,000-mile welcome, domestic and international lounges and up to 10% off fares for ₹5,000. But there is no fee waiver, the 1.5 miles/₹100 earn is ~1.5%, and it only makes sense if you actually fly Emirates and redeem Skywards Miles well. Casual users should look at a general travel card instead.
How this page was built
Counted from this card’s own record: 1 earn rule, the spends listed as earning nothing and 6 recorded perks.
Last updated 11 Oct 2026.
Sources & verification
Fees, reward rates, and benefits for the Emirates Skywards ICICI Bank Sapphiro Credit Card are taken from ICICI Bank's official Most Important Terms & Conditions (MITC) and fee schedule — see the card's official page. Last updated 11 Oct 2026. Reviewed by Devchandra Sah. Always confirm current details on the issuer's site before applying. How we research →
Independence. CardAdvisor is an independent editorial publication. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, sponsored by, or authorised to act for ICICI Bank. All issuer names, product names, and payment-network marks are the property of their respective owners and appear here for identification and comparison only. Card faces shown on this site are our own original illustrations — we do not display or host issuer card artwork or logos.
Similar & related cards
Other cards worth comparing before you apply.
BOBCARD Etihad Guest Credit Card
Lower annual fee, similar tier
IndusInd Bank Avios Visa Infinite Credit Card
Comparable INDUSIND option
Emirates Skywards ICICI Bank Emeralde Credit Card
Higher-tier ICICI card to grow into
SBI Card Miles Elite
Comparable SBI option
SBI Card MILES PRIME
Lower annual fee, similar tier
HSBC TravelOne Credit Card
Comparable HSBC option
Read more
Guides and reviews related to this card.
Emirates Skywards ICICI Bank Sapphiro Credit Card
The middle tier of ICICI's Emirates co-brand, sitting between the entry Rubyx and the super-premium Emeralde. It earns a flat 1.5 Emirates Skywards Miles per ₹100 straight to your Emirates account — roughly 1.5% at the ₹1/mile airline baseline, cut from 2 miles on 15 January 2026 — and welcomes you with 5,000 miles plus complimentary Skywards Silver status. A sensible pick for the regular Emirates flyer; a niche buy for everyone else, with no fee waiver on the ₹5,000 fee.
Emirates Skywards ICICI Bank Emeralde Credit Card
ICICI's super-premium Emirates co-brand earns Emirates Skywards Miles straight into your Emirates account — a flat 2 miles per ₹100 (roughly 2% at the ₹1/mile airline baseline). It welcomes you with 10,000 miles and Skywards Silver status, adds unlimited domestic and international lounges and up to 10% off Emirates fares, and repeats the 10,000 miles on each renewal. There is no fee waiver on the ₹10,000 fee. The maths works only if you actually fly Emirates and redeem in premium cabins.
Emirates Skywards ICICI Bank Rubyx Credit Card
The entry point into ICICI's Emirates co-brand range. It earns a flat 1 Skywards Mile per ₹100 (~1%), carries complimentary Skywards Blue membership with no welcome miles, and gives one spend-gated domestic lounge visit a quarter but no international lounge. Cheap to hold, but thin — serious Emirates flyers should look at the Emirates Sapphiro or Emeralde instead.
Value timeline
Every real-world change to this card's rewards, fees and benefits we've tracked — newest first, each linked to its source.
Tracking since 2022 · last change Mar 2026
2026
- ▼ FeeObserved 19 Feb 2026 · Effective 1 Mar 2026
Minimum Amount Due rebuilt as a two-branch formula
5% of the outstanding amount, plus instalments, the over-limit amount, fee GST and any unpaid previous MAD→100% of GST, EMI principal and interest, fees, the over-limit amount and unpaid MAD, plus 5% of retail spends, cash advances and the finance charge — the finance charge taken in full whenever that 5% falls short of it
From the 1 March 2026 statement onwards ICICI stopped deriving the Minimum Amount Due from a single 5%-of-outstanding line and began building it component by component: GST, EMI principal and interest, fees and charges, the over-limit amount and any unpaid previous MAD are all taken at 100%, and 5% is applied to retail spends, cash advances and the finance charge. Where 5% of those three comes to less than the finance charge alone, the whole finance charge is added instead and only retail and cash are taken at 5%. ICICI illustrates both branches itself — a minimum of ₹11,210 on a ₹37,830 total due, and ₹21,620 on a ₹1,15,810 total due where finance charges dominate. Paying the statement in full is unaffected; the minimum rises only for people carrying a balance or taking cash.
Verification: ICICI Bank ↗ · Confidence: High
- ▼ BenefitObserved 22 Dec 2025 · Effective 15 Jan 2026
BookMyShow movie benefit becomes spend-gated
Complimentary BookMyShow offer→Requires ₹25,000 spend in the previous quarter
From 15 Jan 2026 the Emirates Skywards devaluation made the Sapphiro's BookMyShow movie benefit conditional: the buy-one-get-up-to-₹500-off offer is unlocked only if the cardholder spent at least ₹25,000 in the preceding calendar quarter. The Emirates co-brand cards were gated in their own 15 Jan 2026 revision, ahead of the wider portfolio's 1 Apr 2026 date; the change applies across all three Emirates variants, Sapphiro included.
Verification: CardAdvisor Research · Confidence: High
- ▼ RewardObserved 22 Dec 2025 · Effective 15 Jan 2026
Miles earn rate cut to 1.5/₹100 and categories dropped
2 Skywards Miles/₹100; insurance/utility/government/education earned→1.5 Skywards Miles/₹100; those categories excluded
In ICICI's January 2026 overhaul the Sapphiro's base earn on eligible domestic and international retail spend was cut from 2 to 1.5 Skywards Miles per ₹100, and insurance, utility, government and education payments stopped earning any miles. It is the first cut to the card's own miles engine since launch. ICICI's own Most Important Terms and Conditions carry the change verbatim: "1.5 Skyward Miles will be earned per ₹100 spent instead of 2 Miles on eligible domestic & international retail spends."
Verification: ICICI Bank ↗ · Confidence: High
- ▼ FeeObserved 17 Dec 2025 · Effective 15 Jan 2026
New wallet, gaming and transport transaction fees
No wallet-load / gaming / transport surcharge→1% wallet-load (>₹5,000), 2% gaming, 1% high-value transport; revised DCC
As part of the same portfolio-wide 2026 revision — applied to all retail ICICI credit card customers, the Sapphiro included — ICICI introduced a 1% fee on third-party wallet loads above ₹5,000, a 2% fee on gaming-platform spends, a 1% surcharge on high-value transport transactions and a revised dynamic-currency-conversion charge. These are cost additions independent of the card's miles benefits.
Verification: CardAdvisor Research · Confidence: High
2024
- ▼ LoungeObserved 11 Oct 2024 · Effective 15 Nov 2024
Domestic lounge access gated behind ₹75,000/quarter spend
₹35,000/quarter spend (₹5,000 earlier)→₹75,000/quarter spend
ICICI's system-wide November 2024 restructure made the Sapphiro's complimentary domestic airport lounge visits conditional on spending ₹75,000 in the previous calendar quarter — up from the earlier ₹35,000 threshold (itself raised from ₹5,000 in April 2024). Miss the spend and the two quarterly domestic visits switch off for the next quarter, with no roll-over.
Verification: CardAdvisor Research · Confidence: High
Each change links to the issuer's own document — bank T&C, MITC, notice, press release or product page — where one is public. Where the bank published nothing, it's marked CardAdvisor Research and verified against the card's current terms. Independent of the live terms shown above. This timeline is one card's slice of our market-wide change record across every tracked card.
</> Embed this timeline on your site
Free to use. Facts only — dates, changes and before/after values. Please keep the credit line below the frame: it's the only part search engines can see, and it's what we ask for in return.
“ Cite this timeline
Quoting a date or a before/after figure? Copy the HTML version — it credits the record with a working link.
Source: <a href="https://cardadvisor.in/cards/icici-emirates-sapphiro#value-timeline">Emirates Skywards ICICI Bank Sapphiro Credit Card value timeline</a>, CardAdvisor (CC BY 4.0).
Want to know if this beats your current card for your spending?
Applications are submitted to and decided by ICICI Bank. CardAdvisor does not issue cards or process applications.