This is for anyone trying to place an ICICI card before applying, or working out whether the rung they hold is the right one. It settles the order of the eight ICICI Bank cards we track, what each costs after GST, what a rupee of spend actually earns once the points are valued at what ICICI pays for them, and who can get which.
Quick Answer: ICICI runs four tiers: entry (Amazon Pay and Platinum Chip free, Coral ₹590 a year), mid (Rubyx ₹2,360, Sapphiro ₹4,130), premium (Emeralde ₹14,160, Times Black ₹23,600) and super-premium (Emeralde Private Metal ₹14,749, by relationship); Amazon Pay out-earns everything below Private Metal on Amazon spend, and Private Metal's 3% on iShop is the only high base rate in the lineup.
The full hierarchy in one table
Fees are the base fee plus 18% GST; where joining and annual fees differ, both are shown. Base earn values ICICI Reward Points at ₹0.25 (the catalogue and statement-credit rate), Emeralde Private Metal points at ₹1 (iShop), Times Black points at ₹0.40 (statement credit) and cashback at face value.
| Tier | Card | Fees | Base earn | Lounge access | Income bar |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entry | Amazon Pay ICICI | ₹0, lifetime free | 1% cashback (5% on Amazon for Prime, 3% non-Prime, 2% at Amazon Pay partners) | None | Not published; 650+ score |
| Entry | Platinum Chip | ₹0, lifetime free | 2 points per ₹100, 0.5% | None | ₹25,000 a month; no minimum score |
| Entry | Coral | ₹500 + GST (₹590), waived at ₹1.5 lakh | 2 points per ₹100, 0.5% | 1 domestic a quarter on ₹75,000 prior-quarter spend; 1 railway lounge a quarter | ₹20,000 a month or ₹2.4 lakh ITR |
| Mid | Rubyx | Joining ₹3,000 + GST (₹3,540); annual ₹2,000 + GST (₹2,360), waived at ₹3 lakh | 2 points per ₹100, 0.5% (4 per ₹100 abroad) | 2 domestic a quarter on ₹75,000; 2 railway a quarter | ₹50,000 a month or ₹6 lakh ITR |
| Mid | Sapphiro | Joining ₹6,500 + GST (₹7,670); annual ₹3,500 + GST (₹4,130), waived at ₹6 lakh | 2 points per ₹100, 0.5% (4 per ₹100 abroad) | 4 domestic a quarter on ₹75,000; 2 international | ₹75,000 a month or ₹9 lakh ITR |
| Premium | Emeralde | ₹12,000 + GST (₹14,160), or ₹1,000 + GST (₹1,180) a month; waived at ₹10 lakh | 4 points per ₹100, 1% | Unlimited domestic and international, primary only | ₹1.5 lakh a month or ₹15 lakh ITR |
| Premium | Times Black | ₹20,000 + GST (₹23,600), waived at ₹25 lakh | 2% in points, capped at 5,000 points a cycle | Unlimited domestic and international, primary and add-on | ₹20 lakh a year |
| Super-premium | Emeralde Private Metal | ₹12,499 + GST (₹14,749), waived at ₹10 lakh | 6 points per ₹200, 3% on iShop | Unlimited domestic and international, primary and add-on | Not published; relationship-led |
Two rows need a note. Emeralde Private Metal costs ₹589 more than the standard Emeralde and earns three times as much, which is why the Private Metal guide exists. Times Black is a co-brand with Times Internet launched in December 2024; it costs more than Private Metal but sits beside the ladder rather than on top of it.
Why the point value matters
ICICI's product pages quote points per ₹100, and until the September 2026 audit our own data valued those points at ₹1, which made Coral, Rubyx, Sapphiro and Emeralde look four times as rewarding as they are. ICICI Reward Points redeem at ₹0.25 on the catalogue, as statement credit and for vouchers. Two points per ₹100 is 0.5%. Four points per ₹100 is 1%. That is the entire mid-tier and the standard Emeralde.
The exceptions are the cards that pay in something else. Amazon Pay pays cashback as Amazon Pay balance at face value. Times Black points redeem at ₹0.40 as statement credit, which makes its "2%" headline a real 2%. And Emeralde Private Metal points redeem at ₹1 each on iShop, which is where its 3% comes from; off iShop they are ₹0.25 like everyone else's.
The four tiers, explained
Entry: Amazon Pay, Platinum Chip, Coral
Amazon Pay ICICI is lifetime free and pays 5% on Amazon.in for Prime members, 3% for non-Prime, 2% at Amazon Pay partner merchants and 1% on everything else, with no caps, a 1.99% forex markup and a 650+ score requirement. It is applied for through Amazon rather than ICICI. For an Amazon-heavy household it out-earns every ICICI card below Private Metal.
Platinum Chip is lifetime free, earns 2 points per ₹100 (0.5%) and 1 per ₹100 on utilities and insurance, has no lounge access and no minimum credit score. It is the card ICICI issues to new-to-credit applicants and to people who want an ICICI relationship without a fee. The best first credit card guide covers where it fits.
Coral costs ₹500 + GST (₹590), waived at ₹1.5 lakh of spend, and earns the same 2 points per ₹100. What the fee buys is milestones (2,000 points at ₹2 lakh, then 1,000 per additional lakh up to 10,000 a year), one domestic lounge visit a quarter on ₹75,000 of prior-quarter spend, and one railway lounge visit a quarter. The RuPay variant links to UPI. The income bar is ₹20,000 a month, the lowest published figure in the lineup.
Mid-tier: Rubyx and Sapphiro
Both earn 2 points per ₹100 at home (0.5%), 4 per ₹100 abroad (1%) and 1 per ₹100 on utilities and insurance, both gate domestic lounge access on ₹75,000 of spend in the preceding quarter, and both charge 3.5% on foreign transactions. The differences are fee, welcome vouchers and lounge count.
Rubyx charges ₹3,000 + GST (₹3,540) to join and ₹2,000 + GST (₹2,360) a year, waived at ₹3 lakh. Welcome vouchers worth over ₹5,000 (Tata CLiQ, EaseMyTrip, Croma, EazyDiner, Avis, Elivaas) arrive within 45 business days of the joining fee. Milestones pay 3,000 points at ₹3 lakh and 1,500 per additional lakh up to 15,000 a year. Lounge access is 2 domestic visits a quarter and 2 railway visits a quarter. Up to 2 golf rounds a month are earned at 1 per ₹50,000 of prior-month spend. The bar is ₹50,000 a month.
Sapphiro charges ₹6,500 + GST (₹7,670) to join and ₹3,500 + GST (₹4,130) a year, waived at ₹6 lakh. Welcome vouchers are worth over ₹13,000 (Tata CLiQ ₹3,000, EaseMyTrip 4 × ₹1,000, EazyDiner, Da Milano, Croma). Milestones pay 4,000 points at ₹4 lakh and 2,000 per additional lakh up to 20,000. Lounge access is 4 domestic visits a quarter and 2 international through Priority Pass. Up to 4 golf rounds a month on ₹50,000 of prior-month spend, BookMyShow buy-one-get-one up to ₹500 twice a month, ₹3 crore air accident cover. The bar is ₹75,000 a month.
For most applicants the joining-fee gap of ₹4,130 is recovered by the ₹8,000 difference in welcome vouchers, so Sapphiro is the better first-year buy if you clear its income bar. From year two the choice is whether 8 extra domestic lounge visits and 2 international ones are worth ₹1,770 a year and a waiver threshold twice as high.
Premium: Emeralde and Times Black
Emeralde is the standard flagship at ₹12,000 + GST (₹14,160), or ₹1,000 + GST (₹1,180) a month on the monthly plan, waived at ₹10 lakh. It earns 4 points per ₹100 at home and abroad (1%) and 1 per ₹100 on utilities and insurance. Lounge access is unlimited, domestic and international, for the primary cardholder. Golf rounds or lessons come monthly based on spend, air accident cover is ₹3 crore, travel cancellation cover refunds up to ₹12,000 twice a year, and the forex markup is 2%. Government spend stopped earning in November 2024 and the spa benefit was withdrawn. The bar is ₹1.5 lakh a month.
Times Black is the lifestyle co-brand at ₹20,000 + GST (₹23,600), waived only at ₹25 lakh. It earns 2% in points capped at 5,000 points a cycle, with iShop multipliers on top, and the points redeem at ₹0.40. The benefits are the point: unlimited domestic and international lounges for primary and add-on cardholders, 4 golf rounds and 4 lessons a month, two spa visits a quarter, Zomato Gold, Times Prime and EazyDiner Prime memberships, a ₹10,000 EaseMyTrip or ₹12,000 Lohono welcome gift card, visa assistance, and milestones of a ₹10,000 Klook voucher at ₹2 lakh, WeWork passes or airport transfers at ₹5 lakh and a luxury night at Ayatana or Lohono at ₹20 lakh. Forex markup is 1.49%, the lowest in the lineup. The bar is ₹20 lakh of annual income.
Super-premium: Emeralde Private Metal
Emeralde Private Metal costs ₹12,499 + GST (₹14,749), waived at ₹10 lakh, and is issued to ICICI's Private Banking and Wealth clients and to standard Emeralde holders the bank upgrades. It earns 6 points per ₹200 worth ₹1 each on iShop (3%), with grocery, utilities and education capped at 1,000 points a cycle and insurance at 5,000. The welcome package is 12,500 points plus Taj Epicure Plus and EazyDiner Prime. Lounge access is unlimited for primary and add-on cardholders, golf is unlimited every month, BookMyShow gives up to ₹750 off a second ticket twice a month, and forex markup is 2%.
Which tier are you eligible for?
| Your position | Tier | Realistic card |
|---|---|---|
| New to credit, or under ₹20,000 a month | Entry | Platinum Chip (no minimum score), or Amazon Pay if you shop on Amazon |
| ₹20,000 to ₹50,000 a month | Entry | Coral, or Amazon Pay; the lounge visit needs ₹75,000 a quarter |
| ₹50,000 to ₹75,000 a month | Mid | Rubyx |
| ₹75,000 to ₹1.5 lakh a month | Mid | Sapphiro |
| ₹1.5 lakh a month or ₹15 lakh ITR | Premium | Emeralde |
| ₹20 lakh a year, wants lifestyle benefits | Premium | Times Black |
| ICICI Wealth or Private Banking client, or a year on Emeralde | Super-premium | Emeralde Private Metal |
Rewards in practice across the tiers
Ordinary domestic spend, points at the values above, milestones counted where reached.
| Annual spend | Coral | Sapphiro | Emeralde | Emeralde Private Metal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ₹3 lakh | 6,000 points + 3,000 milestone = ₹2,250; fee waived | 6,000 points = ₹1,500; fee ₹4,130 | 12,000 points = ₹3,000; fee ₹14,160 | 9,000 points = ₹9,000 on iShop; fee ₹14,749 less the ₹12,500 welcome in year one |
| ₹6 lakh | 12,000 + 6,000 milestone = ₹4,500 | 12,000 + 8,000 milestone = ₹5,000; fee waived | 24,000 = ₹6,000 | 18,000 = ₹18,000 |
| ₹10 lakh | 20,000 + 10,000 (cap) = ₹7,500 | 20,000 + 16,000 = ₹9,000 | 40,000 = ₹10,000; fee waived | 30,000 = ₹30,000; fee waived |
The mid-tier and standard Emeralde rows are close because they earn at the same 0.5% to 1%; the extra fee buys lounges and welcome vouchers, not earning. Private Metal is the only ICICI card whose earn rate justifies a premium fee on its own, and only on iShop redemptions.
Who should get which tier
Get an entry card if:
- You shop on Amazon: Amazon Pay, free, with no cap.
- You are new to credit: Platinum Chip, free, no minimum score.
- You want a lounge visit a quarter and a small milestone at ₹590: Coral.
Get a mid-tier card if:
- You want domestic lounges on a fee waived at ₹3 lakh to ₹6 lakh and can put ₹75,000 a quarter through the card.
- You value the welcome vouchers; Sapphiro's ₹13,000 is the best in the lineup relative to its fee.
Get Emeralde if:
- You spend ₹10 lakh a year, so the fee is waived, and you want unlimited lounges with a direct application.
- You expect to be upgraded to Private Metal, which is the reason most Emeralde holders keep the card.
Get Times Black if:
- You spend ₹25 lakh a year or will use the memberships, spa, golf and travel milestones; on points alone it does not cover its fee below the waiver.
Skip the ladder if:
- You want earn rate. Outside Private Metal and Amazon Pay, ICICI's lineup is a lounges-and-vouchers lineup at 0.5% to 1%.
Upgrade path
ICICI's ladder runs Coral or Platinum Chip to Rubyx or Sapphiro to Emeralde, with Emeralde Private Metal by relationship or upgrade after a year of ₹10 lakh spend on Emeralde. Requests go through the relationship manager or the card helpline. Points carry across because every card except Amazon Pay earns ICICI Reward Points, and they rise in value if the upgrade is to Private Metal. Amazon Pay and Times Black sit beside the ladder rather than on it.
Common questions
What is the order? Amazon Pay and Platinum Chip free; Coral ₹590; Rubyx ₹2,360; Sapphiro ₹4,130; Emeralde ₹14,160; Emeralde Private Metal ₹14,749; Times Black ₹23,600, all after GST.
Which is the highest? Emeralde Private Metal by exclusivity and earn rate; Times Black by fee.
Point value? ₹0.25 on most cards, ₹1 on iShop with Private Metal, ₹0.40 on Times Black.
Income for Sapphiro and Emeralde? ₹75,000 and ₹1.5 lakh a month, or ₹9 lakh and ₹15 lakh ITR.
Sapphiro over Rubyx? For the lounges and welcome vouchers, yes; the earn rate is identical.
Next steps
- ICICI Emeralde Private Metal
- ICICI Sapphiro
- ICICI Rubyx
- ICICI Coral
- Amazon Pay ICICI
- All ICICI Bank cards ranked
- How to get Emeralde Private Metal
Last verified: 2026-09-17 against https://www.icicibank.com/personal-banking/cards/credit-card/emeralde-private-metal-credit-card, https://www.icicibank.com/personal-banking/cards/credit-card/sapphiro-card and the ICICI product pages for the other six cards.