Emirates Skywards ICICI Bank Sapphiro Credit Card Review: Miles, No Waiver
The Emirates Skywards ICICI Bank Sapphiro Credit Card costs ₹5,000 + GST a year with no spend-based waiver and, since 15 January 2026, earns 1.5 Skywards Miles per ₹100 on eligible spends. Joining brings 5,000 miles and Emirates Skywards Silver tier, but ICICI publishes no rupee value for a mile and charges 3.5% on foreign currency spends, so it suits people who already fly Emirates.
Key facts
- Joining fee
- ₹5,000 + GST
- Annual fee
- ₹5,000 + GST. No spend-based annual fee waiver (MITC shows NA)
- Base reward
- 1.5 Skywards Miles per ₹100 on eligible retail spends...
- Best category
- No higher-reward category published
- Lounge
- Domestic: 2 domestic airport lounge accesses per quarter (primary) on ₹75,000 spend in the preceding quarter International: 2 complimentary international lounge accesses a year via Priority Pass (primary; for cards applied on or after Nov 15, 2024)
- Forex markup
- 3.5% of the amount
- Network
- Not stated by the bank
Opens the bank's own page for this card. Approval and the credit limit are the bank's decision.
In short
A sensible card for regular Emirates flyers who spend ₹5 lakh a year and want Silver tier, but an expensive one for anyone who flies other airlines or spends a lot abroad.
Best for
- Regular Emirates passengers who value Skywards Silver tier
- People who spend ₹5 lakh or more a year on retail
- Earners of ₹1.5 lakh a month who want all their miles in one account
Skip it if
- You want an annual fee waiver
- Most of your spending is bills, insurance or fuel
- You spend a lot in foreign currency
Highlights
- Joining and annual fee ₹5,000 + GST, no waiver
- 1.5 Skywards Miles per ₹100 since 15 January 2026
- 5,000 welcome miles and Silver tier
- 2 domestic lounge visits a quarter, 2 international a year
- Forex mark-up 3.5%
A co-brand card for people who already fly Emirates
This is ICICI Bank's tie-up with Emirates, and it pays you in Emirates Skywards Miles rather than ICICI points. The miles land in your Skywards account, where Emirates decides what they are worth on flights, upgrades and hotels with Emirates and its partners. ICICI's card page don't name a card network, so check the card you receive if a particular network matter to you.
The card is active and open to applications. It costs ₹5,000 + GST to join and the same every year, and unlike most ICICI cards there are no spend target that waive the fee. In return you get 5,000 welcome miles, Emirates Skywards Silver tier, a few lounge visits and miles on most shopping. For how airline and hotel cards work in general, see our travel cards explainer.
The three points that matter
- The earn was cut in 2026. Since 15 January 2026 the card gives 1.5 Skywards Miles per ₹100, down from 2. One FAQ on ICICI's card page still mention 2, but the terms, the earn grid and the MITC all say 1.5, and that is the figure we use.
- Silver tier is the real draw. It comes on paying the joining fee. Keeping it needs ₹5 lakh of spends within 12 months plus payment of the annual fee.
- The renewal miles have a condition. The card page promises 5,000 miles on renewal, but the terms makes them subject to ₹5 lakh of spends in the previous year.
Changes since 2024
On 15 November 2024 ICICI set interest at 3.75% a month (45% a year), added 1% fees on fuel above ₹10,000, utilities above ₹50,000 and education through third-party apps, revised the late fee slabs, set the add-on fee at ₹199 and stopped counting rent, government and education spends for milestones. Domestic lounge visits needs ₹75,000 of spending in the previous quarter since 1 January 2025.
2026 was the heavier year. On 15 January the earn dropped to 1.5 miles and insurance, utility, government and education payments stopped earning; the same day the currency conversion fee rose from 1% to 3.5% and new fees arrived on transport, gaming and wallet loads. The minimum amount due formula changed on 1 March, and from 1 April the BookMyShow offer needs ₹25,000 of spend in the previous quarter.
₹5,900 a year, with no way round it
The joining fee and the annual fee are ₹5,000 each, and GST is extra. At 18% that is ₹900, so you pay ₹5,900 each time. ICICI's MITC shows no spend-based waiver for this card, so even a heavy spender pay it every year. What you get for it is the 5,000 miles and the Silver tier on joining, and 5,000 conditional miles on each renewal.
An add-on card costs ₹199. Going by the terms, the lounge visits and the welcome miles belong to the primary cardholder only.
Interest and penalties
Interest is 3.75% a month, which ICICI states as 45% a year, and it applies when you don't clear the full bill. The late fee depend on what is still unpaid after the due date: nothing under ₹100, ₹500 for ₹501 to ₹1,000, ₹750 for ₹5,001 to ₹10,000 and ₹1,300 above ₹50,000, with slabs in between, and only once the minimum due is unpaid 3 days past the due date.
A cash withdrawal costs 2.5% with a ₹500 minimum, plus interest from the day you draw it. Over-limit use needs your consent and then costs 2.5% of the excess, at least ₹550, and a bounced cheque or auto-debit cost 2% of the total due, minimum ₹500.
Spending abroad
For an airline card the forex mark-up is high. ICICI's card page does not state it, so the figure comes from the MITC default of 3.5%. On a ₹50,000 hotel bill in Dubai that is ₹1,750 of mark-up (3.5% of ₹50,000) and ₹315 of GST on it (18% of ₹1,750), ₹2,065 in all, while the same ₹50,000 earns 750 miles. Paying in rupees abroad doesn't help, the currency conversion fee is also 3.5% from 15 January 2026.
Other fees to know
- Rent: 1% on every payment.
- Fuel over ₹10,000 in one go: 1%. The 1% surcharge waiver applies to fuel purchases of ₹400 to ₹4,000.
- Utilities over ₹50,000 and transport over ₹50,000: 1% each. Education through third-party apps: 1%.
- Wallet loads of ₹5,000 or more: 1%, and skill-based gaming: 2%, both since 15 January 2026.
- Paying the bill in cash at a branch: ₹150. A replacement card: ₹200, going to ₹300 from 11 December 2026.
The card's fee list also carries a ₹99 + GST reward redemption handling fee, but miles on this card is redeemed with Emirates, and ICICI states no redemption fee of its own for them.
Emirates Sapphiro: fees and charges
| Joining fee | ₹5,000 + GST |
|---|---|
| Annual or renewal fee | ₹5,000 + GST |
| Annual fee waiver | No spend-based annual fee waiver (MITC shows NA) |
| Add-on card fee | ₹199 + GST |
| GST | Charged on top of the fees and charges listed |
| In the bank’s words | Joining Fee ₹5,000 + GST; Annual Fee ₹5,000 + GST |
| Interest on unpaid balances | Up to 3.75% a month (45% a year) |
| Late payment fee | ₹0 if outstanding below ₹100; ₹100 (₹100 to ₹500); ₹500 (₹501 to ₹1,000); ₹600 (₹1,001 to ₹5,000); ₹750 (₹5,001 to ₹10,000); ₹900 (₹10,001 to ₹25,000); ₹1,100 (₹25,001 to ₹50,000); ₹1,300 (above ₹50,000). Outstanding = Total Amount Due minus payments before due date; levied if MAD unpaid after due date plus 3 days. |
| Cash withdrawal | 2.5% of amount, minimum ₹500, plus interest at 3.75% per month from the transaction date |
| Over-limit fee | 2.5% of the over-limit amount, minimum ₹550 (over-limit only with explicit consent) |
| Forex markup | 3.5% of the amount |
| Other fees |
|
Miles: how many, and what they might be worth
You earn 1.5 Skywards Miles for each ₹100 of eligible retail spend, in India and abroad alike. Nothing is earned on fuel, cash advances, ATM withdrawals, EMI, balance transfers, personal loans on the card or fees and charges. Rent and e-wallet loading are left out as well, and since 15 January 2026 insurance, utility, government and education payments too, so the bills many people put on a card earns zero here.
ICICI doesn't publish a rupee value for a Skywards Mile; Emirates sets it through its own redemptions. The honest way to judge the card is break-even, how much a mile must be worth to you so the ₹5,900 fee is covered. Under Emirates Skywards rules, miles stay valid for 3 years from the transaction.
Welcome miles, renewal miles and Silver tier
Pay the joining fee and you get 5,000 miles plus complimentary Emirates Skywards Silver tier. In each later year, 5,000 more miles arrive as an annual benefit if you spent ₹5 lakh in the previous year, according to the terms; the card page leave out that condition. The same ₹5 lakh within 12 months, along with the annual fee paid, keeps Silver. Spread over the year, ₹5,00,000 is about ₹41,667 a month (₹5,00,000 divided by 12).
Other perks
There is up to 10% off Emirates flights booked on the Emirates website with promo code INICI26, and BookMyShow buy one get one with up to ₹500 off twice a month, once you spent ₹25,000 in the previous quarter.
Three spenders, counted in miles
| Light | Typical | Heavy | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly spend | ₹40,000 | ₹60,000 | ₹1,50,000 |
| Earning spend in India | ₹30,000 = 450 miles | ₹40,000 = 600 miles | ₹1,35,000 = 2,025 miles |
| Spend abroad | None | ₹10,000 = 150 miles | None |
| Bills, insurance and fuel (no miles) | ₹10,000 | ₹10,000 | ₹15,000 |
| Miles a month | 450 | 750 | 2,025 |
| Miles in 12 months | 5,400 | 9,000 | 24,300 |
| Yearly spend (12 months) | ₹4,80,000 | ₹7,20,000 | ₹18,00,000 |
| Renewal miles and Silver tier | Missed (below ₹5 lakh) | 5,000 miles, Silver kept | 5,000 miles, Silver kept |
Light, ₹40,000 a month. In the first year the 5,400 earned miles and the 5,000 welcome miles make 10,400, so the ₹5,900 fee works out to about ₹0.57 a mile (₹5,900 divided by 10,400). The next year is worse, ₹4,80,000 falls short of ₹5 lakh, so no renewal miles comes and Silver lapses, leaving ₹5,900 for 5,400 miles, about ₹1.09 each (₹5,900 divided by 5,400). The ₹1,20,000 spent each quarter (₹40,000 times 3) does clear the ₹75,000 lounge line.
Typical, ₹60,000 a month. In a renewal year this spender earns 9,000 miles plus the 5,000 annual miles, 14,000 in all, which puts the fee at about ₹0.42 a mile (₹5,900 divided by 14,000). The ₹10,000 spent abroad is the weak part: it costs ₹350 of mark-up (3.5% of ₹10,000) and ₹63 of GST (18% of ₹350), ₹413 a month, for 150 miles, so about ₹2.75 for each mile (₹413 divided by 150).
Heavy, ₹1.5 lakh a month. 24,300 earned miles and 5,000 renewal miles come to 29,300, so the fee falls to about ₹0.20 a mile (₹5,900 divided by 29,300). Because there is no waiver, this is the only way the card gets cheaper: by spreading the same fixed fee over more miles. The lounge visits are there every quarter.
Emirates Sapphiro: how rewards work
| Earned as | Emirates Skywards Miles |
|---|---|
| Base rate | 1.5 Skywards Miles per ₹100 on eligible retail spends (domestic and international) |
| Minimum spend rules | None stated |
| No rewards on |
|
| Lower rewards on | None published |
| Value of a point |
|
| Redemption fee | None stated by ICICI Bank |
| Expiry | Skywards Miles valid 3 years from the transaction (Emirates Skywards rules) |
| Welcome benefits |
|
| Milestone benefits |
|
| Lounge access | Domestic: 2 domestic airport lounge accesses per quarter (primary) on ₹75,000 spend in the preceding quarter International: 2 complimentary international lounge accesses a year via Priority Pass (primary; for cards applied on or after Nov 15, 2024) Condition: Domestic: ₹75,000 eligible spend in the preceding spends quarter |
| Fuel surcharge waiver | 1% surcharge waiver on fuel purchases of ₹400 to ₹4,000 |
| Insurance cover | None stated on the card page |
Income bar, documents and applying
ICICI sets a high bar for this card. A salaried applicant needs a monthly income of ₹1,50,000 and a self-employed one an annual income of at least ₹18,00,000, which divided by 12 is the same ₹1,50,000 a month. You must be an Indian citizen over 21; the card page states no upper age. The documents is proof of identity, proof of address and income proof.
How to apply
Apply on ICICI's website from the card page, where Apply Now take you to a journey for uploading KYC and income papers. Existing customers can also look in the iMobile app under Pre Approved Loans/Offers, then Loan and Card Offers, then Cards, a pre-approved offer appears there if the bank has one for you.
How the bank decides
RBI rules keep the decision with the issuer. Under its 2025 card Directions, ICICI must assess your independent financial means and set your limit after counting the limits you hold with other lenders, from your own declaration or from credit bureau data. ICICI's listing page adds that your credit score and repayment history may be considered; on CRIF's scale of 300 to 900, above 700 is generally taken as good.
KYC needs PAN or Form 60 plus an officially valid document, and it can be done on a Video KYC call. If the bank says no, it must give you the specific reasons in writing. Before you accept, the Key Fact Statement shows the interest rate and charges on a single page, worth reading slowly on a card with a 3.5% mark-up.
ICICI's toll-free service number is 1800 1080, and travellers abroad can reach the bank on +91-22-33667777. Our ICICI customer care page lists the other numbers.
Emirates Sapphiro: eligibility and documents
| Age (salaried) | Indian citizen over 21 |
|---|---|
| Age (self-employed) | Indian citizen over 21 |
| Income (salaried) | Monthly income of ₹1,50,000 |
| Income (self-employed) | Annual income of at least ₹18,00,000 |
| Other conditions | None published |
| Documents |
|
| How to apply | Online on the issuer website (card page 'Apply Now' leads to buy.icici.bank.in; upload KYC and income documents), or in the iMobile app under 'Pre Approved Loans/Offers' > 'Loan & Card Offers' > Cards. Co-brand cards apply through the partner (Amazon Pay on amazon.in, MakeMyTrip app/site, Adani One site, Times Black on timesblack.com). FD-backed cards through iMobile, Net Banking or a branch. Emeralde Private Metal and 1838 Reserve are invite-only. |
| Card customer care | 1800 1080 |
These are the bank's published conditions. Meeting them does not guarantee a card: approval and the credit limit are the bank's decision.
Who gains, and who is better served elsewhere
The card is made for someone who already flies Emirates, likes having Silver tier and spends ₹5 lakh or more a year on ordinary shopping. For them the ₹5,900 fee brings 5,000 miles each renewal, keeps the tier and adds some lounge visits, and every ₹100 of spending put 1.5 miles into the same Skywards account they use anyway.
It is a poor fit for anyone who wants a fee waiver, because there is none, a ₹15 lakh spender pays exactly what a ₹3 lakh spender pays. It is also weak abroad. The 3.5% mark-up with 18% GST on it is 4.13% of the spend (3.5% times 1.18), while only 1.5 miles per ₹100 comes back.
The 15 January 2026 cut took a quarter off the earn (0.5 less on a base of 2, or 25%), and the bills that used to earn, insurance, utilities, government and education, now earn nothing. Anyone who moved most of their spending onto this card for miles should redo the sums. The lounge offer is thin also: 2 domestic visits a quarter after ₹75,000 of spend, and 2 international visits a year through Priority Pass for cards applied on or after 15 November 2024.
If you rarely fly Emirates, miles you can't easily use is a weak reward. A card with points that transfer to several airlines, or with a published rupee value, will serve you better; the options are below, and our credit cards hub covers the other kinds.
Pros
- 5,000 Skywards Miles and Emirates Skywards Silver tier when you pay the joining fee
- 1.5 Skywards Miles per ₹100 on most retail spends, in India and abroad
- 5,000 more miles each year after ₹5 lakh of spends
- Up to 10% off Emirates flights with the card's promo code
- 2 international lounge visits a year through Priority Pass
Cons
- ₹5,900 a year with GST and no spend-based waiver
- Earn cut from 2 to 1.5 miles per ₹100 on 15 January 2026
- No miles on insurance, utility, government, education, rent, wallet loads or fuel
- 3.5% forex mark-up and 3.5% currency conversion fee
- ICICI publishes no rupee value for a mile
- Domestic lounges need ₹75,000 of spend in the previous quarter
Other ways to collect airline miles
Three cards are worth setting against this one: SBI Card Miles Elite, the HSBC TravelOne Credit Card and the Axis Bank Horizon Credit Card. Each of them earn rewards that are not tied to a single airline, which the Emirates card's miles are.
SBI Card Miles Elite is the closest match if Emirates stays your airline. It costs ₹4,999 + taxes, reversed on ₹15 lakh of spends in a membership year, and earns 6 Travel Credits per ₹200 on travel and 2 per ₹200 elsewhere. Credits move to Emirates Skywards at 2 to 1, so travel spends give 3 miles per ₹200, which is 1.5 per ₹100, and other spends 0.5 per ₹100. It adds 8 domestic and 6 international lounge visits a year and a 1.99% mark-up. Its ₹1 crore air accident cover was discontinued from 15 July 2025, so leave that out of the sums.
HSBC TravelOne costs ₹4,999, and the fee with GST is reversed if eligible spends pass ₹8,00,000 in the anniversary year. It earns 2 points per ₹100, and 4 per ₹100 on flights, travel aggregators and foreign currency spends, with accelerated points capped at 50,000 a month. Points transfer 1:1 to Air India Maharaja Club, Flying Blue, British Airways, Etihad and others. You get 6 domestic and 4 international lounge visits a year with no spend condition stated, and the same 3.5% mark-up.
Axis Horizon is the cheapest at ₹3,000 + GST, also with no spend waiver. It earns 5 EDGE Miles per ₹100 on Axis Travel EDGE and direct airline spends and 2 per ₹100 elsewhere, and Axis's chart values an EDGE Mile at ₹1. Lounges are generous: 8 domestic visits a quarter on the Visa Signature card or 6 on the Mastercard World card, plus 2 international a quarter, with the spend condition waived. Forex is 3.5% here as well.
Which to choose: keep the Emirates card if Silver tier and Emirates flights are the goal. Pick Miles Elite for Emirates miles with more lounges and a lower mark-up, TravelOne for 1:1 transfers to several airlines, and Horizon for the smallest fee and a stated ₹1 value a mile. ICICI's own Sapphiro card pays ICICI points instead of miles, and the full lineup is on our ICICI Bank page.
Emirates Sapphiro against similar cards
| Term | Emirates Skywards ICICI Bank Sapphiro Credit Card This card | SBI Card Miles Elite | HSBC TravelOne Credit Card | Axis Bank Horizon Credit Card |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bank | ICICI Bank | SBI Card | HSBC India | Axis Bank |
| Joining fee | ₹5,000 + GST | ₹4,999 + GST | ₹4,999 + GST | ₹3,000 + GST |
| Annual fee and waiver | ₹5,000 + GST. No spend-based annual fee waiver (MITC shows NA) | ₹4,999 + GST. Annual Fee reversal on spends of Rs. 15 lakhs in a membership year (MITC: Rs. 15 lakh or more in the preceding year) | ₹4,999 + GST. Annual fee, including GST, fully reversed if total eligible spend across primary and add-on cards in the anniversary year exceeds Rs 8,00,000 | ₹3,000 + GST. No spend-based annual fee waiver. Nil fees for customers with a Burgundy Savings Account opened on or after 1 July 2026 (one lifetime-free Axis card per Burgundy customer, at the bank's discretion). |
| Base reward | 1.5 Skywards Miles per ₹100 on eligible retail spends... | 2 Travel Credits for every Rs. 200 on all other spends (about 1% value) | 2 reward points for every Rs 100 spent, no cap | 2 EDGE Miles per INR 100 on other spends (about 2% value) |
| Best category | No higher-reward category published | Travel spends: airlines, hotels, travel agencies, car rental, rail, bus, tolls and similar: about 3% value | Flights, travel aggregators and foreign currency spends: 4 reward points per Rs 100 | Axis Bank Travel EDGE portal and airline spends: about 5% value |
| Lounges | Domestic: 2 domestic airport lounge accesses per quarter (primary) on ₹75,000 spend in the preceding quarter International: 2 complimentary international lounge accesses a year via Priority Pass (primary; for cards applied on or after Nov 15, 2024) | Domestic: 8 complimentary domestic airport lounge visits a year (max 2 per quarter), plus 1 extra visit per Rs. 1 lakh spent (max 15 extra a membership year) International: 6 complimentary international airport lounge visits a year (max 2 per quarter) via Priority Pass; Priority Pass membership complimentary for the first 2 years | Domestic: 6 complimentary domestic lounge visits a year International: 4 complimentary international lounge visits a year (LoungeKey) | Domestic: 8 complimentary visits per calendar quarter (Visa Signature) or 6 per calendar quarter (Mastercard World) International: 2 complimentary visits per calendar quarter (USD 1 authorisation, reversed) |
| Forex markup | 3.5% of the amount | 1.99% of the amount | 3.5% of the amount | 3.5% of the amount |
| Network | Not stated by the bank | Mastercard, RuPay | Mastercard | Visa, Mastercard |
| Published minimum income | ₹1,50,000 a month | Stable income; SBI Card says the specific minimum varies by card and does not... | ₹50,000 a month | Not stated on the card page |
| Status | Taking applications | Taking applications | Taking applications | Taking applications |
Frequently asked questions
What is the annual fee on the Emirates Skywards ICICI Bank Sapphiro card, and can it be waived?
How many Skywards Miles does the card earn, and what is a mile worth?
What income do I need for the Emirates ICICI Sapphiro card?
Does the Emirates Skywards ICICI Sapphiro card give airport lounge access?
Why do some pages still say 2 miles per ₹100?
How do I keep Emirates Skywards Silver tier with this card?
Related
- SBI Card Miles Elite Review: 3% in Travel Credits and 1.99% Forex
- HSBC TravelOne Credit Card Review: 1:1 Airline Miles for a ₹4,999 Fee
- Axis Bank Horizon Credit Card Review: 5 EDGE Miles per ₹100 on Airlines
- ICICI Bank Sapphiro Credit Card Review: Lounges, Golf and a ₹6,500 Fee
- ICICI Bank Credit Cards 2026: Spend Rules, Fees and Which Card to Pick
- Travel Credit Cards Explained: Miles, Hotel Points and Forex Costs
Sources
- ICICI Bank Limited: Most Important Terms and Conditions (MITC), credit cards; Terms and Conditions governing the Features and Offers of the Emirates Skywards ICICI Bank Sapphiro Credit Card; Emirates Sapphiro Credit Card; ICICI Bank Customer Care
Last verified: 5 November 2026
Written by Ramesh Kulkarni, reviewed by BankCreds Financial Experts
BankCreds does not sell cards or take applications. Fees and rewards change; the bank's own terms on the day you apply are what count, and approval is the bank's decision.