ICICI Bank Sapphiro Credit Card from ICICI Bank

ICICI Bank Sapphiro Credit Card review

ICICI Bank · Mastercard · points Official sources Checked 30 Oct 2026

At a glance

Annual fee: ₹3,500
Joining fee: ₹6,500
Fee waiver: ₹6,00,000 a year
Base return: 0.5% base
Point value: ₹0.25 per point
Domestic lounge: 4 a quarter. Unlocked by ₹75,000 spend in previous calendar quarter
International lounge: 2 a year. Priority Pass

Estimated net value a year

Profile	Net	% of spend
First card, light spender ₹15k a month	−₹2,657	-1.5%
Metro salaried ₹60k a month	₹4,180	0.6%
Family household ₹80k a month	₹4,960	0.5%
Frequent flyer ₹1.5L a month	₹10,000	0.6%
Online shopper ₹50k a month	₹3,910	0.7%
Rent-heavy ₹90k a month	₹4,150	0.4%

Fee maths: The ₹3,500 annual fee is waived at ₹6,00,000 a year of eligible spend, about ₹50,000 a month. Of our 6 profiles, 5 clear it; on first card, light spender you would pay the fee, which is 415% (₹843) of what that profile earns before the fee. On our 6 profiles it nets from −₹2,657 (first card, light spender) to ₹10,000 (frequent flyer), equal to −1.5% to 0.7% of spend across the profiles. Without a waiver, the metro salaried category mix earns back the fee from about ₹47,500 a month of total spend.

After fees and caps, best-case redemption. Use your own spend.

Our take: A mid-premium card (₹3,500 annual, ₹6,500 joining; the annual fee is waived at ₹6 lakh) with 2 points per ₹100 domestically and 4 on international spend, four domestic lounge visits a quarter if you spent ₹75,000 in the previous quarter, a 4,000-point milestone at ₹4 lakh, and welcome vouchers ICICI values at over ₹13,000. We found no rupee value per point in ICICI's documents, so we use ₹0.25. Fuel, rent and wallet loads earn nothing.

From the card's terms: strengths

4 domestic lounge visits a quarter

From the card's terms: limits

Base return is only about 0.5% on other spends

Reward rates and caps

Spend category	Points per ₹100	Value per ₹100	Cap	Notes
International (foreign currency)	4	₹1	No cap found	4 RP per ₹100 on international spends (official page).
Groceries	2	₹0.5	800 pts monthly	2 RP per ₹100 on grocery and department-store spends, capped at ₹40,000 spend per statement cycle = 800 RP (official MITC, w.e.f. 15 Nov 2024).
Bills & utilities	1	₹0.25	800 pts monthly	1 RP per ₹100 on utility spends (official page); capped at ₹80,000 spend per statement cycle = 800 RP (official MITC). Insurance also ₹80,000.
Fuel, Rent	0	₹0	No cap found	Fuel, rent, wallet loads earn nothing since 15 Jan 2026
Everything else, Other online shopping, Amazon, Flipkart, Dining & food delivery, Flights & hotels, Entertainment & OTT	2	₹0.5	No cap found	2 RP/₹100 domestic; international spends earn 4 RP/₹100; transport capped ₹20,000/cycle

Point value: ICICI Reward Points ~₹0.25 each; aggregator claims up to ₹0.40 for vouchers/statement credit (unverified); Air India transfer ~₹0.17

Excluded or reduced

Fuel (MITC: no points)
Rent
Cash advances
E-wallet loads (MITC)
Government payments counted under utility (cap applies); skill-based gaming and education in restricted-category table (MITC)
Transport (MCC 4111/4112/4784/4131): reward capped at ₹20,000 spend per statement cycle (MITC, from 1 Feb 2026; not modelled)

Spend milestones

Spend ₹4,00,000 a year: 4,000 RP at ₹4 lakh, +2,000 RP per additional ₹1 lakh, up to 20,000 RP/yr (about ₹1,000)

Other benefits

Welcome: Welcome vouchers worth over ₹13,000 within 45 days of joining-fee payment: Tata CLiQ ₹3,000, EaseMyTrip ₹4,000, Da Milano ₹5,000, Croma ₹1,500, EazyDiner Prime ₹1,095 (official; voucher face value, not cash)
Renewal: None confirmed
Golf up to 4 rounds/month (1 per ₹50,000 prior-month retail spend)
BookMyShow BOGO up to ₹500, twice/month (needs ₹25,000 prior-quarter spend)
Forex markup 3.5%
1% fuel surcharge waiver on transactions up to ₹4,000 at all fuel pumps (official)
RuPay variant exists
Air accident insurance cover up to ₹3 crore (international tickets bought on card)

Eligibility

Indian citizen over 21; salaried ₹75,000/month or self-employed ₹9 lakh/yr (official)

Where it ranks

#1 in Best credit cards for airport lounge access

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FAQ

What is the annual fee of the ICICI Bank Sapphiro Credit Card?

₹3,500 a year, waived at ₹6,00,000 annual spend. Fees exclude 18% GST.

How do ICICI Bank Sapphiro Credit Card rewards work?

0.5% base, up to 1% on international (foreign currency). ICICI Reward Points ~₹0.25 each; aggregator claims up to ₹0.40 for vouchers/statement credit (unverified); Air India transfer ~₹0.17

Does the ICICI Bank Sapphiro Credit Card give airport lounge access?

Domestic: 4 a quarter. Unlocked by ₹75,000 spend in previous calendar quarter. International: 2 a year. Priority Pass.

Who is the ICICI Bank Sapphiro Credit Card best suited to?

A mid-premium card (₹3,500 annual, ₹6,500 joining; the annual fee is waived at ₹6 lakh) with 2 points per ₹100 domestically and 4 on international spend, four domestic lounge visits a quarter if you spent ₹75,000 in the previous quarter, a 4,000-point milestone at ₹4 lakh, and welcome vouchers ICICI values at over ₹13,000. We found no rupee value per point in ICICI's documents, so we use ₹0.25. Fuel, rent and wallet loads earn nothing. The ₹3,500 annual fee is waived at ₹6,00,000 a year of eligible spend, about ₹50,000 a month. Of our 6 profiles, 5 clear it; on first card, light spender you would pay the fee, which is 415% (₹843) of what that profile earns before the fee. On our 6 profiles it nets from −₹2,657 (first card, light spender) to ₹10,000 (frequent flyer), equal to −1.5% to 0.7% of spend across the profiles.