ICICI Emeralde Private Metal vs ICICI Sapphiro Credit Card
A head-to-head comparison on verified fees, waiver math, reward rates, lounge conditions and forex charges.
Our verdict
Emeralde is the heavy lifter for invited big spenders; Sapphiro is the people premium card, often available free under corporate offers.
Pick Emeralde Private Metal if you are invited and want a high flat earn with unlimited lounge access.
Pick Sapphiro if you value the BookMyShow offer and can get it lifetime free; just respect its Rs 75,000 quarterly lounge gate.
| Compare | ICICI Emeralde Private Metal | ICICI Sapphiro Credit Card |
|---|---|---|
| Annual fee | ₹12,499 + GST (₹14,749 total) | ₹3,500 + GST (₹4,130 total) |
| Fee waiver | Waived on ₹10,00,000 annual spend | Waived on ₹6,00,000 annual spend |
| Headline reward | 6 Reward Points per ₹200 (3% headline return; per-category caps apply on grocery, education, utility and insurance spends) | Buy 1 Get 1 Free on BookMyShow (Up to ₹500 twice a month; needs ₹25,000+ spends in the preceding quarter from 1 Apr 2026) |
| Online spends return | 3% | 1.5% |
| Dining return | 3% | 2% |
| Travel return | 6% | 3% |
| Bills and UPI return | 1.5% | 1% |
| Fuel return | 0% | 0% |
| Lounge access | Unlimited domestic & international lounge visits for primary and add-on holders, exempt from the ₹75,000 quarterly spend gate (complimentary guest access is not confirmed in ICICI documents) | Domestic: up to 4 visits per quarter for dual-variant holders (2 per network variant), spend-linked at ₹75,000 or more in a calendar quarter. International: 2 visits per year |
| Forex markup | 1.5% + 18% GST | 3.5% + 18% GST |
| RuPay UPI payments | Not supported | Not supported |
| Credwiser score | 92/100 | 84/100 |
Green cells mark the stronger card on that row. Returns are effective category rates from each card verified record, before caps; check the fine print below for caps.
The fine print decides it
ICICI Emeralde Private Metal
Annual fee ₹12,499 + 18% GST. Earning is capped at 1,000 points per statement cycle in each of the grocery, education and utility categories and 5,000 points on insurance; government services, fuel, rent and property management, tax and third-party wallet spends earn nothing (January 2026 revision). Unlimited domestic and international lounge visits have zero quarterly spend requirements.
Last verified against MITC: 21 October 2026 • View official MITC →
ICICI Sapphiro Credit Card
Annual fee ₹3,500 + 18% GST. Lounge visits require ₹75,000 spends in a calendar quarter (access follows in the next quarter), and international access is 2 visits per year, not per quarter. The BookMyShow offer needs ₹25,000 or more spends in the preceding quarter from 1 April 2026.
Last verified against MITC: 21 October 2026 • View official MITC →
Frequently asked questions
Which is cheaper, ICICI Emeralde Private Metal or ICICI Sapphiro Credit Card?
ICICI Emeralde Private Metal charges ₹12,499 + gst (₹14,749 total) and its waiver position is: waived on ₹10,00,000 annual spend. ICICI Sapphiro Credit Card charges ₹3,500 + gst (₹4,130 total) with this waiver position: waived on ₹6,00,000 annual spend. Remember the fee is billed first and reversed later on cards that offer a waiver.
Which card has better lounge access, ICICI Emeralde Private Metal or ICICI Sapphiro Credit Card?
ICICI Emeralde Private Metal: Unlimited domestic & international lounge visits for primary and add-on holders, exempt from the ₹75,000 quarterly spend gate (complimentary guest access is not confirmed in ICICI documents). ICICI Sapphiro Credit Card: Domestic: up to 4 visits per quarter for dual-variant holders (2 per network variant), spend-linked at ₹75,000 or more in a calendar quarter. International: 2 visits per year. Always check the spend gate, if any, before travelling; our Lounge Access Checker shows the exact criteria for both cards.
ICICI Emeralde Private Metal vs ICICI Sapphiro Credit Card: which should I pick?
Emeralde is the heavy lifter for invited big spenders; Sapphiro is the people premium card, often available free under corporate offers. Pick Emeralde Private Metal if you are invited and want a high flat earn with unlimited lounge access. Pick Sapphiro if you value the BookMyShow offer and can get it lifetime free; just respect its Rs 75,000 quarterly lounge gate.
More comparisons with these cards
Compare any two cards freely in the side-by-side comparison matrix, or check gates and caps in the Lounge Access Checker and Cashback Cap Maxer.