Culinary Treats is the real killer feature - 25% off at 5-star restaurants! I've had the card for 8 months and saved over ₹25K on dining. It's incredible value.
M
meera.bhat OP M
meera.bhat
OP
I got the ICICI Emeralde Private Metal Credit Card 6 months ago (September 2024) and wanted to share a detailed review since there's not much information about this card online.
Background
The Good
- 1. Concierge Service (9/10)
This is legitimately useful, unlike the useless concierge on most cards. I've used it for:
- Restaurant reservations at fully booked places (got me a table at Indian Accent Delhi)
- Flight rebooking during a cancellation emergency
- Hotel upgrade requests (worked 2 out of 3 times)
- Gift sourcing and delivery Response time is 2-4 hours for most requests. They actually deliver.
- 2. Culinary Treats Program (10/10) - THE KILLER FEATURE
25% discount (up to ₹1,500) at 100+ premium restaurants across India. This includes:
- 5-star hotel restaurants
- Standalone fine dining (Smoke House Deli, Ministry of Crab, etc.)
- Works once per restaurant per month I've saved over ₹18,000 in 6 months just on dining. This alone justifies the annual fee.
- 3. Reward Rate (7/10)
- 1.5 reward points per ₹100 (1.5% return)
- 2X on travel and dining (3% return)
- Points worth ₹0.50 each on average redemption Not the highest reward rate (Infinia is better) but decent.
- 4. Airport Lounge (8/10)
- Unlimited domestic/international lounge (Priority Pass)
- 2 complimentary guest visits per quarter
- Dreamfolks access as backup Works flawlessly. Never had a rejection.
- 5. Other Benefits:
- Golf: 6 rounds per year at premium clubs (used 2 so far, great experience)
- Insurance: ₹1 Cr air accident cover, lost card liability, purchase protection
- Movie: Buy 1 Get 1 on BookMyShow (4 tickets per month)
- International: Zero forex markup (huge savings on foreign spends)
The Not-So-Good
1. Acceptance Issues (5/10)
It's a Visa card, so acceptance is generally fine. But I've faced issues at some smaller merchants with EMV chip reading. Contactless works better.
2. App Experience (6/10)
iMobile Pay app is decent but not great. The ICICI credit card section is clunky compared to HDFC's interface.
3. Renewal Fee Waiver (4/10)
Requires ₹10 lakh annual spend for fee waiver. That's steep. I'll probably hit it due to regular expenses, but not everyone will.
Value Analysis
Annual Fee: ₹12,000
- Value I extracted in 6 months:
- Culinary Treats savings: ₹18,000
- Lounge access (if paid separately): ₹4,000
- Golf rounds: ₹6,000
- Reward points (on ₹4L spend): ₹6,000
- Forex markup savings: ₹2,000
- Total: ₹36,000 value for ₹12,000 fee
ROI: 3:1 - Absolutely worth it for my usage pattern.
Comparison with HDFC Infinia
- Many ask me this. Here's my take:
- Infinia wins: Rewards rate (especially 10X on SmartBuy), points value, brand prestige
- Emeralde wins: Dining benefits (Culinary Treats >> SmartBuy dining), concierge quality, golf, metal card aesthetics
- Verdict: If you travel a lot → Infinia. If you dine out often → Emeralde. I use both.
Should You Get It?
- Get it if:
- You dine at premium restaurants frequently (2-3 times per month minimum)
- You value functional concierge service
- You have wealth relationship with ICICI anyway
- Skip it if:
- You're primarily rewards/miles focused (get Infinia or Magnus instead)
- You don't dine out much
- You can't hit ₹10L spend for renewal waiver
Overall Rating: 8.5/10 - An excellent super-premium card that's underrated compared to HDFC/Axis alternatives.
Happy to answer specific questions!
1
The concierge is actually useful unlike other banks - this is huge! I've had terrible experiences with Amex and HDFC concierge services. They just Google things and send me links. Does ICICI actually call restaurants and negotiate?
Golf privileges are underrated. 6 free rounds at premium clubs (KGA, DLF, etc.) is worth ₹12-15K alone. If you golf even occasionally, this is fantastic.