ICICI Bank · Super-premium
ICICI Emeralde Private Metal
Earns ICICI Bank Rewards (Emeralde Private Metal / Times Black)
Where it ranks across all 187 cards
#3 Education
3.0%
direct
#6 Insurance
3.0%
direct
#7 Gaming
3.0%
direct
#8 Utility bills
3.0%
direct
#9 Mobile / broadband
3.0%
direct
#9 Jewellery & watches
3.0%
direct
#12 Train tickets
3.0%
direct
#12 Other
3.0%
direct
#13 Health & pharmacy
3.0%
direct
#16 Dining out
3.0%
direct
#17 Cabs & transit
3.0%
direct
#18 Electronics
3.0%
direct
#20 Groceries
3.0%
direct
#20 Flights
3.0%
direct
portal reaches 18.0%
#20 Hotels
3.0%
direct
portal reaches 36.0%
#25 Online shopping
3.0%
direct
#25 Movies & events
3.0%
direct
#26 Fashion
3.0%
direct
#27 Food delivery
3.0%
direct
1 Apr 2026
iShop voucher value cut ~18%→~3%; voucher processing fee raised to 3.5%+GST on major brands.
Get an email if this card changes - sign in.
iShop flights/hotels & premium vouchers up to ₹1/pt (bank); statement credit lower
Points valued at ₹1/pt - conservative, what rankings use · transfers reach up to ₹1.80/pt via Air India Maharaja Club at 1:1
Reward rules1 direct
Base rate - everything not covered below
3.00%base rate
6 pts / ₹200
source
Source: ICICI Emeralde Private Metal MITC - icicibank.com - read 20 Aug 2026
Base rate, but capped4
Insurance: base rate capped 5,000 pts/statement cycle
base rate
source
Source: ICICI Emeralde Private Metal page - icicibank.com - read 22 Aug 2026
Education: base rate capped 1,000 pts/statement cycle
base rate
source
Source: ICICI Emeralde Private Metal page - icicibank.com - read 22 Aug 2026
Utilities: base rate capped 1,000 pts/statement cycle
base rate
source
Source: ICICI Emeralde Private Metal page - icicibank.com - read 22 Aug 2026
Grocery: base rate capped 1,000 pts/statement cycle
base rate
source
Source: ICICI Emeralde Private Metal page - icicibank.com - read 22 Aug 2026
Via portals & vouchersdisplay, never ranks
iShop flights 6X
via ishop · 15,000 pts/month
source & note
iShop multiplier/caps are portal-stated - unverifiable outside the portal this session.
Source: ICICI iShop T&C (verified Aug 2026) - icicibank.com - read 20 Aug 2026
18.0%
iShop hotels 12X
via ishop · ~15,000 pts/month
source & note
iShop multiplier/caps are portal-stated - unverifiable outside the portal this session.
Source: ICICI iShop T&C (verified Aug 2026) - icicibank.com - read 20 Aug 2026
36.0%
iShop vouchers (devalued to ~3%)
voucher route via ishop
source & note
2026: voucher value cut from ~18% to ~3%, PLUS 3.5%+GST processing fee on Flipkart/Swiggy/Amazon Pay vouchers - often not worth it now. iShop multiplier/caps are portal-stated - unverifiable outside the portal this session. Brand list harvested from the public iShop catalog.
Source: iShop shopping-vouchers catalog (public) - ishoprewards.com - read 22 Aug 2026
3.0%
Percentages here are each rule's own rate.
The card's single headline is the best of the direct rules only - selectable packs, capped-base rows and
portal/voucher routes above are shown for completeness but never set it.
What 10,000 points become. The low end of each range ranks; the high end is display only.
Air India Maharaja Club
1:1 ratio · 1:1 for EPM and Times Black per the Air India partner page.
10,000 ptsworth ₹6,000-₹18,000
The only transfer partner is Air India Maharaja Club, at 1:1. It beats using the points as cash mainly for business-class awards.
Earns nothing on5 exclusions
Fuel
earns nothing
No points on fuel (EPM-specific MITC list).
→ use Kotak Cashback+ Credit Card here (3.0%)
detail & source
categories: Fuel · MCCs: 5541, 5542, 1361, 3851, 5983, 9752, 5555, 5172
Source: ICICI Credit Card MITC (bank PDF, updated 2 Aug 2026) - icicibank.com - read 22 Aug 2026
Rent
earns nothing
Rent Pay and property management (MCCs 1520/1750/1740/1711/1761/1771/1731) earn nothing.
→ use Axis Burgundy Private here (5.2%)
detail & source
categories: Rent · MCCs: 6513, 7014, 7407, 5271
Source: ICICI Credit Card MITC (bank PDF, updated 2 Aug 2026) - icicibank.com - read 22 Aug 2026
Wallet load
earns nothing
Third-party wallet loads earn nothing.
→ use SC Ultimate here (3.3%)
detail & source
categories: Wallet load · MCCs: 6540
Source: ICICI Credit Card MITC (bank PDF, updated 2 Aug 2026) - icicibank.com - read 22 Aug 2026
Government / tax
earns nothing
Government payments/services and tax payments (any medium) earn nothing on EPM.
→ use Biz Black Metal Edition Credit Card here (3.3%)
detail & source
categories: Government / tax · MCCs: 9405, 9222, 9399, 9402, 9211, 6760, 9311, 9313, 7276
Source: ICICI Credit Card MITC (bank PDF, updated 2 Aug 2026) - icicibank.com - read 22 Aug 2026
EMI
earns nothing
EMI excluded.
→ use Kotak Solitaire Credit Card here (3.0%)
detail & source
categories: EMI
Source: ICICI Credit Card MITC (bank PDF, updated 2 Aug 2026) - icicibank.com - read 22 Aug 2026
Perks the card unlocks at these places, beyond its earn rate. They never change a ranking - check the bank page before you count on one.