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

Axis Bank Reserve Credit Card has lower forex markup (1.5% vs 2%).

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

ICICI Emeralde Credit Card has a lower annual fee (₹12,000 vs ₹50,000).

Which card offers better lounge access?

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

Which card has a higher base reward rate?

Both cards have similar base reward value (~1.5%).

Pairwise comparison Add another card →

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

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

Travel Axis Bank Reserve Forex Axis Bank Reserve Low fee ICICI Bank Emeralde

Quick comparison

Three core metrics

Reserve Axis Bank

Annual fee ₹50,000 Waivable at ₹35,00,000 spend
Forex markup 1.5%
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

Reserve

7.5 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 Reserve: ₹50,000 vs ICICI Bank Emeralde: ₹12,000), forex markup (1.5% vs 2%), or lounge access (Unlimited vs Unlimited).

Travel Axis Bank Reserve wins

Axis Bank Reserve is better for travel

Axis Bank Reserve is stronger here. Axis Bank Reserve is cheaper for international spend (1.5% vs 2% forex).

Reserve: Limited data Emeralde: Limited data
Forex markup Axis Bank Reserve wins

Axis Bank Reserve is better for forex

Axis Bank Reserve is stronger here. Axis Bank Reserve has a lower forex markup (1.5% vs 2%).

Reserve: Limited data Emeralde: Limited data
Lounge access Tie

Both cards are similar for lounge access

Domestic lounge access is unlimited.
Rewards Tie

Both cards are similar for rewards

Estimated base reward value is ~1.5% on base spend.

Reserve: Limited data Emeralde: Limited data
Annual fee ICICI Bank Emeralde wins

ICICI Bank Emeralde is better for fees

ICICI Bank Emeralde is stronger here. ICICI Bank Emeralde has a lower annual fee (₹12,000 vs ₹50,000).

Reserve: Limited data Emeralde: Limited data
upi Tie

Both cards are similar for UPI usage

Mastercard network does not support UPI payments. Visa network does not support UPI payments.

Verify with issuer

All fields

Standard view

Example usage at this monthly spend

At ₹50k/month spend:

Reserve: ~₹750/month at base rate
Emeralde: ~₹750/month at base rate

Illustrative only, using current base rates before caps.

Field	Reserve Axis Bank	Emeralde ICICI Bank
Lounge Access
Domestic lounge visits	Unlimited	Unlimited
International lounge visits Only available for Reserve	12/year	Not specified
Forex / International Use
Forex markup Source agreement differs — verify both. 1.5% vs 2%	1.5%	2%
Fees
Annual fee ₹50,000 vs ₹12,000	₹50,000	₹12,000
Joining fee ₹50,000 vs ₹12,000	₹50,000	₹12,000
Fee waiver spend ₹35,00,000 vs ₹10,00,000	₹35,00,000	₹10,00,000
Rewards
Points per ₹100 7.5 pts vs 6 pts	7.5 pts	6 pts
Point cash value ₹0.2 vs ₹0.25	₹0.2	₹0.25

Notes

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