Which card has a lower forex fee: Axis Bank Magnus Credit Card or ICICI Emeralde Credit Card?

Both cards have the same forex markup (2%).

Which card has a lower annual fee: Axis Bank Magnus Credit Card or ICICI Emeralde Credit Card?

ICICI Emeralde Credit Card has a lower annual fee (₹12,000 vs ₹12,500).

Which card offers better lounge access?

Axis Bank Magnus Credit Card: Unlimited domestic lounge. ICICI Emeralde Credit Card: Unlimited domestic lounge.

Which card has a higher base reward rate?

Axis Bank Magnus Credit Card has higher base reward value (~5% vs ~1.5%).

Pairwise comparison Add another card →

Axis Bank Magnus vs ICICI Bank Emeralde Credit Cards – Fees, Lounge, Forex

Side-by-side comparison of the Axis Bank Magnus and the ICICI Bank Emeralde. Verify fees, lounge access, forex markup, and base rewards before you apply.

Rewards Axis Bank Magnus

Quick comparison

Three core metrics

Magnus Axis Bank

Annual fee ₹12,500 Waivable at ₹25,00,000 spend
Forex markup 2%
Domestic lounge Unlimited

Emeralde ICICI Bank

Annual fee ₹12,000 Waivable at ₹10,00,000 spend
Forex markup 2%
Domestic lounge Unlimited

Reward earning explained

Per card

Magnus

5 pts / ₹100 on General spend

Limited data

Emeralde

6 pts / ₹100 on General spend

Limited data

Pick based on what matters

6 dimensions

Start with the constraint you care about most: annual fee (Axis Bank Magnus: ₹12,500 vs ICICI Bank Emeralde: ₹12,000), forex markup (2% vs 2%), or lounge access (Unlimited vs Unlimited).

Travel Tie

Both cards are similar for travel

Forex markup is 2%.

Magnus: Limited data Emeralde: Limited data
Forex markup Tie

Both cards are similar for forex

Forex markup is 2%.

Magnus: Limited data Emeralde: Limited data
Lounge access Tie

Both cards are similar for lounge access

Domestic lounge access is unlimited.

Magnus: Limited data
Rewards Axis Bank Magnus wins

Axis Bank Magnus is better for rewards

Axis Bank Magnus is stronger here. Estimated base reward value is ~5% on base spend.

Magnus: Limited data Emeralde: Limited data
Annual fee Tie

Both cards are similar for fees

Annual fee is ₹12,500. Annual fee is ₹12,000.

Magnus: Limited data Emeralde: Limited data
upi Tie

Both cards are similar for UPI usage

Visa network does not support UPI payments.

Verify with issuer

All fields

Standard view

Example usage at this monthly spend

At ₹50k/month spend:

Magnus: ~₹2,500/month at base rate
Emeralde: ~₹750/month at base rate

Illustrative only, using current base rates before caps.

Field	Magnus Axis Bank	Emeralde ICICI Bank
Lounge Access
Domestic lounge visits	Unlimited	Unlimited
International lounge visits Only available for Magnus	4/year	Not specified
Forex / International Use
Forex markup	2%	2%
Fees
Annual fee ₹12,500 vs ₹12,000	₹12,500	₹12,000
Joining fee ₹12,500 vs ₹12,000	₹12,500	₹12,000
Fee waiver spend ₹25,00,000 vs ₹10,00,000	₹25,00,000	₹10,00,000
Rewards
Points per ₹100 5 pts vs 6 pts	5 pts	6 pts
Point cash value ₹1 vs ₹0.25	₹1	₹0.25

Notes

Card benefits change frequently. Always verify current terms on the issuer's official website or app before applying.