ICICI Bank Emeralde Credit Card vs HDFC Infinia Credit Card: Which One is Better
When it comes to credit cards belonging to the super-premium category, you first need to understand that you should have a high income, an excellent credit score, and a good relationship with the bank. HDFC Bank and ICICI Bank, two of India’s most popular card issuers, offer a wide range of credit cards across different categories. The Infinia Credit Card and Emeralde Credit Card are the most premium offerings by HDFC Bank and ICICI Bank respectively. Both the cards are targeted at high net-worth individuals and offer some great rewards & benefits across different categories.
The annual fee of the two cards is also quite similar and so are their benefit. The only thing to keep in mind here is that HDFC Infinia is an invite-only credit card, however, the Emeralde Credit Card is available to apply online via the ICICI Bank’s website. Through this article, you can get a detailed comparison of the HDFC Infinia and ICICI Emeralde Credit Card. Continue reading for further information:
ICICI Emeralde Credit Card
IT is the most premium card issued by ICICI Bank and is among the top premium cards in the Indian market. It comes with an annual fee of Rs. 12,000 r you can also choose the monthly fee plan of Rs. 1,000 per month. The fee is quite high, but it can be waived on spending Rs. 15 lakhs or more in the preceding year. The Emeralde Card offers a good reward rate across different categories. Moreover, you can get so many exciting travel and lifestyle-related benefits that make your experiences extra luxurious and rewarding. The following are all the detailed benefits and features of ICICI Bank Emeralde Credit Card:
- You earn up to 4 Reward Points on every spend of Rs. 100 on all your purchases using this card, except fuel.
- The earned Reward Points are redeemable against various options, including cashback at a rate of 1 RP = Re. 0.25.
- You get unlimited complimentary access to domestic as well as international airport lounges.
- The card also offers you a complimentary movie ticket worth up to Rs. 750 every time you book movies/events via BookMyShow. This offer can be availed 4 times every month.
- The Emeralde cardholders can also enjoy up to 4 complimentary golf rounds/lessons every month on spending Rs. 50,000 or more in the previous month.
- You get an air accident insurance cover worth Rs. 3 Crore.
- 1% fuel surcharge waiver on all fuel purchases using this card.
- The card comes with alow forex markup fee of 1.5% only.
- There is no cash advance fee associated with this card.
HDFC Infinia Metal Credit Card
IT is probably the most popular credit card in the premium category in India. It is an invite-only card, i.e. you can get it only if you get invited by the issuer. It comes with an annual membership fee of Rs. 12,500, which can be waived on the basis of your total spends in the previous anniversary year. Talking about its rewards & benefits, it offers a decent reward rate and comes with a number of exclusive privileges across different categories. As a welcome benefit, the cardholders get complimentary Club Marriott membership that provides them with exciting deals and discount offers on dining & hotel booking spends. Apart from this, you get unlimited free lounge access worldwide and so many other travel benefits. All the features of the Infinia Credit Card are given below in detail:
- As a welcome benefit, the cardholders get 12,500 bonus Reward Points and a complimentary yearly membership to Club Marriott.
- The Infinia card offers a basic reward rate of 5 Reward Points on every retail spend of Rs. 150.
- Apart from this, you get 3x Reward points on rail tickets and Flipkart. On selected categories like bus flight/hotel bookings via Redbus, Cleartrip, and EaseMyTrip, you get 10x Reward Points.
- The Reward Points are redeemable against various options, including shopping, gift vouchers flight/hotel bookings, airmiles, cashback, etc, where 1 RP = up to Re. 1. the monetary value of rewards varies for different options.
- You get unlimited complimentary domestic as well as international lounge access for primary and supplementary cardholders.
- The card comes with a low forex markup fee of 2% only.
- There is no cash advance fee associated with the HDFC bank’s Infinia Card.
- The card also offers unlimited complimentary golf rounds/lessons to its cardholders.
- You get a personal air accident cover worth rs. 3 crores.
- The cardholders get a 1% fuel surcharge waiver, capped at Rs. 1,000 per month.
Quick Comparison
With the help of the following table, you can compare the Infinia and the Emeralde Credit Card much more easily and decide which would be a better option for you:
Comparison Factor | ICICI Emeralde Credit Card | HDFC Infinia Metal Edition Credit Card |
Annual Fee | Rs. 12,000 | Rs. 12,500 |
Rewards Rate | 4 Reward Points per retail spend of Rs. 100.1 RP for every Rs. 100 spent towards utility and insurance transactions. | 5 RPs for every Rs. 150 spent on retail purchases.3x Rewards on Flipkart and railway ticket bookings.10x Reward Points on hotel/flight/bus bookings via EaseMyTrip, Cleartrip, and Redbus. |
Reward Redemption | The earned reward points can be redeemed against various products, and other options at a redemption rate of 1 RP = Re. 0.25. | The reward points are redeemable against flight/hotel bookings, products, vouchers, and other options at a redemption rate of 1 RP = up to Re. 1. |
Travel Benefits | Unlimited complimentary domestic and international lounge access.Free flight ticket cancellation (charges waived up to Rs. 12,000) | Unlimited free domestic and international lounge access (for primary as well as add-on cardholders)One year complimentary Club Mariott membership. |
Dining/Movie Benefits | Enjoy the Buy 1 Get 1 offer on movie ticket bookings via BookMyShow (four times every month).Up to 15% off on dining across various participating restaurants. | Up to 20% off on dining spends.1+1 buffet at over 200 restaurants. |
Insurance Cover Against Personal Accident | You get a personal air accident cover worth Rs. 3 crores. | A personal air accident cover worth Rs. 3 crores |
Spend-Based Waiver | The annual fee is waived on spending Rs. 15 lakhs or more in the previous year. | The annual fee is waived on spending Rs. 10 lakhs or more in the previous year |