6 pts / ₹100
Strong dataICICI Bank Emeralde vs Federal Bank Scapia Credit Cards – Fees, Lounge, Forex
Side-by-side comparison of the ICICI Bank Emeralde and the Federal Bank Scapia. Verify fees, lounge access, forex markup, and base rewards before you apply.
The short answer
VerdictPick Scapia for travel and spending abroad.
Head-to-head
Three core metrics- Annual fee Scapia saves ₹12,000/yrEmeralde ₹12,000 Waivable at ₹10,00,000 spendScapia ₹0
- Forex markup Scapia saves ~₹2,000 per ₹1L abroadEmeralde 2%Scapia 0%
- Domestic lounge Emeralde UnlimitedScapia Unlimited Conditional · Domestic: Unlimited · requires ₹20,000 spend in the previous month (unlocks the following month)
Reward earning explained
Per card10 Scapia Coins / ₹100
Strong dataPick based on what matters
4 dimensionsStart with the constraint you care about most: annual fee (ICICI Bank Emeralde: ₹12,000 vs Federal Bank Scapia: ₹0), forex markup (2% vs 0%), or lounge access (Unlimited vs Unlimited).
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Travel Federal Bank Scapia wins Federal Bank Scapia is better for travel
Federal Bank Scapia is stronger here. Forex markup is 0%.
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Forex markup Federal Bank Scapia wins Federal Bank Scapia is better for forex
Federal Bank Scapia is stronger here. Forex markup is 0%.
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Lounge access Tie Both cards are similar for lounge access
Domestic lounge access is unlimited.
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Rewards Insufficient data Insufficient data to compare rewards
Available evidence is incomplete: ICICI Bank Emeralde is not safely INR-comparable (no usable point value). Federal Bank Scapia conservative base value ~2% per ₹100.
All fields
Example usage at this monthly spend
At ₹50k/month spend:
- Scapia: ~₹1,000/month at base rate
- Emeralde: Base earn not clearly specified
Illustrative only, using current base rates before caps.
| Field | Emeralde ICICI Bank | Scapia Federal Bank |
|---|---|---|
| Insurance — Air accident cover Only available for Emeralde | ₹3 crore | Not specified |
| Insurance — Lost card liability cover Only available for Emeralde | ₹50,000 | Not specified |
| Insurance — Underwriter Only available for Emeralde | Insured by ICICI Lombard General Insurance Company Limited | Not specified |
| Lounge Access | ||
| Domestic lounge visits spend-gated on some cards — see caveats | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| International lounge visits Only available for Emeralde | Unlimited | Not specified |
| Forex / International Use | ||
| Forex markup 2% vs 0% | 2% | 0% |
| Fees | ||
| Recurring annual fee ₹12,000 vs ₹0 | ₹12,000 | ₹0 |
| Annual-fee waiver Only available for Emeralde | ₹10,00,000 | Not specified |
| Monthly interest rate | 3.75% / month | 3.75% / month |
| Late-payment charge ₹100–₹1,300 depending on outstanding balance vs ₹100–₹950 depending on outstanding balance | ₹100–₹1,300 depending on outstanding balance | ₹100–₹950 depending on outstanding balance |
| Fuel benefit 1% surcharge waiver · up to ₹4,000 transactions · Fuel rewards excluded vs 1% surcharge waiver · up to ₹5,000 transactions · ₹500/month waiver cap · Fuel rewards excluded | 1% surcharge waiver · up to ₹4,000 transactions · Fuel rewards excluded | 1% surcharge waiver · up to ₹5,000 transactions · ₹500/month waiver cap · Fuel rewards excluded |
| Rewards | ||
| Points per ₹100 Some reward lanes are only partially modelled — base rate only for comparison. 6 pts / ₹100 vs 10 Scapia Coins / ₹100 | 6 pts / ₹100 | 10 Scapia Coins / ₹100 |
| Conservative base value Not safely INR-comparable vs ~2% | Not safely INR-comparable | ~2% |
| Earn ceiling | Not stated | Not stated |
| Payment network rates Only available for Scapia | Not specified | RuPay: 5 Scapia Coins / ₹100 · Credited as reward points · Min ₹500 per transaction |
| Point value (headline channel) Issuer headline rate at the travel/SmartBuy channel — not the lowest redemption option. Only available for Scapia | Not specified | ₹0.2 |
Notes
- Federal Bank Scapia Credit Card: Condition: ₹20,000 spend in the previous month (unlocks the following month)
- Card benefits change frequently. Always verify current terms on the issuer's official website or app before applying.
ICICI Bank Emeralde
Verify with issuer , opens external siteFederal Bank Scapia
Verify with issuer , opens external site