CardAgent
Verified by CardAgent admin · last checked 08 Jul 2026
HSBC India

HSBC Visa Platinum Credit Card

29
Ranked #93 of 170 in credit
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HSBC's genuinely lifetime-free entry-level credit card offering the same broad 20+ transfer-partner network as HSBC's paid travel cards, at a lower earn rate and with no lounge access — a strong "free card that still does real travel-points transfers" option.

Score breakdown

Data completeness: 95% · Last verified: 09 Jul 2026

Reward value15/100 · weight 71%
≈ 0.67% effective on the standard basket (eligible spend only)
Wide-coverage rewards: +10.0% score bonus — earns broadly without narrow category restrictions.
No rewards on: utilities. Reward score is scaled by ×(1 − 0.5%), proportional to how much of the standard basket falls in these excluded categories (v4 formula, capped at −5%). Tip: pair with a card that covers these.
Fee efficiency100/100 · weight 12%
Redemption flexibility75/100 · weight 9%
Perks7/100 · weight 9%

Fees

All fees shown base + 18% GST (India card fees legally attract GST).

Joining fee
—
Annual fee
Lifetime free
Waiver: Genuinely lifetime free, no conditions
Forex markup
3.5%

Lounge access

Domestic (per year)
0
International (per year)
0

Reward structure

CategoryTypeRateCapNotes
all_spendspoints0.67%(1.33 pts @ ₹0.50)—2 RP per Rs150 spent; value at typical airline transfer redemption
fuelpoints0.25%(1 pts @ ₹0.25)——
online_spendspoints0.25%(1 pts @ ₹0.25)——
diningpoints0.25%(1 pts @ ₹0.25)——
travelpoints0.25%(1 pts @ ₹0.25)——
groceriespoints0.25%(1 pts @ ₹0.25)——

Welcome offer

2,000 reward points on HSBC app download + Rs5,000 spend in first 30 days; Rs250 Amazon eGift Card on VKYC completion; 3-month complimentary Swiggy One membership on activation

Milestone benefits

Pros

  • Genuinely lifetime free with access to the SAME 20+ airline/hotel transfer partner network as the paid HSBC TravelOne card — unusual for a free card
  • complimentary Times Prime membership (12-month, bundling Spotify/Uber One/Discovery+)
  • MakeMyTrip perks
  • fuel cashback via contactless

Cons

  • No lounge access at all
  • lower base earn rate (2 RP/Rs150 = ~1.33%) vs the paid TravelOne (4 RP/Rs150)
  • points expire after 3 years (unlike Premier's non-expiring points)
  • city-restricted eligibility

What's inside

More benefits

  • Times Prime membership

    ₹1,200

    Complimentary 12-month Times Prime subscription bundling Spotify Premium, Uber One, Discovery+, Moneycontrol Pro, Lenskart Gold and more

    Cap ₹1,200 / yearly. Visa Signature tier benefit

  • BOGO movie tickets

    ₹250

    Buy one get one on BookMyShow tickets, valid once per calendar month on Saturdays

    Cap ₹3,000 / monthly. Saturday bookings, max Rs250 off

  • Fuel contactless cashback

    ₹250

    Rs250 cashback on contactless fuel spends of up to Rs10,000 per quarter

    Cap ₹1,000 / quarterly. Contactless payment, physical card only

Insurance cover

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Eligibility

text
Age 18-65; min income Rs4L (salaried); Indian resident of specific eligible cities (Mumbai, NCR, Bangalore, Pune, Kochi, Chennai, Noida, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Jaipur, Gurgaon, Coimbatore, Chandigarh, Kolkata)

Small print

Fuel surcharge:1% waiver, Rs400-4,000 range, capped Rs250/month (not available first 90 days of card issuance)