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HSBC credit cards
HSBC has a wide selection of credit cards, including rewards, frequent flyer and low rate cards. And most HSBC cards have 0% balance transfer options too.
HSBC is a major global bank. In Australia, many of its credit card offers are aimed at travelers and frequent flyers. HSBC has its own reward program, HSBC Rewards Plus, and it has a Platinum Qantas Card - and a card that lets you choose from either program.
HSBC also has a credit card that lets you earn Star Alliance Network points and get on the fast track to Gold Status.
The HSBC Platinum and HSBC Premier World Mastercard give you a way to earn points per $1 on your eligible spending through HSBC Rewards Plus. You can redeem your points for gift cards, cashback on your account and more. With the HSBC Premier World Mastercard, you can choose between the Qantas Rewards program or the HSBC Rewards Plus.
HSBC frequent flyer credit cards
The HSBC Platinum Qantas Credit Card offers up to 1.5 Qantas Point per $1 on all eligible spending in the first year, plus complimentary travel insurance.
The HSBC Star Alliance Credit Card earns up to 1 Star Alliance Point per $1, which you can transfer to a choice of 7 Star Alliance partners, including Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer, Air Canada Aeroplan and Air New Zealand Airpoints. You can also access more benefits by flying with your chosen airline's Gold Status program (if you meet the requirements).
HSBC balance transfer credit card offers
Most HSBC cards have a 0% balance transfer offer for 12 months with a 2% fee. This lets you combine or transfer existing card debts and start paying them off with an interest-free period.
You will need to request a balance transfer when applying for a card.
HSBC low rate credit cards
The HSBC Low Rate Credit Card has a 12.99% p.a. interest rate for purchases, which is competitive with other low rate credit cards in Australia. It also offers complimentary domestic travel insurance and no foreign transaction fees, which are nice perks for a low rate card.
Corporate credit cards
The HSBC Corporate Card is suited to businesses that want access to credit and expense management tools. It allows you to classify spend limits by departments and business units, offers complimentary travel insurance and includes zero liability for misuse.
What do Australians think of HSBC credit card provider?
4.09/5 overall for Customer Satisfaction — higher than the average of 4.06
4.66/5 for Trust — higher than the average of 4.4
3.95/5 for Customer Service — lower than the average of 4.06
HSBC has a strong set of programs that come with its cards, offering discounts on various shopping, travel and experience categories.
HSBC Instant Savings
HSBC Instant Savings is an app for HSBC card customers. It gives you access to over 4,500 offers for things like restaurants, hotels, cafes, cinemas, groceries and more.
You can get discounts of 5% to 50% depending on where you shop, as long as you use your credit card. This can be a great money saving perk if you take advantage of deals on offer.
HSBC home&Away Privilege Program
This program gives you access to special offers and discounts with partners in Australia and around the world when you use your HSBC credit card. To give you an idea of the options, when Finder looked on the HSBC home&Away website in March 2024, we saw deals like:
10% off Agoda hotel bookings
10% of Avis car rentals
15% off Mondaine watches
Mobile wallets and contactless payments
You can add any personal HSBC credit card details to Apple Pay or Google Pay and use your eligible smartphone or smartwatch to make contactless payments.
Online and mobile banking
You can check your balance, manage your account and send secure messages through HSBC's online and mobile banking platforms, as well as the HSBC app. With Online Banking, you can even set controls for your card based in the type of transaction, value or country.
How to apply for a HSBC credit card
You can apply for a HSBC credit card in around 10 minutes by filling in the online application form. To get started, make sure you meet the eligibility requirements and have the documents and details you need to include on the application.
Eligibility criteria
Age. You must be at least 18 years of age.
Residency status. You must be an Australian resident.
Income. The required income varies by card.
You'll need to meet the income requirements for your chosen HSBC credit card. For example, the HSBC Platinum Credit Card has a minimum income requirement of $40,000 per year and the HSBC Star Alliance Credit Card has a minimum income requirement of $75,000 per year.
Credit history. You'll typically need a good credit score to get a credit card from HSBC.
Documents and details
Personal information. This includes your current home address and previous home address if you’ve recently moved.
Employer’s details. You will be asked to provide your employer’s contact details. If you’re self-employed you may also be asked to provide your accountant’s contact information.
Financial information. The online application requires you to detail your financial situation. This includes information about your income, expenses, assets and liabilities. You may be required to confirm whether or not you have a mortgage or any dependent children and provide details regarding your savings and whether you get any income from assets such as shares or property.
What happens after you apply?
After submitting your application, you'll get a response within 60 seconds. You'll then be asked to upload supporting documentation. If you're approved, your card will be posted to you in the mail and you'll get further details about setting up your credit card account.
Credit card brands similar to HSBC
If you want a credit card from a global brand, here are 3 other credit card providers you could compare with HSBC:
You can activate your new HSBC credit card online or over the phone. To activate online:
Log into your Internet banking account
Select your credit card account
Click on "Manage your account" then "Activate Card" and follow the prompts
Alternatively, call 132 152 (or +612 9005 8511 if calling from abroad) and follow these steps:
Enter your card number
Follow the prompts to register your account for automated banking services
Select the card activation option and then follow the prompts to complete this process
You can choose from the following options for making repayments on your HSBC credit card:
BPAY. Log into your Internet banking account and follow the instructions on how to set up a BPAY payment. The HSBC Biller Code is 17095 and your credit card account number is listed on your credit card statement. BPAY payments can take up to 2 business days to process and payments made after 6pm (EST) are only processed the next business day.
Direct debit. You can set up automated direct debits from your bank account to pay off your credit card each month. You can find the direct debit request form on the HSBC website. Your direct debit payments can be for a fixed monthly amount, the minimum amount or the full repayment amount.
HSBC branch. Take your HSBC credit card statement to an HSBC banking branch and you can pay it there with cash or EFTPOS.
Australia Post. Australia Post's Bank@Post service lets you pay your HSBC credit card account when you're at the post office. A $2.95 HSBC payment fee applies and you need to have your credit card statement with you to pay at Australia Post.
HSBC has ended its long-term interest-free finance offers in 2023. It still offers interest-free days on purchases with eligible credit cards. But if you want to pay off large purchases over a long period of time, Finder's guide to interest-free finance has more options.
You'll need to pay a minimum repayment of 3% or $30 for Low Rate cards and 3% or $20 (whichever is greater) for all other HSBC credit cards by the date listed on your statement each month.
If you want to take advantage of the balance transfer promotion available with HSBC credit cards, generally, you need to be a new customer applying for the credit card. You can elect to conduct a balance transfer from a non-HSBC credit card, store card or charge card while you're completing your application. Make sure that you include the name of your financial institution, the amount you want to transfer and details of the account.
It's possible to request a balance transfer onto your existing HSBC credit card by logging in to your online account or by calling HSBC on 132 152.
With this option, the balance transfer rates and fees may be different to those offered for new customers. It will also be processed in real-time, so make sure you carefully check all the details before going ahead with an application for your existing HSBC card. If you have debt on a HSBC credit card, you can compare balance transfer offers from other banks to find an option that works for you.
You can balance transfer up to 90% of your approved credit limit.
BPAY payments do not earn reward points. Eligible purchases exclude interest-free promotions, balance transfers, business expenses, cash advances, fees or charges, any disputed transactions, BPAY payments and any government fee or charge.
Amy Bradney-George was the senior writer for credit cards at Finder, and editorial lead for Finder Green. She has over 16 years of editorial experience and has been featured in publications including ABC News, Money Magazine and The Sydney Morning Herald. See full bio
Amy's expertise
Amy has written 566 Finder guides across topics including:
Richard Whitten is a money editor at Finder, and has been covering home loans, property and personal finance for 6+ years. He has written for Yahoo Finance, Money Magazine and Homely; and has appeared on various radio shows nationwide. He holds a Certificate IV in mortgage broking and finance (RG 206), a Tier 1 Generic Knowledge certification and a Tier 2 General Advice Deposit Products (RG 146) certification. See full bio
Richard's expertise
Richard has written 542 Finder guides across topics including:
The HSBC Star Alliance Credit Card offers points and perks with partners including Singapore Airlines, Air New Zealand and United. Is it right for you?
This card offers 0% interest on balance transfers for 12 months, a first-year annual fee waiver and platinum benefits including airport lounge passes and complimentary insurance covers.
The HSBC Corporate Card offers expense management, flexible spending controls, liability protection and worldwide acceptance through the Mastercard network.
With HSBC credit card rewards program, cardholders get the ability to earn points on a one point to one dollar ratio that can be used for a vast array of rewards and extra points with HSBC partners.
Have applied for a hsbc credit card. It said your application being processed and will contact in few days. Does this mean application was declined
Finder
JonathanMay 6, 2015Finder
Hi Charmaine,
Thanks for your inquiry.
If an application is not instantly approved, it can go to conditional approval status, referral, or not approved. Please refer to the following link for information on checking on your credit card application.
Cheers,
Jonathan
HilaryMarch 31, 2015
HSBC credit card – is there any travel insurance included ?
what does it cover ?
I assume you have to purchase your flights/accommodation with this card ?
any excess ?
Finder
JonathanApril 1, 2015Finder
Hi Hilary,
Thanks for your inquiry.
Please see the following link for more information on which cards are included and the requirements with HSBC credit card insurance.
Cheers,
Jonathan
davidFebruary 11, 2015
Having applied for a HSBC Platinum Qantas Credit Card and having my application knocked back on the grounds that I do not have enough income, I find it hard to fathom why as I have a good credit record, own my own house, have a pension of $X per year, and over $X in shares and bank accounts with no debt at all. I have tried to contact the credit department at HSBC and have been brushed off every time with no success. I have to wonder what I have to do to get an answer? I am a pensioner and wonder whether it is my age that is the reason why I have no luck with this card (at the moment I do have a platinum card with another bank) and that has no debt on it, maybe they only want people with a large debt to make more money.
Finder
JonathanFebruary 11, 2015Finder
Hi David, thanks for your inquiry.
Unfortunately we are not directly affiliated with HSBC as we are a comparison service. It would be best to directly contact HSBC in regards to your inquiry either through a local branch or contact departments. Please refer to the email I have sent you for their contact details and complaints resolution team.
Kind Regards,
Jonathan
VivekJanuary 24, 2015
i applied for HSBC credit card from chennai india.Please tell me how i will know the status
Finder
JonathanJanuary 27, 2015Finder
Hi Vivek,
Thanks for your inquiry,
You can check the status of a credit card application by contacting HSBC directly.
I hope this helps,
Jonathan
MarthaDecember 17, 2014
Hi,
I applied for a 0% 6 months balance transfer about 3 weeks ago. I then received my platinum credit card in the mail and I have activated it. I keep ringing to see when the balance transfer is going to go through. I was told to wait the 7-10 days waiting period. I rang again and was told the transfer is being processed. Now today I rang and I was told they could not find where I had applied. I am really confused about this as I received the credit care for $15,000.00 credit (which I really did not need)and now I am being told no balance transfer. In the meantime, I have had to pay the other credit card off because of the high interest. Gosh, I am so disappointed with HSBC and all the running around I have been given to find that no balance transfer coming.
Finder
ElizabethDecember 18, 2014Finder
Hi Martha,
Thanks for your question.
If you applied for the balance transfer at the time of application, and you were bringing over a balance from non-HSBC card accounts, then your best option may be to contact HSBC and attempt to have the balance transfer approved. You might also see if they are able to offer you a way to organise a balance transfer of the card yourself.
Another option you have is submitting a complaint directly to HSBC or the financial ombudsmen.
I hope this has helped.
Thanks,
Elizabeth
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Have applied for a hsbc credit card. It said your application being processed and will contact in few days. Does this mean application was declined
Hi Charmaine,
Thanks for your inquiry.
If an application is not instantly approved, it can go to conditional approval status, referral, or not approved. Please refer to the following link for information on checking on your credit card application.
Cheers,
Jonathan
HSBC credit card – is there any travel insurance included ?
what does it cover ?
I assume you have to purchase your flights/accommodation with this card ?
any excess ?
Hi Hilary,
Thanks for your inquiry.
Please see the following link for more information on which cards are included and the requirements with HSBC credit card insurance.
Cheers,
Jonathan
Having applied for a HSBC Platinum Qantas Credit Card and having my application knocked back on the grounds that I do not have enough income, I find it hard to fathom why as I have a good credit record, own my own house, have a pension of $X per year, and over $X in shares and bank accounts with no debt at all. I have tried to contact the credit department at HSBC and have been brushed off every time with no success. I have to wonder what I have to do to get an answer? I am a pensioner and wonder whether it is my age that is the reason why I have no luck with this card (at the moment I do have a platinum card with another bank) and that has no debt on it, maybe they only want people with a large debt to make more money.
Hi David, thanks for your inquiry.
Unfortunately we are not directly affiliated with HSBC as we are a comparison service. It would be best to directly contact HSBC in regards to your inquiry either through a local branch or contact departments. Please refer to the email I have sent you for their contact details and complaints resolution team.
Kind Regards,
Jonathan
i applied for HSBC credit card from chennai india.Please tell me how i will know the status
Hi Vivek,
Thanks for your inquiry,
You can check the status of a credit card application by contacting HSBC directly.
I hope this helps,
Jonathan
Hi,
I applied for a 0% 6 months balance transfer about 3 weeks ago. I then received my platinum credit card in the mail and I have activated it. I keep ringing to see when the balance transfer is going to go through. I was told to wait the 7-10 days waiting period. I rang again and was told the transfer is being processed. Now today I rang and I was told they could not find where I had applied. I am really confused about this as I received the credit care for $15,000.00 credit (which I really did not need)and now I am being told no balance transfer. In the meantime, I have had to pay the other credit card off because of the high interest. Gosh, I am so disappointed with HSBC and all the running around I have been given to find that no balance transfer coming.
Hi Martha,
Thanks for your question.
If you applied for the balance transfer at the time of application, and you were bringing over a balance from non-HSBC card accounts, then your best option may be to contact HSBC and attempt to have the balance transfer approved. You might also see if they are able to offer you a way to organise a balance transfer of the card yourself.
Another option you have is submitting a complaint directly to HSBC or the financial ombudsmen.
I hope this has helped.
Thanks,
Elizabeth