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ICICI 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.

Emeralde
Scapia

The short answer

Verdict

Pick Scapia for travel and spending abroad.

Head-to-head

Three core metrics
  • Annual fee
    Emeralde ₹12,000 Waivable at ₹10,00,000 spend
    Scapia ₹0
    Scapia saves ₹12,000/yr
  • Forex markup
    Emeralde 2%
    Scapia 0%
    Scapia saves ~₹2,000 per ₹1L abroad
  • Domestic lounge
    Emeralde Unlimited
    Scapia Unlimited Conditional · Domestic: Unlimited · requires ₹20,000 spend in the previous month (unlocks the following month)

Reward earning explained

Per card
Emeralde

6 pts / ₹100

Strong data
Scapia

10 Scapia Coins / ₹100

Strong data

Pick based on what matters

4 dimensions

Start 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).

  • Travel Federal Bank Scapia wins

    Federal Bank Scapia is better for travel

    Federal Bank Scapia is stronger here. Forex markup is 0%.

  • Forex markup Federal Bank Scapia wins

    Federal Bank Scapia is better for forex

    Federal Bank Scapia is stronger here. Forex markup is 0%.

  • Lounge access Tie

    Both cards are similar for lounge access

    Domestic lounge access is unlimited.

  • 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.

    Emeralde: Strong data Scapia: Strong data

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.