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Standard Chartered EaseMyTrip Credit Card Vs. MakeMyTrip ICICI Bank Platinum Credit Card

Megha KhannaCredit Card
Standard Chartered EaseMyTrip Credit Card vs. ICICI Bank MakeMyTrip Credit Card

Standard Chartered EaseMyTrip and ICICI Bank MakeMyTrip Platinum Credit Card, are both co-branded travel credit cards with popular travel booking platforms, EaseMyTrip and MakeMyTrip respectively. Both of these are the most prominent platforms that most travelers rely upon for hotel, flight, or cab bookings.

The fact that both EaseMyTrip and MakeMyTrip, are competitors in their league, make these co-branded cards compete against each other on various grounds. The primary factor being travel benefits such as discounts on bookings, lounge access, and co-branded features. If you are a frequent traveler, you must get yourself at least one of these cards, that offers benefits aligned to your spending and lifestyle preferences. To help you make an informed decision, here we have created a comparative review. Read on to know more.

Key Highlights: Standard Chartered EaseMyTrip Credit Card & ICICI Bank MakeMyTrip Platinum Credit Card
Particulars Standard Chartered EaseMyTrip Credit Card ICICI Bank MakeMyTrip Platinum Credit Card
Card Type Entry Level Entry Level
Joining Fee Rs. 350 Rs. 500
Welcome Benefit – Rs. 500 My Cash & MakeMyTrip holiday voucher worth Rs. 3,000
Annual Fee Rs. 350 Nil
Renewal Fee Waiver On spending Rs. 50,000 in the preceding year –
Milestone Benefit – Rs. 1,000 My Cash on spending Rs. 2.5 Lakh in a year & Rs. 1,000 My Cash on spending Rs. 50,000 on MakeMyTrip in an anniversary year
Reward Points
  • 2 reward on every Rs.100 spent on retail spends
  • 10 rewards on every Rs. 100 spent for booking tickets at standalone hotel and airline websites/apps/outlets (not applicable on EaseMyTrip)
  • 1 My Cash for domestic spends outside MakeMyTrip on every Rs. 200 spent
  • 1.25 My Cash for international spends outside MakeMyTrip on every Rs. 200 spent
Reward Point Value 1 reward point= Rs. 0.25 1 My Cash= Rs. 1
Co-branded Benefit EaseMyTrip Benefits:

  • Flat 20% instant discount on domestic/international hotel bookings
  • Flat 10% off on domestic/international flight bookings
  • Rs. 125 off on bus ticket bookings
 MakeMyTrip Benefits:

  • 2 My Cash per Rs. 200 spent on flight bookings
  • 3 My Cash per Rs. 200 spent on hotel/ holiday bookings
Airport Lounge Access 1 domestic lounge access per calendar quarter and 2 international lounge access per year 1 complimentary airport lounge access per quarter

 
Railway Lounge Access – Enjoy 1 complimentary railway lounge access in a quarter to participating lounges in India (for primary card holders)
Additional Benefits
  • Convert spends above Rs. 2,000 into easy EMIs
  • Dial-a-loan facility  for loans up to Rs. 5 lakh with flexible tenure ranging from 12 to 60 months
  • Credit card balance transfer  of up to Rs. 5 Lakh
  • Convert outstanding amount  up to Rs. 5 Lakh into easy EMIs at zero processing fee
  • 25% discount on purchase of minimum two tickets per transaction on BookMyShow and Inox (up to Rs. 100, twice a month)
  • Exclusive dining offers through ICICI Bank Culinary Treats Programme
  • 1% fuel surcharge waiver on transactions up to Rs. 4,000
ICICI MakeMyTrip Platinum Credit Card offers Better Welcome Benefit and Justifies the Joining Fee
EaseMyTrip Credit Card offers Easy Renewal Fee Waiver, but MakeMyTrip ICICI Platinum Card comes at a Zero Annual Fee
EaseMyTrip Credit Card offers Better Value Back for Co-branded Benefits
MakeMyTrip Credit Card Offers Higher Reward Rate, but EaseMyTrip Offers Better Value for General Travel Bookings
EaseMyTrip Credit Card offers International Lounge Access as well, but MakeMyTrip Card offers Railway Lounge Access
Which Card Should You Get?
Bottom Line

ICICI MakeMyTrip Platinum Credit Card offers Better Welcome Benefit and Justifies the Joining Fee

The Standard Chartered EaseMyTrip card charges a lower annual fee of Rs. 350, in comparison to the ICICI MakeMyTrip PlatinumCard that charges Rs. 500. However, the EaseMyTrip credit card offers no welcome benefit. This is a drawback as various zero annual fee cards such as HSBC Visa Platinum offer introductory benefits at Nil joining fee. On the other hand, MakeMyTrip ICICI Credit Card offers welcome benefits worth Rs. 3,500 by charging a joining fee of Rs. 500 and emerges as a clear winner in this aspect.

EaseMyTrip Credit Card offers Easy Renewal Fee Waiver, but MakeMyTrip ICICI Platinum Card comes at a Zero Annual Fee

Standard Chartered EaseMyTrip card charges an annual fee of Rs. 350, in comparison to the MakeMyTrip Platinum credit card that comes at a NIL fee. However, the EaseMyTrip card offer a renewal fee waiver on spending Rs. 50,000. This means that you need to spend around Rs. 4,200 per month on an average, to attain this waiver. So, if you use your credit card frequently or even occasionally, and prefer EaseMyTrip over MakeMyTrip, then paying an annual fee should not be a concern, as the fee waiver is easily attainable.

Also, note that EaseMyTrip card’s  fee waiver on spending Rs. 50,000 is comparable with MakeMyTrip credit card’s milestone benefits on spending Rs. 2,50,000 overall or Rs. 50,000 specifically on MakeMyTrip. With EaseMyTrip card you earn a benefit of around Rs. 350 on spending Rs. 50,000, whereas, in the case of MakeMyTrip credit card, you earn a benefit of a minimum of Rs. 1,000 to a maximum of Rs. 2,000 on spending Rs. 50,000 on MakeMyTrip and Rs. 2.5 lakh, otherwise.  Thus, you get an added advantage here, as with the MakeMyTrip credit card you not only pay a zero annual fee, but also earn additional spend-based benefits.

EaseMyTrip Credit Card offers Better Value Back for Co-branded Benefits

Both these cards offer benefits on EaseMyTrip and MakeMyTrip via direct discount and My Cash points respectively. To understand which offers it better, let us look at the following table, assuming you spend Rs. 10,000 for hotel & flight bookings.

  Standard Chartered EaseMyTrip Card ICICI MakeMyTrip Credit Card
On spending Rs. 10,000 on domestic hotel bookings Flat 20% discount=Rs. 2,000 discount 3 My Cash per Rs. 200= My Cash points  worth Rs. 150
On spending Rs. 10,000 on flight bookings Flat 10% discount=Rs. 1,000 discount 2 My Cash per Rs. 200= My Cash points worth Rs. 100

Clearly, EaseMyTrip card offers better value back for hotel and flight bookings. The difference is not even marginal, but indeed huge. The EaseMyTrip Card also offers a direct discount of Rs. 150 on bus bookings. Therefore, Standard Chartered EaseMyTrip card offers better co-branded benefits in comparison to the ICICI Bank MakeMyTrip Platinum credit card.

Suggested Read: Credit Cards with Hotel Memberships | Best Airline Credit Cards in India 

MakeMyTrip Credit Card Offers Higher Reward Rate, but EaseMyTrip Offers Better Value for General Travel Bookings

Apart from co-branded benefits on EaseMyTrip, the Standard Chartered EaseMyTrip credit card offers varying reward points across multiple categories such as retail spends and ticket bookings at standalone hotel and airline websites/apps/outlets (other than EaseMyTrip). MakeMyTrip credit card, on the other hand, categorizes rewards as domestic and international spends, on and outside MakeMyTrip. However, note that the reward point value for the EaseMyTrip card is 1 reward point=Rs. 0.25, which is lower than on the MakeMyTrip card of 1 My Cash= Rs. 1.

You can earn the following reward value on spending Rs. 1,000 on the below-mentioned categories via these cards.

Spending Category Standard Chartered EaseMyTrip Card ICICI MakeMyTrip  Platinum Credit Card
On spending Rs. 1,000 on retail Spend Rs. 5 Rs. 5
On spending Rs. 1,000 on Domestic Travel bookings outside EaseMyTrip/MakeMyTrip Rs. 25 Rs. 5
On spending Rs. 1,000 on International travel bookings outside EaseMyTrip/MakeMyTrip Rs. 25 Rs. 6.25

Note: The above mentioned calculation is based on the reward/discounts offered by the cards across these spend types, as mentioned here.

Thus on the basis of the above-mentioned calculation, you should note that both the cards offer equal value on retail spends. However, the difference originates in spending across travel bookings via non-collaborated brands. As is clear, on spending across general travel bookings across any portal, EaseMyTrip cards offer great benefits even when MakeMyTrip cards offers a high reward rate.

Thus, the EaseMyTrip credit card proves itself as a travel credit card instead of a co-branded card, by not limiting the travel rewards to EaseMyTrip.

EaseMyTrip Credit Card offers International Lounge Access as well, but MakeMyTrip Card offers Railway Lounge Access

Both these cards offer access to airport lounges. However, Standard Chartered EaseMyTrip card offers access to both international & domestic airport lounges, while ICICI MakeMyTrip card offers domestic lounge access across railway and airports in India with no access to international lounges. On that basis, EaseMyTrip credit card is a good option if you travel internationally, as you also get additional discounts on international bookings. Whereas, MakeMyTrip credit card, is a good option if you travel via trains or flights within India and do not travel internationally.

Which Card Should You Get?

You Should get Standard Chartered EaseMyTrip Credit Card, if: You Should get MakeMyTrip ICICI Bank Platinum Credit Card, if:
  • You prefer EaseMyTrip over MakeMyTrip
  • You are looking for great rewards on all travel bookings as the general travel reward rate is good
  • You travel abroad, as you get direct discounts on international bookings, and access to international lounges
  • You are a MakeMyTrip loyalist
  • You want additional benefits across railway lounge access, entertainment and milestone benefits
  • You travel only within India

Bottom Line

If you are a beginner looking for an entry-level credit card that offers travel-centric benefits at a low annual fee, then you should consider these cards. However, choosing the right card among these, must be based on your preference for EaseMyTrip or MakeMyTrip.

Additionally in case you are a MakeMyTrip loyalists, and paying a high annual fee is not your concern, then, you can consider getting ICICI Bank MakeMyTrip Signature Credit Card. The card offers comparatively, extensive benefits on MakeMyTrip, in comparison to the platinum variant, as listed in the table below:

Particulars ICICI MakeMyTrip Platinum Credit Card ICICI MakeMyTrip Signature Credit Card
Welcome Benefit 500 My Cash & MakeMyTrip holiday voucher worth Rs. 3,000 1,500 My Cash; MakeMyTrip holiday voucher worth Rs. 2,500 & complimentary MMTBLACK membership
Reward Points Up to 3X reward points Up to 4X reward points
Milestone Benefit Worth Rs. 2,000 My Cash Points Worth Rs. 5,100 My Cash Points
Lounge Access 1 railway lounge & 1 domestic airport lounge access in a quarter 1 railway lounge; 2 domestic airport & 1 international airport lounge access + 1 spa session at airport
Other Benefits
  • BookMyShow & INOX offer
  • 1% fuel surcharge waiver at HPCL petrol pumps
  • Airtel Roaming Pack offer
  • 1% fuel surcharge waiver at HPCL petrol pumps
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